Today’s Top 50 Person: Jan Bradas. I love this girl! What a blessing she has been in my life, even though I haven’t seen her in around 20 years, and I haven’t interacted daily with her since the early 80’s. I looked up to her so much because of her faith and how she lived her life. I was a better person for having dated her. When we broke up, we were instantly very close friends the next day. I remember when we first got together, she shared a Billy Graham tract with me in my car sitting behind Hamlin Hall at State. It talked about how our faith was the engine of the train, and our feelings were the caboose – and not to let them direct our Christian walk. She just wanted to tell me that she saw great potential in me from a spiritual standpoint, and having someone like her see that in me really made an impact. I could write much more, I suppose, but I will just say that there are so many reasons why Jan is simply one of my all-time favorite people! Moan, Jan!

Today’s Christian Song: Missing Person by Michael W. Smith. I used to work at Family Christian Stores. For 14 years, I worked mostly part-time. But when I started to work full-time, they trained me how to be an Inventory Control Specialist. That’s a fancy name for someone who received all the merchandise in the back room, made sure the actual physical quantities agreed with what the computer said, and put it out on the shelf in the right place. The first store that I learned this craft (haha) was in Colonial Mart in Jackson, by the old Colonial Heights Baptist Church. I worked in a very small back room and my manager was a lady named Carolyn Shell. Carolyn had a great heart, but she was a little overwhelmed with the job. So I didn’t have the most enjoyable experience working back there. I would play CD’s on this little CD player to pass the time away. On the WOW 2007 Red CD, there were about 4 songs that I used to play over and over again – and this song was the crown jewel! Wow, the transparency of the lyrics says just what I would say so many times in my life. Just a very well written song and the music is really good too. There are lots of MWS songs that I enjoy, but this one is by far my favorite!

Today’s Quote: “Successful people are successful because they form the habits of doing those things that failures don’t like to do.” Albert Gray

Today’s Thanks: Friendship. My life would not be worth much without the relationships that I have enjoyed. I’m the kind of person who likes, and needs, to talk things through, and communication is such a key in being a friend. I’m so thankful for everyone that I have intersected with over these last 50 years, the ones that are on this Top 50 list as well as people that didn’t make the list but have added immense value to my life and my journey. I can never repay all those friends for what they mean to me!

Today’s Verse: “5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death —
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2: 5-11.