Top ten influences- good things to think on

This meme has been circulating for a while, and Christina just tagged me. Apparently, I cannot list any family members... darn! That makes it tough. But thinking about the word "influence" made me really stop and evaluate what it meant. To me, my influences are people who actually changed my way of thinking, changed my attitude for the better, helped me make pivotal decisions that have shaped my ways of looking at the world, at my life. So here they are, in no particular order of significance:

Father Seraphim Rose- his writings have helped shape my perspective in this crazy world, in these crazy times that we are in. I admire his piety and his love for God, and I am so inspired by his search for God and his asceticism in this (let's face it) non-ascetic country. Pray for me, Father Seraphim.

Father David and the parish of (what is now) St. John Maximovitch Orthodox Church in Eugene- This church granted me my first exposure to Orthodoxy, back when they were a tiny community known as Sts. Peter and Paul, and met in a bookstore (which morphed into a tiny chapel for services). I was fourteen... intimidated... unsure... and yet the people of this parish were so devoted and spiritually beautiful. I got my first glimpse of how the Orthodox life is lived from them; they are a treasure.

Father Theodore and the parish of St. John the Baptist GOC. Obviously, Fr. Theodore is my spiritual father and therefore has a tremendous amount of influence on my life. NOT that I am always perfect in my obedience... but I am so thankful to have him as a guide in my spiritual life. I mean, he probably knows more about me than I know about myself. I'm also thankful for the parish of St. John's, because they've taught me SO MUCH just in living their lives, day to day.

St. Xenia the Fool-for-Christ- She went over and above the call of duty in her spiritual life. She was extreme in her repentance and in the prayers for her deceased husband. I truly believe that had it not been for her intercessions, I would not be blessed with Job for a husband. Honestly. She helps so many people.

Mrs. Matthews- my high school freshman English teacher. She was a hot-blooded, flower child, reed-thin Italian woman who was known for her strictness in her dance classes. Well, she also happened to taught a few English classes. When I didn't make it into Honors English as a freshman, I didn't really mind. But she saw my work and pushed me, because she knew I could do better. She knew I was just being content with the bare minimum. "C'mon Russo!" she'd sternly chide, when my grades weren't perfect. Well, through her proddings, I got the motivation to do better and actually apply myself, at least in English. The next year I "ascended" to Honor's English II, and today I have a minor in writing/lit, largely because of her. Mrs. Matthews died of breast cancer last year. Her memory will be eternal, as I'm not the only student's life she touched.

Mrs. Davis- my fifth grade teacher. She definetely was the first to inspire me to be whatever I wanted to be. She taught me that my goals were feasible, and that they were worth pursuing. And she didn't do it in a cheesy way. She didn't plaster her walls with inspirational kitten posters-- she wasn't a frou frou, perfumey kind of teacher (not that that's bad). No she was just simple and direct and loud. Anyways, it made an impact on me. I still have my dreams, and I'm not ready to lay them to rest anytime soon.

Mrs. Stebbins. Oddly enough, Mrs. Stebbins was my ex-boyfriend's mom. She was, from what I could tell, a devout Catholic. She was also an artist, a musician, a wife, a teacher and a mother of six. She's one of those tall, striking women with bold features and a booming voice. As a mom, she stayed home and raised her six children, all the while engaging in her own artistic pursuits. When her youngest(s) were in high school, she got back into teaching. I helped her in her 4th grade classroom throughout my entire senior year, even after her son and I broke up that December. But she never treated me as "her son's girlfriend," infact, she never talked about her son to be before or after the break-up. No, she treated me like an individual worthy of her time and attention, and she made me feel loved. Also, she made each of her six children feel special. She made them EACH scrapbooks that she made from scratch... each kid probably had three or four of their own handmade albums... which is something I'd like to do one day. She was and still is, no doubt, an amazing parent who managed to raise (together with her husband) six talented, strong-minded, creative children. I certainly wouldn't have minded having her as my mother-in-law (but I'm VERY happy with the one I got, thank you very much). I hope I see her again one day, so that we can catch up and I can ask her how she made those incredible scrapbooks.

Frederica Mathewes-Green and Sarah Elizabeth Cowie, for their books on gender and feminism from an Orthodox viewpoint. Both are amazing women of faith (I know Ms. Cowie, see #2), and as women they have helped me feel grounded and secured in my faith. Had it not been for Khouriya Frederica, my thoughts of young parenthood would never have been challenged and shaped. Whie all of her writings are spectacular, it was her book on Gender that had the greatest impact on me.

Dr. Lynass- I worked for Dr. Lynass as his office manager the summer after I graduated from high school. I was eighteen, "in love" with boyfriend #2 of that year, and still deciding where to go for college. Hmm... stay in a small town and attend the community college (and be close to "the boy" and keep my cushy job), or go away to George Fox University? Believe it or not, I was thisclose to taking the easy route and choosing option #1. I guess it wasn't so much Dr. Lynass' direct influence... it was just a very pivotal summer in my life, and he encouraged me to get out of North Bend and get my educaton, instead of getting comfortable with my office job. He used to say, in regards to doing things well, "If not now, when?" which is something that I always remembered and continue to apply to many different aspects of my life.

Matt Boswell-- I think it's safe to say he influenced my life greatly when, three years ago from today, he set me up with a man named Steve Tussing (aka Job). Who knows why he set us up together (perhaps St. Xenia had some prodding herself?), but I thank God he did. A great influence indeed.

Tag: Dawn, have you done this yet? Kiera, c'mon, let's see it! Sara? Espana, please? Meika!