Who do you consider your icons, and why?

 Well, first of all, the only use of the word Icon was the pictures on my phone or computer indicating the features on that item. SO.... I went on Google and discovered that an icon can also be what is considered HERO.

Therefore, my icons start with Jesus. HE gave His life for me and ‘everyone’. If there are others who have given their ALL for me, I don’t know. My ambition is to be as near like Christ as humanly possible.

Next would come my parents and grandparents. They lived a Christian life all my life as an example of what I should be.

Several pastors from my past would be icons; unfortunately, some were definitely NOT a hero to me as they must have been TOO human as the examples they set before everyone, not what I consider to be appropriate.

There were some teachers that I would aspire to be ‘like’ because their conduct and methods of teaching were superb. They taught students how to apply the knowledge they were imparting to them.

Six of my ‘icons’ are my children. They have excelled in their lives. Each got a good education and every one of them applied that education in their lifestyle to have their needs and wants. They all have successful marriages and wonderful mates. I praise God for every one of them.

Twelve heros that I am so thankful to call mine are my 12 grandchildren. Like their parents, they work hard, are well educated, have wisdom to use that knowledge and good sound marriages. Those to whom the children belong are raising their offspring with Christ as the center of their daily lives.

There you have it. Scott, you are my #1 and the only one for Grandaddy Junkin (Amon) and Granny Junkin (Lula) lived to see. Then when Sam was born, he was the only great PawPaw Junkin (Thomas) lived to see.

What a blessing you all are to me and what “Icons” you are ... my heros!!!!!!!

What things do you think you cannot live without?

What was one of the most beautiful places you have been?

 Puerto Rico was probably one of the most lush beautiful places I’ve been. Hawaii was another. I have seen the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Oklahoma, California with all the lush green plants with flowery blooms galore, Colorado, especially around Conifer and Denver, the Decotas, New Mexico, and all states between. I’ve seen most of the southern and western states in the U.S. Tennessee is a beautiful state. Having spent time in Wisconsin and Ilinois, there is beauty there but of a man made nature. What God made is more beautiful than any other place,

    The area around Hamilton, Alabama, USA was so beautiful. It is the place I was born.

There is a river there. The name escapes me now. But high above that river is a rock called White Rock and it is very high and long with what appears to be caves high up in that big slab of rock. I was born on top of that rock in a small farm house that my parents rented at the time. I never saw any of it as we moved many times before I was eight year old. BUT... our church group would go to the river for picnics and swimming after church in the summer. I almost drowned in the river on two occasions. The last time, I was old enough to tell Mother that the girl who ‘saved’ me from drowning had actually carried me out to the center of the river and left me to ‘teach me how to swim’. That was two times too many for me!

But to repeat, that was a beautiful place.

Also in Hamilton was a hill we climbed every time we went to town. We went down one hill across a short space of ground to the next higher hill. I know that only through God’s divine work could I have seen what I saw, but I DID see it on the hillside below the Hamilton Cemetery. It was the second week of July 1948 and Hamilton Baptist Church was in revival. I was under conviction and as I walked along, there was a bright, golden figure kneeling, back to me, as though praying. I understood that HE was there praying for me. No, I saw no face and I cannot tell you if it was Jesus, The Father, an angel or just a golden man but He was praying for me to give my heart to Jesus and follow Him. To me, as I think of all the beautiful places on earth that I’ve seen, the hillside below the cemetery where I understood what Jesus had done for me, is the most beautiful of all. It’s where He opened His arms to fold them around my heart and seal me forever as a child of God.

So, how to describe the one most beautiful would require me to decide if it was a physical or spiritual place. God’s world was beautiful and there are places that remain so physically but have been destroyed by man. At my age, I think more of spiritual places, places where I am at peace with our Father God or can witness to others of Jesus' sacrifice for all our sins. We must tell the lost of God’s grace.