I once heard someone say that you are made up of little pieces of everyone you have ever met. The older I get, the more I believe that is true. No one is self‑made. We are shaped by our encounters and experiences, and the Lord uses those encounters to form us. Over the years, I have found myself returning to a few trusted voices — people who speak with clarity, conviction, and a kind of honesty that calls something awake in me. Strangely enough, all three of them came to me through YouTube, and each one has shaped the way I read Scripture and understand the Lord. Rick Atchley What I admire most in him is his dogged refusal to give up on the text. He holds Scripture with both reverence and realism, insisting that it still speaks into today’s culture without needing to be trimmed, softened, or apologized for. Megan Fate Marshman She was my first real encounter with someone who brought her personal life into teaching with such honesty and depth. She showed me that vulnerability is not a distraction from the gospel but often the doorway into it. Sr. Miriam James Heidland, SOLT Her insights into Scripture have led me into a deeper understanding of the Lord’s heart. She speaks with a gentleness that somehow carries great strength, and her reflections have helped me see Jesus in places I had overlooked. When you allow someone to influence you, their thoughts slowly become part of the way you think. I have tried to keep my own creativity distinct, but if I have failed at that, I want to acknowledge it openly. Their voices — their beliefs, their experiences, and their very different ways of interpreting the Bible — have become part of the way I now approach Scripture. I do not know whether any of them would agree with where I am today. I only know that I am not, and never will be, a finished product. All I can say is, Here we are, Lord.