Day 6 – Someone that inspires me.

Day 1 — Your best friend (Emily)
Day 2 — Your vices (Starbucks, etc)
Day 3 — Your parents (Linda & Jerry)
Day 4 — Your siblings (Emily, Graham & Lauren)
Day 5 – Your Dreams (Sing us a song…)

Day 6 — Someone that inspires you

This morning I woke up and realized I had no idea what I would blog about because I hadn’t looked ahead to see what today’s prompt was. Now I know. Someone that inspires me. As I sit here on the floor of my bedroom, “cleaning” (importing CDs. still have a hundred or so left.) I’m trying to figure out the best person to write about. There are plenty of people who inspire me for a variety of reasons. Marisa inspires me because she is full of love and I see Jesus in her. Katie inspires me because she is one of the strongest, most caring people I’ve ever encountered despite all she has been through.

But an hour ago, my iTunes shuffle preemptively gave me the answer. So I present to you someone (not the only one, but just one) that inspires me.

Ernie Halter.

I rarely share that Ernie is a friend of mine, maybe because I don’t want people to assume that I am biased and only think he’s great because he is my friend. But here it is. Ernie is my friend. and he inspires me. I’ve known Ernie for six or so years; he was the first musician I know of to use MySpace to market their music, before MySpace Music was ever created. Since then, I have watched him gain fans, tour, and release albums that I’d love even if he was not my friend.

Despite the many reasons to be inspired by his passionate, dedicated and relentless pursuit of music, I am inspired by the way he continues to love people. I have been the recipient of so many kind acts and friendly reminders of our friendship in spite of the busyness of his life and the fullness of his schedule. Ernie knows how to love people, and how to love people well.

He inspires me to be deliberate about loving my friends so selflessly that it seems stupid. How often I feel too tired to talk to someone or too busy to care for someone who only needs a few words of support or encouragement. Ernie, being one of the busiest persons I have ever encountered, leaves no excuse in the way of friendship.

Thanks Ernie. For being my friend and for showing me what real, selfless friendship looks like. You inspire me to give the friendship you’ve shown me to my friends.

ps everybody LISTEN TO ERNIE.

Day 7 — Your job
Day 8 — Your favorite internet friend that you’ve never met
Day 9 — Someone you wish you could meet
Day 10 — Someone you don’t talk to as much as you’d like to
Day 11 — A deceased person you wish you could talk to
Day 12 — Your dream vacation
Day 13 — Something you’re looking forward to
Day 14 — Someone you’ve drifted away from
Day 15 — The person you miss the most
Day 16 — Someone that’s not in your state/country
Day 17 — The place you wish you were from
Day 18 — The person that you wish you could be
Day 19 — Something that makes you different
Day 20 — Your favorite television shows
Day 21 — Someone you judged by their first impression
Day 22 — Your pet peeves
Day 23 — The last person you kissed
Day 24 — The person that gave you your favorite memory
Day 25 — A life changing moment
Day 26 — The last person you made a pinky promise to
Day 27 — The thing you most enjoy doing
Day 28 — Someone that changed your life
Day 29 — Your talent
Day 30 — Your reflection in the mirror