Gloria - My Everything. I met Gloria at the YWCA in October of 1947. I needed a date for the prom and the YMCA was the place to look because the nicest girls were there and the admission was only ten cents. It was love at first sight. Thirteen weeks later, January 29, 1948 we eloped and lived happily ever after (for the most part).

Charles H. Jones - My Dad my Hero was born July 4th, 1904 in Pulaski, TN. He had only a third grade education but he taught me the great values you don't learn in school--commitment, honesty, work, thankfulness, and love in action. When our mother left us, I was eleven, the oldest of five. He kept us all together. I never knew him well in my childhood because he was always working, but as the years went by, I discovered love is more than hugs and kisses.

Willard Niesen, my book mentor, was an employee of the Hamilton Watch Company. He was also the superintendent of Memorial Presbyterian Church. He asked me to teach a class of young boys. I told him I didn't know enough but he wouldn't accept no for an answer. Instead he gave me two books to start with. That was the beginning of my speaking career. Many great books followed.

George Mowery, my role model, was a star traveling shoe salesman. He was a great husband, father of four, faithful church member and lover of children. I was blessed to be in his Sunday School class from 1933-1936. He took us deep sea fishing, dinner at his home, but best of all he demonstrated his love for teaching us Bible stories and paid us to memorize verses.

Rev. Tracey C. Miller, my teacher, was the greatest teacher I ever heard. He was only a Bible school graduate but wiser than a DD or PhD because of this Bible study, prayer life and constant reading and sharing. He pastored two great churches in Pittsburgh and Syracuse and I first heard him in 1959 when he planted a new church in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania because even at 65, he couldn't stay retired. All his sermons were 7 points with 7 tremendous stories, quoted 15-30 scriptures and finished in 30 minutes. He made every sermon a living experience. All the stories in Life is Tremendous come from his sermons. He proved you grow younger and wiser in Christ.

Cavett Robert, my dear friend. The biography of Cavett Robert is living with every NSA member and the millions touched through the thousands he personally mentored. I met Cavett in 1968 when I was elected to join the Speakers Roundtable. It was love at first sight. He told me I had a great message the world needed to hear and you know the rest of the story. I didn't know he told this to everyone he met.