A Life Well-Lived: Marsha Lake
Designed to Serve grew out of my personal ministry begun 15 years ago. In the early days I tried out my material on friends who were my guinea pigs. My first customer was my wife Marsha. I took her through my curriculum to help her connect with Gods mission for her life.
It wasnt hard to identify her spiritual gift as encouragement. Through cards, letters, phone calls and meetings she would urge people to live for God. She enjoyed baking treats to give to people as a way to tell them that she cared about them.
It also wasn’t heard to identify her passion. Marsha loved impacting the lives of college students. She often talked for hours with one or more of them in our living room. She told them that God loved them and had a plan for their lives. Although their future was uncertain, she urged them to not give up. God knew exactly what they should do with their lives.
God made it clear that her mission was to encourage young people to find hope and fulfillment in life. In 2003 she had a catastrophic cerebral hemorrhage and died at age 51. Over 1,500 people came to her wake, many of them the young people she encouraged. Her legacy lives on in their lives. She lived a life well-lived.
Dr. Steve Lake is a retired educator with over 30 years experience in the American public schools. He has served in a variety of position, including teacher, elementary school principal, junior high principal, Associate Superintendent, retired from public education as Superintendent of Schools in Lincolnwood, IL. He has his Bachelors, Masters and Doctor of Education degrees from Northern Illinois University. For the past 25 years Steve has attended and been a member of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington and Northfield, IL. At Willow Creek Steve has taught adult classes on spiritual gifts, life purpose, and spiritual disciplines. He has ministered overseas in Angola, Zambia, Honduras, Germany, and Russia. Steve is co-founder of Designed to Serve, a ministry that equips Christians to live out their unique God-given calling. Steve is married and has two adult children who are married.
