My History: I was born Lutheran, and baptized as a baby. My Godmother is Aunt Ginny.
We were Baptists early in my life, enough so that I was saved at the age of seven. No doubt even to this day. It went like this: I hit a girl on the bus with my Bible and cried all the way home, knowing I would go to Hell for that disrespect of God's Holy Word. Fortunately I had a mother to explain to me about the loving Father who gave his Son so that sinners (as I knew I had to be) could be welcomed back into His arms. Dad baptized me by immersion.
We changed to the Methodist church when I was ten, and soon after, I completed catechism and was confirmed in the Methodist church. Through college I mostly stayed with the Methodist kids, but visited with the Catholics and Pentecostals as well, among others.
When we married, Hubby and I started out in the Methodist church, but when we moved to the "big city of Owensboro" couldn't find one that held the country flavor we were accustomed to, so found a Southern Baptist church, which we attended for most of our time there. (We did have a couple of breaks to try a different Southern Baptist church and a Methodist church, but returned to our home church.)
When we moved to Ohio County, the first church we attended was the closest, and Methodist, and we "fell to home" and stayed put in the Cromwell Methodist Church. While there, I went through the LACE program, becoming a certified lay speaker.
In 2006-07, and again in 2009-10, I worked for the Southern Baptist Director of Missions, Brother Tom Shelton, and set up his and the Association's website.
Since 2003, we have wintered in Avon Park, Florida, at the Holiness campground, and while there attended a Nazarene church. The Camp itself is independent, though it has ties to the WGM and OMS, as well as CCCU, Nazarene, Methodist, Wesleyan, and others.
In December 2012 I received my PhD in Biblical Studies from Newburgh Theological Seminary, and published my dissertation as a book.
In August, 2013, we sold our Kentucky house and moved to Avon Park, Florida permanently, residing inOaks Village, a Christian retirement community. We have now joined the Avon Park Nazarene Church which we attended each winter.
So, that is the very briefest background, though it really only hints of the growth in my Christian life or the depth of my relationship with Christ. I have been really shy about sharing because I know my limitations and faults (I kinda have the feeling that I'm the only one who isn't perfect……) but have, through LACE, substitute speaking in UM churches, and through seminary, developed more of a confidence. Now I look forward to invitations to sing or speak, and hope to serve Christ in a greater way as He leads. 2019 July addendum: Check out GudNuz.com to learn about our latest ministry. In preparation to lead, I am back in college, now taking the classes necessary for ordination in the Church of the Nazarene. I'll be in my 70's before it is time to be ordained, but if I weren't taking this step, I'd still be in my 70's.
