Recently, our little church plant decided to begin the first steps to creating covenant partnership (similar to church membership). As part of this process, each person desiring to be a “partner” has to submit their testimony or, as I like to call it, your story. I realized as I was preparing to write my story that I should share it on KidMin Mama as well.

I am beyond blessed to be one of those children that grew up in a loving home and had great, God-following parents. In fact, my dad was (and still is) a pastor and we definitely lived at the church as much as we did at home. Being a PK (pastor’s kid), I knew at an early age what it meant to follow Jesus and at six years old, I professed that I knew Jesus as my Savior and was ready to be baptized. Really, I just knew all the right answers and wanted to be baptized like the older girls. I can still remember feeling like I didn’t quite have it right. I knew Jesus loved me, but didn’t have a true understanding of following him.

A couple of years later, I began to understand that my salvation experience wasn’t  genuine. God had began to work on my eight year old heart and one day I decided to accept the gift of grace He was offering. I remember it well. I was standing in Albertson’s grocery store in Garland, TX. My mom was shopping and I was a few feet behind her. I was in the “meat department” and heard God speak. Not sure why it was then and there, but I stopped and gave my life over to Him. I didn’t need anyone leading me in a prayer or telling me the words, because I knew all of that part. I just needed to make Jesus my Lord and Savior. I remember walking up to my mom right after and told her my recent news. I don’t remember if it caught her off guard or not, but I do remember it being my first act of obedience as a believer. I was “doubled dipped” (baptized again) some time after that.

My relationship with Christ really grew when I was in middle school. We moved to a new city and church with a youth group that really encouraged me to grow spiritually. I started to pursue the Lord more and make my faith my own. It was at camp, actually my first ever youth camp, that I felt God was asking a little more of me. On June 7, 2000, I felt the calling to vocational ministry. I don’t remember the camp speaker prompting me in any way, I just remember worshipping and God clearly telling me this was the path He had for me and to surrender to Him. It was hard laying all my desires at His feet, to pick up the plan He had for me, but I knew 100% it was what He was telling me to do.

After that day, I wasn’t sure what exactly the Lord was calling me to ministry for. At the time, I really liked theater and was pretty sure it was drama ministry (I completely laugh at this now, so feel free to LOL if you’d like). The summer after my junior year I was asked to intern in my church’s children’s ministry. It sounded like fun, so I said yes and honestly, after that, I never looked back (except for my short stint in student ministry–yikes). I had found my place.

That “place”, has shifted roles from intern to minister to weekday preschool director and now volunteer, but the call remains the same. I have been so blessed by this path God has placed me on and He has been so faithful along the way, even through the hard times when I veered off course. I am also blessed to be in ministry alongside my sweet husband. I love our journey together, I love the places God has called us to go, and I am thankful for the challenges that have grown us closer to one another and to Him.

I pray for our girls’ salvation. I pray that they could hear the Father’s call as clearly as I did and they can have a thriving relationship with Him.  I also pray that if you are reading this and you don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ, but you have questions, you will message me and we could talk further.

Thanks for letting me share,