When I was a child, my family took in foster children. I was exposed to the harsh realities of broken families when we took in a four-year-old boy whose mother had tried to drown him. Then then boy had gotten hit by a lawnmower at the emergency foster home and had broken both hips. He was not yet potty trained when the social worker handed him over to my mother. Also, he would punch himself in the head when he got mad, and he called my parents names that I had never heard before.

The love and patience that my parents had for him and the other foster children that shared our home greatly impacted my life, as it opened my eyes to what other children were going through, how lost we are without Christ, and the transformation that can happen when the love of Christ is shared. These experiences taught me at an early age not only to be patient and understand the unique situation of each person, but also to see the greater need to share the gospel.

Since that time, investing in the lives of others has been a driving force in my life. Whether it has been teaching Sunday school classes, being a big sister in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program, serving as a pro bono attorney through the Christian Legal Aid program, or coaching high school sports, much of my life has been focused on coming alongside people and, through my interactions with them, sharing the love of Christ.

I grew up on a hobby farm in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Not only is the Hudson River Valley beautiful with its mountains, rivers, and historic homes, but growing up on a farm taught the Adels children a great work ethic and teamwork. Our family raised dairy goats, pigs, cows, chickens, and an assortment of other animals, and my siblings and I were active in 4-H, memories of which I treasure to this day.

I was blessed to be raised in a Christian home and, through His grace, came to a saving knowledge of our great Lord and Savior at age four. As you’ve begun to see, my parents, Jeffrey and Patricia Adels, set a tremendous example for me to be faithful to Christ in all things and to use my time and talents to further Christ’s kingdom.

However, we know that the Christian life isn’t all roses. Most, if not all, Christians have experienced at least one painful, life-changing event. Mine happened when I was engaged to be married. Like any excited bride-to-be, I went about planning my wedding, selecting the ceremony and reception venues, my wedding dress, and the bridesmaid dresses. Out of the blue, the guy I was to marry called me and broke it off. With tears streaming down my face, I kept repeating, “I know this is Your plan for me, I just don’t know why.” There was never any question that God was in control of my life, and God continually guided me and kept me focused on the path He had for me.

While it took me more than a year to get over the heartbreak—and I truly felt broken—it has been life-giving to share this part of my life with others who have faced similar situations. In particular, I remember a Geneva College student whom I taught. She asked me to meet with her at the Beaver Falls Coffee and Tea Company, as she had gone through a similar breakup and just wanted to talk. We chatted for over three hours, and it was a great opportunity to share my testimony and the work that God was doing in my life.

While it has not been in God’s plan (so far) for me to marry, He has given me many opportunities to serve Him in a variety of fields. Upon graduation from law school, I started my professional career at Deloitte and also taught in the business departments of Geneva College and Grove City College. In spring 2010, a former Deloitte client approached me about serving as managing director of their professional services firm in Pittsburgh. What started as a part-time position became a full-time position in 2013 as chief executive officer and general counsel of the firm. This has given me an awesome opportunity to be light in the dark world, particularly as many with whom I work are agnostics.

An important theme in my life has been to try to live out Matthew 7:12 each day: “Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them.” The leader of any organization needs to set the example as a servant leader. All employees need to know that everyone is working together towards a common goal, and that everyone, from top management to intern, is in it together. In my profession, I’ve lived this out by partnering with underperforming employees to give them the opportunity to succeed in the organization, foregoing personal bonuses in favor of employees to recognize their outstanding performance, filling in at the front desk and answering phones so that the administrative staff can spend their lunch hour together, and even something as simple as buying lunch for coworkers. Actions speak louder than words. I know that the world is watching and that God has given me the weighty responsibility to set the example.

In addition to my professional career, I have coached volleyball at Beaver County Christian School since 2003. This has been a great opportunity to work with high school youth, as well as coach the team outside of the Christian school “bubble,” as the teams compete in the public school league. God has been very gracious to our small Christian school: our girls team won the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League championship in 2008 and our boys team won the championship in 2016.

Two of the best aspects of coaching are when the student-athletes publicly give God the glory for their success on the court, and when I have the opportunity to share with coaches and referees what makes Beaver County Christian School unique. I have even been asked if there is a difference between Catholics and Christians and, as you can imagine, those discussions get deep very quickly!

My work with Beaver County Christian School has grown significantly over the past year, as God led me to add another service opportunity. As the part-time director of advancement, I have the opportunity to work with Supervising Principal Doug Carson, a member at College Hill (Beaver Falls, Pa.) RPC. It has been a great new adventure promoting the kingdom work of the school as well as focusing on development for this K-12 school of 240 students.

Given these awesome responsibilities, there is a tremendous need to take time each day to pray and to read God’s Word. No matter what is going on around me, my personal walk with Christ must continue to be first priority in my life, and it can be challenging to juggle all of these responsibilities. God opened the door five years ago to be involved in a small group Bible study with Rev. Jim Carson and Jim and Lorraine Doyle. These three have been great mentors in my walk with the Lord as we have opened God’s Word together. Additionally, I remain close with my college roommates, and even after 20 years, we consider ourselves to be accountability partners in our walk with Christ.

With respect to worship, God recently led me to seek out a different church. The church where I had been a member for 8 years had become increasingly focused on the member/attender experience rather than on worshiping God. I began to look for a congregation where the Scriptures were central to worship, including the reading of the Word and expository preaching, and where the focus of the service was on worshiping the Lord. This past year I found a new church home at the First Reformed Presbyterian Church of Beaver Falls. Former Pastor Steve Miller and I met for the membership class series, and during our first meeting, quickly found out that we both raise dairy goats. While I have been a member there for just a year, I am a Sabbath school teacher and leverage my legal knowledge to help the church from time to time.

What have I learned in my first 41 years? Trust God with everything and seek out His will for my life. Always be open to His leading, no matter where it may take me. And, in all things, to God be the glory!