I grew up in a home where we attended church regularly and were taught to live a good, moral life. When I was 10, I became a member of my church. By the time I went off to college, I believed that Christians should act in a loving way in all circumstances but realized that I did not measure up to that standard. I prayed that God would help me to become a real Christian. James 2:10 says, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.”

When I was 19, my boyfriend asked me if I knew where I would go when I died. I was not sure if I would go to heaven because I thought that this depended on whether or not I was good just before I died. He gave me Billy Graham’s World Aflame to read. The book told about the necessity of making a personal commitment to Christ. I knew I had to choose to live for Christ. If I made no choice, I would be saying no to Him. Since I did not want to be separated from God and suffer in hell forever, I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior in April 1968.

One of the many misconceptions was that once I became a Christian I would live a perfect, sinless life. But, I was not perfect. I would fail and would try harder, only to fail again. I wondered if I was a Christian and would ask Christ into my life again. I had no assurance of my salvation. It felt awful not to know if my prayers were being heard because I was not sure if I was a child of God.

After months of turmoil, I came to realize that it is the Lord who saves, and it is the Lord who keeps. A person is only born once into the family of God. Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28). The assurance of my salvation, based on what the Bible says, has not only given me comfort but makes it possible for me to pray and to realize that God hears and answers my prayers.

Another misconception I had was that I would die soon because there was nothing left to do after a person became a Christian. In 1973, I went to The Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts (later called The Institute in Basic Life Principles) in Chicago. Even though my pastor, Dr. Roy Blackwood, had been preaching on many of these very issues, I came away from the institute overwhelmed at the number of areas in my life where I needed to grow in Christ-likeness. I was challenged to take a step of obedience in at least one area of my life rather than being overwhelmed and doing nothing. One area he discouraged was missionary dating—dating someone who is not a believer with the idea that you could convert them. According to the Bible, believers are only to marry other believers; therefore, it is best not to date unbelievers. After making this commitment, I was immediately tested. Within days I was asked to go on a date with a man who was not necessarily a believer. I hesitantly turned down this date but realized it was for the best when he admitted that he was not a Christian. This saved me much future grief.

During this time, I found that I did not live the way I knew I should. I could not break bad habits even though I tried. When I asked my parents to pray for me (which was hard to do because of my pride) and listened and acted upon their counsel, I suddenly had a new freedom. God gave power where there had been none. The amount of temptation in my life decreased. I learned that I should pray for my parents and those in authority, since I often experience more temptation when my authorities are being tempted.

Another area of Christian living that I learned about from an InterVarsity Christian Fellowship publication was that the Bible taught that one should tithe to the local church. I had known little about tithing but decided to try it. The Lord has richly blessed me; however, this does not mean that I never faced any problems. I lost my job and took a much lower-paying job (which increased in salary over time). In spite of lower pay, I found that the Lord richly provided for me, making it possible to own my first house without a mortgage and now my second house (with a pretty view of a pond) without a mortgage. I found that what was dedicated to the Lord increased dramatically. I have been able to stay out of debt and have been blessed by dramatic increases.

Coupled with tithing, I have noticed that honoring my parents has been important for my happiness, wealth, and life. I lived in different apartments before I bought a house but found it wise to get counsel from my family before making major decisions, such as where to live or what job to take. I have always enjoyed the beauty of God’s creation, and in the past few years I have had the opportunity to pursue art. After finishing a class in Photoshop, the software standard for photographic retouching, I saw an article in the Reformed Presbyterian Witness in 2003 calling for the submission of art. I entered and was thankful to win first place in the digital art category with a photograph titled “Two Swans.” Since then, I have joined the Riviera Camera Club and the Indiana Wildlife Artists (www.IndianaWild-lifeArtists.org) and have entered a number of exhibits, including at the Indiana State Fair. I have learned much from meeting other artists and have enjoyed visiting parks and wildlife preserves to photograph naturescapes and wildlife.

Let me close with an area where I have seen dramatic change. I did not realize how much negative thinking affected me. I had been challenged to meditate on Scripture as I went to sleep each night, and I often used Psalm 103. I learned more about praising God and had not realized how beneficial this was for me. Meditating on the Word of God gave me a more positive outlook on life as I began to comprehend more of the character of God—how He is so merciful, forgiving, and loving that He sent His Son to die in my place, that I might enjoy eternity with Him. How I thank Him!