Page 4 - Biblical Counseling II-Textbook

March. We would build forts in the snow, go sledding and play outside in the winter. (My dad is an
excellent snow fort builder. You’ll have to ask him the next time you see him.)

I am the second born, second daughter with a younger brother and a younger sister. My father was a
pastor of a small church (around 150-200 people), and my mother stayed at home with me and my
three siblings. As we grew, she was a substitute teacher in our school district. I grew up spending time
at church, had many friends at school, played basketball, ran track and enjoyed growing up in a safe
community. I was nurtured in a caring Christian home with little conflict or difficulty during my
childhood. I will reflect back on this time later when we discuss different topics in this course.

Growing up as the child of a pastor, I was always in church. I often prayed to ask Jesus “into my heart,”
as that was how it was phrased during children’s church. I didn’t completely understand what salvation
meant, so I kept praying! When I was 13, my family went to a Billy Graham crusade in another city. At
the end of his sermon, Billy Graham talked about salvation and asked for people to come forward if they
wanted to accept Jesus as their savior. I remember going forward, talking to and praying with a
volunteer, and feeling different. I felt light and free, like my sins were really gone. I can think back to
that night all these years later and still remember that feeling.

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