Thank you, Lew Corcoran and Patricia Feager for this December Challenge. The month has flown by with the hustle and bustle of December, so here I am on this Christmas Eve, reflecting on the topic at hand. And for my story, this first entry was truly the beginning of the most significant change in my life.
I was 17 years old and was able to attend a summer Fellowship of Christian Athletes camp. It was the first time I had flown on a plane, and I was sitting in the Tulsa airport waiting for my transportation from the airport to the camp. As a runner, I was reading a book, "Running for Jesus" by Madeline Manning, the gold medalist Olympian.
I heard a voice asking me, "How are you liking that book?" I looked up and couldn't believe that standing before me was THE Madeline Manning! I was stunned as she told me that she was the speaker for our FCA camp and asked if I was going. I had the honor of riding with her to the camp.
That moment itself was pretty remarkable. Yet, the most 'aha' life-changing, game-changing moment for me was the life transformation that occurred at that camp. We were given a Good News Bible on the first night of the camp. As I cracked it open, it was the first time in my life that the Word came alive for me. This was a version that resonated within my young, teenage mind.
I had not been raised to read the Bible. We had one at home, but it sat on a shelf collecting dust. I had tried to read it to no avail. On the night we received our Bibles, I opened it and could not put it down. It was as if the words seared my heart, and the truths within made sense.
It was at this camp that I gave my life to Christ. This experience completely altered my life from that point on. That one Bible became a lifeline for me as I devoured the Scriptures and hungered to know more. This hunger grew into a thirst for knowledge that has continued to this day.
This is one of the reasons that I went on a quest to earn my doctorate in Theology. It wasn't to gain a 'title', rather, it was to continue my need to understand God's Word more deeply. To this day, I truly love and desire to dissect the Word, write Bible studies, and continue to learn more each day.
Accepting Christ opened my eyes and my heart to His Word in the most profound manner. This camp experience truly changed my entire life. And while not everyone reading this agrees with Christianity, that is ok. My prayer is that all who read this find peace that resonates within them as they travel this journey we call life.
Blessings to you all. LIV2DAY!
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