a simple introduction

I thought I would follow suit by briefly introducing myself. My name is Grace, and I'll be 21 in a week and a half. People tell me that I have wisdom or insight sometimes, but for the most part, I think it comes from the Holy Spirit. The other stuff is probably just common sense that I inherited from my dad. ;) I'm looking forward to blogging here because it gives me an opportunity to share what God is doing in my life and hopefully encourage and exhort others.

As for my testimony, it's starts rather simply. I was raised in a Christian home with parents who were faithful to teach me God's word and model God's love. One day when I was five years old, I was alone in my room, studying Bible memory verses, when I felt like I needed to pray and ask Jesus to come into my heart to be saved. Now, I know a lot of children have been pressured into praying prayers and making professions of faith, but my experience was nothing like that. I was able to explain to my mom what I had done, and exactly what it meant. Looking back on it now, I just see the childlike faith of a little girl who wanted a relationship with Jesus. When I was about 8 years old, I asked to be baptized. I think God had helped me overcome my fears by that time, because I was scared to death to do it when I was five. (We went to a larger church then, so of course, getting up in front of everyone was a terrifying thought for a young, shy five year old.) The journey became much rougher when I turned 12, with the onset of obsessive compulsive disorder, but God was faithful even when I didn't know what my mind was telling me or why. The turmoil lasted for about four years, and I spent the next four recovering and reclaiming lost time (at least, in my mind it seemed like lost time). When I started college, God began to help me truly build spiritual strength as an individual apart from my family.

So...yes, that's a little bit about me - Grace. I'm still in the process of becoming the woman of God He wants me to be, and hopefully what I write here will be a reflection of that growth.

Grace and peace to you in Christ. :)