“But He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” Job 23:10

My father was a humble, quiet man, strong and principled. He was a good father who deeply loved my mother and their four children. He was not an outwardly religious man. He did what was expected of men in his generation: he took his kids to church every Sunday and he said the blessing at meals.

One summer my father was diagnosed with a cancer so rare that none of his doctors had ever treated it.  His condition deteriorated rapidly, requiring hospitalization.  Nothing was effective against the cancer’s rapid progression. But even as his overall condition worsened, my father’s spirit amazed everyone.  He was his wonderful self, joking with the nurses even when he could barely breathe

I believe that deep in every soul is the common memory of life in Eden, that perfect place in which man walked with God. When we lost Eden, the desire to return was imprinted in every person born after The Fall. This common desire lives in hope that despite the ugliness of life in this fallen world, we can regain the perfection which once existed. As a result we work to transform life into something better. Every person I have ever known dreams or imagines some way life could improve.

I also love God’s Word, and He has given me the gift of teaching and seeing applications, and the ability to show how a story can apply life today. I did not start attending Bible study until I was in my 30’s, and it turned my life upside down, in the best way possible. Studying the Bible transformed my life and my heart. (Of course, that’s its purpose!) God called me to seminary in my 50’s to supplement my given gift of teaching with a deeper knowledge and understanding of His Word. Today, my calling is to teach the Bible to other women so that they will understand its power and allow it to transform their lives. I love transformation.

Transformation is at the core both in my physical world and the spiritual world. I love making old things new, whether it is furniture and homes or the hearts and souls of women. “Before and After” is indeed a key phrase for both my thinking and my actions in life.