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I was your classic preacher's kid. My parents were evangelists and so I grew up in church. Occasionally they would stop for a few months to pastor or fill in somewhere a pastor had left but most of the time I was on the road as far as a "home church" went. Some of my earliest memories are of church.
   My parents always told the story that when I was barely big enough to set up my mom was preaching in a church on a mountain outside Richlands, Virginia. I was being very fussy that night and my grandparents couldn't do a thing with me nor my dad. I wanted momma. So she sat me up on the pulpit and continued preaching. They said they knew then I would probably be there the rest of my life. They said soon as they sat me up there I hushed and never whimpered the rest of the service.
   My parents traveled throughout the coalfields a lot preaching in tent revivals, brush arbors, open air services as well as every church that would open a door. This has made me very open to being able to go wherever God sends me. It also has given me a wide appreciation for many different things. There were times that we would have no one out to a service, other times it would be packed. That was just a part of it, you never knew if you would be welcomed in a town or not. There were many Sundays that we traveled up and down the road in our car with a PA system hooked up to the battery preaching to the people.
   I actually gave my heart to the Lord when I was 8 years old. It was in a church called McClellan's Chapel on Sandy Ridge near Coeburn Va. It was during a young peoples service.  About a year and half later I received the baptism of the Holy Ghost in a tent revival (one we were attending, not one my parents were preaching). Like so many other children, because I was a child when I went forward seeking it, I was ignored. That made an impact on me because all around me people were praying for older people to receive it but no one took me seriously. They said I wasn't old enough, that I couldn't possibly understand what the Holy Ghost was. Fortunately there was one lady who saw my sincerity and she prayed with me. It is because of that experience that I never tell a child they aren't old enough. I remember how I felt and I never want one who is sincere to feel that way.
   By 13 I was leading all the worship for my parents evangelistic meetings and doing what was needed in such a position. Occasionally this meant sleeping under the gospel tent or a little tent out back. I attended young people's meetings at various churches in the area and more often than not helping lead those as well.
   At 16 I got a job and that started taking away from the time I spent in church. Now at this time I was going through the usual teenage rebellion. I wanted to do as the other kids and be like them but it was not to be. At 16 I had never been to a skating rink save the one time it was rented by our school class for a party. I was 17 before I ever saw the inside of a movie theatre and I had went out with some friends to do that. Going to the theatre was sin to my parents because it was worldly. And we were never supposed to have anything to do with the world. I still attended church but I didn't have the zeal I had at a younger age.
   By 19 I was  back in church and knew I was called to preach. So I started evangelizing some, going to prayer meetings, young peoples meetings, etc. But I still didn't understand about spiritual battles (oh I knew but I didn't really know because I hadn't experienced a lot at that time), so it didn't take much to get me off-track. The summer I was 21,  I became angry with God and walked away. I experimented with some of the things of the world and it took a life changing experience to wake me up. Shortly after that my mom was diagnosed with cancer and it wasn't long before I was back in church to stay.
   I met up with Charlie and the rest, well as they say, that's history and it becomes our testimony from that point on. I went back to preaching and quit running from my calling.  Many times I laugh and say my life has been one big soap opera but God has been there through it all.

 If you want to know more I'll be glad to share just email me and ask. I will be happy to share any part of the many struggles I have had over the years and the way God has brought me through it all.