The early years

I need to just "do this" - so here is my story, part one - as related to my walk of faith.
Born of a mixed marriage, my Father was a Presbyterian and my Mother was a Baptist, I obviously had a mostly somewhat traditional "Christian" upbringing. It was pretty clear to me by the time I was about 5 years old that the flavor and intensity varied greatly between the First Baptist Church and the First Presbyterian Church.

As a whole, the Presbyterians seemed to me to enjoy each other and life a whole lot more than the Baptists did. However I also noted that there was a peace and gentleness among certain selected Baptists and a few Presbyterians. At home, we attended the Presbyterian church and when I visited my maternal grandmother I went to church and Sunday School with the Baptists. Of course in a small town in the 1950s there was no such thing as "children's church" and I was expected to BEHAVE and act like a lady in both places - something that I have never done well.

My Father seldom went to church after we moved from our home town to New Mexico, but my Mother insisted on carting me to Sunday School - which I must say I enjoyed most of the time. In 5th grade in Clovis, NM - I joined the confirmation class taught by our senior pastor who I realized when I was much older had a firm and gentle faith that was deeper than that of many in the church. He led me gently to a firm commitment to the Lord that has kept me in His love - with some notable detours since 5th grade.

My best friend in 5th grade attended Church of Christ and was also in a confirmation class. Our major difference of opinion was over my "salvation". She kept telling me that if I did not go to her church I would not be saved. Even at the tender age of 10 or 11 that made absolutely NO SENSE to me - even then I understood that the Bible and Jesus predated the Church of Christ although I probably could not have quite articulated that fact.

So I made a decision to ask Jesus into my life while I was in late grade school and then thought very little about it for the next several years. Chapter II to come