After high school, my sister attended college for a year. While that statement may seem inconsequential, God worked in amazing ways due to that very fact. Through attending Campus Crusade for Christ and meeting other Christians, my sister was encouraged to visit other churches. When my parents allowed me to, I would go church-hopping with her. My brothers also began to attend Campus Crusade at Lori's college, and began to find some much-needed Christian companionship of their own. Eventually, our connections through Campus Crusade also led to my brothers finding their future spouses.

One Sunday, Lori brought me to Calvary Tabernacle, a non-denominational, full-gospel church. While she had already been there a few times, most of the churches I had visited with her thus far were somewhat conservative: Baptist, non-denominational, Calvary Chapel, etc. Calvary Tabernacle was a little different. Full-gospel churches are so-called because they adhere to the "full" teaching of the gospel, including miraculous healings and gifts of the Spirit. I was used to people clapping to the worship, but usually didn't see God's people freely worshipping through kneeling or dancing. So it was a little strange when my sister went up for prayer and was soon lying flat on her back in the Almighty Presence of God. However, I saw a love and honesty in the people there that drew me to them and pointed me towards God. Somehow I knew that these people truly desired God -- and that He in return was blessing them.

Calvary Tabernacle became somewhat of Lori's and my home church for about a year and a half after that. God began to set me free from my insecurities which I had struggled with most of my life. As I became more courageous to obey God in my worship, God revealed more and more to me about His character and how much He loved me. While I had always sought acceptance from other people, finally I began to see that I was more importantly accepted by God. My whole outlook on life began to change during this time in my walk as God gently drew me into His arms to know a first love I had never known.