DARE TO BE WHO YOU REALLY ARE
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It was a quiet summer day and my daughter Wendy was babbling a constant stream of dialog as she went about her usual playtime activities. We were living in an old country house along a main road in Parkton, Maryland right next to the United Methodist Church my husband was serving as pastor. Actually, there was a driveway that ran between the house and the church with a large parking lot in back. Directly behind our house was a long back yard that ran the length of the parking lot – all the way back to a small gravel road leading to a few small houses. Beyond that small road was a large hill, which became the reference point to my young son’s stories about his imaginary friend who lived up on the hill. But, I ‘m getting ahead of myself. His stories came after his older sister finally went off to kindergarten. Right now he was a newborn and his sister Wendy adored him. She couldn’t be more helpful, or so she thought. She wanted to share her every treasure with him, so much so that eventually I had to protect him from her….
One day the doctor told me I had a tumor and needed major surgery, all at the same time my husband was being put on trial by the church for behavior unbecoming to a minister. When you are down and out is when you find out about your faith and God’s power to turn things around.
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About the Book
Many years ago, as I was describing the latest saga in my bizarre life to a dear friend, she suggested I write a book about my life. Eventually, over a period of several years, I started writing down these short stories and finally put them together into a book. It was then that I realized that many of my life experiences had a profound impact on who I was and how I thought. I started out as a quiet, shy person who was unsure of herself and her abilities. Even though I had grown up attending church every Sunday, trying to follow the teachings of the Bible, I knew something was missing in my life. Eventually I married a United Methodist minister and we raised two children together. The challenges we faced during our years in the ministry allowed me to grow in strength and confidence. I was continually learning new life lessons as God put me in positions where I could be of help while caring for the needs and problems of others. As God led me to take on leadership roles, I found I could depend on His guidance and continual support. I was energized as He guided me to use my creative and artistic talents. Then one day the doctor told me I had a tumor and needed major surgery, all at the same time my husband was being put on trial by the church for behavior unbecoming of a minister. When you are down and out is when you find out about your faith and God’s power to turn things around. Never before had I envisioned the challenges I was yet to face. I knew that God was not finished with me and that I had much more to accomplish. Praise God!
About the Author
Pat Kelbaugh is a mother of two adult children, grandmother of five grandchildren, and currently lives in Gaithersburg, Maryland. She has been teaching dance for many years and opened the Patricia Kelbaugh Dance Studio in Gaithersburg in 1976. She is also a watercolor artist, choir director, and sacred dance director.