I grew up in the rural South Carolina town of Manning, the county seat of Clarendon County, where family owned farms were still prevalent. However, my exposure to farm life was virtually non existent. I knew less about farm living than the average suburban kid today. My parents worked hard and they owned and managed a Dry Cleaning business. I lived what would probably be considered middle class and to some maybe even an upper-middle class life at that time. God is good!

I am the sixth girl brought into a family of all girls, save my wonderful Dad. Now I suspect that my parents were actually covertly conspiring to conceive at least one boy, before they would relent at my birth. I think Mother was the first to surrender.

I must say though, that I was indeed blessed to have an earthly father who gave me my first peek into the life our heavenly Father desires that we should have through Him. As parents I believe that this is our true purpose, to introduce our children to what life with their heavenly Father will be like through the lives we live and provide for them. When I was born the Dr. said to my Dad, “another girl”. “What in the world are you going to do with all those girls”? Daddy said, “well, I guess I’m going to love em, everyone”. And he did! Proverbs 13:22 says, “a good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the wealth of the sinner will be stored up for the righteous”. My Daddy was a good man, blessed with a wife more precious than rubies (Proverbs 31:10).

I was reborn in April of 1985, to my Lord and loving Savior Jesus Christ. I was baptized and born again in Columbia, SC. I am married to Horace Bookman II, a terrific husband and earthly father to our two children, Victoria (18) and Horace III (9). We joined the unofficial ranks of “The Half Empty Nesters” (T.H.E.N.), when our daughter Victoria scurried off 9 hours away to Murray Kentucky. And since we have to wait almost 10 years before becoming true empty nesters, well, T.H.E.N.

Both our children were baptized in the Church of Christ where I now serve as lead teacher for our 2-3 year old class. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Pre-Law /Political Science and a Master of Arts in Rehabilitation Counseling. I work to utilize in the church, the worldly education God has blessed me. Having been given the gift of gab, I enjoy speaking to Ladies Groups and preparing various ladies Bible lessons and inspirational materials for others to present.  I like to share my writings with my closest circle of sisters and with the ladies who subscribe to our Ladies Devotional. 

In 2001, I was diagnosed with metastatic breast and lymphatic cancer. Having watched my wonderful Dad, succumb to metastatic prostate cancer some 10 years prior I was well versed in what this dreadful disease could do. Right on the heels of my diagnosis came the news of my mother’s cancer, terminal in its form. While completing my course of cancer treatment, my mother’s life here on this earth ended. But, my God saw fit to spare my life, even through the fire brought by the several strong doses of chemo and radiation therapy. Through His word I was reminded of, from whence cometh our trials and the subsequent blessed strength to stand firm under such trials. In Luke 22: 31-32, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Satan desires to sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you, that your faith shall not fail; and when you have returned to me strengthen your brothers”. Through it all I was reminded that Jesus not only prayed for those whom He loved He also died for us all and yet He intercedes for the likes of us in heaven before our Father God and in spite of Satan’s bargaining for our very souls.  As Christians our purpose on earth is to fight the  battle for lost souls.  We are His soldiers and we must stay strong:

Ephesians 6:12
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”