Kingdom First Member Profile: Ashley Smith

[Editor's Note: Please excuse the formatting/spacing of this article. WordPress has not cooperated with my intentions]

What is your full name?
Ashley Elizabeth Belser Smith
How many brothers and sisters do you have?
I have two sisters.

Where are they and what do they do? My older sister, Lindsay, is married to Dustin Rouse, and they live in Crown Point, IN, where he serves as the worship pastor. They have one son, Hudson. My younger sister, Bethany, lives in Birmingham, AL, where she attends Samford University.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Until I was about six years old, I wanted to be nothing more than a cowgirl. I seriously thought that when I grew up I would wear a stylish pair of cowgirl boots and a hat to go along with it, and ride horses over beautiful countryside, all day, every day. Then I discovered that wouldn’t exactly be considered a “job.”
Lord willing, what do you envision yourself doing in five years?
In five years, I envision myself foremost as a mother, Lord willing. I look forward to that day with the greatest anticipation. I also envision myself serving alongside Charles in a church somewhere.
What is your most memorable middle school moment?
My most memorable middle school moment was most likely the day that my husband, Charles, actually talked to me.
When were you saved? When and where were you baptized?
I was saved at the age of nine at my home in Montgomery, AL, on October 16th, 1998. I was baptized in Morningview Baptist Church by my dad on November 7th. My older sister had been saved a month before me so we were baptized on the same day.

Who and/or what did God use to bring you to the point where you knew you needed Jesus?
He used the Church greatly to show me my need for Christ. I grew up in the church and truly loved “going to church.” It was the highlight of my week. But my reason for loving the church came mostly out of my selfish motives…it was where I was the smartest in my class (because I thought I knew every Bible story) and where I thought I was the most well-liked girl in my grade (because my dad was the pastor). Eventually, I saw that the Church was not about me, but about the very Jesus Christ that I knew all about in the Bible stories. I saw that I didn’t know Him personally, and knew I was lost without that relationship. I have never seen the Church in the same way since that day.
Who has been the greatest influence on your Christian life and why?
I would say my entire family. My parents endeavored to teach me and my sisters the Gospel in every challenge, question, or joy that we faced. Not only that but they did so out of gratefulness for the redeeming work that the Lord had done in their own lives. My sisters, who have also been impacted in this way by my parents’ example, encourage me greatly to strive for the same life of worship.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about God?
Grace. Because of His grace, my life is hidden in Christ, and I am counted holy. That is glorious to me, and as such, will always demand my worship.