Debut author Shirley Kufeldt grew up with three older sisters and an identical twin sister. She grew up in the Chicago area during the 1950s. Her father died when Shirley was 12 years old and her oldest sister was a senior in high school. Life in Shirley's home changed as her mother had to handle the family business and some real estate property they had in Chicago.
Shirley grew up and set off to college instead of settling down to get married right away. She graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in Elementary Education, but with no desire to teach. Soon she fell in love with her now husband Scott. Together they built their home and raised two daughters.
However, it wasn't until 1980 that Shirley began attending First Baptist Church. "I attended Bible studies on 1 John and Romans," said Kufeldt. "In 1983, John introduced an elderly man to the class who had just completed a Discovery Class. That intrigued me and I signed up for Discovery the following September. It took us from September to March to study five small chapters. In April 1984, a week after the Easter service, I accepted Christ."
Shirley shared how accepting Christ into her life changed many things around her. "When my children were little, it was very easy to exhibit patience I had Christ to lean on. I quit my job and became a stay-at-home mom for two years. In those years, God doubled Scott's income and we had no money problems."
However, it wasn't until the early 1990s that Shirley started attending Christ Community Church. Her path to become an author was still being laid out before her without her knowing it:
"In April 1995, I was terminated from my job after three years of working with a very difficult boss. I never cried about it. When I closed the car door for the last time in the parking lot I said, 'God, you have other plans for me and they don't include SK.' Thirteen weeks later ... my mother died. Losing my job was part of God's plan. God allowed me to have some ordinary time with my mother before she died and then devote my whole time to her estate."
A few years later, Shirley participated in a support group at CCC: Making Peace with your Past. "We had a licensed therapist lead our group and this study really opened up my eyes to my childhood," shared Kufeldt. "I began attending Celebrate Recovery and continued on for nine years. Learning a lot about codependency and boundaries was a big benefit."
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