Latest project: The Devil in Pew Number Seven: A True Story, written with Bob DeMoss (Tyndale House Publishers).

Resides in: Nashville.

Your new book tells your family's story. Can you give us a synopsis? "The story began when my parents moved to a small town in North Carolina back in 1969, and when they came to the church, it was without a pastor and my parents were asked to come on there as full-time pastors, and they were greeted and welcomed by everyone. But there was a man that attended the church, and even though it was a small church of about 11 people, (he) had a lot of control in the community. …

"When my parents got there, they were welcomed initially, but then this man was kind of dethroned from some of his self-appointed power in the church. He was not a member of the church but faithfully attended every Sunday and sat in pew number seven. And so during that time my parents just stood their ground even though this man started harassing them, anonymous phone calls, and just letting them know he wasn't happy with them being there.

"When my parents stood their ground and decided this is where God has called us to. We are not going to leave,' this man upped the ante and started hiring people to not only call our home 30 to 60 times a day, but also hire them to do drive-by shootings, break into our home when we would go on vacation and just do whatever they could to antagonize my dad during church services. He even would interrupt, get up, walk out, slam the door, that kind of thing. Eventually he actually hired people to put dynamite around our home and our church during church services."

How old were you when all of this happened? "When the major dispute started happening, I was 2. … For about five years this man just tormented and harassed my family. There were 10 explosions altogether that the local law enforcement, state law enforcement and finally the FBI became involved in (conducting) the investigations."

How did you find the strength to endure what you called a "campaign of terror"? "Because the church was growing, the need to be there was so great. (My parents) knew if they left that this man would jump back into control again. They read the Word and they believed that God was going to protect them. When I talked to my dad about this, even as a little girl he would remind me of Luke 6 where it says, 'Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you and bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you.' So the Word and believing in the Word and knowing that God had called them to that place.

"My mom and I would get down on our knees at night before I went to bed and we would pray, 'Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, if I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.' And I believed that as a child that if I stayed on this earth, God would protect me. If I left this earth, I would be in heaven with Jesus."

Your father chose not to take his family to a safer place to live. Did he make the right decision? "I trust that he did. I know that in the end he did begin to say, 'OK, this man is relentless.' … Being this big, almost 6-foot-4 Navy vet, you know that he could take this man down if he backslid. He said, 'I never met a man I couldn't whip.' But the Lord helped him restrain that strength and restrain the human feelings that we all have, and I believe that it took that supernatural strength of God inside my parents to not retaliate, to not seek revenge, to forgive over and over and over again."

What are some of the lessons you learned about forgiveness? "Forgiveness is a choice. It's not a feeling. … Jesus went through more suffering than anyone could ever experience on this earth and He forgave anyway. He's our example of forgiveness, and I know and believe that God gave me that gift of forgiveness to be able to forgive people that terrorized my family."

What is your life like now? "I have a husband and two beautiful children. When I was a teenager, I journaled and read my Bible and prayed a lot to get through some rough years without my parents. I got a hold of Job 42 (where it says) God blessed Job more in the latter part of his life than He did in the beginning, and I clung to that scripture … so I'm blessed and I've had so much healing of the heart."

Do you have any parting words for those who will be selling your book? "I'm hoping that this book will be able to reach people that are churched and unchurched. That's my desire because people everywhere have experienced hurt to some degree. The power of forgiveness that can change someone's life and set them free is what I'm hoping the retailers will read themselves, and it's that vision ... to really help the heart healing that needs to happen out there for so many people."