Did you apply yourself in high school?

You know, push to make good grades, be in with the best crowd, volunteer –– be the best you could be.

For most of her years in the Thompson School system, Ginger (Whitley) Bentley said she just ambled along, doing OK, but never really applying herself. She had always wanted to be a nurse, so as a senior Bentley realized she had better “toe the mark.”

She began to make better grades and by her graduation in 1995, Bentley was offered a partial scholarship to the University of West Alabama.

In 1997, she completed her nursing degree and returned to Alabaster.

Her first employment was with an ob-gyn, but within months she landed a job at Shelby Baptist. Bentley’s specialty is wound care and IV therapy.

Shelby Baptist has worked around her pregnancies; son Cole, 5, is a kindergartener at Westwood and daughter, Lydia is 22 months.

On Dec. 7, 1997, at a program at First Baptist, Ginger met Travis Bentley.

She went home that night and told her mother she had met the man she was going to marry. Five days later after the first real date, she told her folks the same thing. On Feb. 8, 1998, they were engaged, and on the following Aug. 8, were married.

Obviously, Bentley knew what she wanted and liked what she had found.

What drew her to Travis was that he was responsible, mannerly, had a good job, was older than she and most of all, he was an active Christian. She admired all that.

She and Travis are active at Westwood Baptist in Sunday School, Church Awana, Journey and this year she will be one of the VBS directors.

In addition to everything else she is involved in, Bentley has started her own line of children’s clothing called “Funky Monkey.” Lots of her originals will be on display Nov. 3 at the Women’s Expo at Westwood.

Her hopes and dreams are that her children will be grounded in their faith, love and accept everyone, not belong to a “clique” or be a snob, but accept their responsibilities to be productive Christians.

Sandra Thames can be reached by e–mail at bobthames1942@yahoo.com.