The Woman Of Doubt

A woman came into the school office the other day. She wanted information on enrolling her daughter in our Christian School. She was upfront, she said with a voice of authority "I want you to be honest with me, what can I expect, are you going to punish my child for not knowing the Bible Stories?" She continued telling me that she was not interested in religion, she was not interested in coming to church every time the doors were opened... she went on and on for several minutes. When she was done I said "We intend to love your child, to teach her about God, and how He loves her." She continued telling me how she did not want her child to be picked on because she comes from a "non religious" family. Before I showed her around I told her what to expect from our school. I told her we believe it is a parent responsibility to teach and train their children about God. We are here to assist the families, but the ultimate responsibility is given to the parents. I told her we would teach her child Bible Stories, Bible Verses and how God wants us to treat others. After I told her that I asked her if she would have a problem with that because if she opposes "religion" it may be a problem later down the road as her child's faith grows and she begins to learn about God. She looked surprised at my straight forwardness. (actually I was surprised at myself as well)
She decided to take a tour of our school, when we were finished she thanked me and left. I kept thinking maybe I was to straightforward? But I really believed what I was telling her so I pushed it out of my mind and went back to work.
Later that day on our way home I told Manny about how she had so many questions of how we would handle different situations. I also felt uncomfortable of how I handle the situation because I had just received a call about William's heart surgery. (You really have to be "UP" when you give a tour of the school, I was anything but "UP"! ) Manny does what he does best by reassuring me that I was led by the Lord to say what I said. The next day I went to work and really thought this woman would not return. The phone rang and she was on the other end, she asked for me. (Oh, no you're in trouble the devil whispered in my ear:). Then the most amazing thing happened, she said thank you for taking the time to talk with me. She continued by saying how she appreciated the honesty and she was going to enroll her daughter because of our conversation. I was shocked! She even told me she thought it would be a good idea to start reading the Bible Stories to her daughter so she would be more familiar with them. After I hung up the phone I wanted to cry. It is God that brings the families to us and all we need to do is tell them what we believe without watering down the truth. She came a woman of doubt and left a woman of faith.

Bepunzel Is Rescued From Her Tower

Several years ago I was a Director for a Christian preschool. There was a little girl that attended our school, she called herself Bepunzel. (She couldn't pronounce Rapunzel) Everyday Laura would show up for school and as her Mom opened the door of her truck she would say "I'm sorry Laura could not come to school today, but Bepunzel is here." It became part of our morning routine to welcome Bepunzel, costume and all.:) During that time I had just started seeing Manny (my sweet husband). I would tell him about Bepunzel. We would laugh about her and how her mom had come to grips with the fact it was easier to announce her arrival than to make "Laura" come to school.

I had room mates at that time and my room was upstairs. In the evening I would talk to Manny on the phone, sometimes I would fall off the bed laughing at one of his jokes. As I sat up in my tower I would pray that someone would come and rescue me. In the next year my friendship with Manny grew into great respect and blossomed into a love I didn't see coming. In fact we were on a missions trip in Mexico when I fell in love with this incredible man who loved God and desired His best for his life.

Last night I was going through a box of old papers when I came across a stack of old emails. These were emails between Manny and myself from the beginning of our friendship. I was overwhelmed with emotion as I read the things we wrote to each other. We both desired God's best and did not want to forfeit His blessings in our lives by following our own wishes and desires.

During the transition between being friends and falling in love he started referring to me as Bepunzel. At first it was funny, then I started realizing how Laura felt. I wanted to be Bepunzel, rescued from from dark tower of loneliness.

As I read through that stack of email I realized God had sent Manny to do just that. I was reminded of how God was there when we changed from "enjoying each other's company" to wanting to spend our entire lives together.

We are older than some, but we have a life of love, respect and companionship that many could only hope for. I am so thankful I kept those emails to remind myself of the great love God has for me, to give me such a wonderful husband. Bepunzel lives happily ever after.....

Life is A Gift

The older I get the more I recognize life for the gift it is. I have come to believe my faith in God is vital to my survival in this roller coaster we call "life". My family is extremely important to me. I hold them closer to my heart when I acknowledge life on this earth is as a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow. I don't live in dread or without hope as some do, but with my eyes open to the fact that God is in control of all things. My son and his wife had another baby boy. He is precious to all of us. When I went to see him in the hospital I realized how important life is. He has some heart issues and is dependent on the Doctors and Nurses for his survival. (However, God is the ultimate Healer.)We are the same, we are dependent on God our Father to care for us. Each day we live we should be aware of His provision and care. We are like sheep in need of a shepherd, without one we will lose our way. This week as my friends have prayed for William, we thanked God for working through the hospital staff. We also know it is God who heals. My faith has grown stronger when I listen to the words of faith spoken on William's behalf. I have also been reminded that God is Sovereign, faithful, and loving. Too often when critical times come we blame God for what we can not control or fix. I have had enough experience in life to come to grips that I am not in control:)