ANGELS AMONG US




"One Lord, one faith, one baptism." Ephesians 4:5

Last Saturday, LORENZO and I shared the most meaningful moment we've experienced in all our nine years together. In many ways, it was even more memorable than our wedding ceremony six years ago. For while we got married in the eyes of God back then, (on July 31, 2000), on February 11, 2006, we were both married to God. In a solemn yet joyful ceremony at the Modesto Central Seventh Day Adventist Church, my husband and I were re-baptized together, in front of our three children and our new church family.

Like most Filipinos, Lorenzo and I were "sprinkled" when we were children. But I wasn't baptized by water immersion, as prescribed by the Bible, until I was twelve, shortly after receiving Jesus into my life. Lorenzo, on the other hand, wasn't baptized until after we got married. Since then, we both lost our way, (maybe even a little bit of each other), in the world. But I'm happy to say that we have found each other again in the Lord.

All it took was a simple four-week SEMINAR. And now, we find ourselves falling in love with each other all over again, simply because we've fallen in love with the Lord again. And the blessings haven't stopped pouring since.

Six years ago, Lorenzo took me to be his bride.
Six days ago, we both became the "Bride of Christ".

Praise the Lord indeed!




P.S. Thanks to Tyler and Lavonne Long of Amazing Facts Ministries, and to Pastor James Scarborough, Donna Bearden, Teri Johnson, along with the other Children's Program volunteers at Modesto Central. We appreciate all the prayers and the phone follow-ups, the books and the babysitting, the home visits and the take-home DVDs. Because of you, we never felt like we were "just a name and number". Thanks for showing us you really care.

You truly are "Angels among us".

MY LITTLE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS

Lance came home today with a note from his first grade teacher:

It read:

"Dear Mrs. Sereno,

Lance passed a level 34 today for me. His report card will only show a P for passing reading. He will continue to see Mrs. B**** for reading.

Thanks,
Mrs. B***"

(Lance, who is one of the youngest kids in Grade 1 owed to his mid-November birthday, goes to a Grade 2 class with a different teacher for Reading.)


I couldn't contain my happiness. A Level 34 in the DRA (Developmental Reading Assessment) SCALE is equivalent to mid-third grade! I really appreciated his teacher's taking the time to let me know this. I guess in first grade, the highest mark a student can get is "P" for "pass", even though he has surpassed all expectations and is reading two full grades above his level.

The timing was uncanny. Tomorrow happens to be my son, MAX's thirteenth birthday. Exactly one year ago tomorrow, I received a totally different form of correpondence from Lance's school: a Disciplinary Report with what was literally a SOUR NOTE written on it by his kindergarten teacher.

But Lance lost no time in redeeming himself, even back then, (perhaps spurred on a little bit by some Fatherly ADVICE!). Looking back now, I see that I ended up writing his homeroom teacher a more positive NOTE, just twenty days after the transgression.

And he has been on the road to REDEMPTION since!


Congratulations, Lance! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you!


(P.S. While we're on the subject, check out "Redemption" at 87 GENTLE STREET!)