Regina knew the word of God and the way to salvation from a very young age. I never hesitated to tell her that Jesus was waiting to come into her heart when she was ready to ask Him. She was quiet about these things, but  would sometimes ask questions. One night in the year 1999 she came to my room late at night because she had seen a movie about the rapture that scared her. She asked me many questions and said she was scared she wouldn't go to Heaven. I told her that we are all sinners and the only way to Heaven is to confess that we are sinners and ask Jesus to take our sin upon Himself. There is no sin He will not forgive. She pondered this but was still quiet about it.

     One day I found the following poem in her room:

Religious Poem

Inside me is an emptiness

How could it be filled?

Surely not by this man Jesus

He was already killed

Some say he was raised

But how could that be

Now I hear Him being praised

Maybe this is right for me.

I hope that I will understand

The significance of this one man

If people can't see Him how do they know

If His story is actually so

I think this man that was killed

Is the cure, my emptiness filled.

On January 25, 2002 a boy named Billy died from an accident in his home. He was in Regina's class although she didn't know him well. His death shocked his classmates and the town. He was a Christian from a very strong Christian family. I saw how this affected Regina although she was quiet about it. I did not know it then but on January 29, 2002, Regina asked Jesus Christ to be her Savior in the quiet of her room.

The year 2002 was a very hard year for her in many ways. The man who trained her to jump her horse suddenly left the barn and deserted her and her friends. This affected Regina very strongly. She felt betrayed and rejected.

We moved later that year and Regina was very upset about it. She was leaving many friends but I knew she would be okay because she was so friendly and sweet and always had many friends no matter where she went. 

She started High School and made many friends including a boyfriend. She went to dances, football games and did all the usual high school activities. She was a good girl for the most part although she got sassy occasionally. She got into some trouble in December of 2002, and one night while I was lecturing her I said to her that what she needs is the Lord in her life. She retorted rather hotly that she asked Jesus into her heart on January 29, 2002 and "He's been a jerk to me ever since!!" At first I was upset with this comment but as I thought about it I thought at least she is honest with God. We are all angry at God at times in our lives for what we perceive to be injustices by Him. I know I go through periods of intense anger at not having Regina with us anymore.

This was the last time we spoke about salvation before she died. So there was some question of her commitment to Christ in my mind at the hospital. I prayed for some sign to know she was safe with our Lord in Heaven. When we got home from the hospital on December 2, 2003, her light was on. Cassie immediately ran up to her room and found the following "Prayer of Friendship" on the floor of Regina's room. I truly believe this was a gift from Jesus and it was my "Blessed Assurance" that she is in Heaven with Him for eternity.