Blessings

This post originally appeared on Jody's blog at jodycapehart.com.

It’s true what they say: blessings often come when we least expect it.

Today I received a blessing – one I will never forget – from Kristi Morales’ girls’ Bible class at the Master’s Academy in Duncanville.

The girls had invited me to their class because they are using the Christian Charm Course for Girls that I wrote with my daughter, Angela. Ms. Morales and the girls have been sharing their thoughts and experiences on the C-7 blog connected to the Charm Course.

I arrived at the school expecting to spend some time with the girls getting to know them and talking about ‘girl stuff.’ Oh, was I surprised and blessed!

When I entered, the girls had set up a beautiful breakfast, with decorated tables, a Christmas tree, and my favorite – Christmas music! They presented me with a beautiful hand-made card, a diamond (not a real one but one symbolic of the beauty of a woman that overcomes trials), a poem, candles, and photo ornament. How could they know about my favorite things when we had never met? I was deeply touched and completely overwhelmed.

Even more beautiful were the girls themselves. They were allowed to drop the school uniform for the day in exchange for their outfits of choice. Each and every girl looked exquisite. And they radiated joy and happiness. I don’t think I stopped smiling the whole time I was there.

I credit Ms. Morales, Principal Lynn Watson, and the other teachers at Master’s Academy for the love and wisdom they have cultivated in the lives of these girls. The culture of the school could be felt the minute my feet touched the threshold. The love of the Lord permeates every corner of this school!

The girls showed me around and are so proud of their school. They are completely vested in it. They read me the mission of the school, showed me the mascot, and the messages of each bulletin board that reflect the character of Christ. They’ve even won prizes for their floats in the parade! It truly warmed my heart to see students who truly love their school!

If you haven’t read the C-7 blog yet, may I encourage you to do so – because many fantastic contributions have come from Ms. Morales and her girls. This exceptional group of young ladies has gone far beyond the scope of the Christian Charm Course in truly examining what it means to be a C-7 girl: Christ-like, changed hearts, committed, confident, charming, classy, and caring.

Ms. Morales even coined a phrase I wish I had thought of for the book: Walk in Your Beauty.

Believe me, these girls do exactly that.

As always, I took pictures! They are on my Facebook page here. But the pictures do not tell the whole story. They do not capture the depth and inner beauty of this group of 6th through 12th grade girls learning and maturing in a way that truly surprised me in such a meaningful way.

From reading what they had been writing on the blog, I knew I would be blessed by going to visit them; I just had no idea to what extent.

Thank you, girls! You are so beautiful in every way!