ORLANDO (BP)—Diane Strack lay on the operating table, watching doctors perform an emergency procedure on her heart.

MILTON (FBW)—Norma Atteberry watched her parents live and preach the principle, “Every person must give back.”

JACKSONVILLE (FBW)—Janet Kimmell remembers the young woman vividly. She had come to the Christian Women’s Job Corps with little more than a basic education and a baby.

BARTLETT, Tenn. (BP)—When Lisa and David Barron’s daughter Madison was born in 1994, Lisa assumed her precious little baby would “one day grow into a little girl, then to sweet 16, on to a young lady and then to a woman.”

VANCOUVER, Wash. (FBW)—Pulling a slimy, Gummi Bear out of Gatorade for a science experiment wasn’t exactly what Karen Kingsbury had in mind when she envisioned finishing the second book in her new novel series before leaving for a trip early the next day.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—Nearly 30 faces, bright eyes set in wrinkled faces, watched their Sunday School teacher with the same enthusiasm displayed by a class of first-graders sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting to hear a wonderful story. They’d been there in the basement of First Baptist Church in Tallahassee since before 8 a.m.

GRACEVILLE (BCF)—On any given work day, Polly Floyd is the smiling figure behind her desk at The Baptist College of Florida in Graceville. Those who know her say she manages the business office with a gentle spirit and loving example.

JACKSONVILLE (FBW)—As a youngster Lillie Andrews remembers her mother would put drops in for her earache and tell her to “just keep praying.”

BRANDON (FBW)—Brandon pastor’s wife Karen Green has cheered others on since she was in high school. Now, alongside her husband, Tommy, she encourages the other ministers’ wives at First Baptist Church through her “open home, open heart” ministry.

MYRTLE GROVE (FBW)—Snatches of feelings lie scattered across Stephanie’s bedroom, randomly tucked into pages of old notebooks and stuffed away in dresser drawers.

ROCKLEDGE (FBW)—For Cathleen Gray, “becoming a new creation” began with her salvation in 1996. She gladly now testifies that indeed “old things pass away” and “all things become new.”

PERRY (FBW)—In her 71 years, Patricia Taylor has endured tragedy around almost every corner, but she maintains she can be a happy, joyful person because she sees the Heavenly Father working through her suffering. Her recently published memoir, Joy in the Midst of Life’s Storms, recounts her experiences so that others will be encouraged, she said.

JACKSONVILLE (FBW)—Recently published works by Florida Christian women offer readers suggestions to improve their personal appearance, spiritual health and home organization. The experienced writers employ both Scripture and personal experiences to inspire their readers.

ORLANDO (FBW)–According to the Gospels, the Virgin Mary was overwhelmed in hearing from the Lord’s messenger that she was going to give birth to a son. She knew she possibly would have to raise her child as a single mother. Where did she turn for help?

GAINESVILLE (FBW)–Freda Crawford, in the midst of treatment for multiple myeloma, renewed her passport and used it within two weeks of receiving the document. In her sixth year of struggling with cancer, Crawford is busy at Gainesville’s Westside Baptist Church, at the University of Florida, and with family members in Nicaragua.

MIAMI (FBW)–“If I can do it, anybody can,” said Bernadette Todd in challenging her fellow Southern Baptists to venture into the international mission field. Wheelchair-bound Bernadette Todd, a member of Christ Fellowship Church in Miami, returned recently to her home from a 10-day speaking tour in Dominican Republic, and is already planning another mission trip to Bolivia in July.

MIAMI (FBW)-“Have you ever been faced with a situation so dark you wonder where God is?” Bernadette Todd asked the congregation at Stanton Memorial Baptist Church in Miami March 21.

CROSS CITY (FBW)-When the ladies of First Baptist Church, Cross City, decided to begin a community-wide weekly Bible study, they agreed to make it a team-effort, according to study leader Angie Land.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (BP)-When women call the office of obstetrician/ gynecologist Karen Reisig asking for an abortion, her staff urges them to make an appointment as soon as possible.

KISSIMMEE (FBW)-Tina Mahood’s list of “formers”-former alcoholic, drug addict, prostitute, bar brawler, homosexual, and inmate-is formidable. But her designation of the last ten years describes her best-“a new creation.” Today Mahood ministers to other women trying to overcome the consequences of similar life choices.