July 22, 2002

Celebrating Hispanic Woman event honors Capetillo and Martinez
___By George Henson
___Staff Writer
___KELLER--More than 600 Hispanic women gathered for the eighth annual Celebrating the Hispanic Woman Conference July 12-13 at First Baptist Church in Keller.
___One of the key moments of the conference was naming Frances Capetillo of Dallas as Pioneer Woman of Faith for this year and honoring Sgt. Maj. Diana Martinez of the Army Recruiting Battalion in Dallas for Achievement of Excellence in Service to the Country.
___Frances Salazar of San Antonio was the keynote speaker. Special music was presented by Rondalla Getsemani of McAllen and Eben-Ezer of Garden Grove, Calif.
___More than 75 breakout sessions were held in conjunction with the conference's overall theme of "His Purpose for Me." Breakout topics included information on parenting, marriage, personal development and family issues.
___One of those breakout sessions dealt with "The Five Love Languages of Children." The session, led by Rose Mary Garza, was based on the book by the same name by Gary Chapman.
___"We all have a love tank; we all need to be loved," Garza said. The hard part, she explained, is that people can sometimes be loved but not realize it.
___"We can truly love our child, and that child may not feel love because we are not doing it in the way the child receives love," Garza explained.
___People have five primary love languages--ways they not only express love but also feel loved, she said. It is important for parents to figure out their child's love language so they can communicate the love they feel, she added.
___One of the love languages is physical touch. This type of child likes to be held, cuddled and kissed. Eye contact also is important. Children who have this love language often touch people a great deal, even just playfully bumping into them.
___On the other hand, some children don't want to be touched as much as they need words of affirmation. "Catch them being good and tell them so," Garza suggested. While positive words are thrilling to these children, negative comments affect their self-esteem more than others, she explained. These children also like to see their awards framed and put in a prominent place.
___Some children need time when they are the focus in order to feel loved. It is important not to interrupt these children when they are speaking, Garza said, because they need to know they have the parent's full attention. Praying with these children can be a special time for both the parent and child, she added.
___Still other children communicate love through acts of service. Things done when they ask, such as a backrub or ironing a shirt, are important. "Attitude is everything for these children. If you do things but grumble about it, it will not say what you want it to," Garza said.
___Gifts are important to many children. "For children who respond to gifts as acts of love, the presentation is as important as the gift. Dress it up fancy, put a bow on it," Garza suggested, explaining that it really is the thought that counts with these children.
___Other breakout sessions included "Living a Lifestyle of Sexual Purity," "Intimacy with the Almighty," "Family Disintegration through the Eyes of a Child" and "The Real Significance of Romance in Marriage." Almost all the topics were offered in both English and Spanish.
___Next year's conference also will be held at First Baptist Church in Keller Aug. 8-9.
___

Get printer-friendly version of this story


Send this story to a friend



News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

---

Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!/ Signup for FirstLook