"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days
of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
Psalm 23:6
Roxanne Tauriello was one of the most decent, caring and loving
Christians I have ever met...
of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
Psalm 23:6
Roxanne Tauriello was one of the most decent, caring and loving
Christians I have ever met...
To me, she was a sister in Christ, and a devoted and loyal friend, as well as a mother and mentor. She was also a giver of good advice, of which there has been no equal. Roxanne was truly a gift from God, and someone I adored.
It was more than thirty years ago when Roxanne and her husband Sam came into my life. I don't remember exactly when our friendship began, but somehow Roxanne heard that I had since become a Christian while serving time in prison. So she reached out to me via a postal letter. And when I wrote back to her, that was all it took. A friendship was formed which would last for several decades.
In time, Roxanne and Sam would visit me. And one time we did an interview where I was able to share my story of forgiveness, redemption and hope on her local Public Access television program, which went by the name, The Roxanne Tauriello Show. It had been airing for years before she and I met.
Roxanne had a heart for evangelism. She always stressed repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that one needed to be "born again" in order to have their sins washed away, and to receive the gift of eternal life. Roxanne was all about winning souls, and she knew how to give a clear presentation of the gospel, as well.
Over time, Roxanne, Sam (who would pass away in 2017), and I, did a lot of "ministry" work together, along with the help of her many friends from church. Roxanne and her co-workers would prepare boxes of Bibles, books, and other gospel material for Christians in Ghana, West Africa, while Sam would load the packages into his van and mail them off, via the local post office.
As for me, I would be writing to ministers in Ghana where they would share my story of redemption with local villagers, and at several nearby prisons. This outreach went on for years. And thanks to Sam and Roxanne, and of course to the Lord, many lives were touched in knowing that God can and will forgive even the worst of criminal offenders, as He did with me. My words gave them hope.
And of no surprise, what Roxanne loved the most was sharing the gospel with prisoners. There was no end to her reaching out to people like me. Roxanne was a true example of Christian love in action.
And in addition to all this, Roxanne, as both a mother and nurturer, was always there to give me good instruction and wise advice. She had her own way of showing "tough love" when needed. So I definitely got my share of rebukes. But she was an encourager as well. Roxanne knew how to keep me focused on Christ, and not on the negative prison stuff.
Always energetic and full of stories about her show business days, like the time she sat in a Manhattan nightclub with legendary entertainer Jackie Gleason, as he got drunk and passed out. Or the time she scored a small part in an episode of "Car 54," which was a popular comedy series on television back in the 1960s.
Roxanne had her wild days and adventures. But when she got "saved" she became a powerful voice for Jesus. Roxanne was also a devoted wife and mother who raised her kids to be loving, and honest, and good.
I miss Sam and Roxanne. And on this Mother's Day I want to honor my friend Roxanne and pay tribute to this great couple whom I have come to love more than words could ever express. I cannot wait to see them when we're together again, in Heaven.
D.B.
It was more than thirty years ago when Roxanne and her husband Sam came into my life. I don't remember exactly when our friendship began, but somehow Roxanne heard that I had since become a Christian while serving time in prison. So she reached out to me via a postal letter. And when I wrote back to her, that was all it took. A friendship was formed which would last for several decades.
In time, Roxanne and Sam would visit me. And one time we did an interview where I was able to share my story of forgiveness, redemption and hope on her local Public Access television program, which went by the name, The Roxanne Tauriello Show. It had been airing for years before she and I met.
Roxanne had a heart for evangelism. She always stressed repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that one needed to be "born again" in order to have their sins washed away, and to receive the gift of eternal life. Roxanne was all about winning souls, and she knew how to give a clear presentation of the gospel, as well.
Over time, Roxanne, Sam (who would pass away in 2017), and I, did a lot of "ministry" work together, along with the help of her many friends from church. Roxanne and her co-workers would prepare boxes of Bibles, books, and other gospel material for Christians in Ghana, West Africa, while Sam would load the packages into his van and mail them off, via the local post office.
As for me, I would be writing to ministers in Ghana where they would share my story of redemption with local villagers, and at several nearby prisons. This outreach went on for years. And thanks to Sam and Roxanne, and of course to the Lord, many lives were touched in knowing that God can and will forgive even the worst of criminal offenders, as He did with me. My words gave them hope.
And of no surprise, what Roxanne loved the most was sharing the gospel with prisoners. There was no end to her reaching out to people like me. Roxanne was a true example of Christian love in action.
And in addition to all this, Roxanne, as both a mother and nurturer, was always there to give me good instruction and wise advice. She had her own way of showing "tough love" when needed. So I definitely got my share of rebukes. But she was an encourager as well. Roxanne knew how to keep me focused on Christ, and not on the negative prison stuff.
Always energetic and full of stories about her show business days, like the time she sat in a Manhattan nightclub with legendary entertainer Jackie Gleason, as he got drunk and passed out. Or the time she scored a small part in an episode of "Car 54," which was a popular comedy series on television back in the 1960s.
Roxanne had her wild days and adventures. But when she got "saved" she became a powerful voice for Jesus. Roxanne was also a devoted wife and mother who raised her kids to be loving, and honest, and good.
I miss Sam and Roxanne. And on this Mother's Day I want to honor my friend Roxanne and pay tribute to this great couple whom I have come to love more than words could ever express. I cannot wait to see them when we're together again, in Heaven.
D.B.