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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Write something AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL (10/02/14)
I was born on June 26, 1941 in Knoxdale, Pennsylvania. I was an illegitimate child and I grew up never knowing my father. When I was two, we moved to Erie, where I lived for thirteen years. It was when I turned thirteen that my aunt and uncle adopted me and I lived with them for the next five years. I met and married my husband at the age of eighteen and we lived in Corsica Pennsylvania. Upon his graduation from college, we moved to Wilcox where he taught Biology and science for five years. My husband decided to resign from teaching and he accepted a grant for Biochemistry in Arizona. We packed up our car and with two children we headed off to a new adventure. We lived in the dormitories for three months until the course was finished and then returned to Pennsylvia to live with my in-laws for two weeks until he could find a new career. He was hired as a Sanitarian for the State Health department and worked there for seventeen years. By this time we now had three children. I began to teach Good New Clubs for the next nine years and found it very rewarding. I also taught Sunday school for the youth. My husband had many health problems and in 1983, at the age of forth eight, he committed suicide. This was a very difficult time in my life, but God a was my safe harbor in the midst of this emotional storm. I now had to become father and mother to a thirteen old child who was still at home. I began to see that I had to walk a fine line to show my children that it was possible to continue to grieve and yet go on with life. I began to take a computer class, as well as a typing class and even a creative writing course, anything to keep my mind busy. My main goal was to take care of my son and get my life back together. One night as I was having my devotions, I suddenly found myself writing poetry. It was amazing! The words flowed faster than I could put them down on paper. This was truly a gift from God. I found it to be very therapeutic as I poured out my heart. Between the years of 1983 and the present I have written and authored four books of inspirational poetry, I do not believe my birth was an accident. God had a plan for my life and was using my pain and suffering to prepare me to help others who were hurting. I had always stayed at home and raised my children, but now I had to find a job and get out into the working world. At first I stayed with several elderly people as a companion aide, and eventually I was hired to be Administrative Secretary at the American Cancer Society where I worked for eight years. At the age of sixty one, I retired and remarried. My husband and I began to do volunteer work at the Jefferson Manor in Brookville. He taught Sunday school and I led the music for five years. It was an exciting time in our lives to be able to bring some joy to the residents. We later started a Weds day night Sing along and had many patients attending the service. However, in 2012 I was diagnosed with breast Cancer, Lymphatic Lymphoma, a cyst on my ovary and sleep apnea all within one week. I went through six weeks of radiation and I am now two years cancer free. Praise God. In 2013 I had my ovaries removed along with the cyst. We decided to discontinue our volunteer work at that time because I was fatigued from the radiation. However, our friends continued the ministry and the work is being carried on. I am presently living with my husband in Summerville,Pennsylvania. On our property we have a huge pond, and I often retreat there to meditate and write as I reflect on the beauty of God’s magnificent handiwork. Well, that pretty sums up my life of seventy two years. I trust that I have fulfilled the assignment God created for me to do. The journey has been long, sometimes happy, and sometimes sad but I continue to run the race until God takes me home.
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Member Comments
Member
Date
C D Swanson 
10/10/14
What an amazing testimony. You've been through so much, and have the grace and wisdom from God, to bless others through example and by your journey.

You have a beautiful way of bringing words together for His glory, and you've been such a vessel for His will and purposes. I'm feeling there are so many more years left for you to minister to others...this testimony is a fine example of such.

God bless you~
Virgil Youngblood 
10/11/14
Wow! You have concisely summarized your life story in a riveting way. The only suggestion I would make is to break your story into paragraphs for easier reading. Well done.
Leonard Granger
10/14/14
Life takes us down many paths as you mention but your faith in the Lord was there to protect and guide you. He also gsve you the strength to carry on in the worse of times and never doubt the Lord to be there for you.