April Issue of Athena Magazine for Girls!

To say I've  been busy this month would be the understatement of the year! I will spare you all the details and just share some fruits of my labor. Does that sound good?

I worked on two articles for Athena Magazine for Girls this month.  They are now live on the website. One was about the Susan G. Komen and Planned Parenthood controversy (Website no longer exists). I'm sure everyone one has heard at least some parts of it. I learned a lot about two very different organizations while doing this article. It was a whirlwind month that tested my patience, but perseverance paid off!

The second article was about a very mysterious work of article called the Ghent Altarpiece. Since it had such a unique history, I would have loved to have shared this with my granddaddy. I learned about lots of techniques (that were new to me at least) while working on this piece. I hope you enjoy both articles.

While I'm at it, if you want, please drop Sarah, the editor-in-chief a line to tell her how much you enjoy the magazine. Everyone involved with AMG is not paid. We do it because we love what we do!  She works a lot behind the scenes to make this magazine a success(in addition to her day job). I know it'd mean the world to her to hear your encouragement! 

When I get out for the summer, be looking for more book reviews and general posts. Thanks for reading even though this month hasn't been consistent!

Easter 2012

I thought I would do a picture recap of Easter weekend.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend celebrating the TRUE meaning of Easter! The above picture of my nephew was taken by my sister-in-law. Didn't she do a great job?! The food and family are wonderful, but without Him, we would be lost.

God Provides

Recently, I began to see how a lift chair could benefit me in my everyday life. I have been doing all of my college coursework from my bed, but that is not God's best. I get tired sitting in the wheelchair for long periods of time, which causes me to slump. That is not good for my posture, so with a lift chair I could be in the living room looking out the window while still being comfortable. Unless you've been sick, you don't know how depressing it gets to look at the same four walls (even though mine are a cheery yellow accented with purple) day in and day out. The lift chair will give me the opportunity to be more comfortable when I am working on my laptop, because it hurts my back to bend over a table at normal height and work from my wheelchair. Something else that most people wouldn't think about is that being in the bed for a long time puts you at risk for losing your mobility. Having a lift chair would make me want to get up more because it would be comfortable for my back and legs. The recliner we have now is too low for me to get up from without help. A new lift chair would give me more independence in that area, while still stretching my muscles and back.

My mom and I began to look into Medicaid paying for the chair, but they refused because I am in a wheelchair. They said it would be around $1,000 for the type of chair I needed. My family decided they would pool their money together, but God had a better plan. A thought flashed through my mind "Why not let your friends and family on Facebook know about your need?" I ran it by Mom to make sure it was okay to post it on my personal Facebook page, and in just a little over a week, we raised all of the money to cover the chair and a table for me to use while I work!! Even one girl I go to school with gave money! This just reinforced how good my God is! God even used this selfless act as a testimony of His goodness to the employees of the lift chair store. They were there at the beginning when we thought Medicaid would pay and saw us leave disappointed. My mom was able to tell them, “God supplies all of our needs,” as they watched her lay the money on the counter! My God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that I could ask or think!