the Stink of Life Smell Rose Sharon in Bloomington, MN

It was bad enough that the doctors thought I might lose
my mind, that my skin was transparent and the veins
running through my body stood out like a roadmap...
confinement to a wheelchair was like a last straw
Age twelve is a pivotal year in most children's lives, but for
Carol it was marked by the sudden onset of illness. On
the threshold of womanhood, Carol struggles to reconcile the
knowledge of her Christian faith with the reality of her
circumstance; a terminal diagnosis, medication that could
cause her to lose her mind, physical pain, loss of friendships,
and rejection at church.
Is God the faithful healer? Are her fellow parishioners correct
in saying she is being judged by God? Would death be better
than the struggle to live? On the other hand, maybe the
prophecies and dreams surrounding her shattered life are
ordained by God.
Carol Lebeda Johnson is married to Rev. Orville Johnson and is the mother
of two children, Joshua and Lucas. A trained medical transcriptionist and medical
secretary, Carol has chosen to stay at home and raise her children in lieu of a
professional career. Carol graduated from the Institute of Children's Literature,
and over the years has written, and published several poems and short stories. As a
guest speaker in Central America, she has shared her miraculous life story with
hundreds of women, inspiring them to Smell The Rose of Sharon.