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.