Hi my name is Jaime, and this is my story of how God toke something bad that happen in my life, and then revealed His awesome power and love through that experience.

On October 15, 2002 my life was altered permanently and turn upside down from something I never expected or dreamed would happen. A car accident that would change my life forever. My life and dreams I had were on a roll to becoming what I hoped for. But on that day God had the same dreams, just another plan of using them. When I woke up in the hospital and was told I broke my T-12 vertebrae, and had a slim to no chance that I would ever walk again. Ooooh man! At first I wanted to die! I was hurt and devastated, then confused and frustrated. Then I became very angry not only with the ones I loved, but also with God. I started falling into that trap of feeling sorry for myself, feeling worthless and useless. I was screaming, shouting, crying, and saying things like God how could you allow this to happen?! Why did you allow this happen especially now?! You don't understand God, you know I'm the kind of person that has to be doing something that involves running and walking, not sitting and rolling! You made me that way! I had dreams, I had hopes, and now my life will never be the same again! What am I supposed to do now God?! How was I ever going to be-able to do those things I love again? But do you think that helped, did any good, or even shocked God? Oh sure all the shouting and screaming might have helped for a little while, but that got old real fast. A good friend told me "If one dream dies, dream another dream. If one path has been altered take another path." What he was saying was even though my life has change somewhat, it doesn't have to end there, I just have to pursue another way of doing it. I just needed to redirect that path and improvise somethings. See God can take a nugget of truth, a word. He took someones voice and spoke to me, and through there voice; He's starting to revel His awesome plan for my life. He has given me hope that I can latch onto and begin to dream new dreams, to walk through doors that only God has for me. He wants to build my life upon a solid fountain. You know how everyone of us are different? We have different situations, different circumstances, and different personalities. God doesn't speak to us all the same. He speaks to us individually and uniquely, and we have to understand that God wants our voices to be heard. Now it's my time to stir up those other gifts and dreams of God within myself and my heart. Because if I'm ever going to make it through this life, If I'm ever going to see those hopes and dreams come alive once again; even in times of difficulty, when things look hard, and I can't even understand why it's going on or when it's ever going to end. I can guaranty that when I reach down on the inside and ask God to stir up those hopes and dreams of what I learned, what I remembered, and what I've experienced as I've walked through the journey with Him. And now, as I'm starting a new journey. I can have the joy and victory come alive once again! This time liked I never imagined could be possible! But, to see that happen, I have to pursue those dreams and face those fears and uncertainties, and become fearless. Have you every read a verse in the Bible or heard something that you just knew it was for you? Now as a result of God using my family, my friends, my therapist, and those I've met that faced and successfully succeeded the same challenges I was about to face. The ones that never gave up on me, constantly telling me never say never! He's using there voices to let me know I did not have to give up running, give up playing ball, and doing the things I loved. No way! Instead I've learned to run in a wheelchair, I've learned to play ball sitting down, but those were not so hard to relearn again. Skiing, now that was a little more of a challenge. In rehab my therapist talked about me skiing a different way by sitting down. At first I refused. I thought how was this even possible to ski sitting down. Then my friends reminded me that with God all things are possible. Oh boy did I eat those words. I know it can be done, and I was determined to get back on skies! Because if my friends knew I can do it, then I wasn't going to let the devil tell me I couldn't do it. I just had to shake that can't mentality, and get back on the horse. You know the old saying where thers's a will there's a way. I did learn to ski seating down. But the most remarkable thing I've learned, was I found myself without even knowing it. Speaking words of encouragement and confidence in helping others that were faced with the same challenges. I even found myself doing more things sitting then I did standing, excepting it instead of regretting it. Now, of course I still have days I wish it didn't happen, but there now far and few apart. I now believe it's a start of a new beginning, a new dream, and new hopes of what God has for me. He also has intended for you and I to be-able to help others to never say never, to never give up on there hopes and dreams. But we need to push and persevere in all that we do. God is very personally and faithful, and when we need Him, He'll be there. So when we hear His voice that's when we draw strength, that's when we draw courage to go on. We have so much to be grateful for, and I think one of the keys to getting us on the road to recovery, it's one of the keys to get us to the place God has for us, is to simply to be grateful. Because a grateful heart is a incredible heart. Remember as long as were yoked together with GOD, there is nothing to strong for HIM.

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