One of the first questions that people ask me is show I got my name. My parents were told that they would never have children and adopted my older brother when he was just three weeks old. They decided to adopt a little girl. Just after they began the process, my parents found out they were expecting a baby.

Before this baby was born, however, there were major complications. The doctors thought that my mother had lost the baby. After a night of prayer, the doctor found the baby's heartbeat. He said that if the baby were a boy, it should be named Lazarus. If it were a girl, it should be named Miracle.

When I was born, there were no physical problems. At age three, I contracted encephalitis which resulted in a stroke, partially paralyzing the left side of my body. God used this disability to help shape my life and draw me closer to Him. Over the years, other chronic illnesses have come (such as fibromyalgia, celiac sprue, asthma, etc.), but I thank God for these illnesses as they have taught me much and drawn me closer to Him. It was as a teenager that a pastor shared Psalm 139:14-16 with me. These verses changed the way I looked at my handicap. It was planned by God. He has a purpose for it in my life.

Interestingly enough, my parents had three more children over the years. I loved growing up in what some would consider a large family. Our home was always a very busy place with lots of activity.

After graduating from college, I attended Pensacola Christian College in Pensacola, Florida, and then worked on staff there in A Beka Academy for eleven years. Through Hurricane Ivan and further physical difficulties in the humid Florida climate, the Lord showed me it was time to move back to Michigan to assist my parents in there church. After several months between jobs, I found a job as Administrative Secretary to the Board Liaison and Community/Media Relations Officer for the Lanisng School District. It has been a challenging and interesting position.