Life doesn't always go as planned. How many times have you asked the Lord why bad things have happened to you or those you love? I have asked Him that question countless times throughout my life when hardships have come my way. When I was five years old, I encountered a curveball that I was not expecting; this curveball has altered my life in such a way that has caused me to ask the Lord for His forgiveness. Thankfully, that bump in the road afforded me with blessings and joy. But, just as I had begun to relish in those blessings, the Lord presented me with another difficulty to overcome. The struggle that resulted forced me to learn how to cope with a new way of life; and I would not have survived without Jesus Christ holding my hand and guiding me through. He has turned the hardships into opportunities for growth, enrichment, and encouragement. I began this memoir as a gift for my daughter, Sarah. My wish for her is to recognize that she is a child of God's and that her life, and every life, has purpose.