Crystal's Journey

By Crystal L. Shank

This book is an autobiography of my life story. It entails my early birth, and introduction into my family. It gives details of my childhood, and overcoming milestones. Its the story of my struggles in school with bullies, and my self-image. Its a story of my lifes trails, and triumphs. It leads you down the road of my Brain Tumor, and overcoming the odds. From dealing with the loss of loved ones, and friends, to fi nding my new found faith. It takes you on the journey of my life. This
book teaches you many life lessons along this powering journey.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 27, 2011
• ISBN: 9781462876983

Book preview

Crystal’s Journey

Crystal L. Shank

Copyright © 2011 by Crystal L. Shank.

ISBN:          Softcover                                 978-1-4628-7697-6

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4628-7698-3

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

96921

Contents

Chapter One        Life Begins

Chapter Two        Lost By the Lake

Chapter Three      Baby Girl/Baby Boy

Chapter Four        High School-The Last Four Years

Chapter Five         The Real World

Chapter Six           Finding Faith

Chapter Seven       Life Decisions

Chapter Eight        The Missing Link

Chapter Nine         Precious Moments

Chapter Ten           Life Enduring Ride

-Prologue-

In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth. (Genesis 1) God holds all the power, and this precious world that he created, all in his hands. After God completed the existence of the earth, he found that he was very lonely. From the dirt of the ground, he created man in his own image. God loves all his creations in more ways than anyone of us could possibly ever imagine. I think that is one of the main reasons people often have a disbelief in God. They believe, because I can’t see him, he doesn’t exist, or he can’t possibly be in more than one place at a time, so that’s false too.

The truth, God is, and he can be in more than one place at a time. That is the Majestic Glory of God. He has the power and miracle giving ability to sustain. If you need proof of God, just simply stop, and look around you. He’s in all living beings. He’s there when events take place, and the ending result is something no human being could have done alone. God is everywhere in our lives. You just have to open the heart that he gave to you. He’s standing there knocking at the door waiting to come in, and be apart of your life. The amazing thing about it all is, he gives you the choice in the matter. This old spinning earth can only last for so long. It’s our temporary home, and it’s not where we rightful belong. Heaven is our rightful home in the sky.

The heart and mind, are the two most powerful organs the human body contains. They both keep us functioning each day of our lives. Without either of these organs, we simply wouldn’t exist. The mind is complex on what we think, say, or do. You could say the mind is the human computer. It’s full of information that helps us succeed in life.

The heart beats on with every given breath we take. It expresses emotions that either drains the body’s soul, with sadness and heartache, or it rejuvenates the body’s soul, with happiness and joy. The secrets the two share are like an open book. It reveals moments in life that you will always remember for a lifetime. The heart and mind creates a story in each person, that urges you to keep on reading about. Get ready readers, here is my story, the story of Crystal’s Journey.

Chapter One

Life Begins

It all begins with our creation in this life. It’s generally amazing how human creation transpires. A man and woman who joins as one flesh, with the divine intervention of God is remarkable. Then, nine months later upon your special arrival to a family specifically chosen for you. It’s a feeling of amazement and joy. When we enter into this world, and you take that first fresh breath of hospital air, life begins. We cry out of fear, only then, to be comforted by two loving people known as our parents. They embrace us with their love, and we know we are safe. In that very moment, there are no words to be said. It’s an emotion and memory sketched with in us forever. Finally, you are then taken to a place called, home. Home is where loved ones are waiting to welcome you into their lives forever.

You are now part of a family tree all of your own. As you begin to grow, you come to know, what is right, and what is wrong in life. You also develop skills you’ll use forever. First, like sitting up, and crawling across the floor. Second, like saying that first word, or crying through the pain of your first tooth. Next, leads up to walking across the room, and finally, using the big kid potty. These are all events that take place in ones life, with it all beginning with ones creation.

In the beginning of life, there has always been a war against good and evil. Take God and Satan for an example. A war sprung out between the two of them, because Satan had become to egoistical, and power hungry. In the end, it cast him out of heaven, and into a place called, Hell forever. Sin has played a part in life, every since the garden incident. Adam and Eve went into the garden, and the evil serpent caused Eve to sin, and that’s why we live, and we die for today. Sin may think it has the upper hand, because that’s the path most humans choose to follow, but faith has won every since the beginning of time. Jesus Christ was born, and he died on the cross for everyone to have an eternal life in Heaven with him. "Love takes they patience Job, that what my mother always said. Faith is the belief in something more then what you know," that’s what the bible says. At the end of the day, Faith will always prevail sin, no matter how hard it tries to conquer good.

God works in mysterious ways. Sometimes we don’t quite understand why he does the things he does. With God all things are possible. When life throws you curve balls to knock you down, you just simply look up and say, WWJD! What Would Jesus Do? Along your faithful journey you would come to know exactly what WWJD? meant. My story began a little differently, and this is how it went . . . .

The date was January 21, 1987. It was a cold blistery winter’s day. A young confident 18 year old girl, would suddenly go into labor. The young girl lived alone, and when she couldn’t contact anyone in her family, she became scared. The contractions hit harder, and the pain was intense. When her uncle checked on her during his lunch break, he rushed her to the hospital.

Once they arrived at the hospital, the young girl was taken to a room, and was changed into a hospital gown. The contractions came back even harder. The doctor took the young girl to the delivery room for an emergency Cesarean Section. As the young girl gave birth to this new life, you could hear her screams, and cries of the pain. She was ready to get the baby out.

The hour was 5:23 P.M. Twelve hours and twenty-three minutes after she had gone into labor, the baby was here. Susan Ann Shank was now the mother of a new baby girl. She named me Crystal Lee Ann Shank. For little did she know in that special moment, I would turn her into the amazing woman she knew she could be.

I was born two weeks premature. I weighed in at 5 pounds, 11 ounces, and 20 inches long. I even spent an extra week in the hospital, due to an infection in my immune system. When mom finally brought me home, we lived in a lite blue trailer in the trailer court of Bowling Green, Ohio.

When mom and I arrived home, we were greeted by my new family. Like all new babies in ones family, I was passed around a lot. I was now part of a special family, and it had its own family tree. It was a big family tree.

First, you had my great-grandparents Walter and Eva Shank, and then, Rodney and Flossy Wenner. Walter and Eva would give birth to fourteen children. Rodney and Flossy would give birth to seven children. Next, you have my grandparents Lowell Sr. and Emma Shank.