People are talking...
"When Joel Sonnenberg speaks, the one word that describes his message is 'authentic'... Thanks Joel for being real." - Community Chapel
"I continue to hear from others how awesome and inspirational the service was. Your message rocked baby!" - The Life, Richmond, VA
"Joel's story and his very presence provide each of us a wakeup call." - Stepping Stones Foundation, Lansing, MI
"Everyone (everyone!) that I've talked to about your presentations was glad that you were our guy!" - Student Leadership Summit, Kokomo, IN
"His presentation was engaging, humorous, moving, and powerful. Many lives were changed as a result of Joel's visit!" - Peoria, Ill.
he keeps going ...and going ...and going ...
그의 인터뷰 기사가 실렸네요,
읽기 어렵지 않은 영어로 쓰인 것이라
함께 읽어보려고 올려 놓습니다.
25 Years Later
By ANNE SAUNDERS
Associated Press Writer
CONCORD, N.H. - On the 25th anniversary of the accident that left him permanently disfigured, Joel Sonnenberg returned to the Hampton tolls Tuesday to stand in the spot where his life abruptly changed.
Sonnenberg was only 22 months old when a tractor-trailer smashed into his family's car, triggering an explosion that left him burned over most of his body. He lost his ears, his left hand, fingers on his right hand and flesh and skin covering part of his skull.
He does not remember the accident and had no recollection of the tollbooths. Sonnenberg now lives with his family in Montreat, N.C.
"I was really uneasy going into it. I didn't know what to expect," Sonnenberg said in a phone interview after his visit.
He likened the experience to visiting a historic site familiar only from books. "It was so surreal. It'll probably take me a few more days or weeks to take it all in."
There was heavy media coverage of the accident and its aftermath, including Canadian trucker Reginald Dort's flight from justice and his arrest 18 years later. In 1998, Dort was sentenced to three to seven years in prison.
Sonnenberg met the tollbooth attendant who was present at the crash and his ambulance driver. He and his mother are staying with the Exeter nurse who helped their family just after Joel arrived at the hospital.
The visit "just brings things full circle," he said. He said he's grateful for the chance to say thank you for "the tremendous outpouring of love and support that came about as a result of the accident."
Coming back to the Hampton tolls was important to Sonnenberg as he begins a book tour to promote his autobiography, "Joel," published by the Christian publisher Zondervan.
"It was a turning point 25 years ago. It's a turning point now," he said.
Sonnenberg wants to make the most of his gift to communicate, educate people and encourage them to look beyond disabilities. He doesn't dwell on what was lost in the accident, but looks instead at the opportunities it brought.
"People have different abilities. It's not survival of the fittest, it's survival of the most adaptive," he said.
Sonnenberg remains suprised at the interest people have in his life story. A Christian, he said he feels the Lord is leading him. He is nearly done earning his master's degree from Columbia International University's Biblical Seminary in South Carolina.
"I don't try to hide my weaknesses," he says. "I bear my burdens because I can't hide them. Other people can hide them."
He wants to use his talents to help people understand that everyone is abled and disabled in their own ways, he said.
And he's continually surprised at the opportunities that come his way. Sonnenberg recently was asked to audition for a part in a movie where the leading role was a victim of a terrorist bombing.
"The last thing I ever thought I would do is be an actor _ except maybe be a ballerina," he says with characteristic good humor. "I have no idea what's around the bend."
Joel's Book is Published!
Joel is an inspiring story of tremendous tragedy and grief followed by the immense faith, hope and love of the Sonnenberg family. Its message is that no matter how tragic the circumstances in life, they can be overcome with a positive attitude and knowledge that God has a purpose for your life. With God’s love and strong support from family and friends, people can survive - even thrive - through life’s difficulties.
말년의 마티스 모습입니다.
병에 걸려서 수족을 마음대로 쓸 수 없게 되자
가위로 작업을 하게 된 마티스
그래도 아니 그래서 더욱 사람의 마음을 움직이는 작업을 할 수 있게 된 것이 아닐까
그런 생각을 하곤 하지요.
위기를 위기로 그대로 두는가
위기에서도 삶의 길을 찾을 수 있는가
그것이 그 인간의 크기를 보여주는 시금석이 아닐까
그런 생각을 해보는 아침입니다.
회원정보가 없습니다