Wheelchair bound Renee Bondi is singing the praises of God.   Renee Bondi is beautiful, vivacious and talented.   She is a sought-after motivational speaker and singer, has appeared on TV and been featured in magazines. She has a loving family, attractive California home, handsome husband and a beautiful boy. Some might say she's living the American dream.   And then they see the wheelchair to which Bondi has been confined since 1988.   One day after dancing in the arms of her fiancé Mike and accepting his proposal for marriage, Bondi broke her neck in a freak accident as she fell out of bed. The accident left her paralyzed below the shoulders.   The doctors told her she would never walk again; in fact, they told her that she would never sing again, either. Her paralyzed chest muscles were just too weak to support such effort.   Music had been the passion of Bondi's life. During high school, she belonged to an award-winning choir. She toured with Young Americans, a choir that put on shows around North America. She majored in music during university, then headed the music program at San Clemente High School. And she led the worship team at her home church in San Juan Capistrano.   But after the accident, Bondi's voice was reduced to weak, breathy whispers. Even when she got stronger and was able to speak in a normal voice, she found herself unable to sing. The day before her accident, she'd danced her last dance with Mike. Would she also have to admit that she'd sung her last song?   After five months of rehabilitation therapy, Bondi tried to put the pieces of her life back together. Her fiancee became her loving husband, and a circle of support helped her maintain her independence. She even began directing children's choirs again, and accepted invitations to tell her story at churches and conferences. Sometimes she sang, but only if her two sisters sang alongside her or if there were strong mikes to amplify her voice.   But the doctors' grim verdict did not take into account the power of God to overcome weakness. Almost four years after the accident, urged to try singing along by a close friend who was playing one of her favourite Christian songs, Bondi found that her voice was once more strong and true.   She believes one reason she can sing today is because she had a respiratory therapist who used unconventional therapy -- placing ever increasing weights on her abdomen to force her to breathe more deeply, thus strengthening her lungs. But the other reason is God.   "I believe it was a miracle," says Bondi. "Even neurologists who are familiar with spinal chord injuries say, 'You shouldn't be able to sing like that.' But so many people prayed -- my family, my friends, my church community -- that I would be productive in some way, and I believe God answered that prayer in this way."   Now Bondi uses her voice to tell others about God's goodness. "That's my desire," she says. "I've learned a few things sitting in this chair, and I'd like to share them so you don't have to break your neck to find out."   She tells them where the strength for her journey comes from: the knowledge that God's hand carries her through the darkest hours and brightest joys. She tells them that walking with God begins with recognizing who Jesus is -- the Son of God who died on the cross to pay for our sins. "When you come humbly to God and ask for His forgiveness, something incredible is going to happen," she writes in her book The Last Dance But Not the Last Song (Fleming H. Revell Publishing, 2002).   "Jesus Christ is going to move right into your heart and He's going to change you. You will become a new creature."   She tells them that no matter what happens, what valley people might walk through, what tragedies befall them, God will be there to help them through and give them strength and purpose. She's learned from experience that God can use anyone, anywhere, anytime.   "The same God who has sustained me is just as available to you," she says.   Bondi now accepts two or three engagements a month to sing and speak. She¹s appeared on nationwide television and most recently sang before more than 500,000 youth in Toronto at World Youth Day. She was named the 2000 Woman of the Year by the California State Senate, and given special congressional recognition for outstanding service to her community.   Bondi has also released four albums of inspirational music. While she may have danced her last dance, it's unlikely that she's sung her last song, or spoken her last words of encouragement and comfort.   She's telling others what God can do for those who depend on Him. For it was God, she believes, who gave her back her voice, and she wants to use it for Him.   For more information about Renee Bondi and her book and music, visit www.reneebondi.com. [LLN-Online] [Adopt-a-Block] [Newsbriefs][Event Calendar] [Lifestyles] [Juke Box] [Cover to Cover] [Movieguide][Casting the Net] [Viewpoints] [General Info] [Rates & Sizes][Marketplace/Classifieds] [Volunteer Ops] [Writing Guidelines] [Contact Us] [Subscribe][Archives][Good News] [About Us][Links]