We all have life storms, and when we get the rough times and we recover from them, we should celebrate that we got through it. No matter how bad it may seem, there's always something beautiful that you can find. Mattie Stepanek More Quotes by Mattie Stepanek More Quotes From Mattie Stepanek There can be many different views of what Heaven is like, because Heaven is whatever makes each person eternally and fully happy. Mattie Stepanek different views heaven I want to keep publishing books, and writing and spreading my heartsong through the world. Mattie Stepanek writing book world Expressing my feelings and then the opportunity to share it with others is just such a gift. Mattie Stepanek share feelings opportunity I would not have lasted a minute, literally a minute, on this Earth without God and angels by my side, because I was born. And right as I was born, I went into a respiratory arrest. So, big things that keep me going are friends and family, God. And another thing is looking forward to what's going to happen tomorrow. Mattie Stepanek family-and-friends angel earth Poetry is a beautiful way of expressing feelings - happy, sad, angry, caring. It's also a way that we share with other people, to help them with those feelings. Mattie Stepanek caring beautiful people I never question God. Sometimes I say, 'Why me? Why do I have such a hard life? Why do I have this disease? Why do I have siblings who died?' But then I think and say, 'Why not me?' Mattie Stepanek hard-life sibling thinking You can't lie down in the ashes of another person's life. Mattie Stepanek ashes persons lying If it came to a magic genie, I would ask him for two extra wishes. One would be that no one would have to live with the muscular dystrophy disease or any disease. And the second one would be world peace, that we just stop fighting, talk about things, and we could live in harmony once again, like God intended us to do. Mattie Stepanek magic fighting two I've gotten books published. I've met famous people that are very nice. I look back and I say, 'Wow. Thank you, God, for giving me this gift. And thank you for helping me to keep going.' Mattie Stepanek nice book people You know, it's kind of hard because I really - I see kids on their Rollerblades and their bikes, and just running around, climbing trees, and I used to do that. And I loved doing that. Mattie Stepanek climbing running kids We're divorced from my father because he did some mean and scary things to us. Mattie Stepanek scary mean father God gives me hope that there is something greater than us, something better and bigger than the here and now, that can help us live. Mattie Stepanek bigger helping giving My life mission is to spread peace to the world. Mattie Stepanek missions spread world Every year, once a year, in Maryland, I go for a week and overnight camp with about 50 to 60 kids with muscular dystrophy, all ages, seven to 21. And it is really fun. I have some great friends there and wonderful counselors. Mattie Stepanek fun kids years It's the song in your heart that wants you to help make yourself a better person, and to help other people do the same. Everybody has one. Mattie Stepanek helping-others heart song Wars should be fought with words, not bombs, not weapons. And calm words. I think that wars should be fought over a chessboard and a cup of something to drink. Mattie Stepanek bombs war thinking I do fear death. But what I actually fear is not dying. I mean, true, it will be sad. But I know that there is a better place waiting for me. Mattie Stepanek dying waiting mean The doctor said, 'He can't last a week.' And I did. And they said, 'There's no way this kid's going to last a month.' And I did. And so they said, 'Two years. He's not going to make it.' Two years. 'Five years. He can't do that.' I lived to be five years. 'He's never going to hit double digits.' And here I am, a new teenager. Mattie Stepanek doctors teenager kids People will come up to me everywhere and say, 'Ah, I saw you on 'Larry King,'' and, 'Ah, I saw you on 'Oprah.'' And it's really nice, and a lot of people say, 'Is it a pain?' And I say 'No.' And it's not annoying. Mattie Stepanek pain nice kings ...if you live feeling like Your glass is half empty, well, It may as well be empty all the way. Mattie Stepanek glasses half feelings