"Rejoice" is the third volume of poetry published by Mary Angeline Bell, known as Angie to family and friends.
Angie grew up in Portland, Oregon and obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree from Lewis & Clark College in 1961 and a Master of Arts from the University of Oregon in 1965. She spent some time teaching, and in 1968 she married Rex Bell. They lived in Portland and adopted a daugter, Janice Elizabeth (now called Jennie), in 1971.
Angie has enjoyed music and poetry from her childhood. She plays the piano and has sung in church choirs. She has enjoyed her travel opportunities, having been to Europe in the summers of 1965 and 1969, and also to a number of american cities for right to life conventions.
Angie worked as an office specialist from 1977 to her retirement in 2003 at the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, Civil Rights Division. She has been a member of Toastmasters International since June, 2000.
Each of Angie's parents came from a large family, so there were lots of aunts, uncles and cousins. Her father passed away in 1990, and her mother in 2009. She is much involved in the lives of her two granddaugters, Jessica (born in 1993), and Jasmine (born in 1995).
Jessica has a son and daughter, and a third child on the way. Jasmine has a two-year-old daughter.
Angies world view is one of faith and hope.
In her collection of poems and short stories, Angie, beautifully portrays the human ability to appreciate the wonders of creation, while also addressing the trials and tribulations of earthly existence. She eloquently conveys the message that our hardships do not hold the ultimate authority, as we find solace in a benevolent creator who desires our well-being and has a purpose for each of us.
