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Overcome


While reflecting on where I feel like God wants to take me in 2013, the word that came to mind  was-- o v e r c o m e. Overcoming feelings of failure, overcoming insecurities, overcoming limitations or disabilities that I feel like hold me back from living to the full extent that God has called me to. A couple verses that came to mind were John 16:33 and Isaiah 43:1-2

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. 
But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."

As I was coming to a peaceful resolve around this theme, we "coincidentally" hosted a guest speaker at work on Friday. The speaker, Kyle Maynard, was born with no arms and no legs, but never let his given circumstance bound him. His dad challenged him from a young age to learn to live (and thrive) with his physical limitations, and as a result Kyle went on to join the wrestling team, play football, and even climb Mount Kilamanjaro. I was so inspired by his perspective, and want to share a snippet of ESPN's feature on him:

"Disability is the one thing that unites every single person. While some disabilities are obvious and visible, many disabilities are on the inside. Either way, vulnerabilities make us better—without them, we cannot grow.”- Kyle Maynard

God, may this be the year that I acknowledge the things that make me vulnerable and persevere through my fears and difficulties rather than maneuvering my way around them. May nothing stop me from doing the things You have set aside for me--


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