I Didn't Know My Own Strength

So, this week has been an amazing example of how God will allow people into your life and use you and them to inspire others.

This morning I was blessed to be on radio station WDIA's The Bev Johnson Show in Memphis, TN. Bev and I were able to use her radio platform and my story to motivate listeners to go for their dreams despite any obstacle and use every challenge as an opportunity from God to be a blessing in someone else's life. And that's not it.

I also have my first guest blog post! I am featured on the blog Georgia Mae discussing my journey to handling AVM and finding strength.

Here is the beginning of the post...

Sure enough, over the next few days, weeks and months, news media and water cooler talk will all surround the death of one of the greatest voices of all time, Whitney Houston. But, I hope we can all soon turn to recount the number of songs she had throughout her career that touched our souls and empowered us in some way.

One song for me was “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength” from Whitney’s final album, I Look to You. In the song, she sings about the challenges she has faced, the doubts she initially had and how she was able to eventually realize the power she had within.  The chorus of the song is my favorite part. It makes me think deeply about my own journey of overcoming physical illness and insecurity to reach the place of God-given peace that I am in today. 

Survived my darkest hour

My faith kept me alive

Starting at age 10, I have had over thirty surgeries for a rare vascular anomaly called Arteriovenous Malformation or AVM. The physical toll of these tangled growths of arteries and veins has included removal of sections of my face, battles with bleeding, and challenges speaking and eating. But, there were times when the emotional challenges -- enduring procedure after procedure, spending 10th through 12th grade in and out of the hospital and realizing that I would never have a “normal” face-- would almost send me down a despairing spiral of depression...

Visit Georgia Mae to read more.