I remember when Bethany Hamilton was attacked by the shark. We had just moved in to this house and I was on the phone with Jason's cousin in California, who lives in a surf community. Her kids surf and over the years, I heard about Bethany's wonderful resilient spirit; how she got back up on her board and surfed not long after her recovery.
When the movie came out and I read that Bethany was homeschooled, I had plans to take the girls to see the movie. But I was kind of concerned about how gruesome it would be, so A and I read the book. By the time we were done, the movie was no longer in theaters.
But we bought it as soon as it came out on DVD, because A has become a huge Bethany fan.
We love exposing our kids to people who are resilient in the face of doubt, who find faith in the midst of turmoil. That is what life is all about, is it not?
The message is absolutely amazing. A thirteen year old girl growing up in Hawaii is bitten by a shark and she just keeps going. She is such a strong and brave young woman and she credits her faith for giving her that strength. I just love that. She is an excellent role model.
At one point, Bethany does question God's purpose in having her lose her arm when she needs it to paddle out and balance while surfing. She has a wonderful youth advisor at church that she goes to for counseling. I found myself excited that A is finally old enough this year to join our youth group at church. Our youth advisor is an amazing woman and I can't wait to see where her influence takes my girls!
Trusting God is such an uncanny thing. You just do. You just must. He always leads you where you need to go...and He lead Bethany to understanding that not giving up, finding ways to surf and compete and go on to become a professional surfer would allow her to "embrace more people with one arm than she ever could have with two arms."
Here is a link to some awesome quotes by Bethany: In Her Words.
When the movie came out and I read that Bethany was homeschooled, I had plans to take the girls to see the movie. But I was kind of concerned about how gruesome it would be, so A and I read the book. By the time we were done, the movie was no longer in theaters.
But we bought it as soon as it came out on DVD, because A has become a huge Bethany fan.
We love exposing our kids to people who are resilient in the face of doubt, who find faith in the midst of turmoil. That is what life is all about, is it not?
The message is absolutely amazing. A thirteen year old girl growing up in Hawaii is bitten by a shark and she just keeps going. She is such a strong and brave young woman and she credits her faith for giving her that strength. I just love that. She is an excellent role model.
At one point, Bethany does question God's purpose in having her lose her arm when she needs it to paddle out and balance while surfing. She has a wonderful youth advisor at church that she goes to for counseling. I found myself excited that A is finally old enough this year to join our youth group at church. Our youth advisor is an amazing woman and I can't wait to see where her influence takes my girls!
"I have this thought every second of my life—Why me? Not negatively, like Why did this terrible thing happen to me? But more like "Why did God choose me and what does He have in mind for me?"
~ Bethany Hamilton
Here is a link to some awesome quotes by Bethany: In Her Words.
