Latest / She Speaks Life - Christian Women, Strengthen Your Faith, Bible Study, Grow Spiritually In Christ / Don't Let Adversity Stop You! Featuring Faith Film 'I Can' With Katelyn Pavey

Transcript

Don't Let Adversity Stop You! Featuring Faith Film 'I Can' With Katelyn Pavey · She Speaks Life - Christian Women, Strengthen Your Faith, Bible Study, Grow Spiritually In Christ

• 0:00
  Hey there. Welcome back to She Speaks Live.
• 0:02
  I'm so excited you are here listening to this episode.
• 0:06
  I have to tell you the feedback of how much you guys are
• 0:09
  enjoying my published journal, Serenity.
• 0:12
  Calm your soul and strengthen your spirit.
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  wondering what is she even talking about, The Serenity
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  Journal is a personalized scripture journal where you
• 0:26
  write your name within the verse, bringing a most personal
• 0:31
  directive to take heed of the truth in your life.
• 0:34
  It also includes 5 topics to choose from with two weeks of
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  scripture for each one for whatever season you are in, such
• 0:44
  as needing more contentment and confidence to how to get out of
• 0:49
  loneliness and how to have more hope and peace.
• 0:53
  In addition, our journal prompts and an activation prayer to
• 0:57
  release your faith for what you are relying on God to do in and
• 1:01
  through your life. It makes such a great gift for
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  any occasion, but especially we are in the Christmas mode of
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  And I'd love your feedback so let me know how it's blessing
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  your quiet time with him. OK?
• 1:31
  Today I sit down with Caitlin Pavey.
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  She has a powerful story That First Capital Films and Kappa
• 1:38
  Studio produced a featured length movie called I Can that
• 1:43
  was in theaters across the nation about Caitlin's life.
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  Caitlin has this remarkable journey of being born with one
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  arm and how that didn't stop her from being the greatest star
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  softball player to grace the fields.
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  Her story is one of tremendous perseverance, endurance, and
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  triumph, with the power of God's grace and strength to get
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  through major adversity. She has the biggest heart, you
• 2:14
  guys, for God, and has such audacious ambitions and goals.
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  You'll be so inspired by her and the hope and the encouragement
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  she gives to others that they too can experience God's
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  possibility when it feels impossible.
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  So let's dive in. Here's my conversation with
• 2:33
  Caitlin Pavey. Hey Caitlin, welcome to She
• 2:36
  Speaks Life. I am so excited you are here
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  with us to share your powerful story with us.
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  Welcome. Well, thank you for having me.
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  I'm excited. Do you have a very powerful and
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  inspirational story to share? And in fact, I believe it was
• 2:53
  First Capital Films and Kappa Studios that did this incredible
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  job in featuring your true story in a featured length film and in
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  theaters across the country. And I can't wait to dive in more
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  for you to share this journey with us.
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  But before we begin, I love kicking off with the guests
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  sharing their favorite scripture verse and why.
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  So my favorite verse is John 1633.
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  It's kind of what I stuck with with through my softball playing
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  career and it and it says in this world you will have
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  trouble. But take heart, for I have
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  overcome the world. And for me, this is really
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  important because it means that you know, no matter what you go
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  through, no matter you know, when sports, no matter the wins,
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  no matter the losses, you already have the victory.
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  Because Jesus died for you and he died for your sins.
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  So you already have that victory.
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  Yes. Amen.
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  Thank you, Jesus. That's a powerful verse.
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  And so you have this remarkable journey, Caitlin, on
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  perseverance and triumph and the power of God's grace to get you
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  through some major adversity. And would you just love to start
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  us out by sharing your story? Let's get to know you and how
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  this movie called I Can came about.
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  Yeah, so the movie I can came about my church, First Capital
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  Christian Church in Corden, Indiana.
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  You know we make movies. So my pastor, Tyler Sansom.
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  Ever since he was little, he wanted to make movies and he
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  said what not a better way for as a mission field to reach
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  people to than to make movies. And so he wanted to do movies
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  out of the real people, out of our church.
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  And he knew a little bit about my background and my parents
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  background and asked us. Well, the story about me was I
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  was conceived out of wedlock due to an affair and my parents
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  always thought that their sin caused me to be born with one
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  arm. So I was born with one arm.
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  It's called Focal Milia. And so I was basically born
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  without the in part of my arm where the elbow meets and then
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  it left me with a small hand and two digits.
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  And so this story I can came about because of that.
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  And Tyler has asked us three times if we wanted to make this
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  movie and every every single time we denied him, we said no.
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  And you know, the reason we said no was we didn't think we had a
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  story to share. All of our sins are going to be
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  displayed on the big screen. And my parents didn't want to do
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  that. And personally, I didn't want to
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  be seen. Like I sit on a pedestal.
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  You know, everybody has a story. I have one arm play softball.
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  So what? But Tyler said, if you can help
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  one person find and follow Jesus, would you do it?
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  And that's the mission of our church.
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  If you can help one person find and follow Jesus, would you do
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  it? And I said yes, and my parents
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  said yes. So that's what led us to make
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  this movie. And I Can is a redemption story
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  and a story of me growing up through softball and I became a
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  all American softball player in college and just overcoming all
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  the adversity and things that came my way.
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  So cool, Caitlin. So take us through playing
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  softball with one arm. Was it extremely challenging and
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  hard, or was it something you just felt God supernaturally
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  giving you this gift and ability to perform well?
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  Well, I started playing softball at the age of three and you
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  know, at first it was very difficult, very challenging
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  because you know how am I going to catch with one hand and throw
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  with the same hand at the same time?
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  And my dad, you know, how are you going to coach a kid with
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  one arm, how to play softball. So at first it was very
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  challenging, but I think softball.
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  Once I overcame that challenge was something that I thought I
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  was good at and where I could express myself.
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  That makes sense. It let me, you know, show my
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  abilities and talents that God gave me.
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  So cool. Did you become a Christian at a
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  young age? I did.
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  I grew up in a Christian household, so I always went to
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  church on Sundays, on Wednesday nights and.
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  I got baptized in high school. So cool.
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  And I read that you were a center fielder in softball.
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  Is that correct? Yes, I played center field.
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  I actually pitched and played first base when I was growing
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  up. Yeah, and to get recruited, I
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  went to a few college showcase camps.
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  And coaches were like, have you ever tried to play outfield?
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  And like you can get recruited maybe playing that position.
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  And so I transferred and I end up loving outfield.
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  And that's where I ended up playing all throughout my
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  college career. Incredible 'cause you got to
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  have a powerful arm to throw that softball.
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  I I was actually recorded .2 seconds slower.
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  I have a what's called a glove transfer.
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  So I catch with my right hand. I tuck the glove underneath my
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  small arm, grab the ball out and throw it.
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  Yeah, .2 seconds slower than somebody with two arms.
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  Wow. Oh incredible.
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  Caitlin. Yay.
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  God, right. Yes, All them.
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  The glory. So cool.
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  And so when this movie came out, how does how did that make you
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  feel when you saw your true story in theaters everywhere?
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  Was it just surreal or? It was very surreal.
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  And it was crazy. I mean, I had people, you know,
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  that I went to school with, people that I played ball
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  against. All reaching out to me and
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  congratulating me and seeing they've seen it everywhere and
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  couldn't believe it. And it it's really cool.
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  Oh, that's so neat. And I love that more and more
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  families and individuals are coming out and they're making
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  these movies about people's imperfect life and you know how
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  they got through the mire and and overcome with God's power
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  and strength. And I'm loving seeing these
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  movies more and more these days of just the testimony of where
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  where somebody was and where they are now, all because of the
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  Lord and how much of A testament that is for believers and non
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  believers. So I love how we're rising up as
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  Christians, as believers, to share the good news in that way.
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  And so what's the back story of the phrase I canned?
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  Where did that come from? Yeah, So growing up, my dad
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  always told me to never say the words.
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  I can't. I can't do something.
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  I can't do that, he said. You're gonna find a way to do
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  it. It might just look a little bit
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  different than somebody else. But you can always find a way to
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  accomplish something. And what through Christ, all
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  things are possible. And so the movie I I can and I
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  can phrase came to saying like, I can do this, I can with Christ
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  and never turning back. Through your old ways and are
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  always overcoming that adversity that you're thrown.
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  So cool. Do you feel like, do you have a
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  lot of friends, especially in softball, that come to you for
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  mentoring? I've always been told, you know,
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  I'm not. I guess on the field I wasn't
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  very a vocal leader. I was more of actions.
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  I was showing people through my actions, you know, and so I
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  think that. They've always told me that
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  whenever I play, they can really see it.
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  That's right. And it's the actions that speak
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  louder than the words, right? People are looking at your
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  example and what you're displaying and that speaks way
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  volumes than anything else. And good for you.
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  That's so cool. So what is your favorite part of
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  softball? That's a good question.
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  I would say my favorite part of softball.
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  One is knowing that it's a team sport and it's not
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  individualized cause for a long time I used to really, I used to
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  think of a lot about myself and not putting my team first.
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  And then once I realized that, I put my team first and that I got
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  all these talents and gifts. Not from what I did, but what
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  God gave me really helped me as a player just to display that,
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  like like you said, my actions. I was trying to show people
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  Christ through how I played on the field.
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  Yeah, so cool. I love that answer.
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  You know, it's not about the actual playing the sport, but
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  it's the eternal meaning. So did you play any other sports
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  or was it just softball? I played a lot of different
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  sports. I grew up playing basketball,
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  volleyball, flag football, Ran cross country, but that didn't
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  last long. But my two my 2 main sports in
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  high school was basketball, softball.
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  Basketball was more just to stay in shape and have fun for
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  softball season. Now do you get asked if you're
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  friends with Bethany Hamilton? Oh, all the time.
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  And then when people, they compare my movie and they're
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  like, oh, you're like that surfer, aren't you?
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  Yeah, you're like, well, I'm Caitlin and I have my own story,
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  right? I don't know.
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  Have you tried surfing or do you want to?
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  I want to. That's on the bucket list.
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  Yeah, very cool. I love it.
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  So what is the main message you hope people get out of this
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  movie? Well, there's a really a big
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  message behind this movie and in the beginning.
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  It's God doesn't make mistakes. And my grandma was the one that
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  told my parents, you know, when I was born and they first saw me
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  with one arm. You know, God doesn't make
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  mistakes, and he has a plan for everything.
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  You might not know what it is, but in the end you'll find out.
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  And she always told my parents and I to trust in God and trust
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  what what he had for us. And So what I want to tell
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  everybody is, you know, God doesn't make mistakes, no matter
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  what you look like, no matter where you came from.
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  He has a plan and a purpose for you and for your life, and all
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  you have to do is lean on him and he'll get you through it.
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  I love it. Amen to that.
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  Now, I read somewhere that you were in an injury.
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  Is that correct? Right before you're going to get
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  your scholarship. Yes.
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  So could you share that with us? Yes, So my freshman year of
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  college, right? Whenever I got there.
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  You know, I signed a full ride scholarship to get to college.
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  That was on my bucket list and I crossed it off and it was a
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  scrimmage game, so it was not even an actual collegiate game.
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  It was our scrimmage game right before our first college game.
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  And a few of us freshmen were doing really well in the fall
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  and our coach said that we deserve an at bat.
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  So it was my turn and I got up there and I hit it right to the
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  shortstop and everything I do is 100%.
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  And then I was like, well, my goal is I'm going to beat it out
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  at first base. So I was.
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  Trying to beat it out at first base and I kind of lunged and my
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  left leg hit the top of the bag and my body went forward.
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  But my leg didn't go with me and all I heard was pop, pop, pop,
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  pop and I fell to the ground. Well my my kneecap was pointed
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  one way and I looked at, looked at it, looked at my coach and he
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  helped me up and I said, man, that was an awful hit.
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  Can I can I have a redo? And he said, well, if you can
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  walk from here to home, you can. And I took one step and I fell
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  again. Welcome to find out.
• 14:25
  I tore my ACLI, tore my meniscus, and I sprang all the
• 14:29
  other ligaments around my knee. And so I was out for the entire
• 14:33
  season. And that was a point in my life
• 14:36
  where I really started questioning God.
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  And I questioned him why, You know, why do bad things happen
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  to good people? You know I worked.
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  It's so hard to overcome everybody's negativity, saying I
• 14:47
  would never make it to college, saying I've never even played
• 14:50
  the sport and I get here and then I blow up my knee and I
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  can't even play in my first college game.
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  And so that was the one devastating point in my life
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  where, you know, I thought softball was the only thing that
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  was going to get me through. And I was only, I wasn't even
• 15:04
  leaning on God. I was.
• 15:06
  So focused on softball that I that I lost sight of.
• 15:08
  God, wow. So So what was your lesson that
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  you learned and that that you put softball first?
• 15:15
  Yeah. I was.
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  I was basically idolizing softball and idolizing myself.
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  I was so focused on, like, being the best and wanting to do this
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  that I didn't realize, like, like I mentioned before, that,
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  you know, he's the one that gave me all these talents and all the
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  abilities, and I should be using it to glorify him.
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  And I wasn't. I was just so focused on myself.
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  Wow, amazing to learn that at such a young age.
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  So what are your ambitions and goals today?
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  Well, currently right now I am working with a softball
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  organization called National Fastpitch Coaches Association
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  and we deal with college softball all around the States
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  and we help educate coaches and we help you know inspire them
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  and. Just get them to help grow the
• 16:04
  game of softball basically. And right now I'm loving it and
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  I hope to stay within softball and one day maybe become a coach
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  that's on the bucket list. Very cool.
• 16:15
  I love it. Yes, well, you would make
• 16:18
  amazing coach, that's for sure. And so I read about the I can
• 16:25
  experience for youth softball league teams and churches.
• 16:29
  Can you explain more of what the I can experience?
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  Is so the experience is coming out in November and basically
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  teams can get a link and they get a special message from me
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  and they get to see the movie and it comes with like this
• 16:43
  whole package deal that teams can do together for like a team
• 16:46
  bonding experience. What a great message and what a
• 16:50
  great inspirational story you have.
• 16:52
  Caitlin and I could see why they did this film about your story
• 16:57
  and your family's story as well. We need to get more and more of
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  these stories out there to encourage other people that God
• 17:07
  is with them, they're not alone and he will get them through
• 17:11
  this. So let's end with a take away.
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  What is something that you could leave with the listener to
• 17:18
  ponder on or take action in? So this whole story, my story,
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  is a redemption story and just to know that you know.
• 17:26
  Whatever you think your worst sin is, or whatever you think's
• 17:29
  the worst thing you could ever do, God's a redemptive God, and
• 17:33
  He loves you for you and he loves you no matter what, and
• 17:36
  that's why he died. He sent his Son to die on the
• 17:39
  cross for us. And there's no sin that's
• 17:42
  greater than another sin. And he loves everybody just the
• 17:45
  same. I love that.
• 17:48
  Yes, we serve a God who is a restorer, right?
• 17:51
  And redeems like you said. Amen to that.
• 17:55
  Well, thank you, Caitlin, for coming on here.
• 17:58
  Where is this movie? Just nationwide in various
• 18:02
  theaters. Yes, it was.
• 18:04
  It came out September 22nd in various theaters nationwide.
• 18:10
  We're hoping to stream it. If you want more movie
• 18:13
  information you can go to icanmovie.info and then it just
• 18:18
  tells about the movie you know, shows the trailer, and then it
• 18:21
  gives different locations where the movie was shown and then
• 18:25
  might be shown and eventually have it be on, I don't know,
• 18:28
  Amazon or Netflix. And something like that, Yeah.
• 18:32
  Platform. That would be so cool.
• 18:34
  I love it. It's gotten good reviews and
• 18:38
  impactful feedback of how moving it is in people's lives.
• 18:43
  So it's really done well. So proud of you, Caitlin, and so
• 18:50
  good to meet you and coming on here and sharing your powerful
• 18:54
  testimony on here. Thank you.
• 18:56
  Thank you for having me. Thank you so much for listening
• 19:00
  today, and I trust that God has encouraged you through this
• 19:03
  story. Did you know?
• 19:05
  This podcast is on YouTube? Hop on there and subscribe and
• 19:09
  you can see a live recording of each episode.
• 19:13
  And For more information on this ministry and to access free
• 19:16
  downloads, please visit my website at jamieelizabeth.com.
• 19:21
  That's JAYME elizabeth.com. And let's connect beyond this
• 19:27
  podcast by going to my Instagram handle Jamie, Elizabeth, She
• 19:31
  Speaks Life or Facebook. Until next time, my friend.
• 19:34
  I hope God reveals himself through your own life story.