So they looked at my dear Penny and they said,
Giana will never be anything.
Which is always encouraging.
And she decided to ignore them.
And she worked with me three times a day and I began to...
hold up my head and they said, well, Gianna will remember this and remember that. Long
story shorter, I was walking by the age of three and a half with a walker and leg braces
and I stand up here today with a mild little limp.
without a walker and leg braces. I fall gracefully sometimes and very ungracefully at other times,
depending on the situation, but I consider it all for the glory of God.
You see, ladies and gentlemen, I am weaker than most of you, but this is my sermon.
And what a small price to pay to be able to blaze through the world as I do, and offer hope.
And I think in our misunderstanding of the way things work we misunderstand how beautiful
suffering can be.
I don't willingly sign up for it, but when it comes we forget.
We forget that God is in control and God has a way of making the most miserable thing beautiful.
I have met my biological mother.
I have forgiven my biological money.
I am a Christian.
She's a very broken woman, she came to an event I was having two years ago, showed up
unannounced and said, hello, I'm your mother.
It was a very difficult day, and yet while I was enduring all of this, you'll probably
think I'm silly, but I was sitting there and I was thinking...
I don't belong to you.
I belong to Christ.
I'm his girl, and I'm a princess so no matter what you say in all your anger and brokenness and rage
It's not mine to keep it's not mine to carry and I won't
I was saying all this inside.
So, ladies and gentlemen, you have an opportunity, but for just a brief moment I would like to
speak directly to the men in this room and do something that is never done.
You are made for greatness.
You are made to stand up and be men.
You are made to defend women and children.
Not stand by and turn your head when you know murder is occurring and do nothing about it.
You are not made to use women and leave us alone.
You are made to be kind and great and gracious and strong and stand for
something because men listen to me I am too tired to do you
You are not made for abuse.
You are not made to sit and...
Not know your worth and your value.
You are made to be fought for, forever.
So now is your moment.
What sort of people are you going to be?
I trust incredible.
I trust men you will rise to the occasion,
to the politicians listening, particularly to the men.
I would say this, you are made for greatness.
Set your politics aside.
You are made to defend what is right and good.
This fiery young girl will stand here and say,
now's your moment.
What sort of man do you want to be?
A man obsessed with your own glory, or a man obsessed with the glory of God.
It's time to take a stand, Victoria.
This is your hour.
God will assist you.
God will be with you. You have the opportunity.
to glorify and honor God in 2008.
I'll just end with this.
Some of you might be slightly annoyed that all I keep doing is talking about God and Jesus.
But how on earth can I walk about limping through this world and not give all my heart and mind and soul and strength to the Christ who gave me life?
So if you think I'm a fool, it's just another jewel in my crown.
My whole intent in living here.
is to make God smile.
I hope some of this made sense.
It just came from my heart.
God bless and keep you.