Overcomer Essays - Vote for a Winner

Email Amber or comment on the CC Hickory Facebook page to cast your vote for a winner in each category! Names were removed from all essays to try to make it fair!

YOUNG WRITERS CATEGORY - Ages 4-8

Essay #1
I was scared to swing. But I practiced and overcame my fear. Overcoming means you were scared and now you're not.

Essay #2 
An overcomer is when you actually do something you couldn't do and you try again. I was an overcomer when I pulled my first tooth. I think because I was really scared but ended up being really brave. Also I overcame riding my bike without training wheels.

Essay #3
One day I was playing with ******, and my tummy started hurting. I thought I might get sick so I had to sleep in the bathroom. That was not fun! During the night I kept waking up in pain so my Dad came and moved me to my bedroom. I woke up crying and my Dad thought that it was my appendix! I couldn't move so my dad had to carry me down the stairs. It was very embarrassing, but I couldn't do anything about it. So my dad took me to the hospital, but it wasn't fun. The nurses had to put an IV in my arm! It hurt like the dickens, but after that I got to drink this stuff that tasted like a slushy and I got to watch "Harry Potter." After I drank the special slushy, I had to go in the cat scan. Then I got to go back into my room but the doctor came in and said I needed surgery! I was scared for a while, but I know that God is always with me. When the nurse came back and said they were ready for me, that's when I overcame my fears! When I woke up, it was all done and I got to go back home. I was very grateful that the Lord watched over me. Psalm 46:1 says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

Essay #4
An overcomer is when you do what you're scared of or can't do. I was an overcomer when I can't do a handstand. I try again until I can do it.

Essay #5
How I"ve been an overcomer this weekend, by overcoming my ankle. How I've overcome my foot by staying off my ankle, icing it, and sleeping with my heavy boot. I didn't like it, but I got through it. It was really hard. I've also been an overcomer by moving and making new friends.

OLDER WRITERS CATEGORY - Ages 9-13

Essay #1 ' "Caleb Swanigan"
     Have you ever heard of Caleb Swanigan? Caleb Swanigan is a 6'9" 250 pound PF for the Purdue Broilmakers, but his story goes much deeper than that. Swanigan had to overcome a tough childhood, a new home, and his excessive weight.
      Caleb Swanigan was a 6'2" 360 pound teenager living in a Utah homeless shelter with dreams of being a basketball player. His father was a drug addict and hardly ever saw Caleb and four of his brothers and sisters were in jail. The dream seemed very far-fetched and likely impossible with no money to go to college, but luckily, his only brother not in prison, Carol, who was 10 years older, cared enough about Caleb to call a sports agent named Roosevelt Barnes in Fort Wayne, Indiana (their former home) about adopting Caleb and giving him a mentor/father figure Caleb never had and also to help Caleb learn the game of basketball. Within a few weeks, Caleb had a new home.
     It did not take long for Barnes to establish ground rules for Caleb, taking anything with sugar out of his diet and replacing it with veggies or fish and taking him to the gym everyday to work on his jumpshot and dribbling even convincing former NBA coach John Lucas to let Caleb attend his invite only camp in Kentucky. After getting winded after only 2 trips down the court, Barnes relized he needed work.
      Swanigan still weighed over 315 pounds! Barnes decided to enroll him in speed and agility classes some even starting at 6 AM! While practicing basketball in the morning before school and at night before bed. It paid off within around a year he had dropped 65 pounds! He chose Purdue University where he is now a Jr. PF.
      In conclusion, Caleb Swanigan is a great inspirational story to teach us about how to overcome what "life has thrown at us" and to triumph in victory!

Essay #2 - "Helen Killer: A True Overcomer"
      Many have heard the name Helen Keller, but do you know the overcomer she became? Helen had many struggles in her early years, she valiantly pushed through many of these struggles to become a person who made many contributions to society and is considered a pioneer in advancements of the deaf and blind.
      Born completely normal, Helen lost her sight and hearing at 19 months, from what now is believed to have been scarlet fever. Five years later, her parents hired Anne Sullivan from the Perkins Institute for the Blind in Boston. Helen was a spoiled little girl who was acting poorly because of her disability. Anne helped her with sturness and love. Anne helped Helen learn to read and write in Braille. Finally, Helen could communicate!
      Still unable to speak well, Helen needed interpreters to make herself understood in public. At twelve, she published an autobiographical sketch in the Youth's Companion. During her junior year at Radcliffe College, Helen produced her first book, The Story of My Life, still in print today in over fifty languages! Helen graduated from Radcliffe College in 1904, graduating cum laude. Sullivan helped her understand the lectures by "signing" them into her hand.
      Helen became an accomplished writer, publishing four other books on her life, a volume on religion, contemporary social problems, and a biography of Anne Sullivan. She also wrote many articles for magazines on education for the blind. In 1918, Helen made a movie in Hollywood that depicted the plight of the blind. In 1924, Helen became an advisor for the American Foundation for the Blind. Many wealthy philanthropists contributed to this organization including Henry Ford and John D. Rockefeller. Honored at the White House by every president from Grover Cleveland to Lyndon B. Johnson, Helen altered the world's perception of the handicapped.
      As you can now see, Helen Keller was a true overcomer. She was a person who triumphed over adversity and never gave up. She left her mark on the world in many lasting ways.

Essay #3
      Is the curriculum of Classical Conversations hard for you? This is my families first year of using Classical Conversations curriculum. It has been hard for me to overcome the challenge of learning a lot of new information and new skills. I have overcome the challenge by praying, asking for help from others, and practicing new writing skills.
      When I feel frustrated, overwhelmed, or sad about my assignments, I pray with my mom. I also joyfully pray at home when my family has worship time. In the mornings at Classical Conversations, my tutor, classmates, and I pray before we start our class. God helps me when I pray about my assignments.
      When I am struggling with my writing, I eager ask for help, like a hungry lion, from my mom. My mom and dad, who are my teachers, are always ready to help me. Sometimes when we are at Classical Conversations, my tutors will happily help me understand the grammar or writing skills. I am glad that when I struggle, my mom is there to help me.
      This year in Classical Conversations, I have happily learned that practicing grammar, writing skills, and memory work helps me to not feel overwhelmed. I have been writing papers in essentials class for eight months, which has quickly helped me to get better at writing different types of papers. I have also become better at grammar because I have diagrammed three sentences every week. I have been listening to the memory work in the car and at home, which has helped me to not feel overwhelmed with all of the facts that I need to learn. I have learned that practicing helps me to not feel overwhelmed.
      In conclusion, praying with my mom and dad has helped me to know that I can accomplish anything through Christ. Before I ask for help from others, I feel like I cannot accomplish my writing assignments, but then I remember that I am an overcomer. Practicing new skills is really helpful because it takes away the pressure that I have to get it right the first time. These three things have really helped me through eight months of Classical Conversations.

Essay #4 - "Overcoming Animals"
      What do a salmon, dog, and penguin have in common? A salmon has to persevere in swimming upstream. A search and rescue dog has to complete months of training. An Emperor penguin has to fast for 65 days. These three animals sure know how to persevere and overcome their obstacles!
      The salmon fish, which have an amazing memory, can locate the stream in which they were born. These fish can continuously jump for two miles and even leap over waterfalls. When my family and I vacationed in Alaska, we saw the salmon fiercely swim upstream. It was an unforgettable sight. Sadly, after the salmon reach their destination and lay their eggs, they take their last breath knowing they completed their goal.
      Another animal example of an overcomer is a search and rescue dog (SAR dog). It can take almost two years of training before they become certified. They also have to be considered a "canine good citizen". The different kinds of SAR dogs consist of air scent, tracking, water search, human remains, and avalanche. For example, an avalanche dog can locate a person hidden under 15 feet of snow. A search and rescue dog certainly must be an overcomer for his job.
      Would you want to sit on an egg without eating for sixty-five days while the temperature got down to negative 30 degrees Fahrenheit? A Daddy Emperor Penguin does just that even while the Mommy Penguin gets to go off to the sea to eat! When she returns, full of food, the Daddy may have lost up to 45% of his weight and he is surely as hungry as a bear! These Daddies sure have to love their chicks to endure sitting on their eggs in the cold for over 2 months. He's definitely an overcomer!
     Even when I am having trouble overcoming hard things like sleepovers and moving, I need to remember these super overcoming animals. The salmon doesn't give up when swimming upstream, the SAR dogs doesn't give up when he can't easily find a scent, and the Daddy Emperor penguin sure does endure some cold temperatures in Antarctica. Like these animals, I want to overcome my fears and challenges with God's help as I remember PPhilippians4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Essay #5 - "Overcomers"
     Most people with any type of heart disease will not survive, which is just one of the reasons why my family is truly blessed. In 2011, not long before my family had moved to the beach, my dad was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is an incredibly rare heart disease. I was only 6 years old when this terrible tragedy occurred, and just briefly understood what was wrong. My dad had began to notice how every time he stood up, he would get dizzy and nearly pass out. He had also had trouble with severe chest pains and quickly losing his breath, by then my parents knew that something to be done, and soon!
     Thankfully, my parents were soon told about a hospital in Ohio, called Cleveland Clinic, which was known for the most successful heart surgeries. Soon my parents took a plane to Ohio while me and my brother stayed with my grandparents. Before the surgery was done, my mom had been in the hospital lobby getting coffee when something strange happened. A tall man, who she had never met before walked by, and without stopping, told her that my dad was going to be okay. The strange man was most likely an angel that God had sent to calm her worries.
      My family, especially my dad, is an overcomer and it is a blessing to say that the super successful surgery was 6 years ago and my dad is in much better health than most people who are diagnosed with heart disease. This is just one of the many things that my family has overcame.

Essay #6
      I was born two months early. I was very sick. I had a little bit of asthma for about two years! I had breathing problems. When I was 7 months old I stayed in the hospital for a couple days. I was so sick that the doctors said I was definitely going to die. Nine years ago was a hard time in life for my family but God let me live because he had a plan for my life. Not to mention mom was not supposed to get pregnant but once again God gave her a miracle and let her have what she wanted - a baby boy! God can do anything. Just be willing to pray about it and He will answer.

Essay #7
     Have you ever felt scared to go somewhere new? Well, I have felt scared about being in new situations. In sixth grade, I entered youth group at my church. It was awfully scary for me because it was a new experience and I did not know many people. I overcame my fear by praying to God, happily talking to my small group leader, and trusting that God would help me make new friends.
     I overcame some of my fear by praying. I asked God for help to overcome my fear. I also prayed with my dedicated family, which helped me to not feel alone in my struggle. God faithfully helped me overcome some of my fears.
     The second way that I overcame my fear was by talking to my small group leader, who is a male, about my fear of being in youth group. He prayed with me so that God would help me be confident with sharing my thoughts during small group time. I would also sit with my loving mom and dad to talk about my feelings related to going to youth group. I am thankful God gave me a small group leader.
     The third way I overcame my fear was by trusting God. I strongly trusted Him to help me make new friends. I also trusted God to help me with my struggle of being afraid to go to youth group. I am learning to trust God with helping me overcome my fears.
     In conclusion, God happily helped me with my fear of going to youth group. He answered my prayers for help. My mom and dad helped me to change my perspective of youth group. I believe that God has creatively changed me and made me an overcomer of my fears, which makes me strongly trust Him with my future.