The Women of I Am Second on Identity, Trust, and Fighting for Hope

We celebrate the stories of the women of I Am Second and their inspirational words on identity, trust, and fighting for hope. These 36 great quotes highlight just a sample of their strength and insight into the daily challenges facing all of us.

“There is a God who sees me, and knows me, and loves me, despite knowing all about me.” -Amanda Jane Cooper

“Hope is a person. It’s not just a casual word of something you wish for.” -Donna Ward

“When you take a step out in faith, that’s where the greater reward is. I don’t want to be in the box anymore. I don’t want to play it safe.” -Joanna Gaines

“I learned in those lonely times that though I was broken, he could fix me. The things I’ve been through have made me stronger. They don’t define me. He can still use me.” -Lynsi Snyder

“I realized I am serving a God who was broken, he was killed. He was beat for me. He did all that for me.” -Esther Fleece

“You’re going to have to fight for your marriage.” -Kay Robertson

“Trying to act like someone you aren’t and trying to look like someone you will never be is exhausting and draining.” -Shawn Johnson East

“Through my relationship with Christ and understanding my identity as a child of God I realized that love and acceptance was a free gift that I could never earn and that grace was given to me by God.” -Kirsten Haglund

“I’ve been in the desert as many times as I’ve been on a mountain top. But, I’ve learned my deepest lessons from the desert.” -Kathie Lee Gifford

“Through Jesus, I can just be myself.” -Tori Kelly

“I just know there’s something better. God has a plan.” -Ainsley Earhardt

“Faith is understanding that God has purpose in anything he allows into your life.” -Beth Nimmo

“God forgives no matter how bad our sins are.” -Tiffany Whittier

“He’s there all the time. When I’m struggling and when I’m having good days, he still loves me. -Jessica Long

“I knew I had to change, but I didn’t know how to change. God through his Word began to teach me how to change.” -Karen Green

“I’m living paycheck to paycheck, but I’m so happy! Jesus will fill your brokenness, whatever you are missing.” -Shana Ward-Murphy

“Lay every hurt, every failure at the feet of the only thing that’s sure, and that’s Jesus Christ.” -Natalie Sebastian

“I wish I could say it was so easy to walk away from that life and that I felt completely normal. I still struggled a lot, for a lot of years. But, Jesus made it easier.” -Ashley Rawls

“I don’t want it to be about me.” -Bailee Madison

“Joy is knowing that Jesus has his arms around me. Joy is knowing that he covers all my sins. Joy is living a life for Jesus and making that the center of my life, the center of my marriage and the center of my family.” -Cheryl Scruggs

“The scale ultimately wasn’t going to define me, my weight wouldn’t define me, the smile on my face wasn’t defining me, God all along was defining me.” -Michelle Aguilar Whitehead

“I had to experience those things because it pushed me to a place where I could lean on nothing but God.” -Victoria Childress

“It was amazing to realize that it was not my mother who caused my birth. God loved me so much that he knitted me in her womb. I went from feeling like garbage to feeling like a princess in God’s kingdom.” -Priscilla Nicoara

“My biggest hurdle was learning to actually share my problems with other people, not pretending. It’s not about putting on a perfect look. I used to be so concerned with looking like I have it all together, but in truth, nothing is going to get fixed if you pretend you’re perfect.” -Katie Parks

I was a wreck. But when I moved out of the way and let God be God, let him be first in my life, my life has never been the same.” -Lisa Luby Ryan

“I lost everything I had in this world--but gained much more through Christ.” -Janelle Hail

What does it mean to be saved? It means that everything you have failed to do, everything you’ve done wrong, that all of this has been forgiven by God; understood, witnessed by God, by Christ; and that you are forgiven. That there is no barrier to your being one with Him.” -Anne Rice

“He mended my heart of any anger or resentment. He filled it with love.” -Christine Petric

“Being able to turn to Jesus after the shark attack kept me alive.” -Bethany Hamilton

“Until I’ve been in those deep dark holes and reached up for the hand of God, I can’t really know who I am as a person.” -Janine Turner

“I’ve had to learn that money is just a thing, and that loving money ruins everything. Money can’t buy happiness and it doesn’t give peace. Only God can do that.” -Kathy Ireland

“Little girl lost, thought no one loved her, thought no one wanted her, ran away from her castle. But God met her on that dark road. He said, ‘You can come home now. I am right here and I never left you.’” -Annie Lobert

“I thought I was ugly and that my life was ruined. I learned my appearance does not define me.” -Lauren Scruggs Kennedy

“Forgiveness is easier because God has forgiven me.” -Irma Ramirez

“God has opened up the doors up until this point, but now he’s closed them. And I’m not going to question any of this because I know that he has a greater plan.” -Moriah Peters Smallbone

“We were all created for a purpose.” -Lilly Goodman