Don't Give Up on Joy
When I started my planning for this month on the blog, I started with the idea of writing about what I love. We are in the month of February after all. One thing I have really enjoyed on my blogging journey and truly fallen in love with is highlighting people in my life that I am so blessed to know. People who have blessed me and others in various ways. It brings so much joy to my soul to share with you all stories from my AMAZING friends and today is no different. I am just giddy writing about this person!
So far you have learned about my friend who has taken on a holistic lifestyle. You have learned about my friend who lost his wife and befriended a homeless man who gave him life. You have learned about an amazing little girl with the heart the size of heaven. You have learned about my social media guru, and lastly about my dear friend who lost four children and still finds joy in life. For the most part there is a common thread. The thread of suffering, but still finding joy. Not giving up. Living through the suffering and even being thankful in it at times.
Today is no different. Today I want to introduce you to yet another amazing individual who has endured some really tough times, but has emerged with joy. She is raw, she is vulnerable, she is wise beyond her years, and she is joyful! Today I want to introduce you to Dresha!
Dresha and I met this past summer at dance and we immediately connected. One day I shared with her my dream of writing and she said, "Do it! I blog, you should too! And I will help you!" Yall, she came over that day and the rest was history. I will forever be grateful to her for helping me take the first steps.
Dresha's blog, which is titled Joy Speaks, is a bit different in that her mission is:
Joy Speaks aims to penetrate the world with the sweet, raw truths of the gospel. Through testimonial videos (Coming in 2018), building community relationships and service, we aim to place the gospel in places untouched while striving to create disciples and leaders of the current and next generation.
In January, Dresha wrote a post that really spoke to me, like really spoke to me. When you read it below and watch her video I know you will understand why, but I asked her that day if I could share it. Of course she said yes and I feel like this month is the perfect month! I hope you will take a moment and read her post below and watch her video. I promise you will not be disappointed!
Don't Give Up...
Is what I had to tell myself every single day after a string of unfortunate events ending out the year of 2017. Grief would strike during an already weak season of my life, and I found it so incredibly hard to wake up to a purpose every morning. Mentally I was starting to tap out, seeing all that I had accomplished to a certain degree, deeming it acceptable - enough. I had graduated college, went to graduate school, loved hard, reconciled some relationships and led others to Christ. According to the detached version of myself, I had done just enough to get by and lived through many varying degrees of sadness and mourning.
I was aimlessly driving around one night when the song 'The Greatest" came on my shuffled playlist. I've heard the song a million times, but this particular night the words were striking against my soul hard. "I'm free... Don't give up... I've got stamina..." the words kept playing over in my head as I slowly traced them next to my circumstances. I was down, but I wasn't out. Recognizing the attack on my mental health, I saw myself slipping down a path I had abandoned years ago.
With my head spinning in space, I remember just 'seeing' people dancing. Not necessarily me, but people, moving to the song and it brought me so much joy. I wanted to escape and join them to experience the freedom that they had. I was about three plays in when I realized I had an entire routine choreographed in my head. So naturally, I kept replaying it over and over making sure it stuck.
I called up a few friends of mine to help bring it to life, just like I saw in my head that night. Thank you, Corinne, Kali, Carlos, Jay & Aneth for sharing your passion for dance with me! <3
I hope you enjoyed today's blog as much as I enjoyed writing it. You can follow Dresha at Facebook.com/joyspeaks1 and on instagram at @audresha.joyspeaks
Until next time!
xo,
Amy
Hello, World!
Hello, World!
