What a year...! I think it's safe to say... 2016 had demanded a LOT from all of us emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Earlier this year, in May, Cristal and I began a journey of finally putting forth our shared experiences of surviving sexual assault, while inspiring and educating others of the affects of rape culture. We've put a LOT on the line, but more importantly, so have you. By opening yourself up to our weekly posts and sharing your insight on experiences common to so many individuals. For that, we thank you. This week, as we close in our last blog post of 2016!! (Whaaatt....!? I know crazy!) Cristal and I wanted to share what we've learned and what you can expect for the upcoming year! Enjoy! From Cristal: "I have a lot to look back in 2016...and the places I have grown; but the ones worth sharing would be my growth in christ. Although I been a believer for some time now I have to say taking a year off attending church (not by choice) has shown me to trust in God and the power in my prayer that he has deposit in the inside of me. I have had a couple challenges and sure, I know I can call my Pastors or my sister DeMarie they can pray with me and it will be all ok, but God challenged me to trust the power He has deposited in the inside of me! I say all that to say, "trust yourself....and your intuition; don't run to someone for an answer when you already know the answers. You know your situation best, and your limitations. It's time to start believing in your self and take a chance or else you will just see your dreams buried down deep to the point you will think you have no way out. I encourage you to take a step in faith and walk in your victory in 2017 put no limitations upon yourself. And always remember, failing is only failing when you don't try. I thank you all for supporting "Write2Herstory" and sharing your stories with us 2017 is full of adventure and new destinations can't wait to grow into destiny! •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• From Devin Marie: I couldn't be more grateful...Herstory made my personal story of abuse and sexual violence something I could contextualize and has given me more hope. I never thought this blog would reach the audience it has so far, but responses I received from strangers and close loved-ones has been so incredibly encouraging. I won't lie, there were weeks when I felt, "I have no content...won't people get tired of hearing about rape culture, and the emotional demands and responses from such experiences? I've been tired, I've felt lazy, I've been unmotivated at times at the response of what seemed like "nothing" sometimes. God has had to check me once or twice (okay...maybe a few times...) and ask me "what are you REALLY doing this for?" No matter how big or small the platform, it IS MY platform, it is my opportunity to say everything candidly I wish I could have to myself and people who affected my life in the most life-altering ways. It's my hope that no matter who stumbles across a blog post, or picture, the content remains real, remains true, and honest. I can honestly say, I've Maintained that promise thus far, and wish to continue moving forward! Thank you for coming along this journey with us! So what's ahead... We will maintain our weekly blog posts, and also... We will be hosting mini seminars/ workshops that will bring our Internet forum to a table near you(LA County and eventually branching out) so look out for announcements on that! We are excited to have more contributors to our blog, so we will be making a conscious effort in reaching out to individuals out there who are willing to share their story with us! (Also, include featured women every month with are making their survival stories a reality every day in their own communities/ schools/ homes, etc. Lastly, We will be making some updates to our site to make it a bit easier to navigate, and you can contact us even easier with general feedback or discussion board inquiries. We have a LOT to look forward to, and a lot of collaborating and vision building we are creating every day. This isn't going to happen overnight, or by ourselves, and we acknowledge and thank every single individual who has contributed to making this possible for what it is now. Most importantly, we are grateful to EVERY survivor of rape and sexual assault, every survivor of abuse, emotional, physical, verbal or sexual. You being here is a choice, you making that choice every day is admirable. No matter how many pieces are broken... keep picking yourself back up. Our prayer and deepest sentiments rest in the idea that somehow our stories will come together and fuse a greater collective for survivors who are still cultivating their own voices. Until then, we are here, we are ALL undoubtedly brave, we are Herstory.💗 With love and solidarity; Cristal Lowe, and DevinMarie👸🏻👸🏾💗
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