On December 10, 2018 Stunningly Strong turned one. As I looked back at the Facebook memories and Timehop posts I remembered all the feelings, all the expectations that I had on that day one year ago. Stunningly Strong started as a platform for makeup that I was beginning to sell, but it morphed into something greater, it became more than makeup; it became a movement.

It’s not a movement that is sweeping across America, or trending on social media. It’s a movement where I, myself, may be the only follower and I’m okay with that because movements and revolutions usually start with one person. And even if I’m the ONLY person that is involved, that is completely fine, for you see, Stunningly Strong was birthed from a place of my brokenness, heartache, and ashes.

The messy parts of my life, the ones that tell a story of collateral damage, where I’m the one who created the damage, the parts of my story that are ugly and unrefined, unpolished and unfinished are the parts that, surprisingly, make me stunningly strong. I’ve learned over the past year that as I allow the Maker to take the ashes of my life, caused by the fire I created, those ashes can be made beautiful.

One year ago, Stunningly Strong launched, and over the past 12 months it has grown and changed, and over the next 12 months it will continue to grow and change, but the heartbeat will always remain the same:

Stunningly Strong is a movement of women that say, “We are not perfect. We have been the cause of collateral damage. We have been the victims of collateral damage. We have been broken and bruised; we have caused others to be broken and bruised. We have some ugly chapters in the story of our lives. BUT, we choose to rise from the ashes, to dig in and to walk in freedom and forgiveness towards others and ourselves. We’re not giving glory to past mistakes, but giving glory to the One who forgives us, refines us, gives us the strength to be Stunningly Strong.”

If you’ve been a part of this journey, thank you for coming along and my prayer is that you will continue with me over the next 12 months.

XO, Gena