There’s a passage in the Bible that has always spoken to the deepest parts of my soul—Isaiah 61:3. It says that God will give us “a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” For the longest time, I didn’t understand how anything beautiful could come from ashes. Ashes felt like loss. Ashes looked like pain. Ashes were what remained after everything I loved seemed to burn away. But now, I understand.
This is my faith story—a testimony of how God met me in my ashes and made something beautiful.
The Fire That Left Me Broken
I didn’t choose the fires I walked through. I didn’t ask for cancer. I didn’t ask for the endless doctor visits, the surgeries, the nerve damage, the chronic pain, or the days when just getting out of bed felt like a mountain I couldn’t climb. I didn’t ask for the loneliness that crept in when friends drifted away, unsure how to support me. And I certainly didn’t ask for the moments when I questioned if I would ever feel whole again.
But the fire came anyway. It came hard, and it came fast. It consumed the life I once knew. I found myself staring at the ashes, wondering if anything good could ever rise from what was left.
Finding God in the Rubble
In those dark moments, my faith became more than just something I talked about. It became my lifeline. When I cried out to God, He met me—not with answers, but with presence. Not with instant healing, but with peace in the waiting. He didn’t always remove the storm, but He reminded me I wasn’t alone in it.
There were days when I felt forgotten, but God whispered, “I see you.” There were nights when I sobbed from the pain, and somehow I still felt held. I didn’t have to have perfect faith; I just had to show up. And in showing up, I found Him there—gentle, patient, and faithful.
Beauty in the Breaking
It’s funny how we expect God to show up in the miraculous, but often, He works most powerfully in the small. A friend’s text at just the right moment. A doctor who truly listens. A sunrise that breaks through after a stormy night. The strength to take one more step. These were my miracles. These were my signs that God was still working.
Slowly, I started to see beauty in my brokenness. I started to realize that surviving cancer wasn’t just about getting through—it was about being transformed. My pain gave birth to empathy. My weakness taught me grace. My suffering opened doors to a deeper purpose.
From the ashes of my old life, a new one began to rise—one rooted in faith, hope, and resilience.
A New Chapter: Dragon Strong
Today, I share my journey through Princess Crystal Says and the Dragon Strong Circle not because I have all the answers, but because I know what it’s like to need hope. I know what it’s like to feel like your story is over when in reality, it’s just beginning. My faith didn’t prevent the fire, but it helped me walk through it without being consumed.
If you’re in your own season of ashes right now, I want you to know: God isn’t finished with you. What feels like an ending may just be the place where beauty begins.
There is life after loss. There is purpose in the pain. And yes, there is beauty from ashes.
I’m living proof.
With love and faith,
Crystal Amon
Founder, Princess Crystal Says & Dragon Strong Circle
Copyright 2025
Princess Crystal Says 
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