Hello lovely ladies! I am so honored and thankful to be able to share my story on Rebel Compass. My name is Amy Antonia and I am a 20 year old college student- the hands behind the clay creations of Beloved Priceless. I create lightweight clay earrings and keychains inspired for the bohemian minimalist, celebrating the unique beauty and wonder of every individual. Through this passion project, I hope to help women feel beautiful in their own skin and to embrace who they are as daughters of God, made in His wonderful image, loved and valued as priceless treasures.
My story did not start perfectly with a confident, secure woman who knew her worth and purpose- rather, an insecure, anxious, people-pleasing girl who constantly compared herself to others. By no means have I reached any standard- that’s where I think we trip ourselves up, by comparing where we are now to where or who we think we should be. We can get stuck striving out of a motivation to be someone, anyone, but ourselves- when the key is to embrace our authentic selves and thrive in who God made us to be. I am still learning and growing, and I hope through my journey, you can grow in the wisdom I wish I had when I was 16.
At the ripe age of 16, I was still figuring out who I was and I heavily struggled with depression, anxiety, and lack of self-worth because I put my identity in other people. I had dove deep into the world of social media, neglecting school and my family, prioritizing only what fed my empty vessel of identity that only grew emptier as I attempted to fill it. I filled my identity with affirmations from toxic friendships and my first boyfriend at the time. Our relationship grew to be toxic and co-dependent because neither of us were happy with who we were as individuals and relied on the other person to fill us. Just as quickly as I became addicted to a glorified life vicariously lived through social media, I was even more infatuated by an emotionally toxic relationship. I falsely believed what he told me and took it as truth- that he was the only person who could love me, even though neither of us knew what love truly was. I viewed myself as worthy because I was “loved” by him and who he wanted me to be, instead of loved by God for who I already am. Although I knew my name, Amy, meant “beloved,” I never truly believed it or realized what beloved meant. Because I had to act and look a certain way to be loved by others, I thought I had to earn love to be enough.
Until I heard a song by For King & Country called “Priceless.” That song is what got me through countless days after my breakup when I could barely get up from my bed, and the makeup and breakup after that (but that’s a story for another time). The lyrics emphasized that no matter what you have done or where you have been, God loves you and made you in His image with a value that is priceless. A while after the song was released, the movie Priceless was made with that song as its inspiration. Much to my surprise, I found out that the main character in the movie is named Antonia. After reading an in-depth analysis of the movie, I discovered that the directors purposefully chose to name her Antonia because it means “priceless.” This epiphany changed my entire world because my middle name is Antonia, and I had never known what it meant until that moment. I broke down in tears because I realized even though my parents unknowingly chose this name, God had purposefully chosen to name me Beloved Priceless. He knew that there would be a time in my life where I would lose my identity and need the constant reminder of who He made me to be.
If you also struggle with believing the lies and doubts about yourself, or feel like you have to perform to earn love, know that you are wonderfully enough. You are so deeply and unconditionally loved by God. I had to learn the hard way to know that only He can fill the deepest and emptiest parts of my heart. All that time I had spent longing to be filled by people, was really a God-shaped whole in my heart meant to be filled by Him. Know that you don’t need to be anything other than who you are to be loved.
You are beloved and priceless.
It is this message of unconditional love that drives the heart behind Beloved Priceless. After my mission trip to Haiti in 2017, Haiti has had a special place in my heart. Through supporting Beloved Priceless, you can share this message of love by giving back to those in Haiti as a compassionate reminder that they are seen and loved. Twenty percent of each purchase is donated to Mission of Hope Haiti, which seeks to meet the physical and spiritual needs of Haitians in poverty. You can find out more at missionofhope.com and check out my passion project at @belovedpriceless on Instagram and etsy.com/shop/belovedpriceless.
~Amy
Check out some of her gorgeous earthy jewelry below and on her shop @belovedpriceless!
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