Dancing Through Life by Candace Cameron Bure, Erin Davis Read Free Book Online Page B

all areas of my life. I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to shine for Jesus on the giant platform that came with DWTS , but I also want to shine for Him when it’s just my family and me at home.
    Sometimes, we tend to overromanticize being salt and light. Jesus was clear that not everyone would get it when we used our lives to point the spotlight toward Him. That was part of my experience too. Some people accused me of being “too Christian” or criticized me for “pushing my religion.” Looking back, it’s clear to me that I wasn’t shoving, I was shining! Standing with conviction and shining the spotlight on Jesus won’t always be met with a standing ovation, but we should do it anyway! Jesus has changed me from the inside out. I can’t help but point others toward Him.
    Hide it under a bushel? No way! I’m gonna let it shine. The next round of competition would offer the chance for me to shine brighter than ever before!

Chapter 4

    “Do not grieve, because the joy of
the L ord is your stronghold.”
    —Nehemiah 8:10
    D o you have a most memorable year?
    Mine is 1995. It was the year we first gained access to the World Wide Web. (What did we ever do without it?) It was the year eBay was founded, right in my home state of California! And do you remember when we had to rewind movies after watching them on VCRs? Well, 1995 changed all of that thanks to the release of the DVD. That was good news because it was also the year we all first fell in love with Woody and the gang from Toy Story . (No rewinding required!) But for me, 1995 was so significant because it was filled with life-altering changes.
    In my third week of DWTS competition, the contestants were asked to highlight our most memorable year. I chose 1995 because it was the year that Full House ended and Val proposed. It was a transition that moved me away from childhood and into adulthood. I went from one family, my Full House family, to my new family with Val as my husband. I was thrilled to share my memories from that year with the millions of fans who were watching the show.
    Maybe it’s because 1995 was such an important and exciting year for me. Maybe I was simply finding my stride in figuring out how to use this opportunity to shine. Either way, week three was one of my favorite weeks on the show.
    As I headed into rehearsals, I had a high under my belt from the first show, when I impressed the judges with my secret contemporary dance skills! I also had a low under my belt from falling short being a fish out of water too quick in week two with my rumba. While I did feel a little whiplash from those two extreme reactions, I also felt like I could move forward on more even ground. I considered it a clean slate and decided it was time to let go of expectations and the pressure I was feeling as a result. I’m not sure I realized the full weight of that pressure. Once I set those burdens down I had a lot more bounce in my step. I finally felt free to enjoy the ride.
    A Full House Tribute
    My life was dramatically impacted by my role as D.J. Tanner on Full House. In addition to launching me toward the bright lights of stardom and locking in my passion for acting, Full House introduced me to some of the most important people in my world. The cast of the show truly became my second family.
    As I thought about how to showcase my most memorable year, I knew I wanted to pay tribute to Full House . I couldn’t think of a better way to do that than dancing to an Elvis song. Elvis was almost his own character on Full House with John Stamos always acting like Elvis and having Elvis impersonators on the show. Elvis was such a strong presence on our show he almost deserved his own dressing room! So, Mark and I decided to celebrate my most memorable year by dancing to “Blue Suede Shoes.” As if that wasn’t fun enough, we were assigned the jive—an upbeat, fast-paced dance that was a great fit for my personality.
    Reliving such a pivotal year