This post is a little different from the usual over here. As today is Sunday, I thought this would be the most appropriate time to share this. Thank you for reading, and thank you for caring.

Why, Hello!! 🙂 Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the kind words and prayers. As most of you know, my father passed away on June 21st from Stage 4 Colon Cancer. I was not on here or on social media much last week, as we are all in the midst of picking up the pieces and dealing with the aftermath. While our family is still grieving, I know that we will be okay because we have the hope of heaven, where we will see him again. Personally, I am so excited to see him free of cancer.

But until that time, we are given the task to carry on with our lives… This. Is. Hard. However, something happened last week while I was reading my devotionals. I came across a verse that I have read one million times and this verse literally jumped off the page and SPOKE to me. It was like the first time I read it.

“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord, your God is with you wherever you go.” -Joshua 1:9

This is a command. We have been commanded to be strong and courageous We are told to live without fear and to not be discouraged. We MUST keep going.

When you lose a loved one, it is so easy to think that your life will never be the same. It is SO easy to believe the lie that your life is over. But, this is a lie. We have to still live. Those that have passed away would want us to. I know without a single doubt that my dad would want me to keep going. He would want me to be strong, courageous, and never give up… just like him. He never gave up, not for one second.

So how do I go on living my life while still honoring him? Well, I will honor his life by fighting until the finish line (and right now, it truly feels like a fight). But, I will keep going. I will enjoy every blessing that God has so graciously given me. I will laugh with my husband and enjoy every second with my sweet baby. I will work hard at whatever task God has given me and love my family as much as I possibly can! I will make every effort to spend my time doing things that I love, and pursue the things that I am passionate about! I hope to honor his life every day by making choices that he would make him proud.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Okay, let’s lighten up this conversation. We need to talk about what to wear for July 4th! 😉 But let’s save that for tomorrow. Talk to you then!

All my love,

Alex