believe in yourself Archives - Inspired & Strong | Making the Best of Every Day with Stacy

Your Death

July 15, 2026 No Comments

Your death is the one thing you can count on. How you live your life is up to you. You can complain that you didn’t get a fair deal or that life is too hard, but it is all what you make of it. If you don’t like your life as it is, change it. Your happiness is a choice. We all know the older we get, the closer it comes. So live life well and do it with grace and kindness. Just do unto others as you would like them to do unto you.

Your death will come on an ordinary day-in the middle of unfinished plans, unanswered messages, and dreams still in progress.

The work will keep turning…But eternity will begin.

So don’t just live a little, live for what lasts. Walk with God. Love deeply. Forgive quickly. Speak truth. Choose what honors Christ.

Because one ordinary day here becomes forever there.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

In Family

Happy Father’s Day, Dad!

June 26, 2026 1 Comment

Well, it’s a little late, but Happy Father’s Day to my dad, my Gramps, and to my Prince, who is a wonderful Dad to two awesome sons. And Happy Father’s Day to all the other dads, stepdads, pup dads, etc. out there. I hope you had a great weekend celebrating YOU! On Sunday, we celebrated my Heart with a Father’s Day brunch at our local Riverside Golf Course. Then we did some projects and had dinner with friends at Hitchy’s while watching the end of the US Open. It was a great day! But also a sad day because I didn’t have my dad to call to wish a Happy Father’s Day.

My Dad left us 14 years ago on May 23rd, losing his battle with lung cancer. How has it been 14 years? It’s so unreal. Then, to try to wrap my head around the fact that his battle started nine years before that, when he was just 51 years old.

Fifty-one! And now I am 50. It makes me so sad when I sit still long enough to think about it. It makes me so mad. I wish he were here. I would love for Jeff to meet him. I would love for the kids to meet him. He would have loved being a grandfather. He would have loved traveling and enjoying retirement. He would have loved golfing when he could and teaching the grandkids how to change a tire. I appreciate the 36 years I had with him, but most days I wish it were more. It just sucks.

I was driving to an appointment a few weeks ago in Florida in Ellie EOS the V, which is a stickshift, and I was listening to Y2Country when Alan Jackson’s Drive came on. The song brought tears to my eyes because it reminded me of my dad. As young as we were when we had a boat, he taught us to drive it. When we were 12, he taught us how to drive a car and told us how important it was to learn to drive a stickshift. It made me appreciate all that he taught us, but also made me wish he were here to call when I was thinking about him.

Why he was taken so young, I don’t know. All I know is his death taught me to live life more fully. If you follow my social media, then you see that I do try to live my life to the fullest. I most likely overcompensate for the losses in my life by trying to explore every inch of the world around me. But someone knew what was on my heart, and someone sent me my soulmate, who happens to like traveling and experiencing the world just as much as I do. They sent me someone who opened my world to things I didn’t even know were possible. And for that I appreciate. So thank you, Dad, for sending me someone who loves me as much as you loved us.

My Rock and I want to see as much of this world as possible while also wanting to make as many memories as possible. We love being around people. We love laughing and taking it all in. Of course, life isn’t all roses, but we try to make the best of what we’ve got.

I hope all the dads out there had an amazing Father’s Day, and I hope they continue to be appreciated by their children for all the amazing work that they do throughout the year. For all the dads that need to do the job of both mom and dad, I hope you know how wonderful you are and what an inspiration you are to others. And to those missing their dads like I do, keep your head up and make your father proud by living the best life that you can.

In Weekly Wednesday Words

Your Job

June 17, 2026 No Comments

I think we all try to change people, and we need to realize that we can’t. People need to change for themselves. It is not our job to judge people either. It is our job to find people we want to surround ourselves with. Surround yourself with like-minded people who are always striving to be a better version of themselves and who can help you become a better version of yourself. If they are not, then they don’t need to be in your circle.

It is not your job to police anyone else’s behavior or educate them on who you think they should be. Your only job is to filter (for yourself) who gets a ticket into your world, and who needs to stay at the gate.

~ Amy Young

Photo by Vonecia Carswell on Unsplash

In Family

Happy Birthday, Hubby!

June 8, 2026 No Comments

Today, I want to wish my Prince the happiest of birthdays. I am grateful that 57 years ago, my Heart was born. It’s hard to believe that we met nine years ago at a CrossFit class. I never thought that quitting my career in 2015 would have led me to care for Sweet Gram, which in turn led me to Fort Myers, which in turn led me to this amazing man.

So Happy birthday, my Love! I hope you have an amazing day in Alaska. Although we don’t get to spend today together because of work, we had a great week celebrating you and our summer in Park City. Thank you for always being there for me, for putting effort into our relationship, and for always trying to make yourself and us better every day. Through passion, hard work, and determination, you became a strong, kind, caring man who would do anything for your family and friends. And I am the luckiest girl in the world to be on this lifelong adventure with you!

For the past nine years, we have been nonstop. You have introduced me to people and places I never dreamed of knowing. I am so grateful that we have the best friendships in the world. People always say that opposites attract, but you and I are anything but that. And it works for us. We both love seeing new things, going on new adventures, and exploring the world around us. We both want to travel to as many places as possible, and we enjoy doing that together. So here’s to another trip around the sun and another year of amazing adventures!

Happy Birthday, babe, and thank you for being mine!

In Weekly Wednesday Words

Do It Anyway

June 3, 2026 No Comments

People may not appreciate what you do or say when you are kind and honest. And many people may not like it when you find happiness. But you need to be true to yourself and not let anyone else bring you down.

People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.

If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

~ Mother Teresa

Photo by Viktor Forgacs – click ↓↓ on Unsplash

In Weekly Wednesday Words

What We Learn

May 27, 2026 No Comments

What we learn as we get older is that life doesn’t always go as we plan. We need to learn to control what we can and not worry about what we can’t. Life is going to throw us lemons so let’s make lemonade.

At my age, I’ve learned that most of what we worry about never happens, and most of what does happen we never saw coming. So here’s my advice: prepare for what you can, accept what you can’t, and spend more time living than worrying. The graveyards are full of people who died with perfect plans but unlived lives. Don’t be one of them.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

In Weekly Wednesday Words

One Day

May 13, 2026 1 Comment

I saw this quote the other day on Facebook, and it hit home for me. I was just thinking now that I am 50, I have probably lived over half of my life. I doubt I will make it to 100 so I need to cherish the time I have left by living life to the fullest. I also need to evaluate what things make my life better and get rid of the things that don’t.

One day you realize you’ve probably lived more years than you have left…and suddenly you stop tolerating things that waste your life.

~ unknown

Photo by Julian Hochgesang on Unsplash

In Family

Dear Sister

May 7, 2026 No Comments

My dearest sister up in Heaven,

Well, dear sister, it’s been eight years since you left this Earth. Eight years since you have been at peace. Eight years since your body has been pain-free. Eight years since you have been reunited with our dad, grandpa, and other relatives who have gone before you. Eight years since you were taken into the Kingdom of Heaven, and God wrapped his arms around you. Eight years since you have been wrapping your arms around those entering Heaven who have no one to greet them.

And for all those things, I am truly happy for you and find comfort in those thoughts.

But, dear sister, there are many times when I am just sad. I miss my best friend. I miss having you to talk to. I miss your levelheadedness, your compassion for others, and your advice. I miss how well you knew me, which was probably better than I knew myself. I miss that you were always right (mostly:)) and I appreciated that. I miss that we grew up in the same house and the same town and could talk about memories that happened way back when. I miss that I don’t have you to share this life with anymore. It leaves the biggest hole in my heart.

And for all those things, I am truly sad and heartbroken.

So, dear sister, I will honor your spirit by sharing my memories with people who knew you and even those who didn’t. I will honor you by showing your pictures and videos to your children who want to know who their mother was. I will cherish your memory by looking at old photos and explaining the memory to whoever will listen. I will honor you by living my life to the fullest because I know that life is precious and at any moment I may be called up to sit at the table next to you.

And for all those things, I need to be strong and let your spirit guide me.

In the end, dear sister, I am grateful for the 38 years we had together. I am grateful for your loving ways and kindness that you carried with you throughout your life. I am grateful for my beautiful niece and fearless nephew, who are growing up into amazing young people. I am grateful for the loving woman, (one day to become their stepmother) and the amazing, fun-loving step-siblings you guided into their lives. Continue to watch over all of us, especially our mother, who misses you more than words can say.

We love you and miss you, dear sister. Send us Signs from Heaven to comfort us whenever possible. We will be on the lookout!

In Weekly Wednesday Words

Be Present

April 29, 2026 No Comments

Let’s try to stay present in each moment. Enjoy where we are in life. Too many times, we are rushing or striving for the next greatest thing instead of just enjoying where we are and how far we’ve come.

You’re constantly worrying about the next part of your life without realizing that you’re right in the middle of what you used to look forward to.

~ Power of Positivity

Photo by Alexas_Fotos on Unsplash

In Pilot's Wife

Decisions

April 22, 2026 No Comments

When I first started this blog, I was posting an inspirational quote every day, as well as a Tuesday post, a Wednesday workout, and a Friday Fixin’ recipe. It gave me an outlet when my hubby was working and Gram and I were sitting around the house. When Sweet Gram passed away in February of 2021, life became very busy, and I found I was Never Home. It soon became too much; therefore, I dropped down to two posts a month and once a week, Weekly Wednesday Words for inspiration. Decisions have never been easy for me, but starting this blog was one of the best decisions I ever made.

This past year, I have found that I am lucky to write once a month, and I started wondering if I should quit the blog. Time just slips away from me. When I am home, sometimes I don’t want to do anything but lie on the couch and watch a mindless TV show. And when we are traveling, I try to be present in the moment instead of being on the computer. Anyway, I thank my loyal readers who have subscribed or clicked on the social media link when I post. I really appreciate it when you send texts or emails to let me know you enjoyed reading a story. Thank you!

It’s been five and a half years since I started this blog, Inspired And Strong, and I love it. I love writing, and I hope that some of my stories have inspired you to go on new adventures, have encouraged you to start a new chapter in your life, or have motivated you to make the world a better place by holding the door open for someone or putting your shopping cart back. Whatever this blog means to you, I do hope you enjoy it.

Recently, I have been contemplating life’s decisions. I know sometimes people have a difficult time when they retire because they end up losing their purpose in life and aren’t sure what to do. I have been “retired” from the field of education for almost 11 years now. I have done remote work for my school system, got my travel agent and real estate licenses, worked in an ice cream shop, and was a receptionist at a chiropractor’s office. Although I enjoyed all of those jobs, nothing has stuck as a career path. I love doing this blog, but it’s not a moneymaker. And I don’t need money to make it worthwhile but I get frustrated because I would love to be a better travel agent or real estate agent, but seems education is the only career in which I feel confident.

I was trained in education and had 16 years of experience. With all of the other careers I have started, I don’t feel like I have a firm foundation. I don’t feel like anyone has taken me under their wing to jumpstart my career. I am at a loss on which career path to follow.

When I had Sweet Gram, I had a purpose and enjoyed caring for her. Since she passed, I don’t know exactly what my purpose is. I enjoy being a Pilot’s Wife and am grateful for all of the experiences I have had. I can’t have a “normal” job because I have FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and definitely don’t want to miss out on the next big adventure! But I also want to feel like I am making a difference on this Earth. Hence, my dificulty with decisions!

I enjoy writing, and maybe I should concentrate on writing my book like Jake the Medium said. Or maybe I should get my real estate license again and try to sell houses. Or maybe I quit trying to force it and enjoy the journey.

In the end, one decision I did make was that I am not quite ready to give up my blog. My posts may be few and far between, but I hope you will subscribe and read them when they do arrive in your inbox. I hope they continue to inspire you. I also hope you will go back and read the daily inspirations if you’re having a down day.

Life can be hard. Decisions are hard. But somehow we all end up exactly where we are supposed to be. So let’s try to enjoy the ride.

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash