One year ago today, at 3:46 in the afternoon my dad said goodbye to this world and said hello to heaven.  Of all the gigantic smiles my dad wore throughout his life, I’m sure none compared to the one he wore that day he said,  “Hello heaven.”

It has been said that You never know God is all you need until He is all you have.   Never have I understood the depth of that saying until walking through the valley of the shadow of death this past year.  Truly, God is enough.

What has this year taught me?

It has taught me how to say goodbye: goodbye to regret, goodbye to bitterness, goodbye to unforgiveness, goodbye to materialism, goodbye to petty pursuits and goodbye to control.

I feel the cold hands of winter losing its grasp on me.  Spring is pulling.  Hello to hope.  Hello to peace.  Hello to purpose.  Hello to life.

As I spoke at a ladies conference this morning, I could feel my father’s spirit around me.  It was though he was saying, “Kimberly, the ‘Hello Heaven’ is worth all of the goodbyes.  Carry on.”