“Bev was the kind of woman who showed up in a ballgown and made you laugh until you cried. She was brave, hilarious, stylish, and deeply rooted in God. She didn’t just live beautifully—she suffered beautifully, too. When diagnosed with cancer just days before her youngest son's wedding, she said, ‘I’m not going to live in fear. I’m going to live with thanksgiving in my heart.’ That was Bev. She just refused to let fear write her story.”

“She was told she had months, not years—but God gave her 2 years and 8 months of extra time. She used that time to garden, bake, decorate, laugh, travel, pray, and draw closer to Jesus. Her journals—filled with Scripture, gratitude lists, and handwritten prayers—are proof of the nearness of God in her hardest days. She once wrote: ‘Cancer made me cling to God. There’s nothing more precious than time spent with Him.’ Even in hospice, she quoted Scripture and played worship songs.”

Isaiah 58:11: “You will be like a well-watered garden…”

2 Corinthians 4:16–18: “We do not lose heart… our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory.”

Psalm 23 • Isaiah 43:16 • Philippians 4 Bev journaled Scripture daily—especially passages about joy, peace, God’s plans, and eternity. She knew God had a purpose for her: “No matter how my story ends—Jesus wins.”

“Bev spent hours in the early morning, in the quiet, with the fireplace on, writing Scripture and prayers by hand. She kept running lists of thankfulness—even when she couldn’t taste her food or felt afraid at night.

Worship music, devotionals, and time in God’s Word were her lifeline. She didn’t study theology—she just listened to the Holy Spirit and wrote down what she heard. Her journals show the transformation: ‘In the beginning, my entries were full of fear. Now I see hope, trust, obedience—and even joy.’”

“Bev didn’t write much about herself—but what she did say was clear: ‘I’ve decided how I want to live with cancer—and it’s not in fear, anxiety, or worry.’

‘When I feel like I’m drowning in a riptide, I will go forward with joy and thanksgiving. It’s a choice I make over and over again.’

‘God is not surprised by cancer. He knows the number of my days. So today counts—and I’m going to live it well.’

And in her final journal entry, just before hospice, she wrote: ‘Even when all I have is hope, it’s enough to keep me going. I will focus on the upward way and keep putting one foot in front of the other. ’”