Still Running Toward Me

My dad had a stroke on Christmas Eve. He died Christmas morning.

I stood over his hospital bed and read him the story of the Prodigal Son. Not the part about the son who left. The part about the father who couldn't wait. Who hiked up his robe and ran down the road before the kid even made it to the driveway.

That was my dad. That's the God I believe in. And this journal came out of the weeks that followed.

What's inside:

45 pages. 30 days of Scripture paired with honest reflections and space to write. This isn't a devotional that wraps everything in a bow. It's a journal that sits with you in the mess and gives you room to say what you actually feel.

Each day includes:

• A verse chosen for where you are in the grief (not random, not generic)
• A short reflection written from inside the loss, not from a distance
• Three writing prompts: "Today the ache feels like..." / "What I'd tell Dad today..." / "God is still running toward me..."
• A daily hope tracker at the bottom

The journal also includes:

• "My Story" - how I got here and why I built this
• Five Phases of Grief - not clinical stages, just what it actually looks like from the inside
• Letters You Never Sent - lined pages to write what you didn't get to say
• The Memory Wall - prompted pages to capture the details before they fade (his laugh, his hands, what he smelled like, what he always said)
• 30-Day Hope Tracker - a visual grid to mark each day you showed up
• Scripture Quick Reference - all 30 verses in one place
• A closing prayer

Who this is for:

Anyone sitting in the chair someone left empty. If you lost your father, this was written with you in mind. But grief is grief. If you lost a mother, a spouse, a friend, a child - the Scripture still holds, the space still works, and God is still running toward you.

What this is NOT:

This is not a theology textbook. It's not a grief recovery program. It's not going to tell you five steps to feeling better. It's a place to show up, be honest, and let God meet you in it.

Format: Printable PDF, 45 pages, letter size (8.5 x 11). Print the whole thing or use it on a tablet. Designed with generous margins and writing lines for pen or pencil.

About the author: Justin Franich is the Executive Director of Shenandoah Valley Teen Challenge, a faith-based recovery ministry in Virginia. He went through the program himself before spending thirteen years on the residential side. He writes about faith, grief, and recovery at justinfranich.com and co-hosts the Rebuilding Life After Addiction Podcast.