2 Timothy 4:7. It is my family’s bible verse, and it is encompasses my family phrase. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith. These words mean more to me than just my religion. Religion is an important part in my life, but this quote means so much more. It sums up all that I think needs to happen in life. You have to fight every day to get what you need, and what you want, and to also provide for your loved ones. Most importantly, you have to do that honestly, because I don’t believe in shortcuts. Finishing the race means to me that you need to finish what you start. It was something instilled in me when I was young; once you make a commitment, you need to follow through on it. Then when you are done with all you need to do, then you can be finished, and look back on the masterpiece you created with your hard work. It means that your words have meaning, and your word is your bond.  Keeping the faith means some different things to me. It means that you need to always believe that everything is going to be alright, because life is too short for you to worry about somethings that don’t matter. However, the things that do matter that may go wrong, you need to believe that everything will turn out the way it should. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. In my short life, there have been many things that others would call heartbreaks. When my father passed away, I was lost. He was the man that introduced me to this quote, and not just its religious meaning. I saw this quote lived through him. He fought a good fight. He finished his race, and when he reached the summit, he looked back at a life cut too short, but one that was filled with happiness until the end. And all the while, he kept faith in the fact that no matter what happened, he would come out okay. Through my faith in this saying, it has made it easier to get through somethings. Not just faith in God, but faith that everything happens for a reason, so I need to make myself a better future. This is what every man dreams up, just summed up in a verse from an old book.