A Second Chance: Living Awake

On Tuesday, July 29, 2025, my life changed forever.

I suffered a massive heart attack that I survived only by the grace of God, the skill of countless healthcare professionals, and the prayers of family, friends, and people I may never know. That day became not the end of my story, but the beginning of a new one.

Over the past year, I have learned that every ordinary day is an extraordinary gift. I’ve discovered that healing is about more than recovering physically. It is about learning to live with gratitude, deeper faith, greater compassion, and renewed purpose.

As an Episcopal priest, spiritual director, former psychiatric nurse, coach, dream worker, author and fellow traveler on this journey of life, I hope this blog becomes a place where we can reflect together on faith, healing, resilience, and hope. Whether we are celebrating joys, carrying grief, facing illness, or searching for God’s presence, we do not walk alone.

The words Living Awake have become my daily prayer. They remind me to notice God’s presence in ordinary moments, to cherish the people I love, to care for my body and soul, and to embrace each new day with hope.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. My prayer is that something you read here will encourage you to pause, breathe, trust God, and live each day with intention.

Welcome.

Grace and peace,

Alicia+

The Rev. Dr. Alicia Alexis+

Alicia Alexis

Rev. Dr. Alicia Alexis is an Episcopal priest, spiritual director, life coach, massage therapist, adult psychiatric nurse clinician, and dream worker. She is the author of One Percent: A Memoir of Borrowed Time, Living Awake, When Dreams Fall Silent, and the Healing for Brokenness series.

Through her integrative approach—honoring mind, body, and spirit—she creates space for reflection, healing, and transformation. She serves at the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Danville, Virginia, and lives in North Carolina.

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The Ordinary Day I Almost Lost