Just Breathe

About a year ago, I was diagnosed with asthma. I think I've had it all my life to an extent, but last year it got to the point where I needed an inhaler. I couldn't believe how much better I could breathe! I didn't even know breathing so well was possible (or maybe I'd just forgotten since I was sick for 3 months); it was a whole new reality. 

At the beginning of this semester I began having trouble breathing again, but this time it was much worse. It got so bad one night I went to urgent care and they said my blood-oxygen level was perfect, but gave me some steroids and sent me on my way. Later that week I went to an ENT. He explained a lot about the respiratory system and I no longer felt crazy for thinking I couldn't breathe. He also prescribed a higher dosage inhaler. Once the inhaler began to kick in, I felt great and breathing was back to normal. 

Earlier this week my inhaler ran out and I didn't have any time to pick up a new one. Once again, my lungs felt tight, my throat felt closed up, and I was gasping for air. 

Before I started having major problems with asthma, I had never realized what a blessing it was just to breathe. Struggling for just one breath, it dawned on me how often I take the little things in life, such as breathing, for granted. Every hour we take thousands of breaths, but how often do we give thanks to the One who gave us the breath of life? Another thing I take for granted is being able to talk. I lost my voice about 3 or 4 times just this semester, which has made me come to realize just how much I talk and how little I listen. Is what I say important or do I just babble on? I don't want to talk just to fill time. I want each word that I say to be meaningful, to bring hope, love, support. I want all that I say and do, every breath that I take, to bring glory to God's name. He gave me the ability to breathe, speak, walk, read, think, cry, smile, laugh, feel, hear, taste, smell, see, love, and so much more. I don't want to take such things for granted any longer. 

When the Bible refers to breathing, especially in Genesis, it usually talks about someone breathing his/her last breath. Breathing in the Bible is all about life; breath gives life. God gave me life to love others for His glory and to praise Him all my days. I desire to worship the Lord with the life He has given me until I breathe my very last breath.

"the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." Genesis 2:7

"In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind." Job 12:10

"Praise the Lord.

Praise God in His sanctuary;

praise Him in His mighty heavens. 

Praise Him for His acts of power

praise Him for His surpassing greatness. 

Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet,

praise Him with the harp and lyre, 

praise Him with tambourine and dancing, 

praise Him with the string and flute,

praise Him with the clash of cymbals, 

praise Him with the resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. 

Praise the Lord." 

Psalm 150

17 Random Facts about Me (12 of which you prob didn't know)

Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 17 random things, facts, habits, or goals about yourself. At the end choose 17 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's b/c I want to know more about you. 

1. I'm 100% full-fledged liberal feminist, NOT radical! All that means is I believe in absolute equality for both sexes. I absolutely adore chivalry, and think it needs to be recultivated. 

2. I thoroughly enjoy everything from wedding photos to romance stories to love songs, but most PDA drives me CRAZY! 

3. I consider my dogs two of my best friends in the whole world. They love me unconditionally, are always excited to see me, and wouldn't think twice about risking their own life to save mine- now that's true love! Interesting side-note: I was deathly afraid of dogs as a child. It wasn't until I got my two black lab puppies that I fully got over my fear. 

4. I think it's cute when guys show affection for one another. It displays they're secure in their masculinity and not paranoid about being labeled "gay." Same for guys who wear pink or purple.

5. I'm a bit of a grammar/ spelling nazi. It drives me crazy when evry other wurd is speld wrong. (See what I mean?) In fact it doesn't even make sense, b/c little red squiggle lines on computers indicate incorrect spelling- how can one sentence have so many spelling errors?! The WORST is when people combine the words "a" and "lot." "Alot" is NOT a word. "Allot" is a word, but that means to give a portion of something to someone. Ok, I'll step off my soap-box now. 

6. My biggest pet peeve is being purposely ignored. It drives me absolutely out-of-my-mind nuts!! It brings out a monster in me. Seriously. It's scary!!  

7. Ever since my early childhood, it has been a dream of mine to be the first female to walk on the moon. That dream is still very much alive in me. 

8. I'm an adrenaline junkie/ thrill seeker. I'm all about what will give me the biggest adrenaline rush- roller coasters, high-ropes courses, repelling, jumping into water from ridiculous heights, tree climbing, etc. This adrenaline addiction is what fuels the speed demon in me. When it comes to driving, biking, skiing, horseback riding, skating, go-cart racing, pretty much anything, the faster the better!! 

9. I love sugar!!! Sugar cubes are the best candy b/c it's all the sweet without the artificial junk. During confirmation classes in 7th grade I would take all the sugar packets for the coffee and pour them into my mouth, one-by-one, until the hour was over or there were no packets left. Splenda and sweet-n-low are REPULSIVE, though!! One time during the aforementioned confirmation classes I ran out of sugar packets, so I decided to try sweet-n-low. I NEVER did that again!!! 

10. I find being cold to be one of the most miserable states of being. It's painful! I'd much rather be too hot than too cold. I usually bring a jacket wherever I go, even on blazing hot summer days.

11. Birds FREAK ME OUT. 'Nuff said. 

12. My best friends from kindergarten have remained some of my closest friends. Over 14 years, now!

13. I love love love (good) surprises- big and small! They're so much fun!! 

14. I tend to see only the good in people (until they get on my bad side). I think the best of someone, and can be naive when it comes to seeing the bad in people. This is one of my gifts, but also serves as one of my downfalls at times. 

15. I absolutely canNOT stand to hear anyone trash talked. It doesn't matter whether the person is my best friend or worst enemy, or if I even know them at all. 

16. I was (and still am) a wild child. I was a little prankster, always trying to come up with the most exciting pranks. One time my friends and I toilet-papered the wrong house. We rode by the next day and saw an old couple cleaning it up. I felt soooo bad!! 

17. I am an extremely persistent person when I set my mind to something, and I pity the fool who gets in my way!