Blue-Eyed Breather

Is it really almost 2013?! How crazy is that? As I get older, time seems to fly faster and faster. Life is short, shorter than we would like to believe. Every day, I strive to live like it is my last day, because in all honesty, none of us know when we are going to die. I want to make a difference with whatever time God gives me on earth. Usually, I don't make New Year's Resolutions. I feel like the majority of people make these resolutions just to go and break them within the month. This year, however, I feel the need to write some "resolutions" on my blog. They are not necessarily what you would consider normal "resolutions", like losing weight or exercising more, but they are more ideas of how to make my 2013 a memorable, inspirational year. I hope you will hold me to these resolutions and keep me accountable! 1. Start each day with a meaningful quiet time with the Lord. 2. Make the most of every opportunity given to me. 3. Spread the love of Jesu...

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the Gentiles seek after all...

Happy Christmas Eve! It's hard to believe another year has come and gone, and today is already December 24. I love Christmastime so much, not only because it reminds me of how great my God is and how relatable Jesus Christ is, but also because of the many traditions that surround the holidays. Every family celebrates the season differently. Here's a list of my favorite traditions: 1. We celebrate every Christmas in New Braunfels with my mom's family. 2. We go to my grandparents' church for a Christmas Eve service, and afterwards we eat pizza for dinner from Pizza Hut. 3. All the stockings are hung by the chimney with care. 4. Sports games are always on TV. 5. The cookies people bring to Grammy and Paw-Paw's house are the same every single year. 6. My family decorates our Christmas tree at home shortly after Thanksgiving, carefully picking out what ornaments to put on the tree. 7. My family participates in a caroling party at a friend's house, bring...

All I want for Christmas is to be healthy. And I mean really healthy. I mean able to run, jump, and dance kind of healthy. I mean being able to eat whatever I want, whenever I want. I mean not having to worry about lung function, bone density, caloric intake, blood sugars, vitamin levels, liver and kidney function, and IV antibiotic scheduling. My head is swimming with so many issues and problems right now, it's a bit overwhelming. Maybe soon, my Christmas wish will come true. After all, researchers are discovering more and more about CF and the mutations that cause it, However, I don't think I'll get to start on any ground breaking medication soon. Nor do I think I will be free from health worries for a very long time. And you know what? As much as I would love to be rid of the hassle of dealing with cystic fibrosis, I wouldn't trade the life I have right now for anything. I have an incredibly supportive, loving family. I have terrific friends and mentors. I am compl...

Today, I had a CF clinic visit. These clinic appointments are always very long, very slow, and very unpredictable. They usually last about 2-2 1/2 hours, depending on how on time the nurse, dietician, respiratory therapists, and doctor are running. Here's a summary of my appointment: Height: 62.5 inches Weight: 95 pounds PFTs: 58% IVs: starting January 5th Culturing: achromobacter, MRSA, and mycobacterium My "homework": gain more weight, keep up with treatments, keep up with exercise, keep doing what I'm doing Overall, it was a decent appointment. Here's to fighting CF, one step at a time!

Okay, I have a confession to make. I'm really not good at checking my blood sugar and keeping up with my Cystic Fibrosis Related Diabetes. I have a really good perception of what my blood sugars are doing and can easily tell when they are high or low. I also know the typical pattern my blood sugars take.  And even though it doesn't take that long to check my levels, it's one more thing to think about. One more thing to keep track of. One more thing to have to remember. I have a diabetes appointment today, and honestly, I don't even know when the last time I checked my sugars at a normal time was (except for yesterday because I was trying to get numbers in my machine).When I can tell so easily when I'm low or high, it's no motivation to say that my health is suffering from not having those numbers, because it's not. It's also no motivation to say that the doctor could help me better if he had the data, because he really doesn't know how to help m...

There have been too many shootings in this nation. How can a person go out and kill 27 people, including many precious, innocent children? The shooting that happened in Connecticut today makes me sick to my stomach. How can someone consciously choose to take a little one's life, when the child could have many happy years to live? How can you take a child's innocence so quickly? How can you formulate a plan to do such insurmountable horrors? Parents should never have to lose their children, especially not this way. Since the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, shootings have become almost chronic. Something needs to be done in this country so that these shootings do not happen anymore. We need a change; innocent people should not lose their lives to these insane actions. My prayers go out to the victims of the Connecticut school shooting. May God give them divine comfort in this difficult time.

I have been so blessed by this song recently. Every time it plays on my iPhone, I stop what I'm doing to sing praises to Jesus. I can't help it- my heart overflows with joy and thankfulness! Below are the lyrics as well as a link to the YouTube video. Take a moment to soak in this song and praise our good, majestic, amazing Father. Nothing can tear us from The grip of His mighty love We’ve only glimpsed, His vast affection Heard whispers of, His heart and passion It’s pouring down… His love is deep, His love is wide And it covers us His love is fierce, His love is strong It's furious His love is sweet, His love is wild And it's waking hearts to life The Father loves and sends His son The Son lays down His life for all He lavishes His love upon us He calls us now, His sons and daughters He’s reaching out… … and its waking hearts to life He is waking hearts to life He is waking hearts to life Your love is deep, Your love is wide And it covers us...

This past week has been a mass of chaotic studying, reading, and stress relieving. It's that time of year that everyone dreads all semester but also looks forward to seeing the end result--finals week. Needless to say, my brain has been working in overtime. I am the kind of person that plans a VERY detailed study schedule and sticks to it as much as possible. I'm also the kind of person who is done studying for the day by 8pm at the latest so I can let my brain rest for the night by watching TV or reading a book for fun. Studying for me is all about time-management and practical planning. After all, if you don't know the information the night before a big test, cramming and staying up until the wee hours of the morning will not help you remember the information on the test. Instead, I study steadily throughout the year, so once finals season comes around, I just have to review what I know. On my schedule, I wrote down the times I will study, exercise, eat meals, and sociali...

This may come as a shock to you (note the sarcasm), but I tend to be very opinionated about everything from what's right and wrong to judging the character of my peers. I have a very black and white personality. There's very little wiggle room for discussion for important mattes in my mind. This is both a blessing and a hindrance to my walk with Christ. Obviously, it's a blessing because I have a firm moral sense of right and wrong. I'm quick to point out my failings because I know in my gut when I mess up. Therefore, I am good at catching myself before I do something I will regret later on. However, I am also quick to point out when other people make mistakes. I do not have the spiritual gift of mercy, so too often I judge people based on my perception of them. I focus on a person's mistakes rather than seeing him or her as God sees him or her--clean, pure, and forgiven (if that person loves the Lord and has accepted Christ as Savior). Who am I to judge a person...