Blue-Eyed Breather

Last year, I started keeping record of all the books I read during the year. I loved having that record to look back on and remember all the different books I read. I decided to do the same thing in 2014! Here is my 2014 reading list. If you have any suggestions for 2015, let me know! I'm always looking for good reading material.  Bossypants by Tina Fey Breathtaking by Amber Payne The Treasure Principle Gifted Hands by Ben Carson Art Briles- Looking Up by Nick Eatman Pas...

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. I mean being able to lift weights or go on a jog or sit on the front porch without wondering if your lungs are going to start bleeding. I mean being able to stay up as late as you want without fretting about sleep deprivation and the drastic problems that could cause. My head is swimming with so many issues and problems right now, and it never seems to stop. Maybe soon, my Christmas wish will come true. After all, researchers are discovering more and more about CF and the mutations that cause it. Some CF patients are on these groundbreaking medications. And you know what? They're able to live near normal lives. I can't even imag...

"My illness has always made me value relationships and be wary of fickle people. In dating, I had to choose the right moment to mention my illness and if it was an issue, I would walk away. One man reacted in a bizarre way. He said he felt he'd been cursed, falling for someone who was ill. So cystic fibrosis has one advantage - it sifts out the nice guys from the idiots"--( http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-517754/Living-cystic-fibrosis-My-life-expectancy-31-Im-29-So-thats-years-parties-extreme-sports-romance-.html ) I love this quote. When most people say their wedding vows, "in sickness and in health" is just a phrase. They don't usually think about the practicality of being there for someone they love deeply when that person is struggling to take the next breath. They usually think they have years, maybe decades until the "in sickness" part of the vows kicks in. But with cystic fibrosis? When people choose to marry a person with CF, they...

Today was not a great day for health-related things. I had a post-IV appointment with my CF doctor's PA. I thought it was going to be a normal, quick appointment. However, about 30 minutes before I left for my appointment, I started coughing up blood. I mean, straight blood. This has now happened four times in a little more than three months--definitely not okay. The first bleed was towards the end of September. That bleed was definitely the biggest. I stained our front porch with my blood and filled a few Kleenexes. The second bleed was in November, and pretty soon after, I started IVs, hoping that would take care of the bleeding. Then, I had the 3rd bleed one day into the IVs. I was still hoping the IVs would get rid of any infection if that was the source of the bleeding. With this fourth bleed, however, I don't think infection is the culprit. At the doctor, they decided that I have to have a pulmonary embolization. An interventional radiologist does the procedure. I'll ...

Yesterday, I finished my 7th semester at Baylor University. How in the world is that possible--it feels like yesterday that I finished my first semester of college! When I complete a chapter in my life, I like to look back over the time and reflect on the lessons God has taught me because it is a good way to process what I've learned. So, here are some lessons I've learned from my recent experiences. 1. Waiting is not a bad thing. Granted, I am not the most patient person in the world (it's something I'm working on). However, in my time of waiting, God is able to shape me more into the person He is making me. He is teaching me to trust Him fully and completely. I may be waiting on a whole bunch of different things--waiting to hear from grad schools, waiting for a relationship, waiting for a cure for CF, waiting to graduate, waiting for my grades to be posted from this semester--but God is good, and I am taking life one step at a time. If I always lived with the though...

Beauty. Our culture has twisted and messed up beauty so its original meaning is lost behind stereotypes and sexualized concepts. I just finished reading the book Captivating . Women, if you haven't read it, I highly suggest it. Men, if you haven't read it, it's about "unveiling the mystery of a woman's soul", so you should also check it out. It explains that the essence of women is beauty. Deep, wonderful, awe-inspiring beauty. God himself is Beauty in its purest and most amazing form. Look around--see the creation He has made and the care He puts into his work. That alone shows that He is beauty and He revels in beauty. And women were made to reflect that part of God. However, Satan has spoken lies into our ears, telling us we are not lovely or captivating. He's told us that we're too much or not enough. He pushes us to close up, to not offer our beauty or our strength, to put up masks to hide our true selves. Friends, this is not how we are called to...