Praise God!

I know that there is this foreign beast in my body and at times it freaks me out. It is almost as if my body doesn't belong to me. It is weird.

It seems like each day I wake up with a new ache or pain somewhere. Fortunately, at this point they are not bad enough to keep me from living. Praise God for that!

Last Thursday, went I went to see Dr. Sharma, he said that he would call Monday or Tuesday to talk about treatment options. The time has passed so slowly since I have seen him. I feel like I have been walking around in a daze. Various thoughts have gone through my head..."this can't be happening to me." "I'm gonna wake up and find that it was all a bad dream." Unfortunately, that isn't going to happen. This is real, and it is happening to me...again.

Yesterday morning I woke up with an incredible peace surrounding me. As I started to tell you yesterday, my devotions were about praising God. I reread them again today because they struck me as being so powerful and true. The author states, that "as your praises go up, God's blessings come down. Praise actually helps to heal your emotions and lift the weight of negativity you're living under."

There is so much in my life that I can praise God for, I would be sitting here forever if I tried to write it all down. I'm going to list a few of the major things...

That God sent his only son, to die on the cross, that I might be saved from spending eternity in hell. As Easter approaches in a couple weeks, I am reminded that Jesus gave his life for me. He was beaten and killed so that I may live forever in heaven. He didn't have to give his life, he even asked God "may this cup be taken from me." (Matthew 26:39) Isn't that amazing?! Jesus, the son of God, gave his life for sinners like me!

My family and friends who continue to love and support me. The people I am closest to have helped me through a difficult moment, hour, or day. I would not be as strong as I am without those who are surrounding me with their love and prayers. Sometimes all it takes is a phone call or a note in the mail or email. Even if I don't respond or answer the call, I am thankful that it came. Thank you!

I praise God for each day that I am able to get out of bed. I believe that each day is a gift from God and he could take them away from us at any moment, so we need to treat each day like it is the last we might be given. It doesn't matter to me if the sun is shining bright, like it was yesterday, or it is dreary and rainy, like it is today. I am thankful for every day that God gives me. I am so thankful that I am able to drive to work, to teach my students, to spend time with Mike, and to talk to my family and friends.

Those are just a few of the many, many things that I praise God for. Life is a gift. Enjoy!

Psalm 100:
"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made up, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."