april 1 but this aint no joke :P

So today I was reading "Jesus Lives" devotional.. it's by the same author as "Jesus Calling" (Sarah Young) and I realllyyyyyyy recommend both of them -- sooo good!  Anyway, this is the part of today's passage that God really pressed on my heart.

"THE VERY NAME I USE TO ADDRESS YOU - BELOVED - PROCLAIMS HOW DEARLY I LOVE YOU.  I showed you the full extent of My Love by enduring humiliation, torture, and death for you.  No greater love than this is possible, or even conceivable. 
     You have tucked into your memory many experiences of My unparalleled Love.  I want you to dwell on these memories: Enjoy them over and over again!  This practice will help convince your doubting heart that My extraordinary Love is really yours - every nanosecond of this life and throughout eternity."

 Now if you ask me, I wouldn't say I necessarily doubt God. haha of course I'm a little bias :P but seriously .. this makes me wonder what am I NOT trusting God with?  Where can I trust him more?  But it also makes me think... not even dealing with doubt -- just with the "many experiences" of his "unparalleled love" -- how quickly I forget them and abandon them.  I sooo easily turn to what's happening right now, and how things aren't going how I want, etc.. but maybe today isn't a day to focus on my future.. maybe today is a day that I'm supposed to be joyous in my past.  Kind of like when you watch a home-video of when you were younger, or those chats with your family recalling those funny stories you almost forgot about.  "This is the day the LORD has made.  We will rejoice and be glad in it." - Psalm 118:24 (NLT)  

I'll only name a few on here.. But I encourage you to make your own list!  And if you REALLY can't think of anything.. then look in the mirror and see yourself.  This action alone means that God woke you up today.  He has been pumping every beat of your heart, and inflating your lungs with every breath.  He has maintained your senses (like your vision to be able to see yourself haha) and every other bodily function .. ones we haven't even discovered yet.  And if that's STILL not enough... He's been dedicated in doing this every day of your life for the past (insert your age here.. don't worry I'm not asking you to tell anyone :P) years.  

Ok soooo my favorite God memories areeee...

When God took care of me in ICU.  Actually ironic because I was so in and out of it that I can only remember the doctors saying I would need a respirator, and a few other grim things.  I remember people crying, and I remember asking God to help me and NOT need a respirator.. and after that I can't remember very much until I started to get better and the docs came in and told us they didn't know what happened, but things were turning around.  I LOVE that even when I can't be actively praying, or "doing my part" in getting better.. God takes care of me anyway.  Even when I'm sleeping, even when I'm unconscious, or too sick, or whatever! -- when I can't ask for what I need.. God already knows and is eager to provide it.  "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:19

My first and so far only (emphasis on so far) road trip.  Of course I got sick right before it.  Big fight with parents bc they were worried and didn't want me to go .. bla bla bla - teenage drama sitcom of me crying, them worrying, bla bla bla. lol i know i've talked about this one before but just to recap -- they were so worried because with CF there are things that regular hospitals tend not to know.  For example, when using saline in the lungs, healthy people can have normal saline.  CF people can't.  It has to be a certain percentage otherwise it will basically drown them.  (Almost happened to me during surgery, but shocker -- guess what! God protected me! I can't say the same about that doctor who almost did it though... :P) Anyway, the night before my almost cancelled road trip.. we find out that there's a CF specialty hospital right near my hotel!  I got to go on the road trip all because God planted that hospital there and thankfully.. i didn't visit it. 

This one may seem less.. but it's just something that fills my heart lately.  Blue skies.  I really love waking up and just seeing that beautiful blue sky with white fluffy clouds.  Starts my whole day off on a good note.

Times when God has used me.  LOVE that!

And last (that I'm writing on here.. certainly not last of the list haha) but certainly not least the ENTIRE OHIO trip.  I know I was going there for a dangerous/possibly impossible surgery, but.. God made it really fun!  To highlight a few of my fav parts.. waking up from surgery to God music, playing worship music in my hospital room with the music therapy woman and my parents (who pitched in with maracas! haha), and after starting to get better from the flu -- BREATHING!  and when I say breathing.. I don't mean in it the "I'm thankful for having the function of breathing" type way .. I breathed like I never have.  It felt like I didn't even have CF.  LOVED it!  What a totally God-filled trip that was!  And one of my fondest memories :]  (if you wanna hear more about it, ask me because i obviously love to talk a lot .. haha but seriously! the stories are def good)

anyway... if you've made it all the way to this point congratulations!  You can add God giving you patience to your list of God memories hahah 

I have memories with my Lord Jesus because God is love.

"The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth."  Psalm 145:18