Breathe

Happy August! I'm so thankful for the past few days of mild temperatures, a reprieve from summer's heat. Yet, it is to return just in time for the Iowa State Fair. (My topic for Thursday's blog.) We also get a break from the smoke cover over the Midwest for several days. It has moved east for the time being. Though I didn't have a problem breathing, I'm sure it must have kept others indoors on those worst days.

Breathe. We inhale and exhale 12 to 20 times per minute when we are resting. That's about 17,000 to 30,000 breaths in a day. Yet, we breathe without thinking, hardly ever pausing to think about what goes into our lungs. Besides smoke from Canada, we daily breathe in nasty carcinogens hidden in a smoker's fog or some cleaning agents. (a good reason to go with natural products). 

For the last year or so of my mother's life she lived on oxygen. She had a long tube that allowed her to navigate the first floor of their country farm house.  She also had a portable tank that went with her to doctor appointments and to church. 

"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 strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals." 

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord." (Psalm 150:1-6 NIV).

Take a few seconds/minutes to breathe in deeply. In and out. Again. Each breath is from God.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the breaths I take today. Make me aware of each breath; each one comes from You. For only You count the number of breaths I take in my lifetime. Thank You, God, for each one. We praise You and worship You this new day. Amen.