Breathing Hope!

“How you think about a problem is more important than the problem itself. So always think positively.” - NORMAN VINCENT PEALE   I use to look at the problems in my life as if they were a big ugly mountain that I had to face and climb over. For me the big ugly mountains scared me and brought up negative feelings. My dad having alpha for me has been a "problem" that I felt I couldn't face and deal with. It has brought up negative feelings and worries that aren't necessary. I need to use the time that I have left with my dad to make as many memories as possible. I need to look at things in a positive light. Each minute and day I have with my dad is another memory that I can create and another chance I have to have a great time with him! Every Problem I have needs to be looked at as something that could change my life Positively and make my life better for having gone through it. I need to take my problems and life lightly otherwise it will drag me down. Positivity is ...

My Friend Kate Told me to listen to this song today and reminded me that I need to remember this! I have the greatest friends and support system in the world. I can't Believe how much all my friends have surrounded me and want to help me. Some things they have honestly shared with me and that was kind of hard for me but I am beginning to realize they are being honest with me because they are my friends and want me to feel better and care about me. This song definitely brightened my day and reminded me of some important things.  To all my friends I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday I honestly shared with Everyone what has been going on in my life. It is far from perfect. I sometimes feel like I need to make the world think my life is perfect and think that I live a life with no problems. I'm going to be honest my life can be a nightmare sometimes and can have so many problems I feel like I can't handle . There are days when I want to pinch myself hoping that this is only a dream and I will wake up and everything will be ok again. I need to be willing to accept that this is my life and that I have no control over what occurs in my life besides what kind of attitude I live my life with. A positive attitude will make life so much more enjoyable for me and the people around me. This will help me to have hope and faith and believe that each day can be better then the last. Each day is a Gift and although it took me a long time to realize it is a freeing feeling when you have that revolation. I still have not "fixed" everything in my life an...

Lately I have been deeply struggling with many issues in my life including the fact that my family is affected by Alpha-1! Its hard for me to accept at moments that this is my life now. A life I can not plan out or control and A life that is completely unpredictable. Each moment seems to bring a new challenge and often becomes more stressful. I have had a very hard time letting go of control and still haven't let go! I find myself wanting to plan every moment out as though it will turn out that way then when something doesn't go as "planned" I get disappointed and upset. Dealing with this has been a huge struggle for me and at this point in my life has been one of the most painful and dark periods I have ever experienced. I'm struggling to find out who I am in all this and what path I am suppose to be going on. Through out my life I have been deeply influenced by others and haven't always made decisions because I wanted to do something but because I felt I nee...

Day 24- A Letter to Your Parents Mom and Dad, I don't even know where to begin you both are my best friends in the whole world and the people I know I can always count on to be there for me when I need it most! You guys have been there for me through so much and continue to amaze me every day by being the best people ever! I look up to both of you as role models and hope to do just as well as both of you have in life. You are both loving caring people who show me the most support and love anyone could ever receive. When I am going through a rough patch you guys are always the ones sitting there ready to listen and help to solve the problem. When I have done something wrong you help me to correct it and become a better person and learn from my mistakes. No matter what the case you guys are always there. I thank you guys so much for everything that you do for me and everything that you have helped me through. I love you guys so much and you are the most amazing people I know! Love y...

Day 23- What do you Crave for a lot? I crave for Mcdonalds French Fries Alot! 

Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else? What makes me different from other people??? Well I firmly believe everyone is different in their own special way. I feel that I am different from others because I know someone who is suffering from Alpha-1... not many people know someone who suffers from Alpha even though there are many people that have it and just don't know its Alpha instead of COPD or emphysema. Dealing with the effects of alpha can sometimes be painful to watch and witness. I am different because each person thinks in their own way and has their own personality. Each person is made differently and each person is great because they are different if everyone was the same the world would be an extremely boring place. Being different is a good thing and a positive thing that helps to world to be a better place!

Day 21- Things That Make you Happy! My Family - The people that I know will always be there and will support me in whatever I do! I love to spend time with them and love to go on vacations and do things with them! They are my rock through everything 2.) My Friends- When I'm with my friends its sure to be a fun time! We always have a great time together and just enjoy being with each other! 3.)Music- Whether listening or playing music always puts a smile on my face and helps to relieve the stress of daily life! It helps me to relax and in many cases it takes me to a happy place where I am completely in another world just focused on the music and how amazing it is!

Day 20- People you See Yourself with in the Future and a greater Purpose!    "How is God Revealing himself, using you for better purposes, and making you stronger through your brokenness?". I see myself being surrounded by the people I love in the future. My family and friends I will definitely be with in the future! These people are my rock! They help me get through anything that comes my way and are more then willing to help at a moments notice! My family is continually there for me providing love and support through ever situation! Lately I have been greatly struggling with being depressed and down and out. My friends have been there for me through this whole thing, constantly texting me or talking to me and trying to make me feel better. There is no other way to describe them then as my Life Savers, the ones who always help me when I seem to be drowning in sadness. They are the ones who remind me that there is hope and a future with out pain ...

Day 19- Nicknames You have and Why? Manders - a lot of my friends call me Manders... I don't know when it started but its really just my name altered a bit I get called by my last name when I'm playing softball normally because there was more then one Amanda on my team last year. K-9- middle school softball with Mr.Wunder! Mr.Wunder use to come up with names for all of us so he called me K9! Killer Koenig Jr. - My Church Youth Group knows what this means!!! It basically is because my mom is a crazy driver sometimes so they call her Killer Koenig and know I have inherited the name since I began driving! I think that's all the nick names I normally get called... I might have missed some but these are the ones I could think of!

Day 18- The Importance of HOPE! “Never let go of hope. One day you will see that it all has finally come together. What you have always wished for has finally come to be. You will look back and laugh at what has passed and you will ask yourself... 'How did I get through all of that?” Hope is a very important part to keeping a positive attitude. I have struggled latley to look at my life with HOPE! Hope is the begining of accepting what is happening in your life and making the most out of the situation even if it is no ideal! There are days when I tend to forget what it means to have hope, some mornings I wake up and do not even want to get out of bed, feeling there is no point to it because all that I can see is the negative aspect to my life. I have especially struggled with being able to hope that things will get better. Some days I can not see the future at all and it seems as if I will never make it! The future seems so far away sometimes that to try and hope it will be bet...

Day 17- Who would you want to switch lives with for one day? I wouldn't want to switch lives with anyone. I am who I am and even when things aren't going well this is my journey and my life and being someone else is not who I am! Being the person I am is one of the most important things to me. I am who I am and I would not change that for the world! I am being put on a journey that is going to lead me to where I am suppose to be in my life and lead me to the purpose God has for me.

Day 16- A Baby Picture of Yourself! Here is a baby picture of me!!

Day 15- Put your Ipod on shuffle and write down the first 10 songs! My I-pod hits genres from Alternative, Christian,Classical, Country, Dance, Disney, Folk , Hip-Hop, Rap, Holiday, Inspirational, Instrumental, New Age, Pop, R&B, Rock, Soundtracks, and Vocal! I'll listen to almost anything! So Here are the First 10 Songs that popped up on my Ipod when I put it on Shuffle! 1. Dear Maria Count Me In - All Time Low 2. Hot N Cold - Katy Perry 3.I Will Remember You - Amy Grant 4. One Short Day- From the Broadway Musical "Wicked"  5. Wish You Were - Kate Voegele  6.Womanizer- Brittany Spears 7. Reflections- From the Disney Movie "Mulan"  8. Dancing Through Life- From the Broadway Musical "Wicked"  9. Syrinx-  written by Claude Debussy 10. Your Still You - Josh Groban

Day 14- A Picture of you and your family! Sorry for the delay in post!!! This weekend I was away camping and things have been crazy since I returned so here is Day 14's Post! 15 and 16 will Follow Shortly! I decided to post pictures of my extended family today because we always have a great time together and always have each others back! If it was not for my family I don't know where I would be they have helped me through everything and are always there for the next thing! If it was not for their support in helping my family and I to get through all this with the Alpha I don't know what I would do!! I love all of you!!!! This is my Dad's Side of the Family! This Picture was taken at my Grandparents 50th wedding Anniversary! This is my mom's side of the family! The picture was taken at my cousin Chris's wedding!