Living with my hearing loss has been a challenge. There are always obstacles and hurdles to walk through. If I want to make progress, I have to be willing to do the work.

With my cochlear implants, I go to hearing therapy. Between the travel time and the hour I am there, it is about 4 hours of the day. Then there is the hearing practice I do during the week. My newest hearing goal is to be able to hear the beat of music and learn how to dance to it.

Dancing has always felt impossible to me, and even after fourteen years of having the cochlear implants, I have not conquered this yet. Yet, there is a hope of the possibility that lingers in my heart.

I believe I have been given a gift by being able to have the cochlear implants and I don't want to waste it. I don't want to settle and become complacent. I always want more. Share on X

More progress.

More hearing skills.

More life experience.

I know there is more to experience with my cochlear implants and that is why I continue to push forward and work towards experiencing all I can with these wonderful instruments God has provided.

I know if I don't continue to work at my hearing, I will lose what I have learned and I will not get out of them what I could if I kept working at it. Share on X

It is the same thing with my walk with Jesus.

I have been given the gift of salvation. I was dead in my sins but God sent Jesus to die for me. He was resurrected and because of that truth, I am alive again. My relationship with God has been restored.

If I want to develop this relationship with God and become more like Jesus, I need to take time to know Him. I need to spend time in His Word. I need to take time in prayer and to spend time with His people.

I am not talking about a religious ritual or something to check off my list, just to be able to say I did it. Share on X

I am talking about getting to know the God who created this world and me. Sometimes it is taking a little time to read His Word. Other times I am in worship to Him and experiencing the joy of being in His presence.

I love the time in the car when I can just focus on listening to Him and spend time praying for those people in my life.

If I don’t take time to get to know Him. If I don’t put any effort into reading His Word and being in His presence, I won’t grow in my relationship with Him and I won’t become all I can become in Him.

My desire is to hear all I can possibly hear with these cochlear implants. I want to experience everything I can with them.

My deepest passion in life is to become as close to God and as much like Jesus as I possibly can before I go home to be with Him.

I want to do whatever it takes to do these things. Share on X

Some days it means I am completely exhausted. Other days it means giving up and letting go of other things and activities in order to pursue these dreams of mine.

I know it will be worth it all. It already is. Will you do whatever it takes to make the most of the beautiful gifts you have been given? Let’s do it together!