Author: theblessedovercomer

Welcome! My name is Todd OC Shoemaker. The OC is short for Overcomer. That’s the nickname my medical team gave me many years ago. You see, for the last 22 years, I have battled several life threatening health issues. On multiple occasions, my bride Laura has been told I would probably not make it through the night. Our faith has helped us run this crazy beautiful journey. We live with hope. I encourage you to run with me as I share my thoughts along the way. ~OC

The Art of Truly Living

Who remembers the first cellphone? Who remembers waiting until after 7pm on weekdays to make phone calls? Who remembers dialup? Oh, how far we have come in the area of technology. Today everything we need is right on our cellphones. Does anyone actually now somebody’s phone number?

Technology has come a long way in the past 20 years. I am definitely thankful for all the advances in technology. I am actually typing this message on my cellphone. We do not even have to go shopping anymore. We can order everything online. Modern technology has made life pretty easy.

But as technology continues to make life easier, I believe we have slowly stopped living. Have you been to a restaurant lately and looked around the room? Just about everyone is looking at their phones or taking pictures of their food to post on social media. Remember, if we do not post it on social media it did not happen. During this age of tremendous technology growth, we have become more obsessed with having “Followers” and less concerned about actually making Friends. Everything is surrounded around the next perfect social media post.

As technology continues to evolve, we have devalued the art of conversation. No, texting does not count as real conversation. We have devalued sitting around the table and sharing life with another human being. People are so obsessed with technology today, that we are actually missing life. We are losing the ability to truly live.

Truly living is going to dinner with family and friends and actually talking. It is reaching out to a sick friend. Truly living is feeling the sun hit your face as you walk along the beach. It is sitting with a friend as they face the storms of life. Truly living is being fully engaged in the lives of family and friends. It is being present in the moment.

Today, I would encourage you and myself to commit to the following:

Commit to spending quality time with family and friends.

Commit to having one real conversation a day with a family member, friend or a complete stranger.

Commit to putting the technology away during visits with family and friends.

Commit to taking a break from social media once or twice a month. I promise you will survive.

Commit to planning for some adventure with your family and friends. Then actually do it.

Commit to meeting with a friend once a week.

Commit to serving others.

Commit to stepping out of your comfort zone every once in a while.

Commit to reading a book or playing a board game, instead of watching tv or playing on your phone/computer.

Commit to investing in the lives of others.

Commit to embracing beautiful interruptions.

Commit to truly living.

***Warning!! Do not try doing all these at once. Your brain might explode. Ease into them.

I know following through with these commitments will not be easy. We are so used to living in the world of technology. It has just become a way of life. Like I shared earlier, I love technology as much as the next person. But guess what? I love people, real conversations and spending quality time with family/friends more than technology. I hope you will join me as we find our way back to the Art of Truly Living. ~OC

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Walk In Victory

Today’s a new day! Nothing has ever surprised God. Not that bad medical report. Not that broken relationship. Not the death of a loved one. Nothing has ever caught God off guard. Remember that the next time the enemy shows up. What might be a surprise to us, is not a surprise to God. Trust and Believe. Walk In Victory Today. ~OC

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Masterpiece

Today’s a new day! Whatever your past mistakes, God will take you where you are and start molding you into the Masterpiece He created you to be. ~OC

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Life Is Short

Life is short. Time isn’t promised. Love hard. Live well. Pray often. Hold the people that matter close. Hug your family and friends. Tell your family and friends you love them. Call a friend. Get together and celebrate family and friends. Love your enemies.. ~OC

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Bring The Blessed Overcomer To Your Neighborhood

Are you or your organization looking for a speaker for your next event? Are you looking for a speaker who will encourage your audience? A speaker who will challenge your audience to look at life with a different perspective? A speaker who will make your audience laugh and maybe even shed a tear?

If you answered yes to any of the questions, I would be honored to speak with you about sharing my crazy beautiful journey at your next event. You can click on the FAQ button on this site and contact me. I promise more laughter than tears. ~OC

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Another Blessing In The Road

Over the years when I have faced another medical trial, I have stated “It’s just another bump in the road.” Yesterday, God changed my mindset. He shared with me that instead of looking at my current situation as another bump in the road, I should instead look at my health challenges as another blessing in the road. Pretty mind blowing. I also believe it could be a life changing way of looking at our circumstances. With every “Bump in the Road” has come a blessing. Let me share some examples.

*A Missionary. During my crazy beautiful health journey, God has allowed me to become a missionary at doctors appointments and hospital stays. God has blessed me with the incredible opportunity to encourage others during those visits.

*My Voice. Based on my health issues, I have lost my physical voice. I speak with a whisper these days. I use a voice amplifier to help me speak. But during this time, God has blessed me with the opportunity to speak out loudly against human trafficking, racism and other important issues.

*Listen. During this crazy beautiful journey, God has helped me become a better listener. I always thought I was a good listener until I got sick. It was then that I realized, I tended to listen so I could respond. So I could fix things. During this journey, God has blessed me with the incredible opportunity to just listen. Not to be the fixer. Not to share my opinion. Just to listen.

*Extra Weight. When I got sick again in 2009, I was prescribed the highest dose of prednisone (a steroid), that you can take. I put on a ton of weight in a short period of time. I went from my running weight of 150 to over 200 pounds in less than six months. All the weight went straight to my stomach. Based on the fact I could no longer run or exercise, it was difficult to take weight off. It was very frustrating. Then in 2014, I started losing my appetite. Then from the middle of 2016 to the first of 2017, I lost 90 pounds. Yes, you read that correctly. 90 pounds! That is when I had my feeding tube inserted. That extra weight saved my life. A bump in the road turned into a life saving blessing in the road.

*A Book. In March of this year, my memoir The Blessed Overcomer was published. If not for this “bump in the road”, I would have never written a book. You can find my book on Amazon or you can contact me about getting a signed copy. A little shameless plug.

*This Blog. Once again, if not for this crazy beautiful health journey there is no blog. I do not have a huge following and probably never will, but that was never the point. I am thankful for everyone who drops by and checks out my blog. Writing my thoughts down has been very cathartic. A wonderful blessing.

As I reflect on my crazy beautiful health journey, I have so many Blessings In The Road moments. It took God changing my mindset to realize this amazing truth. ~OC

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My Hero, The Hope Dealer

Last night, Laura and I had the honor of attending the first Inner City Innovators Gala to celebrate the young men who this amazing organization helps. It was also a time to celebrate one of my heroes Mr. Ricky Aiken. Let me tell you about my hero.

I met Ricky when he was about 14 or 15 years old. I was volunteering with a great organization Urban Youth Impact at the time. Ricky and I just hit it off. I think it was our mutual love for books and sports. You know God is real when he brings a Boston Celtics fan and a LA Lakers fan together. As happens in life, we lost contact for a brief period. When Ricky turned 18 we reconnected around his birthday. My wife had heard about Ricky and wanted to celebrate his birthday. Oh, did we celebrate. My wife had a blast taking Ricky shopping. I think Ricky might have been a little overwhelmed by Laura’s enthusiasm, but he indulged her. That day Ricky became Laura’s son. It is a relationship that has continued to grow throughout the years. Laura still loves celebrating Ricky’s birthday.

Back in 2015, one of Ricky’s friends was shot and killed. For Ricky that was the last straw. He could no longer sit around and watch his community be destroyed by gun violence. That is when Inner City Innovators was born. Ricky has become a leader in his community. A leader in his city. And I believe in time, a national leader. This from a young man labeled emotionally disabled by the educational system. How I wish the person who made that incorrect diagnosis could see Ricky now. To see the Man he has become. The Leader he has become. The Hope Dealer he has become.

I could go on and on about my godson and the man he has become. Laura and I are so proud of him. Sometimes we have to pinch ourselves when we see all that Ricky has accomplished in life. We are thankful God has blessed us with a front row sit. I pray that one day, Ricky will write a book and share his amazing story with the world. In the meantime, I encourage everyone to check out Inner City Innovators at http://www.innercityinnovators.org.

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A Question For Us

Today’s a new day! Jesus left all his comfort and privilege to enter into our broken world. Are we willing to do the same? ~OC

For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me. Then the righteous will answer him, saying, “Lord when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me.” ~Matthew 25:35-40

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