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Are You Thriving In Life?

The word Thriving is a powerful word. To thrive means to prosper and flourish.

Several years ago as I was reflecting on my crazy beautiful health journey, God asked me a question I had never heard before. It was a question I was not sure how to answer. One early morning, God asked me if I was surviving or thriving in life? Of course, I thought I was thriving. I was busy trying to navigate this crazy beautiful journey. I was sharing the story God had given me to tell. But after thinking and praying about this question, I realized I was busy living life, but was I thriving in life? Big difference.

So I started asking myself some tough questions. Do I feel good about myself? Am I living with purpose? Am I satisfied with where my life is at this moment? Am I all that God is calling me to be? Truly answering these questions, put me on a path to truly thriving in life.

God wants each of us to thrive in life. We were created for a purpose. We were created for community. We were created to overcome the obstacles in life. We were created to be fully alive. Let’s take a look at a few of these points.

Created For A Purpose. God created each of us for a purpose in life. We were not created to just walk through life like zombies. No, God has amazing plans for each of our lives. Some people find their purpose early in life. For others, it takes awhile to truly find your purpose. That’s okay. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. I would encourage each of us to spend some time today, asking ourselves “Am I living life with purpose?”

Created For Community. Have there been times in your life, that you have been so busy that you felt disconnected from your community? I know I have experienced those moments. We were not created to be alone. No, we were created to do life together. How would you answer the following questions? Do you have a community of support in your life? Is this community building you up or keeping you from your purpose in life? Are you willing to make changes in life to belong to a positive and life building community? Life is too short to be surrounded by a negative community.

Created To Be Fully Alive. As I walked through this question of surviving or thriving, God reminded me He created us to be fully alive in life. God wants us to experience freedom and complete fullness. Unfortunately, we will all walk through seasons of life where we are just surviving. This is just part of life. Part of the marathon. I would encourage each of us to not stay in that season of just surviving for long. This is where you Community comes into play. God gives us all passions that are meant to drive us. What are you passionate about? When you find the answer to that question, you will be fully alive.

Created to Overcome. There is nothing we face in life, that we cannot overcome with the help of God. But OC, you have no idea what I am facing in life. True, I do not know what your currently facing in life, but I do know that God is bigger than any storm we will ever face in life. I know that is easy to say, but not always easy to live out. I have been striving to live out the Overcoming Life, for the past 17 years with my ongoing health issues. It has not always been easy, but God has been with me every step of the way.

Deciding to live a life of Thriving will not always be easy. There will be seasons where we fall back into the just surviving mode. That’s okay. As we discussed above, just don’t stay in the surviving mode. Seek after God, reach out to your community, make the choice to overcome. Decide that being fully alive is more important than just surviving in life. ~OC

 

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Living Wholeheartedly

What is keeping us from living the complete life? I know that is a big question, with many potential answers. But God designed each of us to live a complete whole life.

Here are a few things, I believe can help us live out the life God created for each of us.

A New Chapter. Too many of us are living in the past. We continue to relive past disappointments. Past failures. Or sometimes we live in past successes. We all know someone, who is eager to tell us about winning the 5th grade all county championship thirty years ago. Don’t get me wrong, we should celebrate past successes. We should learn from past mistakes. But we cannot live in the past. The great thing is, we have the opportunity to start a new chapter each morning. So close the chapter on your past and start writing a new one.

Worthy. Has anyone told you lately you are worthy? That you are important. No matter your past, God finds you worthy. He sent his Son down from heaven to die for us. I think that proves how worthy we are in God’s eyes.

Comfort Zone. I believe to live the whole life that God created for us, we have to step out of our comfort zones. We have to be willing to take some chances in life. God designed us to be creative. To be adventurous. We cannot truly experience life, if we stay in our nice comfortable zones.

Labels. Stop wearing the labels the world puts on us. How many people continue to wear the labels put on them as a child? Not smart enough. Too short. Too weird. Too heavy. Too tall. Your from the wrong side of the tracks. So many people continue to wear these labels into adulthood. Today, I encourage you to take those labels off. Trash them. You are more than a label. You were created by a loving God to live an incredible life. To Dream. To Succeed. To Thrive.

Courage. It will take courage to start feeling Worthy. It will take courage to step out of your Comfort Zone. It will take courage to take off the Labels you have been wearing for years. But I promise you it will be worth it.

Today, I encourage each of us to think about these four points. To start living the incredible life, God has created us to live. Will you make a commitment to living wholeheartedly? ~OC

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Thought Leader

A few weeks ago, a friend shared I was a Thought Leader. A what I asked? I had heard the term in passing, but really had no idea what it meant. Now someone was referring to me as a Thought Leader. Was this even a good thing to be called? So what is a Thought Leader and how did I become one? If I really am.

Thought Leader-One whose views on a subject(s) are taken to be authoritative and influential. 

Wait. What? How was I being referred to as a Thought Leader? So I asked my friend what made me or anyone else a Thought Leader?

My friend shared that my knowledge on the issues of Human Trafficking, Social Justice and Patient Advocacy, had really made them think about those issues. My social media post had helped them start having conversations about these topics. This friend shared my passion for each of these issues came through in my post. Who knew? I just write about things that I am passionate about. I never thought about how my words and post would influence anyone. That got me thinking about this term Thought Leader. Here are a few thoughts that came to mind.

Influence. If you have a social media account or blog, you are influencing someone. When you post something that is positive, negative or indifferent you are influencing someone or some group. What influence is your life having on others?

Responsibility. I believe we are accountable for what we say, post, invest in and write. Our words and choices matter. When I write about issues I am passionate about, I better do my research before posting on my social media pages or blog. I better be ready to take ownership for what I post. To be ready to apologize if my facts are not correct. Did you get that? If my facts are wrong. Not if you don’t agree with the facts or my opinion on an issue.

Keep Learning. I have been referred to as an expert on some subjects. I have never liked being called an expert on any subject or issue. To me, being called an expert means I know everything about that subject or issue. That I no longer need to be a student. But I a student. I am constantly learning new things about Human Trafficking, Social Issues and Patient Advocacy. I believe life is about learning and growing as a person. If someone reading this an expert in some area, this is not an attack on you. I am just sharing my opinion.

So am I a Thought Leader? I believe that’s debatable. But I like the name Though Leader. So I will try to embrace it. For now. ~OC

 

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What Are Fair Trade Products?

October is Fair Trade Month. But what is Fair Trade?

The goal of Fair Trade is to help producers in developing countries to get a fair price for their products so as to reduce poverty, provide for the ethical treatment of workers and farmers, and promote environmentally sustainable practices.

So how can you know what your buying is fair trade and not made by slaves? Here are a list of organizations that can help you make better choices when shopping.

http://www.fairtradecertified.org

http://www.fairtradeamerica.org

http://www.fairtradefederation.org

http://www.endslaverynow.org

http://www.slavefreechocolate.org

http://www.groundsforchange.com

http://www.slavefreetrade.org

http://www.goodshoppingguide.com

Of course there are more organizations and I would encourage you to check them out. If we just take a few minutes to research the products we buy, we can help change the world. ~OC

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What Is Your Calling?

If someone were to asked you what was your calling in life, would you be able to answer that question? Would you even know what the person was talking about? Answering the question of what is your calling in life is a pretty big deal. Nothing to take lightly. So what is a Calling? 

According to the dictionary, a Calling is a vocation, profession, or trade; a call or summons; a strong impulse or inclination. A pretty simple definition, but a life changing decision we all make at some point in our lives.

As a Christian, I believe God has called each of us to live a life of serving Him and others. Of course that is going to look different for each of us. Some will be called into full-time ministry. Others will be called to serve in their given profession. I believe God has a specific role for each of us that will use our unique gifts, talents, experiences and connections.

As most of you know, I am a former long-distance runner. I ran cross country in high school, a little running in college, but had not run in years when I felt God calling me to start running again in 2003. Oh, did I mention that God shared that calling with me while I was having open-heart surgery to remove a nasty tumor from my chest? It would have been very easy for me to dismiss this calling as way too much anesthesia. I mean really, who has a vision of running marathons while having life-threatening surgery? But several days after surgery, I still felt that calling on my life. I could not escape it. So five months after major surgery, I went on my first run in years. Answering that call changed my life in so many ways. Let me share just a few.

When I heard God calling me to start running marathons, I also heard him share that I was not going to be running just to run. No, I would be running to share God’s story in my life. How He was walking me through this crazy beautiful journey. Of course back in 2004 when I started running again, I had no clue this health journey would last this long. I am thankful for that. As I started running marathons, I felt God calling me to run for those who could not run themselves. My wife Laura started making shirts with the names of people I was running for. It became a topic of discussion at my races. People asked me questions about the shirts and why I was running. During those discussions, I was able to share not only about the names on the shirts, but I was able to share my faith.

During my running career, I was diagnosed with Young-Onset Parkinson’s. All the sudden, I was the cancer survivor and Parkinson’s patient running marathons. Then God woke me up on New Year’s Day in 2008 and called me to run a 1,000 miles in one year. Crazy I know. But with that calling came request for interviews and speaking engagements. More opportunities to share my faith with a larger audience. That was an amazing season of life.

The call to running saved my life. Really OC? How could running save your life? I am glad you asked. When my body started shutting down in March 2009, the prognosis was not great. Some medical staff were not sure if I would make it through the night. But of course I did. Then I made it through the month. Then I made it through the year. And ten years later I am still here. Almost all of my medical team shared I survived because I was in such great physical shape from running. That running had also made me mentally tough.

I often think back to 2003, when I felt God calling me to run marathons. What if I would have decided to ignore that calling? How different would my life be today? Even though I am no longer able to physically run, I still love running. I love talking about it, reading books on running, talking with other runners and coaching runners. Ten years after having to give up running, I still have the mentality of a runner. I believe my faith and my running mentality have kept me alive and thriving.

So how can you find your calling in life? Here are a few ways I found helpful.

Prayer. Being in prayer helps us discern God’s calling on our lives. If you are confused about the calling on your life, spend more time in prayer. God will make things clear. Never stop praying.

Obedience. Are you willing to follow through with the calling on your life, even when it forces you out of your comfort zone?

Trust. You may not understand the calling on your life at first. Others may tell you it’s crazy. I got some weird looks and responses when I told people God had called me to run marathons. Do not listen to the doubters. Keep your eyes on God and trust Him for guidance and direction.

What is God calling you to today? I pray that God will guide your steps as you seek His calling in your life. ~OC

 

 

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Which Thief Will You Be?

In Luke 23:39-43 of the Bible, the scriptures discuss two thieves hanging next to Jesus on the day of His crucifixion. They were both guilty of their crimes, but they both took totally different approaches to their encounter with Jesus. Jesus who was innocent of all charges, but was taking on all of our sins.

We read in Luke 23:39, where one of the thieves looks at Jesus and mocks him by saying, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us! This man who was guilty of his crimes, approached Jesus with contempt and doubt. How many times have we done that in our own lives? How many times have we challenged Jesus to prove himself for our benefit? Yet, Jesus never becomes angry. He never retaliates. Jesus just loves. He continues to show patience.

In Luke 23:40, we see the second thief takes a totally different approach to his encounter with Jesus. This thief is just as guilty as the first thief. Yet, he humbled himself before the Lord of Lords. The second thief rebukes the first thief saying, “Don’t you fear God, he said, since you are under the same sentence? We are being punished justly for our crimes. Getting what we deserve. But this man (Jesus) has done nothing wrong.” Then we read in Luke 23:42, the second thief turns to Jesus and says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into you kingdom.” This man could have been like the first thief and mocked Jesus. But he realized who Jesus truly was in that moment. We do not know a lot about this thief, but we know he admitted to his poor choices in life. In that moment this thief knew he needed Jesus. This man probably didn’t have all the scriptures memorized. He probably didn’t know any of the Christianize. He just came to Jesus warts and all. Jesus responds to this thief with the following words in Luke 23:43, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Wow! This verse wrecks me every time I read it.

These two thieves had the same opportunity to come to Jesus. One was more concerned about being saved from his current situation, while the other was more concerned about being with Jesus for eternity. Jesus gives each of us the same opportunities. In Luke 23, Jesus gives us a beautiful picture of the gospel. A true depiction of love and forgiveness.

We are all like the two thieves in Luke 23. We have all sinned. We have all made poor decisions in life. The great thing is, just like the two thieves in Luke 23, Jesus gives each of us the opportunity to come to Him. So, we have a choice to make. Which thief will we choose to be? ~OC

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Running With Endurance

As some of you know, I am a former long distance runner. I would still be running today, if not for my failing health. I still miss running and competing in marathons.

We marathon runners are a rare breed. That’s putting it mildly. Not many people wake up before dawn to go run 26.2 miles. People often joke with me that they get tired just driving 26.2 miles. I used to run multiple marathons a week. Yes, you read that correctly. I just loved running. Did you know that only half of one percent of the population in the United States has completed a full marathon.

Can we be honest? Completing a full marathon is hard. There is the training. The diet. The miles. The cost. The time and effort. For what? A t-shirt and a finishers medal. The t-shirts and medals are great, but there is more to running marathons than all the things I listed above. But I really did love the medals.

So, it is not surprising that not many people actually complete a full marathon. It takes a lot of effort and commitment.

As Christians, we are running a race that requires proper training if we want to finish well. It takes a commitment. It takes some work. It’s not always pretty. Here are just a few tips for running this race called life.

Prayer and God’s Word. Marathon runners do not head to Krispy Kreme or a buffet before a race. No, we full up on food that will give us the proper energy needed to cross the finish line. We also stay properly hydrated.

God’s word is our fuel. It fills us up. The Word prepares us for the long race ahead. God’s word draws us closer to Him. The Word helps us stay on course. God’s word and prayer strengthens us when we fill like saying No Mas. The scriptures and being in prayer sustains us for the journey.

Watch Your Pace. Every runner has their own pace. Some runners are just naturally gifted as runners. They have perfect stride and can cover more miles at a quicker pace. That was not me. I definitely did not have perfect stride. Thank goodness God blessed me with the ability to run for hours.

As a runner, I had to be realistic about my finishing time. I definitely was never going to be an elite runner. But that did not stop me from training and striving to be an elite runner.

In life, we will be tempted to run someone else’s pace. Their pace is so much better than ours we tell ourselves. Look at their stride. If only I could run like that we tell ourselves. But God did not design us to run someone else’s pace. We were not created to run someone else’s race. God designed a beautiful race just for you and me. Maybe it’s not at the pace we want, but it is the perfect pace for us

Never Stop Training. I was not your average runner. I never took a day off from running. Probably not recommended by the experts, but it worked for me. I believe God knew my running days would be short, so He gave me the extra energy to run everyday. Oh the memories. Wait a second, get back on track OC.

I did not wake up one morning and run a marathon. No, I trained and worked my way up to completing 26.2 miles. As my endurance increased so did my miles.

I love what James says in James 1:2-3, “My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”

Just as a runner needs to train for a marathon, we have to continue exercising and developing our spiritual muscles. During this marathon called life, we will face many obstacles and trials. Something or someone will try to knock us off course. Our spiritual training will help us overcome those trials. Can I get a amen?

I love 1 Corinthians 9:24, Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

Thankfully when this marathon called life weighs us down, God is there to shower us with His amazing love, patience, understanding, grace and mercy.

Maintain Your Vision. Finish Strong. During my running days, I had a clear vision of what I wanted to accomplish. I had my eyes on the prize. Having goals helped me to keep running towards the finish line. To finish strong.

Knowing that our hope is in God, encourages us to keep running forward even when life gets hard. God has given us everything we need to run the race. To strive for the prize. To finish strong.

I love Philippians 3:14, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

We all have a race to run. I pray these tips help you to run the race God designed specifically for you. ~OC

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Dear God

Dear God, today allow me to live with….

Love>Hate

Grace>Judgement

Forgiveness >Unforgiveness

Truth>Culture

Faith>Fear

Present>Past

~OC

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