Today’s a new day! My health issues have taken away a lot. I have lost my ability to eat, talk, drive, write & run. But it cannot take away my joy, my happiness, my thirst for life or my faith. ~OC

Today’s a new day! As you start a new week, put the troubles, regrets and disappointments of last week behind you. Start this week with audacious prayer and a positive attitude. Have a wonderful and blessed week! ~OC

Here are some more lessons learned during this crazy/beautiful journey:

* We serve a big God, who is with us in the small and big things in life.

*The importance of family and true friends.

*Choose to have a good day and positive outlook on the tough days.

*Enjoy each moment of each day. Meetings, deadlines and making money can wait.

* Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box.

*You must be your own health advocate.

*Stop taking life so seriously.

*Take time for the small things in life.

*Take time to breathe. Each one is a gift from God.

OC

Today’s a new day! You may be in the middle of a storm. Hold on. You may want to give up. Keep praying. Keep believing. Never give up. ~OC

During this age of social media, it looks like we have so many friends. You even get a nice blue check on social media, if you are really popular. Some people do not have enough space left on their pages to add another friend or follower.

I personally love social media. I love seeing everyone’s updates and how life is treating them. Some posts make me laugh and others break my heart. I have used social media to share my crazy/beautiful health journey. But, I wonder if we are losing the true meaning of friendship. It is so easy to jump on social media and check out a friend’s latest post. We can hit the “Like” button, share an emoji or leave a comment. I love when people take the time to comment on one of my post.

All of that is great, but are we really connecting with our friends? When is the last time you actually called someone and had a conversation? When did you last text a friend with an encouraging word? When is the last time you actually made plans to meet in-person? What a crazy concept!

As I shared above, there is nothing wrong with catching up on social media. We have family and friends all over the world. Social media has made it easy to stay in touch with them. But, let’s not get so comfortable communicating through social media that we forget the importance of a phone call, a nice card/letter, or actually taking the time to get together and catch up.

I pray we would slow down and truly embrace our friendships. ~OC

Do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light, momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Life can be filled with a lot of “What If’s”. If we are not careful, those “what if’s” can take over our lives. I have been guilty of asking “what if” many times. During this crazy/beautiful journey, I decided life is too short to play that game. I have started looking at “what if’s” in a different way.

What if I never got sick? I could drive myself crazy trying to answer this question. That’s why I have decided to look at it in different way. If I would have never gotten sick, I would have missed the following:

*I would have missed the importance of slowing down in life.

*I would have missed becoming a Missionary.

*I would have missed becoming a long-distance runner.

*I would have missed becoming a more compassionate person.

*I would have missed becoming a better husband and friend.

*I would have missed becoming a better listener.

*I would have missed out on a lot of great friendships.

*I would have missed the opportunity to become a writer.

*I would have never got involved with social media.

*I would have missed being there to encourage others when they are dealing with the toughest moments of their lives.

*I would have never become a patient advocate.

*I would have never went skydiving.

*I would have never started writing a book.

*You would not be reading this blog.

Look at everything I would have missed if I continued to live the “What If” life. I encourage you to stop living that life and really start living. ~OC

Today’s a new day! If you are a 1,000 steps from God, he will take 999 steps so you could take that one. ~OC

Today is one of my favorite holidays. Today is National Day of Encouragement. I love this holiday. I love encouraging others.

When my health journey started back in 2002, I made the choice to turn a negative into a positive. That was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Being positive and being an encourager has not always been easy, but the blessings have been overwhelming. Let me share just one story of being blessed.

My health issues cause me to be hospitalized often. I made the choice to become a Missionary during my doctor appointments and hospital stays. On one of those hospital stays, I encountered a mother whose young daughter was across the hall from my room. The mother and I never actually met, but I would say hello and share an encouraging word, in passing. Nothing major, just being neighborly.

During one of my many walks up and down the hospital halls, I felt someone hug me from behind and say hello. I did not recognize the voice of this European gentleman saying thank you. I must admit I was taken aback. Who was this man and why was he thanking me? This stranger wanted to thank me for sharing a positive word with his mother each day. His mother was having a rough time with his sister being ill. He shared his mother thought I must be an angel. Side note, I am far, far from being an angel. This young man shared his mother looked forward to walking by my room each day. Wow!

I do not share this to puff myself up. That would be a waste. No, I share this to show how a kind word can made a difference. You never know who needs to hear an encouraging word. Happy National Day of Encouragement. ~OC

After 11 years of having Parkinson’s, it still amazes me when people ask me if I know Michael J. Fox. It’s like Parkinson’s patients have our own secret club. No, I have not had the honor of meeting Mr. Fox. I also have not met Muhammad Ali, Linda Ronstadt, George H. W. Bush, Alan Alda, Neil Diamond or Jessie Jackson. Well, I actually met Rev. Jackson earlier this year. No, it was not a secret meeting between Parkinson’s patients.

Even though I have not met Michael J. Fox, I would encourage everyone to support the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. They are doing some amazing work. ~OC