Truly Living

Remember the first cell phones? They were big. Real big! Remember when you waited until after 7pm to call your family and friends? Free minutes! Young folks don’t know the struggle. Oh the memories.

Cell phones have come a long way in 20+ years. They are definitely smaller. No more waiting until after 7 pm to make calls. Cell phones today are little computers. You do not even have to dial a number anymore. Just tell your phone who to call.

But in an age when our cell phones and other devices have given us almost everything within seconds to make our lives easier, have we slowly stopped living? Have you been to a restaurant, amusement park, church or family gathering lately and looked around the room? Just about everyone is on their phone. Checking emails and social media. I am guilty of it more than I care to admit. We are completely ignoring the people around us. Instead of engaging conversations, we have become obsessed with how many likes or comments our latest post received.

We have lost the art of a great conversation. Truly enjoying a beautiful moment with family and friends. We cannot put our phones down for a minute for fear of missing something important. We just have to know what our favorite celebrity had for lunch. Meanwhile, we are missing out on life. Real life. Not what we see on social media. We have lost the art of truly living.

Truly living is about spending time with loved ones. I mean actually looking them in the eye and having real conversations. Truly living is helping others. Truly living is watching a beautiful sunrise or sunset and not worrying about capturing the perfect picture, but instead embracing a beautiful moment. Truly living is visiting a friend dealing with the storms of life. Truly living is laughing with family and friends.

Please don’t get me wrong. I am not saying we need to toss our cell phones or laptops in the trash. Technology definitely has its place in our lives. But I am saying it’s okay to put your devices down sometimes and have a real conversation with the person sitting next to you. To truly live. ~OC

May 30, 2019 0

I Speak For Free

Since our book The Blessed Overcomer came out this past March, Laura and I have been fielding inquiries about speaking engagements. It has been exciting to share our story with an audience. I always love the interaction with a live audience.

Of course one of the first questions I get about speaking is how much do you charge? People are amazed when I tell them we do not charge for our speaking engagements. After they recover from the shock, I share that our story is really not our story. It belongs to God. Laura and I do not feel the need to charge at this time. If God tells us we need to charge for our speaking engagements at some point we will, but I do not ever see that happening. The only thing we will charge for is transportation and lodging if we have to travel. Oh and our book (I usually give away more than I sell).

So, if you or your organization is interested in hearing about our story of overcoming the storms of life, perseverance and embracing this crazy beautiful journey, feel free to contact me. Laura and I would be honored to share at your next event. ~OC

May 29, 2019 0

Challenges

Today’s a new day! Each day we face new challenges. How we choose to deal with those challenges makes all the difference in the world. ~OC

May 28, 2019 0

Beautiful Interruptions

I am often asked what are “Beautiful Interruptions”, that I encourage everyone to embrace? Beautiful Interruptions are about slowing down to see the needs of people around us. Beautiful Interruptions are about seeing a world that exists outside of our own little piece of the world. Beautiful Interruptions are about seeing a hurting world that needs a little extra love and encouragement. Beautiful Interruptions are about keeping things in perspective. I pray your day is filled with Beautiful Interruptions. ~OC

May 22, 2019 0

Questions for Todd

Today’s a new day! Here are some questions I get on a regular basis.

Does it bother me when people eat or drink in front of you?No. I enjoy hanging out with friends and meeting new ones.

Are you ever hungry or thirsty? No. I haven’t had an appetite or been thirsty in almost 4 years.

What happens when you try to eat and drink? I suffer a lot of pain, bloating, feeling full and nausea. That’s life with Gastroparesis.

What causes Gastroparesis? For me, it was caused by my Parkinson’s. There are many different reasons that cause gastroparesis.

Will you ever get your appetite and thirst back? Good question. No answer.

Are there any cures for the different health issues you’re dealing with? No, but there are medications and treatments. Unfortunately, a lot of the medications and treatments have not worked for me.

Do you think about dying? Nope! Too busy living out this crazy beautiful journey.

Have you tried natural medications? Yes. I have tried so many alternative/natural treatments. None of them worked for me. That doesn’t mean they might not work for someone else.

What sin do you have in your life that is causing your health issues? Yes, I have been asked this often. We all have sin in our lives. I serve a loving God. He is definitely not punishing me for any sin.

Have you ever lost your faith during your health journey? No. Have God and I had many conversations about my health journey? Yes. My faith has actually gotten stronger during this crazy/beautiful journey.

These are just a few questions I have been asked over the years. Never ever be afraid to ask me any question. I may not always have the answer, but we can still have a wonderful conversation. ~OC

May 20, 2019 0

Keep Overcoming

Today’s a new day! You will face challenges today. Some will be small, but some will feel overwhelming. I encourage you to overcome those challenges. I encourage you to look at past victories. You have overcome challenges before and you can do it again. It will not be easy, but I believe you can make it. Don’t back down. Don’t give up. Keep believing. Keep pushing forward. God is in control. He will be with you every step of the way. God can turn your challenges into opportunities. Embrace those opportunities. Keep Overcoming! ~OC

May 17, 2019 0

Health Advocate

I am a professional patient. Nothing I am excited about. Definitely nothing to brag about. It’s just a fact. The past 17 years, I have learned a lot about the medical field and being a patient. Of course, I didn’t learn all this overnight. My wife Laura and I have made some mistakes along the way. Listened to some doctors when we really should have been kicking them to the curb. In a nice way of course. The biggest lesson we have learned is you have to be your own health advocate. If you are not physically, mentally or emotionally able to take that role on, please find a trusted family member or friend to take on that role for you. You might need more than one advocate. Being your own health advocate or entrusting someone with that role is one of the best decisions you will make during your health journey.~OC

May 16, 2019 0

My Weakness

Today’s a new day! My weakness makes room for God’s strength. In times that are tiring and uncertain, when I feel I have nothing left in the tank, He shows up and reminds me that there is indeed nothing I can do…and He offers me his strength…because it is more than enough to carry this weight. ~OC

May 15, 2019 0

You Are

Today we begin a new week. The week might be filled with amazing moments, heartache or life changing experiences. Some things we will be able to control and some things will be totally out of our control. So as we start this new week, I wanted to share some encouragement with you. I pray the following will encourage you because they are true. You just have to make the choice to believe these words. ~OC

You are Unique & Special.

You are Strong.

You are Valuable.

You make a Difference.

You have Purpose.

God Loves You.

May 13, 2019 0

Mother’s Day

Today we celebrate Mother’s Day. A day to thank moms for all they do for us. I am thankful to still have my mom with me, but my wife lost her amazing mom 13 years ago. Mother’s Day is still tough for her. I am sure others can relate to her experience.

Today is Sunday, so many will attend church this morning. Most churches will have some type of Mother’s Day celebration. Maybe they will pass out roses to all the moms. Maybe they will recognize all the moms by having them stand up. All great things. Moms are awesome. They should be celebrated. But what about those women who cannot have children? Or those women who have lost children? How about those women who decided not to have children? I think churches have to be very sensitive in how they celebrate Mother’s Day. Today is a tough day for many.

Today, I encourage places of worship to celebrate all women. If you’re passing out roses, pass them out to all the women. Take time to recognize every women who is a role model, mentor, or godmother to many in her circle of influence. They are making a significant difference in the lives of many. Not every women has the title of Mother, but that does not make their contributions any less important. So let’s celebrate all women today. ~OC

May 12, 2019 0