Category: Uncategorized

To The Person I Lost,

Dear Person I Lost,

You are missed every day. It’s hard knowing I will never hear your laugh again. I will miss your encouraging text. I will miss celebrating the holidays with you. I will miss celebrating life with you. I wish you would have reached out to me. I wish I would have reached out to you more. I try not to blame myself. I know I wasn’t the problem, but it’s still hard.

I go through most days asking a lot of questions. Could I have done more? Could I have asked more questions? Why didn’t I asked those tough questions? Why didn’t I say yes to more lunches, instead of always being too busy? I am sorry. I hope you know I really care for and love you.

I go through moments of being angry with you because you chose to leave us. I wish you would have fought harder. But then I realize how hard you did fight. How hard you tried to live.

I am happy you are not suffering anymore, but how I wish you could have found that healing here on earth. I know you tried.

I am sure the days will get easier, but it will take awhile. I will seek God’s guidance, comfort and strength. I know that’s what you would want. I will carry on until we meet again.

Finish Strong,

From the Person Who Misses You

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LOVE

The Bible mentions Love between 500-800 times based on the translation. I guess love is pretty important to God. It’s kind of like when your mom would use your full name. You knew she was serious. So I think love is pretty important, if the Bible mentions it hundreds of times.

Today the word love is tossed around so causally. We love our sports teams. We love the latest music from our favorite artist. Who we love by the way. We love our favorite tv show. And who doesn’t love Taco Tuesday? We love everything. Or do we?

Do we love the homeless person begging for money, food or a job at the stoplight?

Do we love the refugee?

Do we love the person who worships differently than us?

Do we love the person who speaks a different language than us?

Do we love the atheist?

Do we love the addict?

Do we love those in the LGBTQ+ Community?

Do we love the Democrat?

Do we love the Republican?

Do we love the Independent?

Do we love the person who’s opinions are different from ours?

Do we love our neighbor?

How did you answer those questions? Did you cringe a little as you read through those questions? When I read the scriptures, I do not see where God looked down on any of the groups above. I do not read where He avoided them. I do not read where He judged them. No, when I read God’s Word, I see where He loved them unconditionally. Are we doing that? Are we at least trying?

Today, I would encourage each of us to examine what Love truly means in our lives. Are we living out the true meaning of Love? ~OC

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Selfless Love on 9/11

Today, we remember that Tuesday morning eighteen years ago. Hard to believe, it has been eighteen years since we watched in horror as the tragedies of that day unfolded. There was a lot of hate perpetrated that day. Hate that not only changed the lives of many families, but the life of a nation. But as we reflect back on that Tuesday morning, I hope we will remember there was a lot of love happening that day.

The Man In The Red Bandana. Welles Crowther, a 24-year old equities trader is credited with helping at least a dozen people get out of the South Tower of the World Trade Center. This young man gave his life helping complete strangers.

Let’s Roll. A group of strangers came together to take back United Flight 93, preventing further mass destruction.

Put Back On The Uniform. Retired US Marines, Jason Thomas and David Karnes were complete strangers at the beginning of that Tuesday in September. But as they watched in horror what was transpiring at the World Trade Center, they put their uniforms back on and headed into the chaos. They are credited with saving two survivors.

More Than a Tour Guide. Army Specialist Beau Doboszenski was working as a tour guide at the Pentagon on 9/11. He gave medical aid to the injured outside and rushed into the Pentagon to help others trapped inside.

These are just a few stories of heroism from that Tuesday in September. As we remember and pay respect to all the victims of the 9/11 tragedy, let us not forget there was a lot of selfless love happening on that tragic day. ~OC

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What My Crazy Beautiful Journey Has Taught Me About Living

When people meet me, they are always amazed how positive and upbeat I am. I have been asked more times than I can count, why I am not depressed? Doctors love asking that question. I guess people just think I should be hiding under the covers and living in pure devastation. Obviously they have never met me.

No, I have decided to live a life full of adventure and gratitude. It is a choice I have to make on a daily basis. Sometimes a hourly basis. I made the decision early on in this crazy beautiful health journey, to not allow my health issues to consume me. Not let it become my identity. I made the choice to be grateful for all the blessings I have experienced on this journey. That has truly been a life changing choice. Choosing to live with a heart of gratitude has allowed me to remain upbeat and full of joy. Yes, there are still some very tough days, but the blessings far outweigh the negatives of this journey.

I have also found that writing and talking about my journey has been very healing. It has also given my family and friends permission to ask about my journey. That has been important for everyone.

Humor has also been positive. If you know Laura and I, you know our humor tends to be on the dark side. And we do not apologize for it. Laura and I have been given the stink eye more than once when it comes to our dark humor. Our humor is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it works for us. Hey, if you don’t like it, go get your own life threatening health issues.

This crazy beautiful health journey has taught me that when I am truly living, I do not have the time to worry about the negatives this storm brings.

During this journey, God has also revealed his purpose for my life. It’s pretty simple. My purpose is to encourage and love others. Not just people who look and think like me. No, that would be easy. No, God has called me to encourage and love everyone He brings my way. That is not always easy, but the blessings have been unbelievable. I love this crazy beautiful journey God has me traveling. I would not change a thing. ~OC

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Dear Todd,

This blog post is a letter to my younger self. To that younger me, when my crazy beautiful health journey started. You are welcome to join me on this journey.

Dear 2002 Todd,

Hello 2002 version of myself. You are about to start a crazy beautiful journey. Today, you cannot see the beauty. At this moment, you are in shock. You and your bride are trying to process everything the doctors have told you. Did that doctor really say I could be in a wheelchair in five years? Or worse. How could this be happening? So many questions. You are definitely not seeing the beauty at that moment. But hold on. The journey is just starting. You have no clue what a journey it will be. That is a good thing. You would not be able to handle it. Your life is going to change dramatically the next 17 years. Yes, 17 years. And counting. Just a quick side note. Everything is going to be okay. I promise.

Yes, the journey will be a long one. But hey, it’s 2019 and your still not in a wheelchair or worse. Oh by the way, you and Laura also fired that doctor. You two will get pretty good at being patient advocates. And not just for yourself. That will be one of the blessings birthed out of your journey. Believe me, you are going to add a lot of job titles to your resume the next 17 years. You will also become a Runner, Abolitionist, Missionary and a Speaker. Just to let you know, you will not be paid financially for any of those titles. Those will all be passion projects. And guess what? You will love it! But in 2002, you cannot even imagine how God could use your journey. That is a good thing. You would be overwhelmed by it all. At this moment, you are just trying to get back to a normal life. You will experience many “new normals” along this journey. Those will be tough to understand, but God will walk you through it. You and God are going to have some amazing conversations at 1am over the next 17 years. You might not appreciate those 1am discussions at first, but you will come to cherish them. I promise.

Hey 2002 Me, this journey is not going to be easy. Your body is going to be beat up beyond what a person can take. But remember you serve a God who is bigger than any storm you will face. There will be times you will doubt that, but God will still be faithful. I promise He will never leave or forsake you. In those dark moments you will face over the next 17 years, God will constantly remind you of His loving presence. Remember those 1am conversations with God I told you about? Those conversations will help you get through those dark moments.

I am going to let you in on a little secret. During this crazy beautiful journey, you are going to be blown away by your bride. Laura is going to become a total rockstar. You have no idea how strong she is. But believe me, you will be blown away by her strength and love for you. Do not ever take her for granted. Do your best to love her well. Your marriage will become stronger during this journey. You will see other relationships crumble under the pressure of health issues. So make sure to thank God for your bride every morning.

The 2002 version of yourself, is also going to be blown away by the friends that are going to walk beside you during this journey. You have no clue how loved you are. I am not joking. There will be multiple times over the next 17 years, you will face death. During those moments, you will have people from around the world praying for you. You will have so many friends surrounding you and Laura during this journey. You will learn the meaning of true friendship along this journey. Sometimes those lessons will be hard because some of your friends will walk away during the journey. Don’t worry, God will help you during those tough moments.

During your journey, God is going to bless you with a beautiful medical team. They will become like family. They will save your life on more than one occasion. Make sure you always treat them with love and respect. Because you will learn first hand how hard they work.

You cannot see it now, but there is going to be this thing called Social Media that will explode upon the scene. You will reject it at first. A lot of people will. But you will come to embrace it. You will not only embrace it, you will use it to tell your story and encourage others. Oh yeah, your story. Let us talk about that.

You will go from not wanting anyone knowing about your health issues, to sharing your story with the world. Guess what? You and Laura will even write a book about your journey. I know! You of all people will write a book. And your mom will not be the only person buying a copy. Your story is going to encourage so many people. Promise me you will never think the story is about you. Make sure you always give God all the praise and glory. Promise.

There will definitely be some sad moments along the way. You and Laura will both lose a parent during this journey. I promise God will get you through those tough moments. I pray you take the time to properly grieve during those times. Do not be afraid to asked for help when needed.

There will be some amazing moments during your crazy beautiful journey. You and Laura will decide to truly embrace each day. You will learn to love well. You will learn to think outside of the box. You will be forced to step out of your comfort zone more than once. You and Laura will take adventures that you are only dreaming about right now. You will be given the incredible gift of truly thriving in life.

Dear 2002 Todd, this journey will not be easy. Part of me is sorry about everything  you will face the next 17 years. But a bigger part of me is so excited to see everything you are going to experience. The person you will become. Do not get comfortable with the 2002 version of yourself. In the next 17 years, you will not recognize him. And that is a good thing. I promise all the pain and loss is going to be worth it. Just keep your eyes on God and see what He is going to do. Plus you are going to get some really cool nicknames. Enjoy the ride!!!

Finish Strong,

Todd “OC” Shoemaker 2019

 

 

 

 

 

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Passion Bucket

A lot of people talk about having a Bucket List. Almost everyone can mention at least one thing on their bucket list. I used to have a bucket list. But as I have walked this crazy beautiful health journey, my bucket list has become my Passion Bucket.

For me, a Passion Bucket is more personal. Has deeper meaning. This year my wife Laura and I have been marking things off my Passion Bucket. Today we mark another item off my list.

Laura and I have been camping out at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia. We have been here since 11pm last night. You might be asking yourself, why would Todd and Laura hangout at a church in the middle of the night. In Plains, Georgia of all places. Well, let me tell you. Laura and I are big fans of former President Jimmy Carter. I believe he is the greatest former President ever. President Carter has been teaching Sunday School for many years. Today, Laura and I will be sitting in on President Carter’s Sunday School class. This has been in my Passion Bucket for many years. We are beyond excited.

I would encourage each of you to live out your Passion Bucket. Do not allow the busyness of this world keep you from marking amazing items off your Passion Bucket. ~OC

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Three Simple Words

Good morning! Another week has come to an end. It was a busy week in my neck of the woods. We faced the uncertainty of being hit by a hurricane. I also faced the challenges life brings on a daily basis. I am sure you can relate to that one. This week, I saw the good and the bad in people. I bet you can also relate to that one.

As I went through my week, God kept sharing three words with me. Three words that seem so simple, but are so difficult to live out at times. Hard to live out because we are so consumed with the busyness of living. Hard to live out because some people have never experienced these three words truly being lived out. Hard to live out because we have bought into what the world says about these three words. But if we could truly live out these three simple words, our lives and this world would be so different. Are you ready for this mind blowing revelation? Here we go. The three words God laid on my heart this week were, Simply Love Others. I know, your mind is blown. I will let you recover before I go on. Are you okay? Can I finish up?

Simply Love Others. Three simple words, that could radically change the world if we truly lived them out. Are you ready to truly live out these three simple words? I know I am. I also know I will continue to fail miserably at times. I will apologize when I fail to live out these three simple words. I will ask for forgiveness when my words and actions fail to live out these three simple words. Even when I fail, I will keep trying. I will never stop trying to live out these life changing words. Will you join me in Simply Loving Others? ~OC

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You and I

As we turn on the news, scroll through social media or just walk down the street, we see so many heartbreaking things happening around us. We see and read about homelessness, gun violence, human trafficking and substance abuse. The list could go on and on. We pray about these issues and we ask God to bring help. Not only do we pray, but we demand that our elected officials do something about these and other issues our communities are facing. We cry out to God to please bring someone to help those that are suffering. Oh Dear God, why are you not answering our prayers? Has anyone else but me had these thoughts and prayed these prayers?

Guess what? Sometimes you and I are the answer to the those prayers. Wait, what? That’s right, God wants you and I to help the homeless. God wants you and I to help end gun violence. God wants you and I to help end human trafficking. God wants you and I to help end the substance issues in our communities. God wants you and I to help change our communities. Mind blowing isn’t it? Not really.

God has always used His people to help make the world a better place. A lot of times we are just not listening. Or we cannot believe God could use us to make a difference. But God is looking for us to be His hands and feet. We just have to be willing to stand up and answer the call. Because sometimes God will use you and I to answer our prayers. ~OC

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Joy

Today’s a new day! Our joy is not rooted in our current or past circumstances. Our joy is rooted in God. We can lift up our praises to Him, even when life is full of challenges. ~OC

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