Like a marathon, life has no timeouts, no halftimes or intermissions. God has given each of us a race to run. Each of our races are unique. How cool is that?  Go run your race! ~OC

Most athletes have rituals, something they do before an event or during the season. It might be eating the same thing on game day. It might be not washing their baseball cap during the season. I had some rituals I did before every marathon. Here are a few.

*The morning of a marathon, I would always watch the video of Team Hoyt (Dick & Rick Hoyt) with the song, “My Redeemer Lives” by Nicole C Mullen. These always gave me inspiration.

*I would watch the video, “That’s My King” by Dr. S.M. Lockridge. This always fired me up.

*The first song I would listen to when the race started was, “My Redeemer Lives” by Nicole C Mullen. It always helped me pace myself.

*At the 13.1 mark of the race, I would listen to “Livin’ On A Prayer” by Bon Jovi. That always motivated me to keep moving forward.

Those were just a few of my race-day rituals. I truly miss my running days, but I am happy God has me running a different race these days. It is a race to encourage others going through their own journey. ~OC

Hello!  If you have have questions about my crazy/beautiful health journey or you need some coaching tips about your own journey, feel free to contact me. It would be my honor to help you if I can. I am also available to come speak at your next event. ~OC

This crazy/beautiful health journey is not about me. It is not to show you how strong I am, for my strength comes from God. It is not to show you how great my faith is, for my faith is a gift from God. This journey is not about showing you how courageous I am, for my courage comes from God, exactly at the time I need it. Anything you see in me that is good is not of my doing, it is from Heaven. ~OC

My heart continues to be broken by the division and hate I see around the world. All you have to do is turn on the TV, social media or just walk out the door. That does not mean I am giving up.

This is not an old man, letting out my long complaint. But I do remember a time, not so long ago, that you could sit down and have a respectful conversation, while  disagreeing on a subject. You might not change their mind and they may not change yours, but you walked away still being friends or family. That has changed the past few years. These days, families and friendships are being split apart because of a difference of opinions. No longer can you share an opinion on social media and not expect to be attacked by someone because they have a different opinion. Seriously? What can we do to stop all of this craziness?

We could stop having conversations with people in which we disagree. We could leave social media or just post photos of cute animals. I do like those post. We could keep our opinions to ourselves. I do not like any of those suggestions. Oh, please keep the cute animal post coming, though.

How about this wild idea? We start respecting others’ opinions, even if we disagree. We can stop having rude interactions, back and forth, on social media. Instead, we actually meet in person and have a respectful conversation, listening to each other. We can actually explain our opinions, in person, instead of posting on social media, ricking it being taken out of context. Let’s have a real conversation, in person. What a novel idea.

Can we stop all this division by sitting down and talking face to face? Probably not, but it is a start. We will never get anything accomplished by yelling at each other on social media. Plus you are not restricted to a 140-character conversation, in person. ~OC

Hello! I pray everyone is having a fantastic week. I have been praying for you.

If you would like to connect with me on social media, here is where you can find me:

On Facebook: Todd OC Shoemaker (Blessed Overcomer), The Blessed Overcomer and Team Blessed Overcomer.

On Twitter: Todd OC Shoemaker (@toddeshoemaker), The Blessed Overcomer (@TheBlessedOC) and Team Blessed Overcomer (team_overcomer).

On Instagram: ToddEShoemaker, The Blessed Overcomer and Team Blessed Overcomer.

Feel free to come by and say hello. Have a wonderful and blessed day. ~OC

How do you pray for someone with an incurable illness? I have been asked that question many times in the past 16 years. You see, I am that person with several incurable diseases.

We should pray without fear. Whatever we’re feeling, we can trust that God hears our cries. I am grateful for all the prayers offered up for Laura and I during this crazy/beautiful health journey.

Over the years, I have been asked, by many, how they can pray for me. I think people are surprised with my answer. I never ask for healing. No, my prayer has always been that God would use me during this journey. Now, I never say no when someone ask to pray for my healing, but I am more concerned how I walk through this journey.

Two of the most important things you can do for someone needing prayer is to Listen and Ask. Listen carefully to the concerns of the person. Remember, this is not about you. Secondly, ask them how they would like you to pray for them. The answers may surprise you, but remember this journey is their journey, not yours. By doing these two things,  you are showing support and honoring them.

Praying for someone dealing with a incurable disease is not about your will. Praying for someone is about crying out to a loving and powerful Savior, acting as a living testimony to God’s promises that a terrible diagnosis will not have the last word. ~OC

So many wonderful people have been praying for my physical healing for the past 16 years. Prayers have literally come from around the world. Over the years, I have heard comments like “I am so sorry God hasn’t healed you”, “Maybe you need more faith” and my favorite “What sin do you have in your life, that is keeping God from healing you?”. Those comments used to bother me, but thankfully God changed my thinking. You see, God has healed me. Let me explain.

God has healed me in many ways during this crazy/beautiful health journey. During this long journey God has kept depression away. Depression can be a major issue with Parkinson’s patients. Not that I haven’t had some tough moments during this journey, but they have never lasted. That’s healing.

God has kept my marriage strong during this journey. Laura and I have heard about so many couples divorcing during a prolonged health battle. Thankfully, God has strengthened our marriage during this journey. I have been dealing with major health issues the majority of our marriage. That’s healing.

God has kept me from anger and bitterness during this journey. I made the choice early on in this journey to live the most positive life possible. It has not always been easy, but God has truly blessed me. That’s healing.

Unfortunately, when we think of healing we only think about physical healing. God is so much bigger than just physical healing. My prayer is that we will look at all forms of healing and rejoice when God meets those needs. ~OC

For the past 16 years, I have spent countless hours at doctors appointments and hospital stays. During those times. I have had the privilege to talk with so many hurting people experiencing life changing moments. I have had the honor to pray for people who would not see another year. I have rejoiced with fellow patients who had experienced a miracle in their health journey. I have never taken one of those moments for granted. None of those precious moments have been about me. I truly believe God has placed me in those moments to hopefully encourage someone. The truth is, most of the time I have been the one that was encouraged. I was the one who walked away feeling blessed. My prayer is that we never miss the opportunity to encourage others. It could be life changing. ~OC

One of my former pastors gave me the nickname “The Man Who Refuses to Die” years ago. Some people are shocked, angry or sad when they hear this nickname. Most of the time they have no idea what I have been through the past 16 years. They do not know my story. I love the nickname. I embrace it. The nickname means I am still here and overcoming all the odds. It means I am thriving. This crazy/beautiful journey has been a struggle. A lot of ups and downs. Some days worse than others. I mean, I have lost the ability to work, run, eat, speak or write. Thank goodness for technology. I do not say this for anyone to feel sorry for me. I urge you, please do not ever feel sorry for me. I am living the most blessed life I could ever imagine. A life of adventure. A life with true meaning. A beautiful life. I am still thriving because God still has purpose for my life. A life to love and encourage others. May “The Man Who Refuses to Die” continue to beat the odds. ~OC