Today’s a new day!
Good morning! Today, I discuss finding God’s peace during this crazy beautiful journey.
I would love to know if you enjoy these videos and would like me to share more of them on my blog or just stick to writing. Let me know.
To check out some of my past videos, go to my YouTube Channel The Blessed Overcomer. ~OC
I made one of the best decisions of my life twenty years ago. I had the honor of marrying my best friend Laura West Shoemaker. Oh, what a journey it has been. So many amazing moments and memories.
Laura and I met in January of 1999 and were married by September 1999. Crazy I know! I am sure a lot of people thought we were crazy when we exchanged our vows. Remember, we had only known each other for nine months. But we knew God had brought us together, to walk this journey called life as husband and wife. Of course, we had no idea what a crazy beautiful journey it would be.
Imagine being just a few years into your marriage and your life changing forever. That was what Laura and I experienced in 2002. Finding out that my body was beginning to betray me was life changing, but not in the way you might think. My health journey has been a struggle for both of us. At the same time, the journey has been an amazing gift. A gift Laura and I have decided to embrace with enthusiasm. Most days.
From the very beginning, Laura and I decided that my health struggles would not define us. Our story would not be a sad one. No, we made the choice to keep living. Not just living, but to truly Thrive in life.
Our faith has been a major part of our marriage. From the very beginning, God has been the center of our relationship. We did meet at church after all. God has walked with us every step of our crazy journey. Through the good times and the challenging times
From the highs of exchanging wedding vows twenty years ago to the continuing challenges of dealing with life threatening health issues in 2019, the journey has been one amazing ride. I would not change a thing. The good days and the challenging days have brought us closer together. This journey has been filled with so many amazing memories. No day or moment taken for granted. Each day celebrated. Each moment cherished. I am grateful God has allowed us to walk this crazy beautiful journey together. Let’s keep living this adventure and making amazing memories together. Love you girl! ~OC
As we travel this crazy beautiful journey called life, how many people do we meet that feel left out? The unseen. How many times do we walk by them on our way to the next big thing?
The unseen are all around us. The single mom trying to make it on her own. The student who just doesn’t seem to fit in at school or anywhere else. That person fighting for their life who feels all alone. Has someone come to mind as you read this blog post? Who in your life could use a friend? Someone to walk with during this marathon called life.
All of us have felt invisible at times. During those times, how amazing was it when someone reached out to us? Taking the time to stop and notice the unseen around us could be life changing. There are so many people who need just one person to reach out and acknowledge them. Will you be that one person? ~OC
Good morning God. Thank you for blessing me with another day. May my thoughts, words, attitude and actions reflect your presence in my life. Please bless and protect my family, friends and those around the world who are in need. Thank you for loving me on my worst day. Amen. ~OC
I ran my first marathon back in 2004. A year after having a tumor removed from my chest. I ran my last marathon in 2009. I did not stop running because I stopped loving it. No, my declining health made that decision for me. But even though I was forced to stop running physically, I have never stopped running the race God has mapped out for me. None of us should ever stop running.
A marathon is 26.2 miles. Did you get that .2? The race does not stop at 26 miles. If a runner stops at 26 miles they did not finish the race. A race only ends after you complete the whole 26.2 miles. During those long training days and the 26.2 mile race, a lot of lessons are learned. Not just about running, but about life. Let me share just a few.
The Race Is Longer Than You Think. Life is not a sprint; it’s a marathon. Remember the .2 of the 26.2 marathon? If we do not finish the .2, we have not completed the race. We cannot stop at mile 26. The marathon of life does not stop at 26 miles either. Life is a series of .2 miles. Our race does not end until God calls us home.
Don’t Take Shortcuts. When I was training for my marathons, it would have been easy to take some shortcuts. Take the short way home. Take something to help me on those tough days. Add some extra miles to my running log. The temptation is real to take some shortcuts or worse; to give up. We face those same temptations in life:
Your marriage is not going the way you hoped it would. You might be tempted to start the race over with some else.
Your job is not going the way you had hoped. The temptation to just quit and start over is real.
Your life is not going the way you hoped. Giving up seems so tempting. Please don’t do it.
As we are running this marathon called life, sometimes we feel the best answer is to quit and start over. But a new race brings its own struggles and heartache.
During those times we want to take a shortcut, start a new race or to quit, we have to turn to God and seek His guidance. We must allow God to get us back on track. To give us a new mindset.
Keep Running Until You Finish The Race. We can only finish the race, if we are running the race. So get off that couch and take the first step to your purpose in life. The marathon will not always be easy. I can promise you that. On those days, make the choice to take small steps.
A lot of people never see the awesome power of God because they refuse to hang in there on those tough runs. Giving up is easier.
As you run the race God has given you, I encourage you not to forget those .2’s. They might seem annoying, but those .2’s are a must in completing your marathon. So keep running. ~OC
Amazing song and video from For King & Country and the legendary Dolly Parton. ~OC
Life is tough. I am not telling you anything new. We all have faced challenging times during this journey called life. Sometimes we feel stuck. Maybe a little lost. Our heads get full of so many different thoughts. Anybody been there?
During those times, it is easy to become frustrated and forget God’s faithfulness in all seasons. Guess what? We do not have to live in frustration. We all have choices as we walk through these frustrating moments in life. We get to choose our perspective. Did you hear that? We get to choose frustration or choose to be thankful for what God has done and is doing in our lives. We have the choice to stay stuck in our current situation or look at the lessons God is teaching us during those difficult times. Not always an easy choice, but I encourage everyone to turn your difficult road into life changing training ground.
During my health journey, God has brought me into a greater place of worship, praise and devotion. To pray to God, that he would bring me through this journey in the way only He can. My attitude and the way I look at my current health situation is my choice. I have chosen to look at life with a different perspective. With a perspective of hope.
Will you make the choice to live with a different perspective today? The choice is yours. ~OC
Today’s a new day! God has promised to look after me…. to bring help. God, who defends me, who is far greater in strength than my health issues or anything life throws at me. God, who spoke and whose words caused the universe to be. His word are true and unfailing. If He promises something, He will deliver. ~OC
In 1619, slavery came to America. In December 1865, the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in America. In 1964, the Civil Rights Act was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. In 2008, America elected the first African-American President with the election of Barack Obama. America has come a long way in the 400 years since 1619. But have we come far enough? Yes, this post is about racism in America. For those of you tired of me writing about racism in America, you can skip over this post if you would like. But I hope you don’t.
When most of us think about racism in America, we think about the days of slavery. We think about the 1960’s and the Civil Rights Movement. A lot of people think racism ended with the passage of the Civil Rights Act. I wish that was the case. Sadly it’s not. In 2019, racism is sadly still alive and well in America. Let’s take a look.
In 2019, hate groups are on the rise in America. The latest report shows there are 1,020 active hate groups in America.
In 2019, some police officers are still stopping African-Americans for simply driving while black.
In 2019, people of color are still followed by some business owners when they enter a store.
In 2019, African-Americans are still held at gunpoint by some white people for simply being black. Even when that African-American is a police officer
In 2019, some white people still call the police on Africa-Americans for simply living life.
So how can we take steps to improve race relations in America? Here are some suggestions.
Do not be afraid to have conversations about racism in America.
Stand Up against racism when you see or hear it. Don’t be Silent.
Make sure your place of worship is having real conversations about race.
Visit and invest in African-American owned businesses.
Know your history. Visit African-American museums and civil rights site.
Pray. Ask God what you can do to help improve race relations in America.
These are just a few suggestions. Feel free to share and implement your own ideas. We have to continue having these conversations. Silence is not an option. At least not for me. ~OC
