Today’s a new day! Love the people around you. Love the life you have. Love the little things in life. Love the beautiful interruptions. Focus on and embrace love. ~OC
Life
Today’s a new day! Our wrinkles mean we have laughed and cried in life. The gray hair or lack of hair means we have cared for someone. The scars collected over the years means we have truly lived. Celebrate Living! ~OC
The Power of Groups
Today’s a new day! I believe committed individuals and a small group of passionate people can help change the world.
Let me remind you that Jesus chose a small group of disciples to share an example of what happens when a group of committed individuals come together for a greater purpose. If we follow just that example, we can see how a small group of people can change their communities and beyond. Just think, we are still talking about twelve individuals who came together and committed themselves to the cause of Christ, thousands of years later. Small groups are still the primary focus of most churches, especially ones that want to accomplish purposeful ministry.
I can look no further than my godson Ricky Aiken, who saw a need in his community and started Inner City Innovators (https://innercityinnovators.org/), which is not just making a difference in Ricky’s community, but communities across America. One person with a dream and some committed people to help him develop and create a life changing organization.
As we celebrate Black History Month, I think about some unknown heroes who were committed to the Civil Rights Movement. They are the individuals and families that opened up their homes to the leaders in the Movement because they were not allowed to stay in most hotels or restaurants in the South. These individuals and families offered food, rest, conversation and shelter to the heroes we read about in history. A group of unassuming individuals and families opening their homes and encouraging the Civil Rights leaders, as they led peaceful marches and protest across the south. Without these kind and loving souls, the bodies and minds of the great leaders of the Civil Rights Movement might not have carried on.
Small groups of humans, just like your friends or colleagues that gather for common themed conversations, have been changing the world since the days of the caveman. It is no surprise, at least now reflecting on each phase of my own life that every step I have taken to make an impact for the greater good has been in the company of a small group of people with similar questions, passions, ideas and the determination to take action.
What is your mission and purpose in life and who will sit around the table with you to help encourage and support your dream to make a difference? ~OC
“For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”” ~Matthew 18:20
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” ~ Margaret Mead
“While others hit the streets, marching, singing protest songs and risking arrest, these women made their contributions to the Civil Rights Movement in their kitchens.” – Rosalind Bently, Hostesses of the Movement
Facing Challenges
Good Morning! I do not have a date for when I wrote the following. But as I looked it over, I thought it was relevant to what so many of us are facing today. ~OC
Today’s a new day! There will be times in our lives that we will face challenges in life.
There will be times when we see blatant disregard for God’s Word even within the Christian community.
There will be a time when some Christians will choose political power over the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
There will be a time when Christians will be put in a position to stand for what’s right or choose to be guided by the allure of power.
There will be a time when Christians will need to step up for what’s right. Even if that means standing alone.
Sometimes, we will find ourselves in situations where we will need to decide if we will obey God or “follow the crowd”. Our decision will either glorify God or give the enemies of God an opportunity to scorn Him. It is very important to stand for what you believe in (especially if your conviction is coming from what God has clearly said); even when others have a different opinion or thought.
It Takes Courage
The truth is, standing alone requires courage.
It is important to know that courage is not the absence of fear; it is confidence in something or someone greater than the emotions of fear.
To stand alone, one must have confidence that obedience to God and His word will ultimately result in a superior outcome. We can always stand alone for truth, if we have this confidence in God and His Word.
Standing alone can definitely be hard, but certainly not impossible.
There are several examples of people in the Bible who towed this path.
In Hebrews 11:7, we see where Noah chose to believe God. God told Noah about bad things that would happen. Nobody could see what would happen, but Noah believed God’s message. He was careful to do exactly what God told him. He built a large ship to save his family. As a result of his faith, Noah showed that everyone else in the world was wrong. Noah himself became one of those people that God accepted as right with him.
Just imagine. It was only Noah and his family on God’s side against all of the naysayers on the other side.
But Noah did it. And if he did it, then we can too.
God’s Word Is Our Fortress:
When it comes to standing for what one believes in, it all starts and ends with what the Lord is saying – either through His revealed word or His spoken word directly to us.
God’s Word is the believer’s most powerful weapon against evil and it is his most potent fortress when it comes to standing alone.
Scripture is no doubt a deep source of strength. It has been my anchor in overwhelming situations that have required me to stand alone. I am a living, breathing testimony that standing alone with God is the best because you will always win.
Remember that when Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, He defeated Satan by quoting the Scriptures. In His response to the enemy’s first temptation, Jesus emphasized the necessity of knowing God’s Word, pointing out that our need for God’s Word is even more critical than our need for physical sustenance.
“But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ~Matthew 4:4
We must know the Word of God in order to stand alone for truth.
You Are Not Alone
When you are standing for what God says – which you have come to believe in, it may seem like you are all alone. But the truth is, you are never truly alone because God is standing with you. He promised to never leave us (Isaiah 43:1-5; Matthew 28:20)
Knowing this, we need to always turn to God for the grace and strength to face whatever may come.
Stand Strong! God is with us. I pray the following scriptures will give you hope:
Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love. ~1 Corinthians 16:13
Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you. ~Deuteronomy 31:6
Keep and protect me, O God, for in You I have placed my trust and found refuge. ~Psalms 16:1
This is what I told them: ‘Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!” ~ Jeremiah 7:23
“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” ~Isaiah 41:10
Dear God, we have chosen to obey you by standing alone for the truth, please help us to be courageous. Grant us grace and strength to face whatever may come and at the end Lord, please give us victory to the glory of your holy name. Amen.
The Battle
Good morning! Here is another post from “The Lost Writings of OC.” This was written in 2019. Have a great day!
I am a Warrior, Fighter, Conqueror and Overcomer. Some people do not like using those terms when talking about their health journey, but I embrace each of them. Because every day that I am blessed to wake up and make it through another day is a Victory. A Battle won.
The words “fighter” and “warrior” are often linked with our response to illness. I think it’s appropriate. I have walked the halls of hospitals, chemo rooms, hospice rooms and believe me each of those individuals were fighting a battle. Waging war against a disease that is trying to destroy every single part of their bodies.
As I have traveled my own crazy beautiful health journey, I have been blessed to meet and become friends with some amazing “Warriors.” I do not think any of us warriors would consider ourselves to be “inspirations.” Even though a lot of people like to put that term on us. No, we are just focused on making it through the tough moments of the day. The weeks. And for some like me, the years. We will leave all the “inspirational” talk to you.
For many the word “fighting” might sound exhausting. And it can be. There are some days I just want a break from this health battle. When this happens, I do not want to be told I’m inspirational and to “just keep going!” or “battle on!” I just want someone to listen. This is where I have found my “people in my boat” to be so helpful. Even though some have never had to walk through a health battle, they have walked through their own battles in life. One of my friends once shared “Just keep swimming, and when you can’t swim, just float.” Some days I just want or need to float for a while.
So I will continue to use terms like Warrior, Overcomer, Fighter and Conqueror. I believe these terms unite those living with chronic health problems. We will fight and overcome together. ~OC
My Last Post
Today’s a new day! I am going to let you in on a little secret. A lot of the post I share daily, were written months or even years ago. I had a series of writings I had put together over the years. On the post that were new, it could take me hours to write down my thoughts in a way that people could hopefully understand. Why am I sharing all this with you this morning?
Well, I come to the end of all the writings I had not shared with you over the last few years. And as my neurological issues have become worse, it has become harder to put my thoughts in order. Which can be very frustrating. So today is my last post of Today’s a New Day!
I have enjoyed sharing my thoughts with you over the years. I have enjoyed the conversations some of my writings have created over the years. I have enjoyed sharing my thoughts and life experiences with you since 2019. But as I mentioned above, with my health declining, it has become increasingly frustrating for me to write. I will not rule out sharing some of my writings in the future if my health allows and God puts something on my heart. But for now, it’s time to step away. Thanks again for all of the support over the years. Go share your story with others. Go make a difference in your part of the world. Blessings. ~OC
Believe Me…The Suffering Is Worth It
Today’s a new day! I’ve grown comfortable in my wilderness moments. The ups and downs of this crazy beautiful health journey is a place I no longer fear. I know how to operate here. I know how to encourage others that are walking through their own suffering . Because when you walk through enormous trials and God continues to show up in huge ways, you become changed by it. When you stand by people in places that conjure up feelings of death and God’s love swarms around you like it has in no other moment, you start to see even the worst pain differently. You start to see the beauty. The beauty that can be present even in suffering. That amazing message that I will never stop proclaiming because I believe in it with every fiber of my being. That God is present with us in the pain and the suffering of this world. And that He can use everything–absolutely everything–for our good and His glory. Even when it isn’t good in those moments of despair. Even when it feels like a million shades of awful. But remember, this wilderness place is never where our story end.
It’s a question that I have gotten a lot over the years, but I wonder if people actually really want the answer. The question is How could God allow me to walk through so much suffering? This is how I choose to answer that important question. Having a relationship with God and following Him for many years, I see more of His character each day I walk through this pain and suffering. I have experienced God’s outrageous love that has come through for me over and over and over again, in this long and winding road of suffering. I truly believe His ways and His timing are best for me. Let me ask you a few questions. Do you truly want an intimate relationship with God even if it means that enduring pain and suffering is part of the process? If it strips you of pride and idols and all the baggage that just continually brings us down? During my long health journey, I have learned that most people see the world through narrow eyes. They only see the temporal things. They see just what is in front of their face at any given time. And often what is staring back at them is so overwhelming–how could they possibly see anything else? But we have to look at the full picture standing in front of us. We have to think about how our stories ultimately ends.
Our God who gives us the choice of whether or not to love Him–because could we truly love Him if He didn’t give us that option? God is too big to accept that kind of response. He wants us. All of us. God wants us to love Him for who He is because He already loves us for all of who we are. And with the option to love Him also comes the option not to love Him. To go our own way and forge our own identity. We all have a will to choose, and we all at different points choose the wrong thing. And the world is broken and full of pain and how do we even begin to reconcile it all? How do we reconcile that God is still good? He promises to be our God. Our deliverer. Our Savior. Our refuge. Our strength. God promises that we are held safely in His everlasting arms. So why doesn’t He move those enormous mountains in our paths? Why does God sometimes make us take the slow and grueling climb to the top? The climb that eventually leads us up to the steepest peak where we can look below and see the landscape that was always there, but was just always over the next rise. The view that allows us to take it all in–the whole journey. To see both where we have come from and where we are going. The reality is, God doesn’t remove every single mountain in our path. He wants us to climb them. He wants us to put one foot in front of the other and feel our muscles trembling with every single step. We feel like we are drowning in our struggles and our sorrows and we cry out to Him for rescue, and the waves just get stronger. We forget that He already parted the seas for us. That our lives are not measured from one circumstance to another, but from His Son making the way for us and the forever that still awaits us. That there is another side to the mountain that we are climbing and the narrow road we walk is so much shorter than we could possibly believe. Every single step up the steep road strengthens our bodies and minds to continue the walk home. It can be hard, and it can be painful, and at times we fall over and feel like we could not possibly take another step. But it’s still the amazing road home. Will we make the choice to choose it anyway? Are you going to choose a road that is full of pain and sorrow and hurt? Because God shares throughout scripture, that suffering is part of the path. That suffering will always be a companion on our journey. That in this life we will be hated and slandered for God’s name and that by signing up to walk His way, we are signing up for some struggles and heartbreak. But would He ask this of us if it wasn’t worth it? Evil is running rampant throughout this world. This world can be full of so much pain and sorrow, and it is far too much to bear on our own. There are people all over the world struggling with more than we could possibly imagine, and why does God allow it? But would we know His goodness if He didn’t? Because there is a difference between allowing something to happen and condoning it. Approving of it. And if you spend anytime in God’s word, you will know that He so wholly and completely disapproves. He doesn’t like it anymore than us when we are faced with a huge mountain to climb in our journey –but He will use it. God will redeem it. He will show up and walk the road with us. Because God is good, and He wants the best for us. He can see more than we can and sometimes that means the hard road. Sometimes the hard road is the only road.
Evil is very real, but if we just focus on that part of life, we are missing the whole point. Because evil and wickedness don’t just offend God, they stand in complete opposition to God. He opposes it in every way–His perfect righteousness cannot stand for it. And He will get the final say over it. Ultimately, God will show just how much He does not approve of it. And the fact that God delays to set this world right is actually a mercy–it gives more time for people to come to Him. To choose Him. To take hold of the freedom that He gave us in the garden that we took and totally screwed up. Because as hard as it gets and as ugly and painful as the world may seem, God would not allow anything into our lives unless He knew that one day it would be worth it. That it is worth it when God leaves us in our tragedies. Because when He wages war on all that is evil, the fruit and beauty of our pain will be more than we could possibly imagine. The tears will turn into complete celebration because we will see–we will see what it was all for. Every sacrifice, every sleepless night, every painful moment and the utter senselessness of tragedy. Those very things will become our joy. We have to remember the full story. We have to remember that where we stand right now in this moment is not where our stories end. That our journey began in a garden full of promise and that the freedom that God gave us to love Him and choose Him, we took and turned it on its head and still He comes after us and promises to set it all right. God constantly gives us way more than we can handle, but He can. There is no situation or struggle that we walk into that catches Him by surprise. Including suffering. Including the worst of the worst. Including the darkest and loneliest nights. God is there. He never leaves us. God has already won. And the moments of our journey that we spend in the deep, shape us and allow us to become more like Him in the process. Because God would not lead us straight into the fire without knowing that it was worth it in the long run. And that is the beauty of it all. That as we step further into the darkness of pain and sorrow and still trust God in it, eventually He turns it all to light. The trials that turn into a testimony and a journey that becomes more than us being stuck in an impossible situation, but becomes about our Sovereign God and His strength and power that overcomes it. The deep that we despise becomes light for others walking their own path. The storms we walk into blaming God for and walk out of praising His name.
Remember, God has already won the war and is coming back to finish the final battle and get the final say over all the injustice and ugliness of this world. I, for one, would not have this deep relationship with God without the pain and suffering. Without walking through struggles. The darkest moments of my health journey have led me directly into His embrace. The storms that God allows even in all their heartache because He sees what we cannot see yet and knows that one day even we will find worth and meaning in those darkest moments. So the question becomes are we going to stand with God or against Him? Seeing the world as it is today and knowing what we know, are we going to choose God anyway? Even when all the pain and suffering doesn’t feel worth it, are we still going to trust that it is? Will we run straight into the deepest sea if it is the only way to get to God? Because over the steep rise of that mountain peak, there is beauty beyond measure. And just because we cannot see it yet does not mean that it is not there. Just like how the stars still shine in all their brilliance in the light of day, but only in the night sky can we take them all in. It is there. All the beauty and wonder and joy of our struggles. It’s at the end of this short and sometimes rocky road in the forever beyond. Believe me, it will be worth it. ~OC
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” ~Isaiah 41:10
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” ~Psalm 46:1
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” ~Hebrews 13:5
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” ~Romans 8:28
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” ~Psalm 23:4
Year of Reunions
Happy Friday dear friends! As I continue to run this crazy beautiful health journey, friendships continue to mean more to me than ever. I love when I am able to connect with the friends I have been blessed with over the decades.
As I have walked through this health battle, I have been to many funerals. It’s just part of the journey. At those funerals, many people gather to pay their respects, talk about how much the person meant to them and reflect on the good times. I often hear people share if they would have only had more time to share everything they wanted to share with their loved one or friend. Oh, do not forget about all the flowers. So many flowers.
As I thought about the above scenarios, it made me realize I do not want that to be my story. People gathering after I am gone and wishing they would have visited more or shared something with me. So here is my crazy idea for 2025. To everyone who calls me friend, let us all commit to getting together once a month to hang out and celebrate each other. Of course I realize some people would not be able to make every month, but if you could make it to a few gatherings throughout 2025, I would be forever grateful. For those that might not be able to make any of the gatherings based on geography, I propose we commit to meeting on Zoom once a month. No excuses for not being able to connect and share life together. We could even plan individual monthly phone calls if that works better for you. Based on my health, maybe we could do a few “Road Trips Reunions.”
As my health continues to decline and I deal with the new diagnosis of dementia, spending time with my friends becomes more important each day. So if you would be interested in making the “Year of Reunions” a reality, please let me know. We still have time in January to kick things off. Nothing fancy. Just friends getting together to celebrate friendships. Oh and no flowers required. Have a wonderful day. ~OC
My Room 378 Experience
Today’s a new day! As I sit in my comfortable recliner, in my comfortable apartment this morning, I have been praying and thanking God for guiding me through the last seven days in the hospital. There are still lots of questions, concerns and unknowns, but this early morning I am filled with peace. A peace that no person or circumstance can take away from me.
The past few months I have felt God wanting to have a deep conversation with me, but there was always some distractions that kept that conversation from happening. Then on New Year’s Eve, the last day of 2024, I was rushed to the ER with stroke like symptoms. After ruling out a stroke, the doctors decide to admit me for observation. Little did I know that this would be the time Jesus chose to speak to me. I wish I had the eloquent words to write down what I experienced on New Year’s Eve in room 378 that has filled me with peace, expectation and urgency. (If you want to know about my experience in room number 378, please contact me and I can share it with you). But just like the enemy likes to do, the next few days were filled with challenging moments. But as I sit here on January 7, 2025 at 3:14am, I am choosing to only remember the peace and awe I felt on the last night of 2024.
As I shared above, the experience on New Year’s Eve has filled me even more with a sense of expectation and urgency. Expectation that God is getting ready to do some amazing things, but also the urgency to share, pray, serve and write more. This experience has given me even more of a longing to share everything God has done and continues to do in regard to my crazy beautiful health journey. I want to experience even more of God’s freedom. I want to wake up each morning with delight for a new day.
As I have been up praying this morning, that sense of urgency has become stronger. I so desire for my life to have significance because of what Jesus has done and continues to do in my life. I feel laser focused on living out my days serving Jesus and others. This urgency has nothing to do with checking off a bucket list of some kind. Instead, I feel even more driven to create a legacy that points people to a relationship with Jesus.
During this twenty-two year health journey my priorities changed. My Room 378 Experience has changed me even more. I have never cared about spending money or time on material objects or activities that have no lasting impact on people’s lives. But that desire has grown even stronger. I want to conserve my time, energy, and resources for those activities that will leave an eternal imprint on my part of the world and on those God brings my way. I want to spend even more time in prayer for those I love and for this broken world.
I wake up every morning with a desire to encourage and love on people. I pray through my Room 378 Experience, that Jesus will show Himself through me even more in my little sphere of influence. Jesus put me with all my flaws, talents, life experiences, joys and sorrows, onto this earth for a reason – a purpose that He designed me to fulfill. I seek to savor each moment Jesus gives me to love and live for Him. That is my sense of urgency. It is my prayer every morning before my feet hit the ground that this day my life will not be spent in my own pursuits, but I will be a vessel for Him to touch those He places in my path. ~OC
The Christian Life
Today’s a new day! Many people look at the Christian life and think it’s full of do’s and don’ts. Some people think the Christian life is boring. That Christians are not allowed to have fun. Then there are some who think the Christian life is impossible to live. Waves of guilt and shame combined with not feeling good enough can create a life of constantly feeling inadequate and hating oneself. So many people fill their hearts and minds with lies that they just do not measure up. People allow their past failures to keep them from experiencing the greatest gift in life. A relationship with Jesus.
I hope this post will reveal how much God loves you and wants you to come to Him just the way you are. God accepts each of us in our present condition and circumstances. He doesn’t need a cleaned up version of us, to start working in our lives. Jesus died for us to make us whole. To transform our lives in beautiful and amazing ways. To experience a life filled with joy and overflowing love that fills us up with acceptance and belonging. That acceptance and belonging then flows over to those around us as mercy and grace pouring out over our every step.
The Christian life doesn’t require us to do more or check off a bunch of boxes. Rather, it exchanges our old life filled with a bunch of junk for God’s love, peace and transformation. A life that is filled with rest and not with more things to check off. This new life in Jesus is about love and belonging, not rejection. It is about being able to live in the impossible while accessing the strength of the One who created us to move forward.
Jesus also created each of us for relationships. First with Him and then with each other. But as we all know, relationships can often be messy and filled with drama. But God created us for relationships filled with joy, peace and everything we need to keep moving and to sustain us during the difficult seasons of life.
My prayer for each of you is that you will experience the transformation of God’s amazing love and forgiveness and never want to go back to your old life again. Please believe me, when I say no one is ever too broken, too exhausted, or too much of anything to experience God’s life changing love and to live out the life He intended us to live.
So do not hold back. Dive head first into the amazing life God created for you. Let us explore the peace and wonder of God together. United in our love for Jesus and each other. Let us live a beautiful life of serving the One who created each of us by serving others. Let us delve into this life together and help make our part of the world a better place. ~OC
The Blessed Overcomer 