Tag: Blessed Overcomer

National Caregivers Month

November is National Caregivers Month. I truly believe caregivers should be celebrated everyday.

For the last 17.5 years, my beautiful bride has been my caregiver. She has made a lot of sacrifices during that time. Besides being my caregiver, she has been my health advocate, chauffeur and cheerleader. I definitely could add more titles to the list. Laura has taken on each of these roles without complaining. This crazy beautiful journey has been tough on her, but she has handled it like the champion she is. I never take her love, support and sacrifice for granted. I do my best to celebrate her whenever I can. I also try my best to make sure she takes care of herself.

Too many caregivers are forgotten during the health journey of a loved one. Everyone is quick to asked about the patient, but we can never forget about the caregivers. They are the real heroes. Caregivers continuously make sacrifices that nobody notices. They sometimes put their life on hold to take care of a loved one. Most do it without complaining. So many caregivers walk this journey alone. Most would never asked for help. So many caregivers get lost in the journey.

That is why I wanted my bride to share her part of the story in our book The Blessed Overcomer. I wanted caregivers to know they mattered. That they are not forgotten. Laura’s story needed to be told.

I pray if you know a caregiver, you will not forget about them. I believe their job is much harder than the patients. There is no playbook on how to be a caregiver. Here are a few things we can do to help out a caregiver:

Check on them. Reach out to a caregiver and see how they are doing. Let them know they matter.

Give them a break. Asked if you can sit with the patient. This is huge! Most caregivers will not asked for a break, but it is so important for their wellbeing to have those breaks.

Volunteer to drive the patient to appointments. Based on my health issues, I am no longer able to drive. Friends from our church have taken it upon themselves to create a ride schedule to take me to my many medical appointments. This has been a huge blessing for Laura and I.

These are just a few helpful things you can do to help out a caregiver. They may seem small, but can be life changing. So if you know a caregiver, take the time to see how you can help them navigate their crazy beautiful journey. ~OC

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New Opportunities

I had to retire early from my career in the juvenile justice field. I was only in my early 40’s. Thankfully, God was not finished with me. In the past ten years, God has allowed me to take on several new roles. Here are some of the opportunities God has blessed me to be part of:

Abolitionist

Missionary

Blogger

Encourager

Author

Thought Leader

Speaker

Prayer Warrior

Health Advocate

Blessed Overcomer

Ten years ago, I could have allowed my health issues to become my identity. But God had other plans for me. I had to make the choice to keep living and thriving. I pray you will make the choice to look past your current circumstances and choose to keep thriving and making a difference. ~OC

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Love This Photo

I love this photo a dear friend sent me. I am thankful for the amazing people God has surrounded me with during this crazy beautiful journey. ~OC

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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

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My Future

Good morning! Based on my current health status, several people have asked if Laura and I will be doing any speaking engagements or book tours? At this time, I am still planning on speaking if the opportunities present themselves and doing any book related activities. I am not going to allow my current health status stop me from living life and making memories. So, if you or anyone you know is interested in hearing more about my journey, feel free to contact me. I pray everyone has a beautiful and blessed day. ~OC

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