Today’s a new day!
Today’s a new day! A lot of people want to achieve success in life, but are you willing to do the following:
Are you willing to fight through the excuses?
Are you willing to fight through the challenges?
Are you willing to fight through the negative talk?
Are you willing to put in the work?
Are you willing to make sacrifices?
Are you willing to give it all up for God? ~OC
Dear Jesus, please use us today in any way You see fit. As You guide our thoughts and actions, please use us to bless others and for Your purposes more broadly. Rather than seeking our own will, help us to align with Yours. Thank You, Jesus, for all You do for us. We pray all of this in Your powerful and matchless name. Amen.
Today’s a new day! As we move through the busyness of life, it’s easy to look around at everything we do not have instead of taking the time to slow down and be thankful for everything we do have in life. In the coming days and weeks, I want to focus on having an attitude of gratitude.
As I have walked through this crazy beautiful health journey, I have made the choice to be grateful for the lessons and blessings I have experienced along the way. I believe that decision has transformed my life and hopefully a few other people along the way. As a Christian, I have much to be grateful for. I have been blessed with the gift of salvation through Jesus, I have the Holy Spirit living inside me and I have a loving God who cares for me and provides for my needs. But if I am not careful, I can start taking these blessings for granted and focus on the things I do not have.
That’s why it’s so important for us to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Living a life of gratitude can have a profound and positive impact on our overall health and our relationships with others. ~OC
Today’s a new day! As we start this new week, let’s take some time to talk about vision.
“Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.” ~Proverb 29:18
Vision is the ability to see God’s plans concerning our future. Vision is revelation that gives life meaning, value, direction, significance and purpose. Vision holds endless possibilities of what could be and what should be. Without vision there is nothing that keeps our lives on track and we end up wondering through life with no purpose. Author and Educator Helen Keller once said, “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” If our vision is compromised, it’s like a boat with no rudder. We will aimlessly wonder around with no direction.
When we have clear vision it gives us the ability to imagine what our future might hold. Vision gives us the ability to dream big dreams. Living with vision gives us hope to make it through the tough days and moments in life. Vision inspires the depressed and motivates the discouraged. God created each of us for a purpose. Within that purpose is our vision for life. I believe purpose is knowing and understanding what God created us to accomplish in life, and vision is when we conceive it in our minds through faith and begin to live it out. Vision is a glimpse of our future that God has designed just for us. ~OC
Today’s Prayer:
Dear God, I pray you would bless each of us with vision and a purpose that can only come from you. I pray all of this in the matchless and powerful name of Jesus. Amen.
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Good morning! As I have walked this crazy beautiful health journey the last twenty-three years, I have had many moments where I needed a breakthrough from God. As we walk into a new week filled with new challenges, I want to share some things I have done when I needed a breakthrough at different moments in my life.
Pray: This may seem obvious, but sometimes we get so caught up in the roller coaster of life we forget to pray.
But prayer should never be our last resort. It should be the first thing we do when facing challenges in life. We also need to call on some trusted friends to pray on our behalf.
“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.” ~Psalm 130:5
Fast: When coupled with prayer, fasting is a powerful tool to use when you need a breakthrough. And fasting doesn’t mean you have to give up food. A fast is about sacrificing something, so you can clearly hear from God. He may asked you to give up social media, a hobby or tv. Some things do not break with just prayer alone. When you need a breakthrough, fasting is crucial to seeing it come to pass.
“So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.” ~Ezra 8:23
Build Your Faith: I’m just going to be straight up with you: Every breakthrough that I have personally experienced came from leaning into the promises of God. Thankfully, He is so gracious that He has not left us to figure out how to grow in our faith on our own.
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” ~Romans 10:17
Be Patient and Consistent: As I share this last point, I must warn you that breakthroughs can take time. The breakthrough you need may not come the first time you pray – or the hundredth. It may take weeks or even years. We cannot control the time, but we know that God can. He is always faithful. Our part is to stay consistent. So keep on praying. Keep on fasting. Keep on listening to the word. Keep believing in God. Your day of breakthrough will happen in God’s perfect timing for you.
If you’re waiting for your breakthrough the best thing you can do is remember that it will come at the perfect time. So press in to God and be patient. Your Breakthrough is coming! ~OC
Today’s a new day! Jesus didn’t choose the perfect or the polished. He chose the bruised and broken. Let that sink in for a moment. ~OC
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”
~ 1 Corinthians 15:10
Today’s a new day! Instead of looking at our scars in a negative light, make the choice to look at your scars as beauty marks. Our beauty marks help tell our story and lets the world know that God is faithful and is healing us every day. Let your scars shine! ~OC
Today’s a new day! Spoiler Alert: Facing struggles in our Christian walk is normal. In 1 Peter 4:12 we read the following, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.”
Throughout the Bible, we read story after story of Christians facing tough times and struggling. But we also read, that those struggles produced growth and many invaluable lessons were learned. As we walk through the tough times in life, it’s our choice how we respond to those challenges. Our struggles shape us. God wants to give us more than ease and comfort in life. He desires that we become more like Him. In order for that to happen, we must walk through seasons of suffering.
As I continue to walk through this very short journey called life, I have come to realize that this is the only time I will have the opportunity to glorify God in the midst of my struggles.
Here are a few questions God has put on my heart over the years, as I have walked my crazy beautiful health journey:
*Do I look at my current health struggles as a privilege and opportunity to grow and possibly help someone else walking through their own struggles?
*As I face trials and hardships, do I look at them as opportunities to honor God? To actually live by faith and not by sight. To truly be His hands and feet.
The pain I suffer as I deal with my current health issues is not fun, but through it all I am excited to hopefully honor God during this journey. Over the years, I have learned to count it a privilege to struggle well.
So today, as you reflect on this post and more importantly on your own life, do you consider the struggles you face in your Christian walk as a temporary privilege? ~OC
Today’s a new day! As you have walked through this journey called life, you have experienced storms and trials that have left some scars. As I have traveled through this crazy beautiful health journey, I have collected my fair share of scars. We all have scars. Some are visible and some are invisible to the public eye. Scars can be painful and most of the time we choose to hide them from the world. But the last few days, this question has kept coming to my mind, “How does God view my scars and how can He use them?”
When I look at the multiple scars across my body, I can recall the day they became part of my story. As I shared earlier, I have collected my fair share of scars over the years. But I believe our scars, whether physical or caused by deep trauma tell the story of of our struggles and how God has helped us overcome those scars.
As I look at the scars that dot my body, I truly believe God has great purpose for each one. I think our scars are meant to make us stronger. Each one has a story and a lesson behind it. I believe our scars are beautiful to God.
Our scars should be a reminder of what Jesus went through for each of us on the cross. And remember when we get to heaven, Jesus will be the only one who still has his battle scars. The scars Jesus suffered should be a constant reminder to us of His great sacrifice and love for us.
No matter how deep the scars whether visible or not, God loves us and can use our scars and our pain to help someone else dealing with their own painful wounds.
As we continue to walkout this journey called life, remember our scars are beautiful to God because He loves us more than we could ever imagine and He desires that we share His love and our scar filled stories with others. ~OC
Today’s a new day! ~OC
“This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.” ~Ephesians 3:11-12
What a wonderful privilege, that we can approach God with confidence. We are not begging servants, but we are His children.
Because of what Jesus did on the cross and through His blood, we have the right and the joy of stepping into His presence. Do not hesitate, come boldly and with confidence, His arms are wide open.
PRAYER: Dear God, may we know more of Your presence in our daily lives. May we have the courage and the boldness to approach You at all times and in every situation. In Your powerful and matchless name we pray. Amen.
The Blessed Overcomer 