Tag: Comfort Zone

A Season In The Wilderness

Today’s a new day! Why does God allow us to walk through seasons of being in the wilderness? I have asked that question hundreds of times over the years. Especially when I have wrestled with fear and doubt. I have wondered how long would I have to walk through the wilderness and if I would actually make it out. The wilderness is not only a physical place, it illustrates a season of darkness and struggle. A time when life feels overwhelmingly heavy and everything looks dark.

For over two decades, I have walked through a season of health related issues. During this roller coaster ride, I have cried out to God on numerous occasions. Thankfully during the twist and turns of this journey, I have experienced being wrapped up in the strong and loving arms of God. Leaning into His promises. The past twenty-two years have not been easy. There have been some tough, lonely and dark moments. Yet as I have studied God’s word and experienced in my own journey, He meets us in the wilderness more than anywhere else in life. In the wilderness, we learn to depend on God, we sense his presence and we grow to love his word.

The children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. Can you imagine? This time in the wilderness came after a great victory, as God parted the Red Sea so they could escape the pursuing Egyptian army that were chasing after them (Exodus 14). Yet even this stunning display of God’s awesome power wasn’t enough to maintain the Israelites loyalty and trust. No, they soon doubted God’s beautiful provision and complained. Can anyone relate? God then took the Israelites deep into the wilderness where he taught them about himself.

As the Israelites entered the wilderness, they had no way to provide for themselves. During this season they fondly recalled their days in Egypt, even though they were slaves and life was extremely hard. But life in Egypt was also predictable. Now as they walked through the wilderness, life was anything but predictable. Yet even in this season of uncertainty, God took care of the Israelites. When they were hungry and thirsty, God gave them manna to eat and brought water from a rock. (Exodus 16-17) They lacked nothing. Did you catch that?

During this crazy beautiful health journey, there have been days I could not provide for myself. During this season of challenges, God has always provided. When I was unable to drive, friends would take me to my appointments and treatments. Others would drop off meals, so Laura would not have to worry about cooking. God has blessed Laura and I with some amazing people during this season.

As the children of Israel walked through the wilderness, they not only depended on God for their physical needs, but they also needed him for direction. They had to keep their eyes on God because without his guidance, they didn’t know where they were going. God went before them, as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night so that they would know when they had to leave and where they were supposed to go(Exodus 13:21-22). They were not given any instructions beforehand so they couldn’t make plans. The Israelites were forced to wait for God, only moving when he moved. During my health battle, I have chosen to only move when God tells me to move. My journey has been filled with many earthly unknowns, but God continues to guide my daily steps. I continue to keep my eyes on the promises of God.

One of the greatest gifts I have experienced during my wilderness experience is God’s presence. It is real and deeply intimate. I know He is with me. Every day I sense God’s love and comfort. In the wilderness, I feel God’s presence in ways that I can’t experience elsewhere. It is one of the elusive treasures of darkness. (Isaiah 45:3)

During their wilderness experience, God taught the Israelites to listen to his word. They learned that “man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deut 8:3). Through this wilderness journey, the Israelites learned that while manna was important, God’s word was essential. His words satisfied and sustained them in the desert in ways that food never could. In Jeremiah 15:16 we read, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart.”

God’s word is what has sustained me as I have walked through my health journey. I have learned to love God’s word in a deeper and more life changing way. God has spoken to me as I have studied the Bible, prayed and leaned into his promises. God’s word has provided me with direction, strength, comfort and peace during my toughest days.

This crazy beautiful health journey has definitely not been easy, but it has been priceless in so many ways. I have learned to trust God more and myself less. I have learned that God will always provide for my every need, though he often redefines what I need. I have learned to love God and his word more clearly.

So today, if you’re walking through your own wilderness experience do not give up. In this season, God can teach you his ways, provide for your needs and draw you closer to himself. I promise one day you will see how God used every minute in the wilderness to illustrate his glory and to maximize your eternal joy. Stay strong and keep thriving. ~OC

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Be Real!

Today’s a new day! I have always loved the honesty of people in the Bible. As Jesus endured the cross, he cried out, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” The Psalms are filled with brutally honest stories about God’s absence. Then you have Job.

The point here? God is not some angry old man yelling at us to get off his lawn. He is not waiting to strike us down with his holy stick when we express honest emotions.

In fact, I think the opposite is true. God wants us to be honest. Let’s keep it real. Some days life really does suck. At times I get frustrated with God about my health journey. And that’s okay, I believe. That’s part of what it means to be human. Difficult times are opportunities to be more human, more whole. More real. Must we be careful not to allow our anger to become sin or our identity? Yes. But suppressing emotions because they’re negative doesn’t make us a better Christian. It makes us less human, less holy and less receptive to growth. So never be afraid to be real with yourself, others and most importantly with God. ~OC

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Take a Risk

Today’s a new day! As I was praying this morning, God brought a phrase to my mind. That phrase is “To love is to risk.” With everything going on in the world, that phrase really spoke to me. I had to asked myself, Do I take enough risk in loving people? Do I take enough risk in letting people love me back? Do I take enough risk in reaching out to those I would not normally reach out to and love them – love them like Jesus would love them? Am I happy not to risk being rejected and just sit in my comfort zone and only love those around me I am comfortable with?

Taking risk can cost:
To reach out for one another is to risk involvement.
To expose one’s feelings is to risk exposing your true self.
To place your ideas, your dreams before people is to risk their loss.
To live is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.
To hope is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.
But I believe risks must be taken,  because the greatest pitfall in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing,  has nothing,  is nothing.
They may avoid loss, suffering and hurt, but they miss learning, growing, and truly loving. 
Chained by their fear a person who refuses to take risks, misses out on freedom. Only a person who takes risk in life is truly free.

I choose to be a risk taker. I do not want to be someone who risks nothing,  does nothing,  has nothing,  is nothing. I want to be free – free to go and love on people no matter how they respond. Free to risk showing love, hope and forgiveness even if I am not shown this in return. Free to reach out to people even if it does risk being rejected. I want to love even if it comes with risk. Who will join me?

The light of God’s love shined within us when he sent his matchless Son into the world so that we might live through him. This is love: He loved us long before we loved him. It was his love, not ours. He proved it by sending his Son to be the pleasing sacrificial offering to take away our sins. Delightfully loved ones, if he loved us with such tremendous love, then “loving one another” should be our way of life. ~1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭

What would the world look like if we all took the risk and truly loved people – all people no matter their color, their political beliefs, spiritual beliefs or their cultural background, the kind of love we as Christians are called to show to all around us? I just wonder. ~OC

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Memories Along the Journey

Today’s a new day! As I have traveled this crazy beautiful health journey, I see things differently than I used to. Some life experiences and hopefully a little wisdom. My physical memory can be a bit tricky with the neurological issues and Long Covid issues, but my heart memory is in great condition. While I often forget day to day things, I am constantly remembering things that are far more important.

I remember the day I met my bride and how life has never been the same since. So many amazing memories.

I remember the beautiful friends God has blessed me with since childhood. So many amazing memories.

I remember that I need to be… want to be…. a man of honor and integrity. Hopefully a man of compassion and generosity. Because one day, I will become a memory in the lives of those that I love and I want those memories to be ones they will cherish.

I remember that the pursuits of this world… fame, fortune, power, position, success (whatever that means)… are not at all important. They’re just not.

I remember that I need to tell Laura and other loved ones every day that I love them. Not just tell them but show them because life is short. I never want to miss an opportunity to let my family and friends know what they mean to me.

This health journey is not an easy one. People often tell me how well I handle all that has been thrown at me, but the journey has not been easy. This journey has been and continues to be filled with tough moments. My health journey has definitely been an inconvenience in so many ways. It is something I would never wish on anyone. But while I continue to walk through the challenges of this health crisis, there are good things that can be taken from it. Lessons learned and hopefully more lessons to come. Some amazing memories made and hopefully many more memories to be made.

As I continue to walk this journey, I will never allow it to consume me. It will never become my identity.

I love the words in Genesis 50:20:
You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. Don’t you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good, as you see all around you right now – life for many people.

I have an opportunity in front of me that most people rarely get. I have had the opportunity to reclaim life from a place where there is usually death.
That makes me one of the most blessed individuals on earth. ~OC

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Purpose and Goal

Today’s a new day! People want to be successful in life. Very few people, if any set out to fail in life. While there is nothing wrong with being successful, we must understand our motivation for our various pursuits.

Whenever I start a new undertaking, I try and ask myself “What is my purpose?” What is my end goal?”
When we start a new adventure —a career, relationship, hobby it’s normal to ask ourselves: Is this going to work?
Is it going to be successful? But we have to be honest as to what we’re hoping to accomplish. I’m reminded of the words from 1 John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” Powerful words. 

If my sole purpose is to gain my own fame and glory, then I am no different than the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. 
Jesus told the Pharisees that they had their reward because they were most concerned over acquiring the praise of people. This does not mean God wants us to fail in our pursuits. No, God wants us to be successful in our endeavors, but we must always check our motives. What is motivating us? What is our purpose?

I believe it’s important to do a self inventory of our lives on a daily basis. A heart, mind and soul checkup. “What are we chasing after in life?” And more importantly “Why are we chasing it?”
If my life is all about me then I cannot shine the spotlight on God and give Him the glory.

If someone were to ask me what is my purpose in life and what is my end goal, this is what I would share. I want to connect with others who crave a deeper relationship with God, who truly want to live out the words we read in the Bible. People who truly want to serve others and be the hands and feet of Jesus. I want to embrace life with people who are not satisfied with being “okay” and “fine” every day, people who are willing to challenge the status quo. People who are willing to step out of their comfort zones to help change the world. People who truly want to draw closer to God.

As I have walked through this twenty plus year health battle, I have experienced the overflowing abundant life that Jesus came to give each of us. I would love to share this experience with others on our journey from earth to eternity. That’s my goal. My purpose in life. What about you? What are you pursuing and for whose glory are you aiming—yours or God’s? ~OC

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Are You Ready For Revival?

As I continue to reflect on my time at the Asbury Revival, the fire for revival in my community as grown stronger. But what does that look like? As I have been praying, here are some things God has placed on my heart.

*Before revival can come to any community, there must be an increase in prayer. You might say a Revival of Prayer. We must make prayer a priority. Stay in prayer.

*We must sacrifice some things in our life. Instead of binge watching a tv series, take that time to pray. Sacrifice some worldly pursuits to truly hear from God. Stay in prayer.

*Make a new commitment to reaching a lost and hurting world. We must be willing to step out of our comfort zone. Lean into Jesus. Stay in prayer

*Ask God to reveal the sin in your life and then truly repent. Stop carrying your sin around like a backpack. Leave your sin at the Cross. Stay in prayer.

*Ask God to transform your life. Seek His purpose for your life. Walk it out. Stay in prayer.

*Stop being so busy with the things of this world. We are easily distracted from praying. Now is the time to pray and hunger after the things of God. Stay in prayer.

*Believe in the power of God. Expect Him to answer your prayers. Believe that God wants to bring revival to your community. Stay in prayer.

*Revival starts with us. It starts in our hearts. Be serious about praying and seeking God’s guidance. God wants to move in his churches and communities. Stay in prayer.

Are You Ready For Revival? ~OC

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My Asbury Revival 2023 Experience

When revival broke out at Asbury University, I watched with excitement from my home in South Florida. The more I watched, the more I felt the Holy Spirit telling me to attend. So I texted several people and asked who was up for a road-trip. Thankfully one friend responded and we quickly planned our trip. My friend and his youngest son jumped in a SUV on Sunday morning February 19th and made the 14 hour drive to Asbury. My friends wife joined us later that evening. We were excited to see how God was moving in Wilmore, Kentucky. We wanted to experience what God was doing at Asbury. I am grateful we did.

On Monday February 20th, we drove over to Asbury University. Once we entered the campus, you could feel the power of the Holy Spirit. So many people from around the world had already come to experience the revival and Monday was no different. The lines to enter Hughes Chapel went on for miles. As the four of us got in line, the power of God’s presence was overwhelming. We all started sharing what brought each of us to this quaint little town in Kentucky. Like me, most people felt called by God to make the trip. We each wanted to experience the power and love of God. One key theme I kept hearing was Unity. Those I met in the line and those I met as I walked around the grounds talked about the importance of unity. No one cared about your denominations or political beliefs. Everyone wanted to hear why you attended the revival and how God was working in your life. As much as I enjoyed praising God inside Hughes Chapel, the stories in the line touched me in a powerful way.

As I reflect on my experience at the Asbury Revival, God put a few things on my heart. I believe over time, God will reveal more from this amazing experience.

  1. Revival truly did break out at Asbury. God was very present.
  2. Those of us who attended the Asbury Revival have a responsibility to share our experience and pray for revival in our own communities.
  3. This was not just another religious event. God was moving in a powerful way at Asbury. This was a life changing experience for all who attended.
  4. We must continue to pray that revival spreads across America and the world. We cannot let this moment slip away. We must lean into God and see how He wants to use each of us in the coming days, weeks, months and years.
  5. As Christians, we have to stop using excuses. God wants each of us plugged into our local churches, ministries and communities.
  6. Our worship should never be a performance. Worship should be glorious and simple.
  7. As Christians, we cannot be confined to the four walls of the church. We must be the hands and feet of Jesus outside those four walls.
  8. Every Christian has a role in God’s Kingdom. He blessed each of us with different talents.
  9. We must step out of our comfort zones. I am sure a lot of people stepped out of their comfort zones to attend this revival.
  10. Never be afraid to tell your story. Hearing the people in line was the highlight of the experience for me. It encouraged and strengthened my faith.
  11. The only way Christians can reach people with the Gospel, is to be truly unified. We must be One Church Family.

We must continue to pray for our churches and the and people in our city. Cry out for the Holy Spirit to move as never before. Seek revival personally and fervently. Ask God to search your heart and remove anything that is quenching the flow of His Spirit. Ask God to breakdown all barriers that are keeping you from being all that God created you to be.

Pray that God would allow revival to spread throughout His churches. Pray for a Mighty Awakening in your church and city. Pray that as revival spreads across the world, that millions will experience Jesus in a new and life changing way.

Are you ready for Revival to spread across your city? As believers we must be ready for the move of God. We must be ready to pray for and serve all those that God will bring to our communities. ~OC

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Men and Friendships

Today’s a new day! Hello men. This post is for us. I want to get real about friendships. Based on my own experience and talking with other men, we are mostly failing in the area of friendship. Most men I have talked to share they have many surface friendships, but lack deep meaningful friendships. Can any other men relate?

I personally want to have intentional friendships that have meaning and depth. It appears so many men are happy with surface friendships. They fear deep intimate friendships. The casual version of friendship is sadly repeated over and over again and not just with guys outside the church. Men in the church are not doing much better. From my own observation, most men lack true friendships and happily settle for less. We use phrases like he’s my buddy or bro. These are not bad relationships, but just other men who do not understand the importance of having intentional friendships.

I could go into deep reasons why so many men lack deep friendships with other men, but so many of them are just excuses. Most of the time it comes down to laziness. Men like to use the excuse of being too busy. But that doesn’t fly. Go check with your wife or girlfriend. Their schedules are just as busy if not busier than yours, but they still find time for deep and meaningful friendships. As men we settle for less because we do not want to put in the time and effort.

Where are your friends that you can lean on and that can lean on you? Can you pray with them? Can you talk about real life with them? Your failures and successes. Over the years, I have observed too many men are scared to share their wounds, emotions, or real life issues with other men. The best example of a man we have is Jesus. He cried, he got angry, he had a tender heart. He chose to invest in real relationships with 12 other men. He dared to hold those men accountable. To walk through life together. The good and bad. To serve together. Do you have those type of men in your life? We all need men we can challenge and men who will challenge us to be better men. We need to be intentional in our friendships with other men.

So I want to encourage you and myself to do the following:

*Chose to take a risk and open up to some of the men in your life. See what happens. Jesus was not afraid to be vulnerable.

*Chose to be a better friend. Start to be intentional and sacrificial for other men. Asked the tough questions. Listen without interrupting or trying to fix the problem. Share your hopes, failures and dreams. Pray together.

*Chose to pray that God places Godly men into your life, then be on the lookout for them.

Notice how Jesus chose to be open and honest with the disciples. He chose to serve them and together serve others. Jesus chose to be intentional with these 12 men. Are we willing to do that with the men in our lives? It might not be easy, but I promise it will be life changing if we choose to put in the time and effort. No more excuses men. ~OC

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Keep Moving Forward

Today’s a new day! God has wonderful plan for each of our lives. Unfortunately, we sometimes allow fear to hold us back from our God given purpose in life. God wants us to confidently walk forward and trust him.

As we walk out God’s purpose for our lives, we have an enemy that wants to steal, kill and destroy that plan. As we are walking out God’s plan, the enemy will try to creep inside and put doubt and fear in our hearts. The enemy wants to stop us in our tracks. To stop our momentum.

The enemy loves to use doubt and fear, to prevent us from pursuing our dreams and purpose in live. He wants us to be paralyzed by our current situation. All it takes is us focusing on the negatives instead of keeping our focus on God’s plan.

It’s too hard. What if I fail? Could this possibly be God’s plan for my life? I can’t do this. Sound familiar?

During our journey, we will all face these moments. Times we have to push through all the questions, doubts and challenges. To move forward in spite of our fears. If we wait for that gnawing fear to disappear, we will allow ourselves to become overwhelmed by the moment. We will stop moving forward. During those fear induced moments, we must keep moving forward. Do not let the enemy get the victory.

During the uncertain seasons of life, we need to trust God. Sometimes that happens one step at a time. God can use the trials of life to help us overcome our fears and experience victory and freedom through him. No backing down. No retreat. Keep moving forward. ~OC

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At The Table

Today’s a new day! Let me say this loud and clear. God is not affiliated with any political party. If that statement surprises you, you might need to check your heart. Once again, God is not a Republican or a Democrat. He should never be used as a prop or weapon in political arguments. Sadly, God is often dragged into the political arena. His primary concern is not who’s in the White House or any political position. Obviously, Jesus cares for the needs of America, but he also cares for the needs of every country. Whether they love Him or not. It breaks God’s heart, when his people worship a political party or political figure. That seems to be a major issue among so many Christians today. If you call yourself a Christian, God should be the King of your life. Period!

Please hear me, I am not saying you cannot support your candidate, political party or country. That is your right. Please go vote. But your allegiance cannot be to a political candidate, flag or country. As a Christian, your allegiance should be to God. There will be moments in our lives where what seems to be in the best interest of America, or your political party will go against what God says is true. In those pivotal moments, you will have to choose who’s first in your life. Who reigns over your life?

This is not me pointing my finger at anyone or casting judgement. These are the types of questions we need to asking ourselves. These are the type of discussions we need to be having with each other. Even if we have disagreements. This is an invitation for all of us to sit down at the table. ~OC

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