Today’s a new day! Step out of your comfort zone and experience your purpose and miracle in life. ~OC
To Live Together in Peace
Today’s a new day! As I study scripture, I continuously see we are given direction and guidance to live together in peace. But in order to do so, we must value and care for one another, be humble, seek to understand each other, be compassionate, and treat others respectfully. It does not mean that everyone has to be our best friend, but at the end of the day, we should treat others as we want to be treated. Like-mindedness does not mean we need to walk around with the same thoughts and beliefs on all things, but instead it means we ought to share the common purpose of love and care for each other. As a world, it feels as if we have lost sight of this. Too often, people are so caught up in the value of their own opinion, agenda and being right, that the humility and humanity necessary to love one another is lost.
Thankfully, my days are spent encouraging others through conversations, zoom meetings and writing. I try to use social media and personal interactions to find out what binds us together and less about what divides us. I try to have conversations with people who look, act, believe and speak differently than me.
Though we come from different places, life experiences and beliefs systems, our ultimate purpose should be to try and make a better world for all to live. Obviously, we live in a imperfect world filled with imperfect people, but the more we seek to understand, extend compassion, and treat others as friends, the better we work together to bring change that makes life better for all.
I will continue to seek God for guidance and direction as to how to best live together in peace and love with those around me.
Peace will be present
when we all decide to
treat people with respect and love
Love is forgiving
It’s gracious and kind
humble and listens
keeps others in mind
Seek to understand
by listening first
speaking to learn and discover
the best in people, not the worst
Dear God, teach us to walk in love and compassion each new day.
Dear God, thank You that You love us so much that You call us and guide us to live in peace and harmony together with each other. Thank You that You show us what is good, and what is required to know Your peace. Forgive us for the times that we have lacked compassion or failed to listen. Teach us to extend grace in such a way that all feel heard and appreciated. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to lead us in Your love and to live together in peace as one human race. Amen ~OC
People
Today’s a new day! As we continue to walk through this journey called life, people will come in and out of our lives.
People will come into our lives to teach us life lessons
People will come into our lives to inspire us
People will come into our lives to share truth
People will come into our lives for just a season
People will come into our lives to stand with us
People will come into our lives to try and divide us
People will come into our lives to bring us laughter
People will come into our lives to cry with us
People will come into our lives to face tough moments with us
People will come into our lives to teach us to live out our dreams
People will come into our lives to encourage us
People will come into our lives to share hope
People will come into our lives to teach to think outside of our comfort zones
People will come into our lives to help us stand up for what’s right
People will come into our lives to help challenge us
People will come into our lives to be part of our journey.
There is a reason for everyone God brings into our lives. Do not miss out on these beautiful opportunities. ~OC
A Big Question
Today’s a new day! What is keeping you from living the complete life? I know that is a big question, with many potential answers. But God designed each of us to live a complete whole life.
Here are a few things, I believe can help us live out the life God created for each of us.
A New Chapter. Too many of us are living in the past. We continue to relive past disappointments. Past failures. Or sometimes we live in past successes. We all know someone, who is eager to tell us about winning the 5th grade all county championship forty years ago. Don’t get me wrong, we should celebrate past successes. We should also learn from past mistakes. But we cannot live in the past. The great thing is, we have the opportunity to start a new chapter each morning. So close the chapter on your past and start writing a new one.
Worthy. Has anyone told you lately you are worthy? That you are important. No matter your past, God finds you worthy. He sent his Son down from heaven to die for us. I think that proves how worthy we are in God’s eyes.
Comfort Zone. I believe to live the whole life that God created for us, we have to step out of our comfort zones. We have to be willing to take some chances in life. God designed us to be creative. To be adventurous. We cannot truly experience life, if we choose to stay in our nice easy comfortable zones.
Labels. Stop wearing the labels the world puts on us. How many people continue to wear the labels put on them as a child? Not smart enough. Too short. Too weird. Too heavy. Too tall. Your from the wrong side of the tracks. So many people continue to wear these labels into adulthood. Today, I encourage you to take those labels off. Trash them. You are more than a label. You were created by a loving God to live an incredible life. To Dream. To Succeed. To Thrive.
Courage. It will take courage to start feeling Worthy. It will take courage to step out of your Comfort Zone. It will take courage to take off the Labels you have been wearing for years. But I promise you it will be worth it.
Today, I encourage each of us to think about these five points. To start living the incredible life, God has created us to live. Will you make a commitment to living wholeheartedly? ~OC
Lived-Out Gospel
Today’s a new day! As I continue to walk out my faith journey, I am often asked what does the gospel look like when it’s actually lived out? I believe God gives us many characteristics of the Spirit-filled life. Here are three that stand out to me.
We cannot truly live out the gospel if there is no love. Love must come first. Jesus Himself said the first commandment is to love God, then others. He even said we are to love as He loved, which was to lay down his life.
Are we to literally lay down our lives for others? Some may be asked to make that sacrifice one day. But most of us share love by giving of our time, our talents or our finances. Sometimes love is just being there. During my many hospital stays, I have some friends who just come and sit with me. That’s love. Other times we love by listening, encouraging and praying for others. Sometimes we give the shirts off our backs, or buy a meal or provide shelter to a hurting world. Lived-out love is a powerful witness.
A second witness is grace. Grace is often an unclear or vague concept for some, so here are a few synonyms to help everyone grasp the powerful meaning of this essential truth: mercy, forgiveness, benevolence, charity, clemency, compassion, favor, forbearance, generosity, goodwill, goodness, kindness, leniency, pardon, reprieve, responsiveness, tenderness.
Grace never holds a grudge, or refuse to forgive. Grace does overlook an offense, speaks kindly when verbally attacked and believe the best about people. Lived-out grace is a powerful witness.
A third evidence of truly walking out our faith is by living an authentic life. How many times have you heard someone say something about “hypocrites in the church”? Authenticity means we speak truth no matter the cost. We actually live out what we say as much as possible; we wear no masks. We consider the impact our words and actions have on those watching or reading what we say. We are even willing to be vulnerable. Wow!
Those are risky actions. We could be misunderstood, disapproved of, even shunned or taken advantage of. But we wouldn’t be hypocrites. We would be true, real … authentic. Lived -out authenticity is a powerful witness.
May we live out the gospel with love, grace and authenticity so that people will actually see Jesus in us. ~OC
Racism In America
The following was written based on the white guy from Arizona who traveled to Atlanta in May to start a race war in America. The story broke my heart. I wanted to take some time before commenting on this horrible incident. So here I go.
Anyone who believes racism is no longer an issue in America is lying to themselves. Some might say this is an isolated incident, but it’s not. This story just made the news. But every day, there is a good chance a person of color will face some type of racism. That’s not a made up statistic, a political statement, it’s a fact. As a nation, we can no longer keep our heads in the sand and hope racism away. We need to have constructive dialogue on the issue of racism in America. There can be no American Dream if we refuse to acknowledge and discuss this issue. We cannot experience unity if we refuse to have real conversations about racism. We cannot honestly say the United States of America, if we do not discuss the issue of division caused by racism in America. This is a conversation where everyone needs to be sitting at the table. Only by having real, raw and constructive conversations can we even begin to think about a country and world without racism. I hope you will take your seat at the table. I will be waiting. ~OC
Comfort Zone
Today’s a new day! Dear Church and Christian Community, as we walk through this crazy beautiful journey called life do we really see the bruised and hurting?
The American Church does a wonderful job buying up a lot of properties, but I fear many miss out on so many life changing opportunities. Unfortunately, I believe some churches and Christians have walled themselves into a nice and safe comfort zone.
Too many Christians spend their time at church sipping a premium latte, discussing the problems of the world and passing judgement. They wonder how the world got to this point. But sadly, instead of stepping up and doing something too many Christians are comfortable hiding behind the safe walls of the church.
Don’t get me wrong here. The Church is important. I have been part of the church for over half of my life. I love the Church. But the lost and hurting are not spending their time and money at a church with a cool name and cafe.
No, hurting people are sitting in the corner of a McDonald’s because they feel unworthy of love and forgiveness. The hurting are eating lunch by themselves at work or school. The bent and bruised are walking through the grocery store trying to decide if they buy food or medications. The bent and hurting are sitting in chemo rooms trying to make it through another day. The bent and hurting are standing on the side of the road with a sign asking for help, as many speed by them and look away.
So many hurting people walking through life feeling alone. These hurting people are not looking for someone to just invite them to church. No, a hurting world is waiting for Christians to step outside the comforts of the Church and actually be the hands and feet of Jesus. To really care. ~OC
When asked by the Pharisees, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus replied, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners.” ~Mark 2:17
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
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
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
The Blessed Overcomer 