Tag: Encouragement

Write Your Book!

Today’s a new day! Since I have had the honor of writing two books, people often seek my advice about writing a book. Well here’s my advice.

Writing has been a major part of my crazy beautiful health journey. From writing for my eyes only, to sharing with a few friends, to starting a blog and finally writing books and having then published. Writing has been an amazing experiences part of my life.

Over the past two decades, the journey and advice for becoming an author have changed a little. Back in the day, you needed to find an agent and find a big publishing company to get your book out there. Twenty plus years later, while having an agent and publishing deals can still be important, it is not the only path to the call God put on your heart. 

If you are considering writing a book and having it published, I would love to encourage you to take your next steps toward your dream. I pray this post brings encouragement to all writers to finally pursue their God-given dream of becoming a published author. 

1. Write the Book You Want to Read:

My first piece of encouragement may seem fairly obvious, but I want to encourage you to write a book you would be excited to read yourself. If you’re a writer, you are probably a reader too. You know just as well as I do that there are books that get the point across, that you connect with, have your emotions moved, learn from, grow from and want to share with a friend or loved one. 

Is there a topic that you are passionate about that you feel has been brushed aside? Do you have a special and unique story that God is working out in you that you feel confident enough to share with the world even if you are still in that season of life? I am a 50 plus year-old, married man with a heart focused on God and hopeful for what He continues to have in store for me. There have been books that have encouraged me over the years and then books I just could not get into.

People identify with struggles. The main goal of my blog, The Blessed Overcomer, is to encourage others as they walk through this journey called life. People that are in seasons of waiting, that are grateful for day-to-day blessings and staying hopeful for the future. If you feel prompted by God to share your story but feel your struggle isn’t “finished” yet, rely on Him to be your book’s happily-ever-after ending, and you can’t go wrong.

2. Don’t Compare Your Platform to Others’:

There are so many wonderful authors and writers out there and, if you went digging long enough, I am sure you would find someone else in a similar life season as you. I want to encourage you to keep writing, keep sharing your stories, and staying true to yourself. Every time a twinge of comparison starts to creep up, I remind myself of Psalm 139:14, which states that I am “… fearfully and wonderfully made….” You have a unique voice, platform, and group of friends and supporters, so be proud of that!  

While I don’t have a “huge” following if you compared me to a seasoned author with a big publishing deal, I still am very honored and proud of the hundreds and now thousands of people who have chosen to follow along, receive my text, and interact with my social media posts over the years.

Think of it this way: You may not feel like 500 followers are a lot on Instagram, but if 500 people all decided to come to your house tomorrow…it would be a big deal! 

Engage with people choosing to receive your updates and posts on their social feeds. You know how many people and organizations are vying for our attention every second we are on the internet, so don’t take it for granted when a kind person comments or likes something you have posted. Believe me, when you write your book, those people are going to be your biggest cheerleaders.

3. It’s Never Too Late:

If you’re reading this post and feel that it’s just too late for you to write a book, let me stop you right now from going down that negative mindset. I promise you, especially in this age of technology, becoming an author has never been more doable. I did not have my first book published until I was in my 50’s. And while I could have tried to write and have it published earlier, I truly believe in God’s perfect plan and timing, so when I felt Him prompting me to begin writing my book in January 2018, I said “yes!”

Looking back on it now, it was the perfect time because it was the season God wanted my story to be shared with the world. It was the perfect moment to allow all of my emotions, feelings and life experiences to be shared in writing.

4. Write for the One:

I hope that my experience has a published author has encouraged you to take the step to writing your story and having it published. I am so excited that you are considering sharing a part of your heart for the world to read. It’s not easy being vulnerable and sharing our hearts, experiences, and personal stories with others. You may feel anxious about all of the steps it takes to write that book and have it published, I want to encourage you to not allow any obstacles to keep you from sharing your story. To realizing your dream of becoming a published author.

When we write, we are only one part of the equation. I believe we are called to be faithful to use our gifts while shining our focus on God’s love. Don’t forget that God is all-powerful and will take our offering and multiply it as He sees fit. He will put your story, your book in the right hands at the right time. 

Write for the one person who may read your book when they are close to giving up. To quote a small part of one of my past blog post, “Have you ever thought that your life could be helping to save someone else’s in how you live it?” Your book may be an integral piece of the big puzzle that God uses to help someone walking through a tough season of life. So do not worry about the rankings, the sales, and the followers. Just remember the one person that needs to hear what you have to say and the One we owe everything to, and it will be all worth it. So go write that book!

If you need any help, advice or encouragement, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. It would be my honor to help you realize your dream. ~OC

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Peace and Wisdom

Today’s a new day! As I continue to run this crazy beautiful health journey, I have chosen to live with eternal perspective. This “Lost Writings of OC” was written in March 2023.

During my health journey, I have found peace and wisdom in the Psalms.  In them the steadfast love of God for His people is expressed during great trouble as well as great blessing. When our hearts begin to grasp the character of God as revealed in His Word, our faith and trust in His ways digs deeper into our souls. The benefits and delights of knowing and obeying God’s Word is the theme of Psalm 119. Here are a few “treasures” found in verses 68-93:

“You are good and do good… it is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes… Your hands have made and fashioned me… Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word… I know, O LORD [Yahweh, God’s personal name], that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me… let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight… In your steadfast love give me life, that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth… you have established the earth, and it stands fast. By your appointment they stand this day, for all things are your servants.”

As is God’s promise, my meditation upon these words brought instruction and great delight to my soul. I jotted down some observations in my journal:

God is good and His deeds are good. His hands have fashioned everything in my life. Here are some lessons learned during this health journey:

•Learn His statutes (teach me His ways)

•Place my hope firmly in Him, causing believers to rejoice

•Recognize His righteousness in me

•Confirm His faithfulness to me

•Reveal His mercy to me

•Invoke in me a vibrant delight in His word

•Use my life to keep His testimonies

Everything in creation has been established by God and is being sustained by God. All things are subject to God’s purpose and will. “All things are God’s servants.”

The benefit and delight I received from these verses is profound:

My health journey is God’s servant in my life. He is using it in ways He has revealed to me in these verses and in many more I have yet to understand. I can rest knowing that my health battle is under the control of God who is good and does good. ~OC

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True Friendship

Today’s a new day! My question of the day is, “What is a true friend?”

For me, a true friend will never, ever leave you no matter what life throws at you. It’s not important whether they are miles apart from you, as a true friend will always have you close to their heart. So distance never really matter.

Real and true friendship involves freedom of choice, accountability, truth, and forgiveness. Real friendship looks at the heart, not just the “packaging.” Genuine friendship loves for love’s sake, not just for what it can get in return. True friendships can be both challenging and rewarding. It risks, it overlooks faults, and it loves unconditionally, but it also involves being truthful, even though the truth may hurt.

Relationships in real life involve different levels of friendships, and that’s okay. Human beings were designed by God for lasting relationships. Often this world offers only vague, empty relationships. But God wants us to have true vibrant friendships here on earth. Friends are the best people whom we can share our thoughts, feelings, our success, failures, secrets, dreams, fears, hopes and everything. A friend is the best person who can safeguard our deepest secret and yet will not misjudge us or disown us. This is the greatest asset which gives us the courage to share our feelings.

A friend is a real reflection of our character and personality. Friends can also be a great source of inspiration and can take us to great levels. I believe friendships are essential to our happiness in life. Although the nature of friendship cannot be fully described, finding a true friend is a priceless gift that should be cherished at all phases of life.

The following is for all of my true friends who have walked with me through the sunshine and rain:

Friends are far, friends are near,
Friends will be there to lend an ear,
They listen, laugh, and care,
But most of all, they’re always there,
Through thick and thin,ups and downs, True friends are always around,
For big hugs and beautiful smiles,
They’ll travel to you even though the storms
They’ll always be there to hold your hand during the toughest times,
Anytime, no matter if it’s day or night,
You really know when your friends are sincere, When they always show up to lend a listening ear and a helping hand. I am thankful for all of my faithful friends. ~OC

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Tuesday Prayer

Good Morning! Here is my morning prayer for you. Have a great day! ~OC

Dear God, I pray my family and friends experience the peace that comes from a heart filled with gratitude. Your Word reminds us in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Help each of my family and friends to cultivate a grateful heart, finding joy in the blessings You have bestowed upon each of them. May gratitude be the foundation of their inner peace. Allow them to walk in victory today. Amen

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Let It Start With Me

Dear God, As we wake up this morning we pray for the end of violence and hatred and discord. Steady the tongue that rushes to spread painful words and the fingers poised to pull the trigger of disunity. Bring justice to the downtrodden, restoration to the marginalized and abused, hope to the hopeless. Guide all those in positions of power—whether that power is political or physical or social—and give them wisdom to use their power wisely. Give them, and all of us, the grace to admit when we are wrong and to seek forgiveness. We pray You would give us the grace to forgive.

Dear God, help us see your face in the faces of everyone around us. Give us courage to love one another even when love seems like a risk. Give us compassion for those who are unlike us. Teach us to listen to those we disagree with, to hear stories that make us uncomfortable. Heal the hatred around the world and let it start in our own hearts first. Amem. ~OC

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My Life With Parkinson’s

Good Morning! I wanted to share a bit of my Parkinson’s experience with you today. I was diagnosed with PD in 2007. The disease is starting to take its toll on me, but I continue to live with an attitude of hope. I originally wrote this in 2019 and updated it the first of 2025.

Today’s a new day! Living with Parkinson’s takes hope, persistence and a strong will to live. Because Parkinson’s never takes a day off. Parkinson’s is a daily battle. In the presence of Parkinson’s, one must have courage, the strength of character, and for me a strong faith.

While there’s life, there’s hope. Each morning when I wake, I do a full-body inventory, thinking ‘Okay body, what awaits us today?’ I remain hopeful that my just-completed sleep has re-fueled my brain and re-stocked my body. Of course that’s on the nights I actually sleep. Cloaked around every fiber of my body is my unwelcome guest named Parkinson’s; however, the day has started anew, and there is much to accomplish. I use hope as an anchor to secure my body and mind against the slowly rising tide from Parkinson’s. There is still time while staying hopeful.

Living with a positive attitude makes a big difference. Before I get out of my recliner, it can be easy to feel sorry for myself. I have Parkinson’s, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. And that’s the negative mindset Parkinson’s has provided but I try to never allow myself to stay there for very long. There are days that are going to be difficult; yet staying positive and focusing on the plans God has for my life is where I choose to place my focus. I choose to look at my life with a positive attitude. That is completely opposite of how this disease wants me to feel and live.

I have found living this journey and sharing my story has been a privilege of a lifetime. I start each day with a prayer to focus on what plans God would have for me on that particular day. I choose to stay engaged with the everyday activities of life. Things are starting to get much tougher these days, but I make the choice every day to embrace life to its fullest. I remind myself there is much left to accomplish in my life even in the presence of Parkinson’s. I will close with a prayer I lift up to God every morning:

Dear God, thank you for another day. Simply use me today. This is going to be a good day. I remain hopeful not hopeless, positive not negative, happy not sad, and driven not complacent. Thank you for Your strength, wisdom and courage as I walk through this day. Amen. ~OC

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Happiness

I enjoy writing and posting articles on social media. What I write or post are my thoughts, beliefs and opinions. There will be some who agree with my writing and there will be others who will not. No one is obligated to enjoy, agree with, or applaud my writing. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. They can think that everything I have to say is wrong and go on to try and convince everyone that their thoughts and opinions are the only ones that matter.

I cannot control what other people think about me, my writings or post.

What I can control though, is what I think about these things myself.

I enjoy writing. I also enjoy sharing things I’ve written. I enjoy the conversations that my writings or post create. Whether you agree with me or not. I write and post for myself. Not others. I am happy with everything I write and post. I can look back on older writings and see where I have grown as a person. That makes me happy.

The truth is, my dream never involved an expectation to write things that everyone likes. I recognize how I cannot accomplish that, because I understand that nobody can accomplish that. No human can make everyone happy.

You should therefore accept that you can’t make everyone happy either — and know that it’s alright, because nobody expects you to. When you put yourself out there for the world to see, there will undoubtedly be people who will disagree with you. You’ll upset people, make them angry, and once you do, they’ll do their best to prove their opinion every time you post something they disagree with.

Please do not let them succeed in doing so. Let go of the idea that you can make everyone happy, and focus on being true to your values and beliefs. That is something you can control. It’s up to everybody else to decide whether or not they agree with your opinions or not. It’s also up to that person to be okay with people having different views, beliefs and opinions. Some people will just never be happy with what you write or post. And that’s okay. Keep living your life. ~OC

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Thank You, MLK

Good Morning! I could not let this special day go by without sharing something. I have spent the last few days working on this, so I hope it will convey what’s in my heart.

Today we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. whose life and words continue to inspire and make a difference today.

As I continue running this crazy beautiful health journey, one of my prayers over the years is that this journey would encourage and inspire at least one person.

I mean truly inspire: to provide real hope where none previously existed and help turn that hope into positive action, maybe even positive change, that may otherwise never happen.

It’s so much harder than it sounds.

What, then, do we say about a man who inspired not just one person, but an entire generation of people?

And generations beyond that?

And who will inspire generations beyond this?

On this day, we say thank you … to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose dreams, words, and actions remain as inspiring today as they were almost six decades ago.

Today we celebrate that legacy, the legacy that Dr. King left behind without ever fully leaving.

For he was true to what he said on paper, and he was true to what he said out loud. And so his words live on, some of the most meaningful in history. An everlasting testament to one of the most meaningful and inspirational lives that has ever been lived. Thank you Dr. King. ~OC

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A New Day. A New Year. A New Perspective.

Today’s a new day! As we walk into a new week and are still navigating a new year, I want to share the following thoughts with you. Peace and blessings to each of you. ~OC

“Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” -Acts 2:38

Today the Holy Spirit is calling you. He is saying, “I am here my child. I am the Resurrection and the Life. I want to appear Myself to you today in a way you never have encountered me before. I want there to be a collision between Heaven and your world.”

Maybe you are disappointed with church, with pastors, the world or even with God. Maybe you have prayed and nothing changed. Maybe you used to be in love with God but things happened and now you are disappointed, discouraged, and angry. Maybe you had a bad church experience or were hurt by a person who misrepresented God’s heart to you. Forgive them.  The Holy Spirit is calling you today. Return to the Lord with all your heart. He longs for there to be a collision where everything in your life crashes with God’s Kingdom and you are forever changed. You will never be the same. I encourage you to pray this dangerous prayer today and mean it if you want all of God: 

“Holy Spirit, today I surrender my life totally to Jesus Christ. I am done running and living life for myself. I make a fresh decision to follow hard after You. I give you all of my life. I receive forgiveness for my sins and I release forgiveness to those who have hurt me and betrayed me. Heal my heart. Today, show me Your truth. Break every stronghold and addiction. Flood my life with your power and presence so that I will never ever be the same. Fill me with a fresh touch from You. I want to draw nearer to you with all I am. In Jesus name Amen”

“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit “-Titus 3:15

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