When Life Is Hard
We’ve all had some rough days. Maybe your rough days have turned into rough years.
As I have walked through my own crazy beautiful journey, I have experienced my share of rough days. Days where nothing seems to go right. Days where I just wanted to crawl back into bed (in my case, crawl up in my recliner). Those days can seem overwhelming at times. They can be stressful.
A season of health issues, relationship issues, financial issues or unemployment can seem overwhelming. During my health journey, I have learned a few lessons about dealing with the challenges of life. I pray you will find them encouraging and helpful.
Your Character. We cannot always control what happens to us in life, but we can always control how we react to the circumstances we face. During the rough moments of my journey, I have made the choice to stop complaining and instead thank God for my many blessings. Choosing to stay positive during those storms of life. Not always an easy choice, but it can be life changing. Our character should always be stronger than our circumstances.
Struggle to Strength. God can use every storm in life to make us stronger. To strengthen our faith. I know sometimes that is hard to see during the storm, but hold on. Our storms have a purpose.
God’s Plans are always perfect. God’s plans are almost always different than ours. Come on, we all think our plans are perfect in the moment. Sometimes we believe God’s plans for us are moving too slowly. Come on God, hurry up! Has anyone but me ever uttered those words? I would encourage each of us to slow down and be patient. Oh, that word Patience. Remember, God’s plan for our lives is always the perfect plan for our lives.
God is always with us. I know that is sometimes hard to believe, as we are holding on for dear life as we face another storm. But the minute you asked God into your life, he is always with you. Walking by your side as you navigate the crashing waves. If you have not asked God into your life, I pray today would be the day you make that incredible decision.
I pray these lessons help encourage you, as you walk through those tough moments in life. I also pray you will never walk your journey alone. Reach out to family or friends when facing those tough moments in life. Most importantly run to God and allow him to wrap his loving arms around you. ~OC
A Night of Miracles
Hello everyone. Last Sunday morning, God woke me up and shared this past week would be a week of Healing and Miracles. During the week, I also felt God calling for me to asked people to pray for my throat and stomach. As many of you know, I have not had an appetite for almost 4 years and have not been able to speak without the assistance of a voice amplifier for about 3 years.
Last night my wife Laura and I attended a Prayer and Healing Service. During the healing part of the night, God blessed me with an appetite and allowed me to talk without the assistance of my amplifier. God is so good. I am overwhelmed by His incredible love for me.
Since I had an appetite, a bunch of us decided to go celebrate Jesus. So the picture below is my first meal in 3 years. I was able to eat a little chicken salad and fries. I also had a few sips of sweet ice tea. I am thrilled to share, I did not choke or throw it up. That had been a major problem in the past.
I encourage everyone to never stop praying for Jesus to move in your life. You never know when the Holy Spirit is going to show up. Keep Believing in your Miracle. ~OC
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
Not Disqualified
We have all made mistakes and poor choices in life. Sometimes those mistakes and choices can haunt us. We can carry the shame of those mistakes and choices for years. Can anyone relate? Is anyone still haunted by those past mistakes and choices?
Sometimes those past mistakes and choices make us feel like second class citizens. We feel like damaged goods. I am hear to tell you that God still loves us in spite of those past decisions. Let me encourage you to stop living in the shame of your past. Those past choices might have knocked you down, but you do not have to stay down. Remember you are a child of God’s. He sent his only son Jesus down from Heaven to wash away all those past mistakes. God has a wonderful plan for each of us. We are more than conquerors. What we did in the past, is not who we are today. God can use those past mistakes to help us become the person he created us to be. Those past choices do not disqualify any of us from experiencing the love of God and the amazing plans he has for each of us. Today, release all that guilt and shame and start living in the victory of Jesus. ~OC
Encouragement
For the past 17.5 years, I have spent countless hours at doctors appointments, treatment centers & the hospital. During those times, I have had the privilege to talk with hurting people experiencing life changing moments. I have had the honor to pray for people who wouldn’t see another year. I have rejoiced with those who experienced a miracle in their medical journey. I have never taken one of those moments for granted. None of those precious moments have been about me. God placed me in those moments to hopefully encourage someone. The truth is, most of the time I have been the one walking away feeling encouraged. Never miss the opportunity to encourage someone. It could be life changing. ~OC
Never About Me
As I continue to walk through this crazy beautiful health journey, I pray my journey will continue to encourage others to never give up. Even when the race gets overwhelming, people will inspired by my journey. But more importantly, I pray people will realize that whatever strength and insight I have comes from God. Only through God can I continue to walk through this marathon called life. Anything good you see in me comes from God. He is the one who has turned my health journey into a crazy beautiful adventure. I pray this journey never becomes about me. ~OC
My Story
Several friends suggested I should share my video. So here you go. This is part of my story. ~OC
Running With Endurance
As some of you know, I am a former long distance runner. I would still be running today, if not for my failing health. I still miss running and competing in marathons.
We marathon runners are a rare breed. That’s putting it mildly. Not many people wake up before dawn to go run 26.2 miles. People often joke with me that they get tired just driving 26.2 miles. I used to run multiple marathons a week. Yes, you read that correctly. I just loved running. Did you know that only half of one percent of the population in the United States has completed a full marathon.
Can we be honest? Completing a full marathon is hard. There is the training. The diet. The miles. The cost. The time and effort. For what? A t-shirt and a finishers medal. The t-shirts and medals are great, but there is more to running marathons than all the things I listed above. But I really did love the medals.
So, it is not surprising that not many people actually complete a full marathon. It takes a lot of effort and commitment.
As Christians, we are running a race that requires proper training if we want to finish well. It takes a commitment. It takes some work. It’s not always pretty. Here are just a few tips for running this race called life.
Prayer and God’s Word. Marathon runners do not head to Krispy Kreme or a buffet before a race. No, we full up on food that will give us the proper energy needed to cross the finish line. We also stay properly hydrated.
God’s word is our fuel. It fills us up. The Word prepares us for the long race ahead. God’s word draws us closer to Him. The Word helps us stay on course. God’s word and prayer strengthens us when we fill like saying No Mas. The scriptures and being in prayer sustains us for the journey.
Watch Your Pace. Every runner has their own pace. Some runners are just naturally gifted as runners. They have perfect stride and can cover more miles at a quicker pace. That was not me. I definitely did not have perfect stride. Thank goodness God blessed me with the ability to run for hours.
As a runner, I had to be realistic about my finishing time. I definitely was never going to be an elite runner. But that did not stop me from training and striving to be an elite runner.
In life, we will be tempted to run someone else’s pace. Their pace is so much better than ours we tell ourselves. Look at their stride. If only I could run like that we tell ourselves. But God did not design us to run someone else’s pace. We were not created to run someone else’s race. God designed a beautiful race just for you and me. Maybe it’s not at the pace we want, but it is the perfect pace for us
Never Stop Training. I was not your average runner. I never took a day off from running. Probably not recommended by the experts, but it worked for me. I believe God knew my running days would be short, so He gave me the extra energy to run everyday. Oh the memories. Wait a second, get back on track OC.
I did not wake up one morning and run a marathon. No, I trained and worked my way up to completing 26.2 miles. As my endurance increased so did my miles.
I love what James says in James 1:2-3, “My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”
Just as a runner needs to train for a marathon, we have to continue exercising and developing our spiritual muscles. During this marathon called life, we will face many obstacles and trials. Something or someone will try to knock us off course. Our spiritual training will help us overcome those trials. Can I get a amen?
I love 1 Corinthians 9:24, Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
Thankfully when this marathon called life weighs us down, God is there to shower us with His amazing love, patience, understanding, grace and mercy.
Maintain Your Vision. Finish Strong. During my running days, I had a clear vision of what I wanted to accomplish. I had my eyes on the prize. Having goals helped me to keep running towards the finish line. To finish strong.
Knowing that our hope is in God, encourages us to keep running forward even when life gets hard. God has given us everything we need to run the race. To strive for the prize. To finish strong.
I love Philippians 3:14, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
We all have a race to run. I pray these tips help you to run the race God designed specifically for you. ~OC
The Blessed Overcomer 