Tag: Encouragement

Living Beyond My Limitations

Some days, I spend too much time focusing on my limitations. The things I can no longer do. I can no longer work. I have to depend on other people for rides. These days, I need other people to fill out my paperwork. I use a stamp to sign my name. These days, I need a voice amplifier to help me speak. I can no longer try and hit those Steven Tyler notes on Dream On. I realize, I will probably deal with more limitations as my crazy beautiful journey continues.

It would be very easy for me to get caught up in my present limitations. To focus on all that this health journey has taken from me. But what kind of life would that be? No, instead I choose to focus on all this journey has given me. What I can still do. Here are just a few things I can still do.

More Time for Prayer. Since I do not sleep much these days, I have so much time to pray for the needs of loved ones and complete strangers. I love praying.

Embrace Beautiful Interruptions. If you have been around me for a minute, you know I love beautiful interruptions. Those moments God blesses us with unexpected opportunities to encourage others. To listen to others. To help others. In the past, I may have been too busy to stop and notice those beautiful interruptions God was putting right in front of me.

Read. I have more time to read or listen to books these days. Most days, you will find me sitting in my recliner enjoying a good book. I love a good book.

Listening to Your Stories. Oh, how I love listening to other peoples stories. Finding out what amazing and sometimes not so amazing things they are facing. I just listen. Not to respond or fix. Just to listen. What an amazing honor that is for me.

Living A Life of Adventure. Today, I more time for adventure. Taking that last minute cruise. Jumping in the car with my wife and just driving until we find a place to stop. Making beautiful memories.

Encouraging Other. I can no longer go skydiving, but I can encourage someone else to take that adventure. I can no longer run, but I can help coach and encourage someone else to run their race.

I am sure there will be more days of dwelling on my limitations, but those days are becoming less and less. Today, I spend more time focusing on how much I can still do. ~OC

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Some Lessons Learned On The Journey

During my crazy beautiful health journey, God has shared many lessons with me. I have shared some of these lessons in earlier blog post. Today, I would like to share some more lessons learned during my journey. Some of these lessons have been difficult to walk through, but they have brought me closer to God. They have made me a better person. They are lessons I never want to forget.

Don’t Live In Fear. Surrender everything to God. Including your fear. My life is filled with a lot of unknowns. It would be easy live in fear. For moments I have. Thank goodness, I chose not to live in that fear. No, instead I continue to choose to live in Hope. Not always easy, but making the choice to not live in fear has been life changing.

Let God’s Word Empower You. Spend time in God’s word. Speak it. Pray it. Sing it. Live it out. During my good days and bad days I choose to let God’s Word pour over me.

Embrace Every Moments. Make every moment count. Tell your love ones you love them. Share some hugs. Take that trip. Give freely. So some grace. Love without prejudice.

Be Grateful. Take time to be thankful for your many blessings. My journey has been filled with some rough moments, but I have so much to be grateful for. My wife. My family and friends. My medical team. Great insurance. Beautiful moments.

Never Give Up. The temptation is always there. The journey is too hard. The pain is too great. There are plenty of reasons to give up, but I encourage you to keep fighting. Reach out to trusted family and friends to walk with you during those moments of wanting to give up.

I hope these lessons will encourage you. They are not easy to walk through. Believe me I know. I have been trying to live them out for the past 17 years. ~OC

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Today I Choose

Today I choose to listen more than I speak.

Today I choose to speak words of encouragement.

Today I choose not to judge others.

Today I choose to love the immigrant.

Today I choose to look at the best in people.

Today I choose to speak out against injustice.

Today I choose love over hate.

Today I choose to love the unlovable.

Today I choose to love those that look different than me.

Today I choose to love those that worship differently than me.

Today I choose to love those who vote differently than me.

Today I choose to love those with different opinions than me.

Today I choose to speak truth.

Today I choose to check in on my friends.

Today I choose not to give up.

Today I choose to embrace adventure.

Today I choose to have a positive attitude.

Today I choose to spend time with God.

Today is all we have. Tomorrow is not promised. Yesterday is a memory. How will you choose to live today? ~OC

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Bring The Blessed Overcomer To Your Neighborhood

Are you or your organization looking for a speaker for your next event? Are you looking for a speaker who will encourage your audience? A speaker who will challenge your audience to look at life with a different perspective? A speaker who will make your audience laugh and maybe even shed a tear?

If you answered yes to any of the questions, I would be honored to speak with you about sharing my crazy beautiful journey at your next event. You can click on the FAQ button on this site and contact me. I promise more laughter than tears. ~OC

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Encourage Others

I love encouraging everyone around me. Each morning I pray God will bring people my way that need some encouragement. Here are a few easy ways we can encourage others.

Pray for other.

Call a loved one.

Share words of encouragement.

Pay for someone’s meal.

Send someone a card or letter.

Leave your spouse or roommate a post-it note with some encouraging words.

Be patient with the clerk at the grocery store. Share a kind encouraging word with them.

Share a smile.

Encourage your coworkers.

Share a hug (Be appropriate).

Spend some quality time with family and friends.

Take your neighbors garbage can to the curb or return the empty garbage can.

Send a positive text to a loved one or friend.

Tell your boss, coworkers, employees, pastors and friends that you appreciate them.

Always say Thank You.

Be quick to listen and slow to speak.

Recognize others and their accomplishments. Celebrate them.

Turn your cell phone off when visiting with family and friends.

Be a positive and encouraging person.

Don’t always talk about yourself.

These are just a few ways to encourage others. Find ways to encourage those around you. ~OC

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Thriving with Chronic Illnesses

During my 17-year plus crazy beautiful health journey, I have learned many lessons. Here are just a few:

1). Embracing Relationships That Matter.

Want to find out who your true friends are? Let life throw you for a loop and you will quickly find out.

During this journey, many friends who I thought would stand with me walked away. I must admit that hurt. But, instead of dwelling on those friends that walked out, I decided to celebrate those that have stuck around through the best and worst of times. I am forever grateful for each and everyone of them.

2). Laugh And Then Laugh Some More.

My wife and I have learned the power of laughter during the darkest times. Our dark humor has helped us deal with some of the toughest moments in this crazy beautiful journey.

Even during the worst days, when my medical team has stated they have no idea what is going on with my body. Or when they wonder out loud, how are you still alive? We still laugh.

Sometimes it comes down to, if we don’t laugh about the situation we might go hide in a dark place. Who wants to deal with that scenario?

3). Be Your Own Advocate.

During the early days of my health journey, Laura and I depended on my medical team. Hey, their the experts. They know best. Wrong!

After some of my doctors refused to listen to us, Laura and I learned we needed to take charge of my healthcare. If not, some of our former doctors would have ended up killing me. That’s not a joke.

It is vital to stand up for yourself and take charge of your healthcare needs. If you are not able to do it yourself, please have a team of advocates around you. They could save your life.

Never be afraid to ask questions. Listen to your gut. Never be afraid to fire your medical team.

4). Keep Living Life.

Do not allow a bad diagnosis to keep you from living your life. I mean truly living life.

Stop putting things off until you get better. Guess what? You may never get better. So take that trip. Take that class you always wanted to. Call that friend who’s been on your mind.

Do not get so caught up in your health journey, that you forget to embrace the beautiful moments of life. The truth is, we only get one shot at life. Don’t waste a minute. ~OC

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