Someone Is Always Watching
Today’s a new day! As I continue to run this crazy beautiful health journey, I want to continue sharing some wisdom and life lessons with you. I pray they will challenge and encourage at least one person. ~OC
Today’s Lesson: Someone is Always Watching
It doesn’t matter who you are or what your background, there are people that only you will reach in life. . Your life story may be the very things that God uses to help someone else draw near to Him. As you respond with grace and integrity, you will show others that God can change lives. People need to see examples of lives that are being transformed by the power of the Gospel. Lives like yours.
Do Not Minimize Your Own Influence
Your example is just as needed as the person in the public spotlight. The different talent shows on tv are just one example of our celebrity-worshipping culture. Everyone wants their fifteen minutes of fame. Some seek after it by their talent. Others do outrageous stunts just to gain national attention. You’ve seen the headlines. Especially in Florida. People seem to think that their value is based on how many people know their name. Just spend some time scrolling through social media.
Sadly, the Church is not immune to celebrity-worship. People who just want to know Jesus better are overwhelmed with the myriad of YouTube teachings, TV programs, internet articles and blog posts. The underlying belief of many media consumers is that if someone is on TV or the Internet, then they must be special, they must have a direct pipeline to God and so what they have to say must be true. They must know. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. Not only that, church members are often admired simply because they are in a prominent position. Someone who sings on the platform is implicitly considered more important than the person who serves in children‘s ministry because more people see what they do. We evaluate people by their gifts rather than their character. None of this is healthy or appropriate. That isn’t the way God evaluates any of us. Thank goodness!
The people who live close to you, your family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, the people who see the real you, need to see just that, the real you. They need to see how Jesus makes a difference in your life, just as the people close to me need to see the difference He makes in mine. A public person, no matter how genuine, can only share small portions of their real life with the larger audience. People will most likely see them at their best and not have the balance of everyday living to give them an accurate idea of that person’s character.
When it comes to the people in your life, you have the advantage over the TV personality and your own pastor. You have the ability to let people see how Jesus affects every area of your life. How you respond differently than you used to in any number of situations, how you react to the little annoyances that used to set you off or how you respond to the fears that used to send you into a tailspin. These things will have an influence on the people who live closest to you. As they see you daily conforming to the image of Christ Himself, you give them an example that is accessible. They will see you mess up and make corrections, asking forgiveness when you hurt someone or make a poor choice in life.
That is something they will never get from a YouTube channel or TV preacher. They are more likely to feel like they might be able to follow your example than that of the public Christian who is put on a pedestal because they can only show their best self and seem to have it all together.
Someone is always watching the way you live.
Live in a manner worthy of the Gospel.
It never occurred to me that anyone was watching me and how I lived until I started sharing my life journey dealing with multiple life threatening health issues. As I live out this journey, I have had multiple people share how my story has helped them walk out their own journey of crisis. That shocked me. My journey can be so intense that sometimes I am unable to realize how my journey affects those around Laura and I. But because we have tried to listen to God’s direction for us, even though it can be hard and not what we wanted, it affects others in a positive way. They chose to walk through their pain instead of run from it, just as we have. That was the example we have unknowingly set for them. I could have never Imagined that this would be the case.
Your godly example is exactly what someone else needs.
As you walkout the Gospel in your everyday choices you help others to draw closer to God. People notice a lot more than you think. The thing to keep in mind is that the people in your inner circle will notice the small changes in your life. They will notice when you remain calm instead of stressing out. They will notice that you respond with gentleness at the time when many would react with harsh words. They will notice that you are able to give love when it would be easier to be a little selfish. People will see the difference Jesus is making in your life. And your example of a transforming life may be just what they need in order to begin wondering if Jesus could transform them as well.
Dear Friends, you may feel small and insignificant, but you’re not. You may not be on a platform, but God has given you a sphere of influence that is unique. It’s a place the public preachers and Christian performers cannot fill. The people in your life need you. They need you to show them what it means to truly follow Jesus. As you follow Him whole-heartedly you are lighting the path for them. Do not worry about your fifteen minutes of fame. Live a life of faithfulness and you will have a more meaningful impact than you could ever realize.
Key takeaway: Your example is exactly what someone else needs to lead them closer to God.
A Scripture: “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” ~1 Timothy 4:12
A Challenge: Think of some people in your life that don’t know God or maybe they’re just walking through a tough time. Has your example helped them to see God a little more clearly? How could your example make a difference in their lives? Make a commitment to pray for those people and be intentional about living a godly example for them.
Prayer: Dear God, it is often hard for us to believe that our small and large decisions really impact someone else. Help us to stay connected to You. Help us to keep You and Your will our main focus. Help us to make choices that please You, from the smallest judgement to the largest commitment. Help us to live for Your glory and let our transforming lives lead others closer to You. Amen
A Life With Parkinson’s and Parkinson’s Related Dementia…A Life of Blessings
Don’t Fear Failure
Today’s a new day! As I continue to walk out this crazy beautiful health journey, I want to continue sharing some wisdom and life lessons with you. I pray they will bring encouragement to all.
Today’s Lesson: Don’t Fear Failure
I have found embracing failure is an important aspect of personal growth. Encouraging others to take big chances and not be afraid of failing can lead to the discovery of new and life changing ideas. ~OC
Life’s Journey and Lessons
Today’s a new day! As I continue to walk out this crazy beautiful health journey, I thought I would share some thoughts and lessons learned along this journey. So for the next few days or weeks, I will hopefully share some wisdom and life lessons with you. I pray they will bring encouragement to all that takes the time to read my post.
The next few days or weeks, will be a reflection of the legacy I hope to leave behind for my family, friends and anyone who takes the time to read my post. As I continue to walk this health journey, I cannot control my declining health, but I can control how I deal with it and hopefully the positive impact I can have on others.
As I walk through this life, I want to encourage people to chase your dreams, embrace the challenges of life and to savor every precious moment.
Each day, I want to share a key lesson learned along the journey. Here is the lesson for today:
Embrace the challenges of life and make the most of your time here on earth. As I continue walking this journey, I have decided not to retreat from life, but instead to hopefully encourage others walking through their own life journey.
Finally, I hope and pray by sharing these life lessons, they will encourage you to reflect on your own journey and how you want to live it out. ~OC
Simply David
Today’s a new day! I wanted to take a few days before responding to the irresponsible comments made by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. earlier this week.
Laura and I have a wonderful and loving nephew living with autism. I should correct myself and say that David is thriving in life. As a child, the doctors shared David would never talk, or be able to take care of himself. Oh, how wrong they were. Today David is in his mid twenties and will talk all day if you let him. He also works two jobs and pays taxes. David has won multiple Special Olympic Medals. He and his father volunteer weekly at their church. Everyone at church knows and loves our nephew. David is living his best life.
So when Mr. Kennedy stood before the cameras and declared that children like David “will never pay taxes, never hold a job and never write a poem, I looked on with horror. Mr. Kennedy then went on to claim autism is “a preventable disease” and promised a lightning-fast investigation to root out its so-called environmental causes. While we must look at every possible cause of autism, including environmental factors, we cannot ignore the decades of scientific research that has already been conducted.
And remember, this is coming from a man with no real medical background.
This coming from the man responsible for guiding the United States’ national health policy. Let that sink in for just a second.
What Mr. Kennedy did at that podium was spew misinformation. It was a new level of fear-mongering. It was the 21st-century version of a snake oil salesman promoting false promises with no credible science.
Let me share what autism actually looks like.
It looks like David playing tennis or pickle ball. It’s David being so excited to dress up like Spider-Man to bring some enjoyment to others. It looks like David always checking in on me during and after a hospital stay. It looks like David making Auntie Laura a sandwich or bringing her a fresh drink. It looks like David constantly looking for ways to serve others. That’s what autism looks like.
David is not a victim. He does NOT fit any of Mr. Kennedy’s cartoonish depiction of helplessness.
I realize autism looks different for every individual and family. But in my nephew’s case, he is kind, he continues to learn and he is thriving in life. David has already defied every negative prediction made about him when he was a child.
And if I have to listen to Mr. Kennedy or any other politician turn my nephew into a sound bite for political gain, I will keep using the power of my voice and the power of the pen to call out such blatant misinformation. And I will continue to encourage everyone to reject these false narratives by voting against them on election day.
My nephew is not a tragedy. And he is certainly not an epidemic. He is simply David. A young man with hopes and dreams like the rest of us.
I would encourage everyone to actually do your own research on autism and other health issues and not the words of a man who only cares about pushing his own twisted agenda. Thanks for reading. ~OC
Jesus and the Cross
Today’s a new day! As we walk through Holy Week, I have been reflecting on Jesus and the Cross.
The cross is where we see Jesus at his most human, but also at his most divine. My heart breaks reading about his anguish, even though I know the triumph to come. This in itself is something Jesus understood – when his friend Lazarus had died (John 11:38-44), Jesus wept even though he knew that in a moment he would raise him to life again.
It’s emotional to read the account of Jesus‘ arrest, beating and crucifixion. My heart breaks for him when he struggles with God’s will and yet accepts it. Even when an angel appears and strengthens him, Jesus is still in anguish and “he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (Luke 22:42-44).
And Jesus went through all of this for you and I. While we were yet still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). This is what the cross means. This is what Jesus’ suffering means. His anguish, his pain, his fear, his sorrow – Yet He took our place.
Even though I know what happened next, I still feel the sting of shame that it was my sin that put Jesus on that Cross.
As I have been reading the accounts of Jesus death the last few days, something stood out to me. Something I really had not given much thought to, but on this Holy Week it caught my eye. Or maybe my heart. Jesus, on the road to his own crucifixion, having accepted the will of God, even though his body was broken, was forced to accept the suffering of another on his account.
As we read in scripture, a man named Simon of Cyrene was ordered to help carry the cross as Jesus was struggling (Luke 23:26). No easy task. The crossbar of the cross is estimated to have weighed around 70-90 pounds and the whole cross weighed between 220-300 pounds. Even carrying the crossbar would have been a struggle for this man named Simon on a long journey through jeering crowds along hot dusty roads to the crucifixion site – but the whole cross had to be so much more of a struggle. And Simon must have tripped and strained and stumbled his way behind Jesus. And Jesus, walking in front, knew this man Simon was there. And knew he must have been suffering.
If I was Jesus, I probably would have felt some shame. Shame for the pain Simon was enduring after being randomly picked out of the crowd and forced to suffer because of me.
But this is where again we remember that Jesus was fully human. He felt what I feel when I contemplate the cross. He knows and understands us and our emotions so well – because he felt them.
And this is where I remember not to stay in my shame. You see, shame can be a catalyst to change the heart. Shame is never a place we should live. But because I am aware of my sin, I feel shame. That shame should give me the initiative to breathe life into my faith with deeds – deeds of gratitude and obedience to the one who saved me, the one who gave everything for me.
This shame should lead us to a gratitude deeper than any ocean. Jesus hung on that Cross for me – for all of us – while we were still sinners. While we didn’t know him, while we ignored him, while we held him on the cross with our sins. The expanse of God’s mercy is breathtaking.
Jesus, our Savior. So human. So divine. It’s unfathomable. And yet we can see these little glimpses in the gospels of the state of his heart, which in turn helps us to understand the glory of his divinity.
I encourage everyone to spend some time reading the accounts of Jesus crucifixion this Holy Week. Truly hear his words. Feel his pain. And remember his glory. Because Jesus actions are about the glory, not about the shame. Let your shame lead you to gratitude, as we celebrate Easter this coming Sunday. Let us bow down and worship at Jesus feet, because He deserves our everything. ~OC
New Set of Clothing
Today’s a new day! As we walk into a new week, I want to share a little bit with you.
I encourage everyone this week to put on a new set of clothing. Instead of judgment, try on forgiveness… instead of hate, try on love… instead of retribution, try on grace… instead of war, try on peace… instead of following the crowd, why not lean into the promises of Jesus. Today’s world is so polarized and broken and it breaks my heart. The older I have gotten, the more I have come to realize what is important in life. What is important in life is how you live… to live with an attitude of love… to follow the words of the prophet Micah: do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God… and, of course to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength while also loving our neighbor (all of them, even those who are difficult to love) as ourself. Have a blessed Holy Week. ~OC
Hold On And Lean In
Hello. Here is another “Lost Writing from OC.” I wrote this one back in 2019.
Today’s a new day! As we walk through this journey called life, Jesus told us pain and suffering would be a part of our lives:
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” ~John 16:33
I love that Jesus did not simply say we’ll have trials and sorrow and then leaves it to us to figure out. No, He promises peace and reminds us that he has overcome the world, meaning the tough times we face in life are not without purpose.
Our pain and suffering often sets us up to see God supernaturally working in our lives.
Regardless of what pain and suffering we might currently be walking through or what challenges we might face in the future, here are some lessons God as taught me as I have walked out my own crazy beautiful health journey:
Bring Your Pain To God, Do Not Run From Him
When we run from God in seasons of challenge, all we’re left with is our own limited ability to cope with what we’re walking through. On the other hand, God invites us to draw near to him that we might experience his peace, healing, and closeness and this is what Scripture points us towards.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” ~Psalm 34:18
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” ~Psalm 147:3
Like our need for a surgeon to address physical wounds to our body, God desires to conduct divine surgery on our soul which results in supernatural healing despite how difficult our challenge.
When we bring our pain to God we recognize that there is a purpose and in time the One who loves us unconditionally will reveal his divine purpose through it.
Fill Your Life With God’s Word and God’s People
How we respond to pain and suffering is vital to how we process what’s happening and how healing will take place. If we treat physical sickness with the the wrong medication, not only will our illness continue, but it could possibly become much worse.
Also if we fill our minds with wrong thoughts: God is mad at me, God is not good, worse things are going to happen, etc., we will struggle to experience the peace of God he promises to us in scripture. Check out Philippians 4:7.
But when we choose to fill our lives with God’s Word and surround ourselves with people who speak hope and encouragement into our lives, we will experience more peace as we walk out the tough moments in life.
“How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey.” ~Psalm 119:103
When we fill our minds with God’s Word, we are reminding ourselves of who our God is, what he’s like, and we replace the lies of the enemy with the truth of our good God.
Do Not Be Filled With Worry, Allow Your Life To Overflow With Worship
Powerful things begin to happens when we actively choose to worship God through our suffering. This is not denying the reality of the situation, it’s simply redirecting our efforts from one of worry to one of worship.
Worship changes our perspective. Worship speaks about where our confidence and hope resides. Worship redirects our thinking. Worship places the results in God’s hands. Not ours.
Regardless of where our pain and suffering come from, when we begin to worship God through our struggles, spiritual chains begin to break so that we are not ruled by our current circumstance but we set our eyes on something higher.
Believe That God Will Take Our Sorrow And Turn It Into Great Joy
As we walk through the storms of life, we must remember God can take our worst moments and turn them into something good. Of course it’s not always easy to see that when we’re being knocked around by the crashing seas. When we think about Jesus’ greatest sorrow – suffering the shame, punishment, and death for our sin, the result was great joy – the redemption of humanity and the opportunity for a relationship with the living God.
When I reflect on my own health challenges which has brought great pain, I see how God has used this season of discomfort to strengthen and encourage others which has resulted in my own comfort and joy through this crazy beautiful health journey.
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:4, “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”
Jesus willingly suffered the greatest pain because he knew the end of the story, and so do we. The words in Revelations 21:4 should bring us great comfort:
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Also as we walk through pain and suffering of this world remember these words of Jesus:
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” ~ John 14:27
“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” ~Matthew 28:20
I pray this post brings you encouragement as you walk through a tough season of life. Keep holding on and leaning into the promises of God. ~OC
The Blessed Overcomer 