Today’s a new day! As we walk through this journey called life, we will experience brokenness, but we will not be shattered. God’s light will continue to shine through those cracks. We will show signs of wear and tear, but we will not break. No, we will continue to walk through this journey called life with a few extra scars. A few more stories to share. We are just renting space in these broken vessels. One sweet day, we will leave behind these broken, scared bodies and walk into our beautiful heavenly whole bodies. ~OC
My Weakness
Today’s a new day! My weakness makes room for God’s strength. In times that are tiring and uncertain, when I feel I have nothing left in the tank, He shows up and reminds me that there is indeed nothing I can do… and He offers me His strength… because it is more than enough to carry this weight. ~OC
Make The Pledge
We cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the issue of Racism in our nation. We have to finally say enough is enough. We have to Rise Up against Division. We have to Demand Change. We have to Rise Up against Hate. We have to share Love. I am encouraging everyone who cares about Love and Justice to Rise Up and take the Pledge to End Racism. Will you Stand Up and make the Pledge with me? ~OC
Thank You, Dr. King
On this day, we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Long after his death, Dr. King’s words and actions continue to inspire us. They continue to challenge us.
Today we take time to remember this amazing man of peace. Dr. King truly lived out the words he wrote and spoke. His words live on, some of the most meaningful ever spoken.
During this time of unrest in our world, I encourage you to stop and reflect on Dr. King’s words. To put those words in action. To come together and live out The Dream. Thank you Dr. King. ~OC
Take the Pledge
As I reflect on the unrest in America, I think about the powerful pledge from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As we celebrate MLK weekend, I wanted to share his pledge of non-violence. Here is Martin Luther King, Jr.’s pledge of non-violence:
I hereby pledge myself- my person and body-to the nonviolent movement. Therefore I will keep the following ten commandments:
1). Meditate daily on the teachings and life of Jesus.
2). Remember always that the non-violent movement seeks justice and reconciliation-not victory.
3). Walk and talk in the manner of love, for God is love.
4). Pray daily to be used by God in order that all men might be free.
5). Sacrifice personal wishes in order that all men might be free.
6). Observe with both friend and foe the ordinary rules of courtesy.
7). Seek to perform regular service for others and for the world.
8). Refrain from the violence of fist, tongue, or heart.
9). Strive to be in good spiritual and bodily health.
10). Follow the directions of the movement and of the captain on a demonstration.
I sign this pledge, having seriously considered what I do and with the determination and will to persevere.
As I read the above commitments, I think about all the heroes that lived out those powerful commitments in 1963. America was dealing with major unrest, as Dr. King and so many heroes marched peacefully for civil rights. Yes, peacefully. So the question is, will you take the pledge? I have personally committed to living out these commitments. Will you? ~OC
God’s Tears
As I continue to pray for America, I imagine God bowing his head in sadness. His tears flowing as so many people who call themselves Christians, act with such hatred and meanness. They seem to have forgotten the beautiful scriptures about loving their neighbors. All Neighbors! The Liberal Neighbor. The Conservative Neighbor. The Homeless Neighbor. The Addicted Neighbor. The LGBTQ Neighbor. The Incarcerated Neighbor. The Immigrant Neighbor. The Depressed Neighbor. The Disabled Neighbor. The Atheist Neighbor. The Black Neighbor. The White Neighbor. The Hispanic Neighbor. The Asian Neighbor. The Middle-Eastern Neighbor. The Native-American Neighbor. The Neighbor of a Different Faith. The..,,, Neighbor.
Think about the sadness God feels looking down on America and seeing all the hatred and division. His heart breaks. Does your heart break? Mine does. So, I will continue to share love. Speak out against hate and violence. I will continue to pray. ~OC
America, Come Together
At 3:41 a.m. on January 7, 2021, Vice-President Michael Pence officially certified Joseph Biden and Kamala Harris the winners of the 2020 Presidential election. This should have been a pretty boring proceeding. But we know that was not the case. Instead, we saw a few politicians and many protesters try to hijack the election results. Thankfully some leaders who actually believe in the constitution prevailed.
A time honored proceeding that should have only taken a few minutes on Wednesday 1/6/21, ended up lasting until 3:41 a.m. on Thursday 1/7/21. Why? Because some sore losers did not like the results of a fair election. So those individuals decided to take things into their own hands. Instead of peacefully protesting the election results which is their right, this group was encouraged to march on the Capital. We all watched with sadness and horror as this group decided violence was better than peace. At last count, four people died during this senseless uprising. Yes, in America four people died and several more were injured because a group of people did not like the results of a fair election. I know some will disagree that the election was legal and fair, but court after court has thrown out every challenge. Why? Because no real evidence was ever presented to show any fraud. So on January 7, 2021 at 3:41 a.m. President-Elect Joseph Biden was officially certified as the next President of the United States of America. I encourage everyone to pray for President-Elect Biden and Vice-President-Elect Harris. They have a tough job ahead. They need our prayers and support. America needs our prayers. It’s time to come together and actually be the United States of America. ~OC
Make A Difference
We survived 2020 and are blessed to say hello to 2021. We all have been given 365 days to make a difference. To make a difference in our small part of the world. When we hear about “Making A Difference”we tend to think that’s for someone else. We think about Martin Luther King, Jr. or Mother Teresa. But making a difference could be a smile and saying hello to a stranger. Making a difference could be committing to pray for someone. Making a difference could be a phone call to a loved one. Making a difference could be paying for a strangers meal. Making a difference could be volunteering. Making a difference could be checking on your neighbor. Making a difference could be making a commitment to having lunch with a friend once a week or month. Making a difference could be saying no to hate. Making a difference could be saying no to violence. Making a difference could be saying no to road rage. As you can see, making a difference does not have to be some major undertaking. But it will take a commitment to follow through. I pray we will make a commitment to making a difference in 2021. ~OC
Connect: My Word For 2021
Each year God gives me a word for the year. The word God has given me for 2021 is Connect. What word has God given you for 2021?
Connect with Jesus. Connect with family and friends. Connect with strangers. Connect with all those Jesus brings my way. We were created for relationships and connecting with others is vital for living a victorious 2021. Happy New Year! ~OC
God’s Hands
Today’s a new day! God’s hands are often invisible, but they are never inactive. ~OC
The Blessed Overcomer 