Tag: Friends

Parent Your Phone

As I watch the news or scroll through social media, I hear and read a lot about how parents should police their children’s cellphone use.

I agree.

But maybe as adults we need to be worried about just more than the younger generations phone use.


Maybe as adults we need to put OUR own phones down.

That one hurts.

Because we can talk about kids being addicted to their screens.

We can talk about teenagers who spend hours scrolling.

We can talk about social media stealing their attention.

We can talk about the dangers of what they’re watching.

But if we’re honest…

We have to look in the mirror first.

Because sometimes we are just as guilty of the very thing we’re warning everyone else about.

Our phone is beside us when we wake up.

It’s in our hands while we’re eating.

It’s there when someone is talking to us.

We reach for it when we’re bored.

We reach for it when we’re uncomfortable.

We reach for it when we’re lonely.

We reach for it when we don’t want to think about what we’re feeling.

And sometimes…

We reach for our phones before we reach for God.

Ouch.

Maybe we don’t need to parent our children’s phones nearly as much as we need to parent our own.

Because somewhere along the way, many of us stopped using our phones and started being used by them.

A notification goes off…

We respond.

Someone posts something…

We check it.

Someone sends a message…

We stop whatever we’re doing.

The phone rings…

We immediately reach for it.

And the person sitting right in front of us?

They wait.

Our spouse waits.

Our children wait.

Our friends wait.

Sometimes even God waits.

And we wonder why our relationships feel disconnected.

Maybe it isn’t because we don’t love people.

Maybe it’s because we’re physically present…

but emotionally somewhere else.

Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” — Matthew 6:21

So where is our heart?

Because sometimes you can tell where someone’s heart is by where their eyes are.

And if our eyes are constantly staring at a screen…

Maybe we should ask ourselves what has captured our attention.

I’m not saying phones are evil.

I’m not saying technology is evil.

I’m not saying social media is evil.

I’m saying anything that can control us needs to be surrendered to Jesus.

The Bible says, “I will not be mastered by anything.” — 1 Corinthians 6:12

Not anything.

That means our phones don’t get to master us.

Notifications don’t get to master us.

Algorithms don’t get to master us.

Social media doesn’t get to master us.

Jesus is supposed to be our Master.

So maybe we need to start parenting our phones.

Maybe we need to teach ourselves that dinner is more important than notifications.

That a conversation is more important than a comment.

That our children’s eyes deserve to meet our eyes.

That our spouse deserves our full attention.

That sitting with someone who is hurting is more important than scrolling past another post.

That prayer deserves more attention than Facebook.

That God’s Word deserves more attention than our newsfeed.

And maybe we need to remember something incredibly simple:

Life is happening on the other side of the screen.

Your children are growing up.

Your marriage needs you.

Your friend may be hurting.

Someone around you may desperately need someone to listen.

And you may be missing it…

because you’re looking down.

So today, I’m asking myself the same question I’m asking you:

Who is parenting whom?

Do I control my phone…

or does my phone control me?

Could I put it down for an hour without feeling anxious?

Could I sit at lunch or dinner without checking it?

Could I spend time with God without reaching for it?

Could I have a conversation without looking at it?

Could I go somewhere without needing to document it?

Could I be completely present…

without a screen between me and the people I love?

Because maybe the issue isn’t our phones.

Maybe the issue is what we’ve allowed our phones to become.

So here’s my challenge:

Put it down.

Not forever.

Just long enough to look up.

Look at your spouse.

Look at your kids.

Look at your friend.

Look around your dinner table.

Look at the person sitting alone.

Look at the world God actually gave you.

And then…

look up toward Heaven.

Because there is a God who has been trying to get our attention long before our phones ever existed.

And maybe today He isn’t asking you to download another Bible app.

Maybe He’s simply whispering:

“Put the phone down, My child.
I’m right here.”

So before we tell the younger generation to get off their phones…

look at your own screen.

Before you complain about their screen time…

look at your own.

Before you tell them they are addicted…

ask yourself if you are.

And before you scroll to the next post…

stop.

Look at your phone.

Now ask yourself one brutally honest question:

“If I gave God the same attention I give this phone, how different would my life be?”

Let that question sit with you.

Don’t scroll.

Don’t defend yourself.

Don’t make excuses.

Just sit with it.

Maybe it’s time we stopped parenting everyone else’s phones…

and started parenting our own. ~OC

0

Tomorrow’s

No One Knows How Many Tomorrow’s Are In A Lifetime…

So I’ve stopped taking them for granted.

That’s one of the greatest lessons chronic illness has ever taught me.

For more than two decades, I’ve lived with something most people don’t see.

Behind the smiles are hospital rooms.

Behind the laughter are tears.

Behind the encouraging words are moments of fear that I’ve never shared with anyone.

There have been nights when I’ve laid in a hospital bed listening to the machines around me, wondering what tomorrow would look like.

There have been moments when I had to confront something none of us really want to think about:

I could die.

Not someday in some distant future.

But maybe sooner than I thought.

When death becomes more than a word—when it becomes a possibility sitting at the foot of your hospital bed—it changes the way you see everything.

You stop worrying so much about things that don’t matter.

You start caring more about the people you love.

You become grateful for things you once overlooked.

A sunrise.

A conversation.

A laugh.

A hug.

Another morning.

Another breath.

Another chance to tell someone, “I love you.”

Another opportunity to say, “Jesus has been good to me.”

Chronic illness has forced me to stretch the limits of my faith.

There have been moments when faith was the only thing I had left.

And sometimes my faith wasn’t strong.

Sometimes all I could whisper was:

“Jesus, please get me through tonight.”

And somehow, He did.

Not always by changing my circumstances.

But by changing me in the middle of them.

I’ve learned that thriving with chronic illness doesn’t mean pretending everything is okay.

It doesn’t mean putting a smile on your face and hiding the pain.

It means being honest enough to say,

“This hurts.”

“I’m scared.”

“I’m tired.”

“I don’t understand.”

…and then somehow finding enough faith to say,

“But God, I’m still trusting You.”

That’s where writing came into my life.

During those long hospital stays, when the hours seemed to crawl by, I started writing simply to pass the time.

I didn’t know what it would become.

I just knew I had emotions trapped inside of me that needed somewhere to go.

So I wrote.

I wrote when I was scared.

I wrote when I was angry.

I wrote when I was hurting.

I wrote when I was grateful.

I wrote when I couldn’t understand what God was doing.

And I wrote when I needed to remind myself that God was still there.

Eventually, writing became a daily habit.

And somewhere along the way, I realized something:

Maybe these words aren’t just for me.

Maybe that hospital bed wasn’t only a place where I was fighting for my own life.

Maybe it was also a place where God was teaching me how to speak hope into someone else’s.

Because somewhere out there, someone is sitting in a hospital room tonight.

Someone is staring at a diagnosis they never expected.

Someone is crying where nobody can see them.

Someone is terrified about tomorrow.

Someone is wondering if their life still has meaning.

Someone is asking God,

“Why am I still here?”

And if my words can reach even one of those people and whisper,

“Please don’t give up. You’re not alone.”

then maybe the pain wasn’t completely wasted.

That’s what I’ve come to understand about purpose.

Sometimes purpose doesn’t come wrapped in something beautiful.

Sometimes purpose comes wrapped in pain.

Sometimes God takes the chapters we would have gladly erased and uses them to write hope into somebody else’s story.

I wouldn’t have chosen this journey.

I wouldn’t have chosen the illnesses.

I wouldn’t have chosen the hospital stays.

I wouldn’t have chosen the fear.

I wouldn’t have chosen the uncertainty.

But I can choose what I do with it.

I can let it destroy me.

Or I can place it in God’s hands and say,

“Use this, Lord.”

Use my scars.

Use my tears.

Use my failures.

Use my fears.

Use my story.

Use every broken piece of me.

Just don’t let my suffering be meaningless.

Because I don’t know how many pages are left in my story.

And neither do you.

That’s the truth we don’t like to talk about.

Every one of us is living on borrowed time.

We just don’t know how much time is left.

So I’m trying to stop counting the years…

and start counting the moments.

I’m trying to embrace the time God gives me instead of being consumed by the time I don’t have.

I’m trying to live while I’m alive.

To love while I can.

To forgive while I can.

To encourage while I can.

To write while I can.

To tell people about Jesus while I can.

To leave a little more hope in this world than I found.

Because one day, all of us will write our final sentence.

And when that day comes, I don’t want my greatest regret to be all the things I was too afraid to do.

I want to know that I used what God gave me.

That I loved people.

That I encouraged people.

That I prayed for people. 

That I made somebody feel less alone.

That I pointed somebody toward Jesus.

That I didn’t allow my illness to steal the purpose and joy God placed inside of me.

So…

I will keep writing.

Even when my hands are tired.

Even when my heart is heavy.

Even when my thoughts are harder to find.

Even when the words come through tears.

Because there is still something inside of me that needs to be said.

And there is still somebody who may need to hear it.

I don’t know how many tomorrows I have.

But I have today.

And today is enough.

Today, I can love.

Today, I can pray.

Today, I can encourage.

Today, I can write.

Today, I can live.

Today, I can tell somebody,

“Don’t give up.”

And today, I can look toward Heaven and say:

“Thank You, God, for one more day.”

I don’t know how my story ends.

But I know Who holds the pen.

And until He writes “The End,”

I’m going to keep turning the page…and live. ~OC

1

The Church Should Never Be Full of Cliques

Today’s a new day!

The Church was never meant to be a place where people walk through the doors and immediately wonder, “Where do I fit in?”

Unfortunately, too many churches have become filled with cliques—small groups of people who only talk to certain people, sit with certain people, socialize with certain people, and sometimes make newcomers feel like outsiders simply because they aren’t part of the “in crowd.”

That should break our hearts.

The Church should be one of the most welcoming places on earth.

Jesus didn’t build His ministry around exclusive circles. He reached out to the forgotten, the hurting, the rejected, the sinners, the poor, the sick, and the people society had pushed to the margins. He didn’t ask people to prove they belonged before He loved them.

He simply loved them.

So why do we sometimes make people work so hard to find a place within the Church?

Cliques don’t attract people. Love does.

Cliques create walls. Jesus tore down walls.

Cliques make people feel invisible. Jesus made people feel seen.

Cliques say, “You don’t belong with us.”

Jesus says, “Come to Me.”

Think about the person who walks into church for the first time. Maybe they’re struggling with addiction. Maybe their marriage is falling apart. Maybe they’ve been hurt by the Church before. Maybe they’re grieving. Maybe they’re lonely. Maybe they’re questioning their faith. Maybe they simply don’t know anyone.

What do they experience when they walk through our doors?

Do they see people who are willing to stop, introduce themselves, sit beside them, listen to their story and make room for them?

Or do they see groups gathered together who barely acknowledge anyone outside their circle?

We need to understand something: people are watching.

Sometimes our greatest testimony isn’t what happens on the platform. It’s what happens in the hallway.

It’s whether we notice the person standing alone.

It’s whether we invite someone to sit with us.

It’s whether we learn someone’s name.

It’s whether we ask, “How are you really doing?” and actually listen to the answer.

It’s whether we make room at our table.

The Church doesn’t need more exclusive circles. The Church needs wider tables.

And this isn’t about saying that friendships are wrong. Of course we will naturally develop deeper friendships with certain people. That’s part of being human.

The problem begins when our friendships become barriers.

There is a difference between having close friends and creating a closed circle.

There is a difference between community and exclusivity.

There is a difference between fellowship and favoritism.

Jesus called us to love one another, not just the people who look like us, think like us, worship like us or already belong to our social circle.

The Church should be a family where there is room for everybody.

The single person.

The married couple.

The young person.

The senior adult.

The lifelong Christian.

The person who is just beginning to believe.

The person who has walked away and is trying to find their way home.

The person who has been hurt by religion.

The person who doesn’t have it all together.

Because here’s the truth:

None of us has it all together.

We are all people in need of God’s grace.

So let’s stop building little kingdoms inside God’s house.

Let’s stop worrying about who belongs to our group.

Let’s stop protecting our circles and start expanding our tables.

Let’s become the kind of Church where a stranger doesn’t remain a stranger.

Where the lonely find friendship.

Where the broken find compassion.

Where the hurting find hope.

Where the questioning are welcomed.

Where the forgotten are remembered.

Where the outsider becomes family.

And where the first thing people experience isn’t judgment, suspicion or exclusion—but the love of Jesus.

If we want people to come to church, we have to give them something worth coming to.

Not perfect people.

Not impressive programs.

Not political tribes.

Not cliques.

Jesus.

And Jesus is love.

Maybe it’s time for all of us to look around our churches and ask ourselves one uncomfortable but important question:

“Am I helping create a Church that welcomes people, or am I helping create a circle that keeps people out?”

Because the Church doesn’t belong to us.

It belongs to Jesus.

And His table has always been bigger than our clique.

Let’s make room.

Let’s love people well.

Let’s tear down the walls.

Let’s open the doors.

Let’s become the Church Jesus called us to be. ~OC

0

Hope Isles: A New Beginning/Chapter Thirty-Five: Open Last

The rumble rolled through the chamber again.

Dust drifted from the ceiling.

Small pebbles bounced across the stone floor.

Nobody needed further convincing.

Something was happening above them.

And it wasn’t good.

“Everyone move,” Daniel said firmly.

Years of leadership returned instantly.

The group began gathering documents.

Not everything.

That would be impossible.

Only the most important items.

The Covenant.

The Trust Agreement.

Samuel’s letter.

Thomas Lawson’s journal.

And the mysterious envelope marked:

Open Last.

Walter tucked the wooden box carefully into his backpack.

“If I drop this, Samuel will find a way to haunt me.”

Despite the tension, a few smiles appeared.

The old man had a gift for that.

Another rumble shook the chamber.

This one stronger.

A support beam groaned somewhere in the darkness.

Emily looked toward the staircase.

“We need to go now.”

Nobody argued.

Within moments they were climbing the stone steps.

The narrow staircase suddenly felt much longer than before.

James carried the Covenant.

Daniel carried the Trust documents.

Richard held several survey records.

Sarah helped Margaret.

Walter refused assistance.

Which surprised absolutely no one.

Finally daylight appeared above them.

The group emerged into the clearing.

Fresh air hit their faces.

Sunlight poured through the trees.

And immediately they realized something.

The cliff itself wasn’t collapsing.

At least not yet.

But part of the hillside beyond the weather station had shifted.

A section of earth nearly twenty yards wide had slid downward.

Trees leaned at dangerous angles.

Fresh cracks split the ground.

Emily exhaled slowly.

“That’s closer than I would’ve liked.”

Walter nodded.

“Very much closer.”

The group moved farther away from the unstable area.

Only then did everyone finally stop.

Breathing hard.

Processing everything.

James looked down at the documents in his hands.

Hours earlier they had come searching for answers.

Now they carried generations of history.

Proof.

Legacy.

A covenant.

And still more questions than answers.

Richard sat on a nearby rock.

Shaking his head.

“I don’t think anyone is going to believe this.”

Daniel laughed softly.

“I barely believe it.”

For a while they rested beneath the trees.

The ocean shimmered beyond the cliffs.

The wind carried the scent of salt and pine.

Peace gradually returned.

Then Sarah looked toward James.

“What about the envelope?”

Every head turned.

The envelope.

Samuel’s final instruction.

Open Last.

Walter immediately grinned.

“Now we’re talking.”

James held it carefully.

Part of him wasn’t ready.

For nearly thirty years, Samuel had continued speaking through journals, letters, clues, and memories.

This felt different.

Final.

Important.

Margaret seemed to sense it too.

“Go ahead.”

James nodded.

Slowly, he opened the envelope.

Inside was a single folded letter.

Nothing else.

No map.

No legal document.

No secret code.

Just a letter.

He unfolded it carefully.

And immediately smiled.

Because the first line was unmistakably Samuel.

“If Walter is present, tell him to stop making jokes and pay attention.”

Walter laughed loudly.

“That man knew me too well.”

The group chuckled.

The tension broke instantly.

James continued.

“I suspect this letter will be read after a great deal of unnecessary excitement.”

More laughter.

“If so, I was probably right.”

Even Richard smiled.

Then the tone of the letter changed.

Becoming softer.

More personal.

James read on.

“If you have found the archive, then you have already discovered the truth.”

“The covenant matters.”

“The trust matters.”

“The history matters.”

“But none of them are the most important thing.”

Silence settled over the group.

James continued.

“The most important thing is what happens next.”

Daniel lowered his eyes.

Already understanding.

“Every generation inherits a choice.”

“You can become guardians of the past.”

“Or builders of the future.”

“The wisest people become both.”

The wind rustled through the trees.

James read slowly.

Taking in every word.

“Do not preserve Hope Isles because you fear change.”

“Preserve what is worth preserving.”

“And have the courage to improve what needs improving.”

Sarah squeezed James’s hand.

Those words felt especially relevant.

Because Hope Isles still faced challenges.

Always would.

Samuel knew that.

Then came the final paragraph.

The final message.

Not just to James.

To all of them.

“One day my grandson may wonder whether he is ready to lead.”

James swallowed hard.

“Tell him no one is ever fully ready.”

“Leadership is simply choosing to serve before you feel prepared.”

A tear slid down Sarah’s cheek.

James continued.

His voice unsteady now.

“Tell Daniel that grace won.”

Daniel closed his eyes.

Emotion washing across his face.

“Tell Walter and Margaret their friendship was one of God’s greatest gifts to me.”

Walter stared at the ground.

Unable to speak.

Margaret quietly wiped her eyes.

“Tell Richard that redemption is possible.”

Richard looked away.

Deeply moved.

“Tell Emily that promises kept across 

generations are powerful things.”

Emily smiled through tears.

Then James reached the final lines.

The very last words Samuel had left behind.

“And tell everyone in Hope Isles this:”

“The future has never belonged to us.”

“It belongs to God.”

“Trust Him.”

“Always.”

The letter ended.

No dramatic revelation.

No hidden treasure.

No final mystery.

Just faith.

Simple.

Steady.

Unshakable faith.

For several minutes nobody spoke.

The ocean rolled against the cliffs below.

The lighthouse beam swept across the distant shoreline.

And somehow, in that moment, every person present felt the same thing.

Samuel was gone.

But his legacy wasn’t.

It was alive.

In them.

Finally Walter stood.

Cleared his throat.

And smiled.

“So.”

Everyone looked up.

Walter glanced toward Hope Isles.

Toward the harbor.

Toward the homes and people waiting below.

“What do you say we go home?”

James looked at the covenant in his hands.

Then at the island stretching beneath the afternoon sun.

For the first time since this journey began, he wasn’t thinking about secrets.

Or vaults.

Or hidden documents.

He was thinking about the future.

And somehow he knew.

The story of Hope Isles wasn’t ending.

It was only beginning a brand-new chapter.

To Be Continued…

0

Dear Parkinson’s Community

Dear Parkinson’s Community,

I wanted to see if there would be interest in starting a weekly or monthly Zoom gathering for our Parkinson’s community.

The vision is simple: to discuss the latest developments in Parkinson’s research and treatment, share practical insights, encourage one another, and remind each other that no one has to walk this journey alone.

This group would be open to:

  • People living with Parkinson’s disease
  • Caregivers and family members
  • Medical professionals
  • Anyone who has lost a loved one to Parkinson’s

Whether you’re newly diagnosed, have been living with Parkinson’s for years, care for someone with the disease, or simply want to learn and support others, you are welcome.

If this is something you would be interested in, please leave a comment below or send me a direct message. If there’s enough interest, I’ll begin organizing our first Zoom meeting.

Together, we can learn, encourage one another, and find hope for the road ahead.

You are not alone. ~OC

0

Hope Isles: A New Beginning/Chapter Thirty-Four: The Covenant

The underground chamber fell silent.

Richard stared at the document as though it might disappear if he blinked.

James looked from the Property Trust Agreement to the Covenant of Hope Isles.

Neither made complete sense yet.

But both clearly mattered.

A lot.

“Richard?”

Sarah’s voice broke the silence.

“What is it?”

Richard slowly took the document.

His eyes scanned the first page.

Then the second.

Then the third.

The color drained from his face.

Walter immediately noticed.

“That’s never a good sign.”

Richard looked up.

“No.”

His voice was barely above a whisper.

“It isn’t.”

The room waited.

Finally Daniel spoke.

“Tell us.”

Richard swallowed.

“This trust predates every modern property claim connected to Hope Isles.”

Nobody moved.

Richard continued reading.

“The island wasn’t originally owned by a corporation.”

“Or a government.”

“Or a private developer.”

He looked at the group.

“It was placed into a community trust.”

James frowned.

“What exactly does that mean?”

Emily answered before Richard could.

“It means the land wasn’t intended to belong to any one person.”

Everyone looked at her.

“My grandfather told me stories about community trusts.”

She pointed at the document.

“The original founders believed Hope Isles was a stewardship.”

“Not an asset.”

Walter smiled.

“That sounds exactly like Samuel.”

James nodded.

It did.

Richard continued reading.

“The trust required every future generation to preserve four core principles.”

He pointed toward the Covenant.

“Faith.”

“Hope.”

“Mercy.”

“And stewardship.”

Margaret smiled softly.

“The covenant.”

Richard nodded.

“The trust and covenant were tied together.”

Daniel frowned.

“What happens if someone violates the trust?”

Richard hesitated.

Then looked directly at him.

“That’s the interesting part.”

The room grew quiet.

“The trust included legal protections.”

“Extensive protections.”

“Some of them are still enforceable.”

Walter nearly laughed.

“You’re telling me a document written two hundred years ago still matters?”

Richard’s expression remained serious.

“It might matter more than anyone realizes.”

James felt his pulse quicken.

“Why?”

Richard held up the final page.

“Because the founders anticipated outside development.”

The room froze.

“What?”

Richard nodded.

“There are provisions specifically designed to prevent large-scale ownership transfers.”

Sarah blinked.

“Two hundred years ago?”

“Apparently.”

Richard shook his head in disbelief.

“They understood something many modern communities forgot.”

Daniel leaned closer.

“What?”

Richard smiled faintly.

“That preserving a place is easier than restoring it.”

Nobody argued.

Because everyone knew he was right.

For several moments they continued reading.

The Covenant itself was beautiful.

Simple.

Handwritten.

Signed by dozens of names.

Many of them familiar.

Family names still found throughout Hope Isles.

Some belonging to people long gone.

Others still living on the island today.

Then James reached the final page.

And stopped.

His breath caught.

A newer page had been attached.

Not two centuries old.

Not even thirty years old.

Samuel’s handwriting filled the sheet.

Walter immediately recognized it.

“So he added to it.”

James nodded.

Slowly.

Carefully.

He began reading aloud.

“To whoever reads this.”

“If Hope Isles has reached another crossroads, remember this.”

The room became still.

“The covenant was never about protecting land.”

“Land cannot love.”

“Land cannot forgive.”

“Land cannot build community.”

James felt emotion rising in his chest.

“The covenant exists to protect people.”

Sarah wiped away a tear.

James continued.

“If you spend your energy saving buildings while neglecting neighbors, you have missed the point.”

“If you preserve history but lose compassion, you have failed.”

“If you win every legal battle but forget grace, you have already lost.”

Nobody spoke.

The words settled deep within the chamber.

Like seeds finding fertile soil.

Then James reached the final paragraph.

And suddenly his voice broke.

“My greatest prayer is not that Hope Isles survives.”

“My prayer is that Hope survives within Hope Isles.”

Silence.

Complete silence.

Even Richard looked emotional.

Walter removed his glasses.

Pretending to clean them.

Nobody called him out.

They knew better.

Finally Margaret smiled.

“Leave it to Samuel.”

Daniel laughed softly.

“Always preaching.”

“Always.”

For a few minutes nobody said much.

The room itself felt different now.

Less like a mystery.

More like a sanctuary.

Then Richard cleared his throat.

The sound immediately drew attention.

“There is one more thing.”

The mood shifted slightly.

“What?” James asked.

Richard tapped the trust agreement.

“There is an attachment.”

Emily frowned.

“I don’t remember hearing about an attachment.”

Neither did anyone else.

Richard carefully unfolded the final pages.

Several sheets slipped free.

Maps.

Survey records.

Notes.

Then one sealed envelope.

Smaller than the others.

Marked in Samuel’s handwriting.

Richard stared.

Then handed it to James.

The front contained only three words.

Open Last.

Walter groaned.

“Oh, come on.”

Even Sarah laughed.

Samuel had somehow managed to leave them one final mystery.

James smiled.

“That sounds like Grandpa.”

“It absolutely sounds like Samuel,” Margaret agreed.

But before anyone could open it—

A distant sound echoed faintly through the chamber.

At first nobody recognized it.

Then Daniel’s face tightened.

“Do you hear that?”

Everyone listened.

A low rumble.

Deep.

Rhythmic.

The sound seemed to travel through the stone itself.

Richard looked upward.

Toward the ceiling.

Toward the cliffs above.

And suddenly his expression changed.

Concern.

Real concern.

“That’s not thunder.”

The rumble came again.

Louder this time.

Dust drifted from overhead beams.

The group exchanged worried looks.

Emily’s eyes widened.

“Oh no.”

James looked at her.

“What?”

Her voice dropped to a whisper.

“The northern cliffs.”

The rumble sounded again.

This time much closer.

And everyone suddenly realized the terrifying possibility.

After centuries of standing untouched…

The cliffside above the archive might be collapsing.

And if they didn’t get out quickly—

Samuel’s secret archive could be buried forever.

To Be Continued…

0

Hope Isles: A New Beginning/Chapter Thirty-Three: The Unexpected Visitor

The footsteps echoed through the stone passageway.

Slow.

Deliberate.

Getting closer.

Nobody spoke.

Nobody moved.

Flashlights turned toward the staircase.

James felt his heart pounding against his ribs.

Daniel instinctively stepped slightly in front of Sarah.

Walter grabbed an old wooden handle leaning against one of the shelves.

Margaret gave him a look.

“What exactly do you plan to do with that?”

Walter shrugged.

“Feel better about myself.”

Under different circumstances, it might have earned a laugh.

Not now.

The footsteps continued.

One step.

Then another.

Then a beam of light appeared at the top of the stairs.

A flashlight.

The group held their breath.

A figure descended slowly into the chamber.

And then—

Everyone froze.

Because the person entering looked just as surprised as they were.

The woman stopped halfway down the staircase.

Staring.

Blinking.

Clearly not expecting to find anyone.

“Well,” she said.

“That’s awkward.”

James lowered his flashlight slightly.

The woman appeared to be in her early forties.

Sun-weathered skin.

Dark hair pulled into a ponytail.

A backpack slung over one shoulder.

She looked more like an explorer than a corporate investigator.

Richard frowned.

“Who are you?”

The woman studied the group carefully.

Then her eyes landed on the desk.

The letter.

The hidden compartment.

Understanding immediately crossed her face.

“Oh no.”

Walter narrowed his eyes.

“Oh no what?”

She sighed.

“You found it first.”

Nobody liked that answer.

Daniel stepped forward.

“You still haven’t told us who you are.”

The woman slowly descended the rest of the stairs.

Then extended her hand.

“My name is Emily Lawson.”

Nobody shook it.

She withdrew her hand.

“Fair enough.”

Richard’s eyes widened slightly.

“Lawson?”

Emily noticed.

“You’ve heard the name.”

Richard nodded slowly.

“One of the original survey teams.”

Emily looked surprised.

“You’re better informed than most.”

The room grew quiet.

James exchanged a glance with Walter.

The name sounded familiar.

Then Margaret gasped.

“Oh.”

Everyone looked at her.

Margaret stared at Emily.

“Thomas Lawson.”

Emily smiled softly.

“My grandfather.”

Margaret’s eyes widened.

“He worked with Samuel.”

Emily nodded.

“For years.”

The tension shifted.

Not gone.

But different.

James frowned.

“If that’s true, why are you here?”

Emily looked toward Samuel’s letter.

Then around the archive.

Finally she answered.

“Because my grandfather left instructions.”

No one spoke.

She slowly reached into her backpack.

Removing an old leather notebook.

Its condition looked remarkably similar to Samuel’s journal.

James immediately understood.

Another journal.

Another legacy.

Emily opened it carefully.

“The last thing my grandfather told me before he died was this.”

She flipped through pages.

Found a marked entry.

And read aloud.

“When the time comes, the Whitakers will find the archive.”

Every person in the room went still.

Emily continued.

“If they do, help them.”

James stared.

“Help us?”

Emily nodded.

“My grandfather and Samuel protected this place together.”

Richard folded his arms.

“Then why didn’t anyone know about you?”

Emily smiled sadly.

“Because they wanted it that way.”

For several moments, silence filled the chamber.

Then Walter lowered his makeshift weapon.

“A little warning would’ve been nice.”

Emily laughed.

“My apologies.”

Sarah finally relaxed enough to smile.

“So you’re not here to steal anything?”

Emily looked genuinely offended.

“No.”

Then she pointed toward the compartment beneath the desk.

“I’m here because of that.”

Everyone followed her gaze.

The covenant.

The hidden document.

The reason Samuel and Thomas had guarded this place.

Emily walked toward the desk.

Then stopped.

She pointed at a small brass lock on the compartment.

“See that?”

James nodded.

“What about it?”

Emily smiled.

“It requires two keys.”

The room went silent again.

Of course it did.

Samuel wouldn’t have made anything simple.

Emily reached into her pocket.

And produced an old brass key.

The metal gleamed beneath the flashlight beams.

Walter stared.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Emily smiled.

“My grandfather’s key.”

James immediately looked toward Samuel’s desk.

His eyes widened.

Because resting beside the letter—

Almost hidden beneath a stack of papers—

Was another brass key.

Waiting.

The matching key.

Samuel’s key.

Margaret laughed softly.

Even Daniel smiled.

The old men had planned this decades ago.

Neither family could open the covenant alone.

They would need each other.

Exactly as Samuel and Thomas had intended.

James carefully picked up the second key.

The weight of it felt strangely significant.

Like holding a piece of history.

A piece of trust.

A piece of friendship.

Emily stepped beside him.

The group gathered around.

Together they knelt before the compartment.

Two keyholes.

Two keys.

Two families.

One promise.

James looked at Emily.

“Ready?”

She nodded.

“Ready.”

They inserted the keys simultaneously.

Then turned them.

A loud click echoed through the chamber.

The lock released.

Slowly.

Carefully.

James lifted the compartment lid.

Everyone leaned forward.

Waiting.

Inside rested a single wooden box.

Simple.

Unremarkable.

Except for one thing.

Carved into the lid were the words:

Faith. Hope. Love.

And beneath them:

“For the generations yet to come.”

The chamber grew quiet.

Not because they had found treasure.

But because somehow…

This felt far more important.

James gently placed his hand on the box.

Then looked around the room.

At his father.

At Sarah.

At Walter and Margaret.

At Richard.

At Emily.

At the legacy Samuel had left behind.

And for the first time, he understood something his grandfather had known all along.

The greatest inheritance was never land.

Never money.

Never secrets.

It was the people who carried those stories forward.

Slowly, James opened the box.

And inside was a document unlike anything any of them had ever seen.

The Covenant of Hope Isles.

Signed nearly two centuries earlier.

And attached to it…

A second document.

One that immediately caused Richard’s face to go pale.

Because across the top, in bold letters, were words he never expected to see.

PROPERTY TRUST AGREEMENT

And according to the first paragraph…

The entire future ownership of Hope Isles was about to change.

To Be Continued…

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Hope Isles: A New Beginning/Chapter Thirty-Two: Beneath the Cross

For several seconds, no one moved.

The metal ring sat exposed in the dirt.

Silent.

Waiting.

Walter looked around at the group.

“Well?”

Sarah folded her arms.

“You’re the one who wanted an adventure.”

Walter grinned.

“Fair point.”

Carefully, he wrapped both hands around the ring.

The metal felt cold despite the warming morning air.

He pulled.

Nothing happened.

Daniel stepped forward.

“Need some help?”

“I was about to ask.”

Together they pulled.

At first the stone slab resisted.

Then, with a low grinding sound, it shifted.

Dirt crumbled away.

Roots snapped.

Slowly the hidden door opened.

A rush of cool air escaped from below.

Air that smelled of stone.

Dust.

And time.

Everyone stepped back.

No one expected to feel nervous.

Yet somehow they all did.

James aimed his flashlight downward.

A narrow stone staircase disappeared into darkness.

Walter let out a low whistle.

“Samuel really committed to this.”

Margaret shook her head.

“I don’t think Samuel built it.”

Richard nodded.

“Neither do I.”

The stonework looked old.

Much older than Samuel.

Possibly older than any building currently standing on Hope Isles.

James took a slow breath.

Then looked at the others.

“Ready?”

One by one they nodded.

And together they descended.

The staircase spiraled downward for nearly thirty feet.

The deeper they went, the cooler the air became.

Finally the stairs ended.

The group stepped into a large underground chamber.

Flashlights swept across stone walls.

Ancient support beams.

Shelves.

Tables.

Storage chests.

Everyone froze.

The room was far larger than anyone expected.

Walter stared in disbelief.

“This isn’t a vault.”

Richard nodded.

“It’s an archive.”

The realization settled over them.

This wasn’t a place built to hide treasure.

It was built to preserve knowledge.

James moved toward one of the shelves.

Dust covered everything.

Yet remarkably little had deteriorated.

The room had remained dry.

Protected.

Safe.

For decades.

Perhaps longer.

Sarah picked up an old ledger.

Daniel examined a wooden crate.

Margaret stared silently at the room.

Her eyes shining.

Then James noticed something.

At the center of the chamber stood a single desk.

Unlike everything else, it appeared untouched.

Intentional.

Waiting.

A lantern sat beside it.

Along with a sealed envelope.

James slowly approached.

The handwriting on the front immediately caught his attention.

Samuel’s.

His heart pounded.

Because the envelope contained only six words.

“To whoever finds this room.”

The group gathered around.

Carefully, James opened it.

Inside was a letter.

Only a few pages.

Yet the moment he saw the first line, emotion filled his chest.

He began reading aloud.

“If you are reading this, then Hope Isles is once again standing at a crossroads.”

Nobody interrupted.

“I suspected this day would eventually come.”

“Not because people are evil.”

“But because every generation must decide what matters most.”

Walter swallowed hard.

The words sounded exactly like Samuel.

James continued.

“If you expected gold, I am sorry to disappoint you.”

That earned a few quiet laughs.

“The greatest treasures of Hope Isles were never buried beneath it.”

“They were always found above ground.”

“In families.”

“In friendships.”

“In faith.”

“In neighbors helping neighbors.”

Sarah wiped away a tear.

James kept reading.

“Still, there are things preserved here that must not be forgotten.”

“Records.”

“Research.”

“History.”

“Proof.”

Richard straightened.

Proof.

That word immediately caught his attention.

James turned the page.

“Years ago, several organizations sought access to this archive.”

“Most believed valuable environmental surveys were stored here.”

“They were correct.”

The room grew quiet.

“Those surveys helped protect Hope Isles from development that would have permanently damaged its ecosystem.”

Daniel glanced toward Richard.

Harbor Horizon.

Everything was beginning to make sense.

But Samuel’s letter wasn’t finished.

James continued.

“However, those documents are not the most important thing in this room.”

Everyone exchanged glances.

Not the most important thing?

Then what was?

James turned to the final page.

And suddenly stopped.

His eyes widened.

“What?”

Sarah asked.

James looked stunned.

Speechless.

Daniel stepped closer.

“What does it say?”

James slowly read the final paragraph.

“The true reason this archive was protected is because it contains the original Covenant of Hope Isles.”

The room fell silent.

Margaret looked confused.

“Covenant?”

Walter frowned.

“I’ve never heard of that.”

Neither had anyone else.

James continued.

“Long before Hope Isles became a town, a small group of settlers gathered here and made a promise.”

“Not to each other.”

“To God.”

“Their covenant was simple.”

“May this island always remain a place of refuge, faith, mercy, and hope.”

A chill moved through the chamber.

The words felt strangely powerful.

As if generations were speaking through them.

Then James reached the final sentence.

And his voice nearly broke.

“The covenant is stored beneath the desk.”

“Protect it well.”

“The future of Hope Isles may one day depend upon it.”

The room was completely still.

No one spoke.

No one moved.

Then slowly…

James looked down.

At the floor beneath Samuel’s desk.

And there—

Almost hidden among the stonework—

Was another small compartment.

Locked.

Waiting.

The covenant.

The reason Samuel had protected this place.

The secret hidden beneath Hope Isles for generations.

But before anyone could take a single step toward it—

A loud crash echoed from somewhere above.

The sound of the stone entrance slamming shut.

Everyone froze.

Then came another sound.

Footsteps.

Not theirs.

Someone else had entered the vault.

And they were no longer alone.

To Be Continued…

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Life With Purpose

Today’s a new day!

Twenty-four years ago, I never imagined the road my life would take.

If someone had told me I would spend decades walking through cancer, Parkinson’s Disease, Myasthenia Gravis, a stroke, gastroparesis, early-stage Lewy Body Dementia, countless hospital stays, surgeries, treatments, and more doctor’s appointments than I could ever count, I probably would have wondered how anyone could endure that much.

The truth is, there have been days when I wondered the same thing.

There have been moments when fear tried to take over. There have been seasons of grief as I watched abilities I once took for granted slowly disappear. As a former marathon runner, I remember what it felt like to run mile after mile with freedom. Today, every step is a reminder that life has changed.

But here’s what I’ve discovered.

I couldn’t choose my diagnoses, but I could choose what I did with them.

Somewhere along this journey, God began changing my perspective. Instead of asking, “Lord, why is this happening to me?” I found myself asking, “Lord, how can You use this for Your glory?”

That question changed everything.

Purpose doesn’t eliminate pain, but it gives pain eternal significance.

Some of the most powerful moments of my faith haven’t happened in church buildings. They’ve happened in emergency rooms, hospital rooms, intensive care units, doctor’s offices, and quiet moments when all I could do was whisper the name of Jesus.

I’ve experienced frightening hallucinations brought on by Parkinson’s Disease and dementia. They were unlike anything I had ever known. Yet even in those moments, when my mind should have been consumed with fear, God filled it with peace and worship. Songs came flooding into my heart. Instead of darkness having the final word, Jesus reminded me that His presence reaches places illness never can.

Those songs eventually became Songs in the Battle.

What the enemy intended to use to discourage me, God transformed into worship.

In 2019, during surgery, God gave me a glimpse of Heaven that forever changed how I see suffering. I experienced a place more beautiful than words could ever describe. I had no pain. I had a new body. I didn’t want to leave.

Then I heard these words:

“Not yet, my son. I have more work for you to complete.”

When I woke up in recovery pointing toward Heaven, I knew my life no longer belonged to me. It belonged completely to the One who had sent me back.

That experience didn’t remove my health challenges.

It gave them purpose.

I’ve learned that ministry isn’t confined to a platform or a microphone. Sometimes ministry looks like encouraging another patient in a waiting room. Sometimes it’s praying for a nurse who has had an exhausting shift. Sometimes it’s simply choosing joy when your circumstances make no sense.

Every diagnosis has become another opportunity to testify to God’s faithfulness.

Every setback has become another opportunity to trust Him.

Every scar has become another reminder that God is still writing my story.

I’ve also learned that weakness isn’t the opposite of usefulness.

The world measures people by what they can produce. God measures us by our willingness to trust Him. Scripture reminds us that His power is made perfect in weakness. Looking back, I can honestly say I’ve often experienced God’s strength most clearly when I had none of my own.

If my journey has taught me anything, it’s that purpose isn’t determined by our physical abilities. It’s determined by our willingness to surrender whatever we have to God.

I don’t know what tomorrow’s doctor’s appointment will bring.

I don’t know what new challenge may be waiting around the corner.

But I do know this:

As long as God gives me breath, I want every breath to point someone toward Jesus.

If my story gives hope to someone newly diagnosed…

If it encourages a caregiver who is exhausted…

If it reminds someone that miracles still happen—even when they don’t look the way we expected…

If it helps one person discover that Jesus never abandons us in our suffering…

Then every difficult day has eternal value.

I have made the choice to live out my health issues with purpose.

Not because this journey has been easy.

Not because I enjoy suffering.

But because I have seen, time and time again, that God never wastes a surrendered life.

My health challenges are part of my testimony, but they are not my identity.

My identity is found in Jesus Christ.

And as long as He continues to write my story, I will keep telling the world that hope is alive, miracles still happen, and no diagnosis is greater than the faithfulness of God. ~OC

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Hope Isles: A New Beginning/Chapter Twenty-Seven-The Chapter Never Told

The silence inside the town hall lingered.

Nobody seemed eager to speak.

Daniel stood near the front of the room.

Richard Kane stood across from him.

Two men connected by a history neither had expected to revisit.

James looked between them.

“Dad?”

Daniel took a slow breath.

“There was a time in my life I’m not proud of.”

The room remained quiet.

Not because people were judging him.

Because they cared.

And because they knew this wasn’t easy.

Daniel glanced toward James.

Then toward Walter.

Finally he looked at the crowd.

“Years ago, before your grandfather and I reconciled, before I found my way back to faith, I worked in commercial development.”

A few heads nodded.

That wasn’t entirely surprising.

“But I wasn’t just an employee.”

Daniel paused.

“I helped design projects very similar to this one.”

His words landed heavily.

James felt his stomach tighten.

Not because he was disappointed.

Because he suddenly understood why Richard had recognized him.

Richard folded his arms.

“You were one of the best.”

Daniel shook his head.

“No.”

Richard looked confused.

Daniel continued.

“I was one of the most successful.”

A sad smile crossed his face.

“Those aren’t always the same thing.”

Walter quietly nodded.

The difference mattered.

Success measured by profits.

Success measured by purpose.

The older he became, the more he understood how often people confused the two.

Daniel stepped toward the screen displaying the development plans.

“I spent years helping transform communities.”

He paused.

“Or at least that’s what we called it.”

The room listened carefully.

“Sometimes we improved places.”

His voice grew softer.

“And sometimes we erased them.”

No one interrupted.

No one needed to.

The truth carried enough weight on its own.

James suddenly remembered something.

Years ago, when his relationship with his father was still fractured, Daniel rarely spoke about his career.

At the time James had assumed it was because of stress.

Now he wondered if it had been regret.

Richard cleared his throat.

“With respect, Daniel, Harbor Horizon isn’t the same company.”

“No,” Daniel agreed.

“It isn’t.”

The developer relaxed slightly.

Then Daniel finished.

“But every company starts with a choice.”

The room grew quiet again.

“What kind of choice?” Richard asked.

Daniel pointed toward the people gathered around them.

“Whether communities exist to serve investors.”

Then he gestured around the room.

“Or investors exist to serve communities.”

No one applauded.

No one cheered.

But the words settled deeply.

Margaret leaned toward Walter.

“Samuel would’ve liked that.”

Walter smiled.

“He probably wrote it.”

A ripple of laughter eased the tension.

Even Daniel chuckled.

The atmosphere softened slightly.

Yet the questions remained.

The future remained uncertain.

Then Richard surprised everyone.

Including himself.

He turned off the projector.

The bright development images disappeared.

The room darkened slightly.

Suddenly everything felt more personal.

More honest.

Less like a sales pitch.

Richard looked around the room.

At the residents.

At Hope Isles.

At the people who clearly loved this place.

And for the first time all evening, he seemed less like an executive and more like a man.

“Can I tell you the truth?”

No one answered.

But nobody stopped him.

Richard took a deep breath.

“When we first looked at Hope Isles, we saw opportunity.”

Several people folded their arms.

He noticed.

“And before tonight, that’s mostly what I focused on.”

His gaze shifted toward Hope House.

Toward James.

Toward Daniel.

“But I think I missed something.”

June whispered to Walter.

“Only one thing?”

Walter nearly laughed.

Richard continued.

“I’ve attended hundreds of community meetings.”

He paused.

“I’ve never seen people defend a building the way you defend Hope House.”

His voice softened.

“Which tells me you’re not defending a building.”

Sarah smiled slightly.

Because now he was beginning to understand.

“You’re defending each other.”

The room remained silent.

But this time the silence felt different.

Not hostile.

Reflective.

James found himself remembering his grandfather’s letter.

Hope House was never meant to be a place.

It was a reminder.

A reminder that people mattered.

That grace mattered.

That community mattered.

The meeting eventually ended without any final decisions.

No votes.

No agreements.

No dramatic victory.

Just conversations.

Questions.

Possibilities.

And perhaps a little more understanding than when the evening began.

Later that night, James sat on the porch of Hope House.

The harbor lights shimmered across the water.

A cool breeze drifted through the darkness.

Sarah joined him carrying two mugs of coffee.

“Long day.”

James accepted the mug.

“You could say that.”

For several moments neither spoke.

Then Sarah smiled.

“You know something?”

“What?”

“I think your grandfather is still causing trouble.”

James laughed.

“That sounds about right.”

The laughter faded.

The quiet returned.

Then James noticed something.

A figure walking up the path toward Hope House.

Walter.

Which usually meant one thing.

News.

And rarely ordinary news.

Walter climbed the porch steps.

His expression was serious.

Not fearful.

Not worried.

Just thoughtful.

“James.”

“What happened?”

Walter sat down.

For several moments he simply stared toward the harbor.

Then he handed James another document.

An old one.

Recently discovered.

James looked down at it.

The title immediately caught his attention.

Samuel Harper – Private Journal

His pulse quickened.

“You found his journal?”

Walter nodded.

“Only part of it.”

James carefully opened the worn leather cover.

The pages crackled with age.

Most entries described ordinary life.

The island.

The harbor.

Family.

Faith.

Then one particular entry caught his eye.

The date was nearly thirty years old.

And the first sentence stopped him cold.

“Today I learned something about Daniel that could change the future of Hope Isles forever.”

James slowly looked up.

Walter nodded.

“I thought that might get your attention.”

A chill ran through him.

Because whatever Samuel had discovered all those years ago…

he had never told anyone.

Not Walter.

Not Margaret.

Not even Daniel.

And somewhere within those pages lay the final piece of a family mystery that had been quietly shaping Hope Isles for decades.

To Be Continued…

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