Today’s a new day! I was reminded this week that having people who love you well—who listen, who pray, who weep, and who laugh with you— is a unique and beautiful gift that should never be taken for granted. ~OC
Merry Christmas
Today’s a new day! Merry Christmas!!!
Finding the real joy of Christmas comes not in the hurrying and the scurrying to get more done. We find the real joy of Christmas when we make Jesus the focus of the season. Born in a simple stable, cradled in a manger, He came forth from Heaven to live on earth as a common man and to establish the kingdom of God. His glorious Gospel reshaped the thinking of the world. He lived for us, and He died for us. What can we, in return, give to Him?
Our lives! May our hearts be full of peace, love, grace and forgiveness on this Christmas Day…. and every other day. May our lives be one of service to others.
May we all remember the true meaning of Christmas and celebrate today in a way that pays tribute to Jesus and the sacrifice He made for all of us.
I want to wish each of you a very, Merry Christmas full of love and laughter and family and friends and wrapping paper, presents, good food, and a day full of happiness and joy. I pray each of you experience whatever Christmas miracle you have been praying for. And may we all remember the person whose birth we celebrate today, Jesus Christ. ~OC
Not About Me
Today’s a new day! This crazy beautiful health journey is not about me. It’s not to show you how strong I am, for my strength comes from God. It’s not to show you how great my faith is, for my faith is a gift from God. And it’s not to show you how courageous I am, for my courage comes from God… exactly at the time I need it. Anything you see in me that is good is not of my doing… it’s from Heaven. ~OC
A Gift
Today’s a new day! Imagine, you’re given a gift. When you take a peak inside, it seems more like a curse than a gift. This gift is unfortunately going to cause pain and loss. But this gift is also going to radically change your life and the lives around you. This gift is going to bring family and friends together. You will reconnect with friends and acquaintances that you haven’t heard from in years.
This gift will redefine your faith and your purpose in life. The small things in life will mean more to you. Conversations with friends and strangers will take on a new whole meaning. You will not feel rushed. That next meeting can wait. You will form new friendships that will change your life.
You will be challenged. Oh, the challenges will be real. But you will also be inspired, motivated and humbled. Peace, happiness and love will take on a whole new meaning.
By know, your mind is running in circles trying to figure out this gift. You might be thinking where can I get this incredible gift? Can I order it off of Amazon? Is there a waiting list? Probably not. This gift came to me twenty-two years ago. You cannot really wrap it up in a box and make it look pretty. The gift I am talking about is several life threatening health issues. This gift keeps on taking my life.
And while I am maintaining at this time, I would not wish this gift for you or anyone. I doubt you would ever want this gift. But I personally would never return this gift. It has profoundly changed my life for the better. I would probably need several days to share all the beautiful lessons this gift has given me.
So the next time you face something that’s unwanted, unexpected and uncertain, take a moment to consider it might just be a gift. ~OC
A Gift
Today’s a new day! Believe it or not, this crazy beautiful health journey is a gift, and I do not intend to waste a day of it. Have I experienced tough moments? Yes, I have. Multiple surgeries, multiple near death experiences, hours of treatment and too many hospital stays to count. But during this long journey, God has allowed me to hear the stories of some amazing people and share my own story. If I had allowed my health issues to become my identity, I would have missed out on so many beautiful moments along the way. Does my life look different than what I had dreamed of? Yes, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I no longer rush through life. I embrace every moment. My life is not dictated by meetings and deadlines. I make it a point to connect with at least one friend a day. My goal is no longer to climb some corporate ladder, but to build bridges of love and encouragement. A time clock has been replaced by a get to clock. This health journey that the world would deem a negative, has become a story of hope and overcoming. My body might be broken, but I will allow God to pick up the pieces and create something beautiful. I invite everyone to come along and run this beautiful journey with me. ~OC
Relationships
Life is defined by our relationships. Some of our past and current relationships bring a smile to our face. They conjure up great memories. Then there are some relationships that bring pain when they come to mind. Relationships matter.
God is all about relationships. He desires to have a relationship with each of us. God allowed Jesus to come down from heaven to have a relationship with each of us. A way to be forgiven for our past and future sins. A path to truly live a life full of forgiveness. Forgiveness allows us to deal with relationships from our past. Acceptance lets us connect with relationships in our amazing future.
Relationships can be messy, but they can also offer us a beautiful gift. ~OC
The Gift of Brokenness
Sometimes I feel broken.
There are times I look at my life and see all the ways I fall short. Maybe it was my negative attitude or words that negatively affected someone else.
There are so many ways to feel broken- physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually. In the middle of our brokenness, it’s easy to agonize over whether or not we can ever be acceptable to God or be used by Him during our brokenness. I know I struggle with this sometimes.
During this crazy beautiful health journey, God has taught me a valuable lesson about being broken.
Our brokenness is a gift. A gift? Yes, a gift because our brokenness connects us to other people walking through their own brokenness. A gift because our brokenness brings us closer to God. It is during our brokenness that God makes us whole.
Sharing our brokenness brings meaning and healing to our crazy beautiful journey.
Blessings happen during the brokenness. As I have shared my health journey with others, people have reached out to me and shared how my journey has helped them walk through their own crazy beautiful journey. It has been a blessing to see God move through my brokenness.
Being broken is a gift, because through our brokenness we recognize our need for God. Because only through God can our broken life be made whole.
I am so grateful for the gift of being broken. During my brokenness God has continued to love me and use me in spite of my brokenness. What a gift.
My prayer for you is that during your brokenness, you will look to God and allow Him to use you during this time. I pray you will find the gift of brokenness as God puts your broken pieces back together. ~OC
A Gift
Today’s a new day! Life is a wonderful precious gift. Take time today to share a kind word. Tell your loved ones how much they mean to you. Do something to help someone else. Be active in making a real difference. Take time to examine your own life. It’s real easy to get caught up in the day to day happenings of life and forget what’s really important. ~OC
The Blessed Overcomer 