Tag: Grace

Embracing Beautiful Interruptions

Today’s a new day! Twenty-two years ago my life was drastically interrupted when my body started to breakdown. That day in 2002, was when I started living life a little differently. But, it would not be until a devastating diagnosis in 2009, that I would truly start living.

That night in 2009, while sitting in a hospital room was when I chose to embrace the beautiful interruptions of life. To truly embrace the joy of serving and living for God with reckless abandon. Without that life changing diagnosis, I would have never totally surrendered everything to walk out God’s amazing plan for my life. In God’s beautiful wisdom, he forced me to slow down. To say no to my plans and the hustle and bustle of this world. To truly start living. To be honest, I really enjoy the life God has given me.

So, I encourage everyone to slow down and embrace the beautiful interruptions of life. To embrace the great adventure God has planned for you. It will take you slowing down, but I promise you it’s worth it. ~OC

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A Season In The Wilderness

Today’s a new day! Why does God allow us to walk through seasons of being in the wilderness? I have asked that question hundreds of times over the years. Especially when I have wrestled with fear and doubt. I have wondered how long would I have to walk through the wilderness and if I would actually make it out. The wilderness is not only a physical place, it illustrates a season of darkness and struggle. A time when life feels overwhelmingly heavy and everything looks dark.

For over two decades, I have walked through a season of health related issues. During this roller coaster ride, I have cried out to God on numerous occasions. Thankfully during the twist and turns of this journey, I have experienced being wrapped up in the strong and loving arms of God. Leaning into His promises. The past twenty-two years have not been easy. There have been some tough, lonely and dark moments. Yet as I have studied God’s word and experienced in my own journey, He meets us in the wilderness more than anywhere else in life. In the wilderness, we learn to depend on God, we sense his presence and we grow to love his word.

The children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. Can you imagine? This time in the wilderness came after a great victory, as God parted the Red Sea so they could escape the pursuing Egyptian army that were chasing after them (Exodus 14). Yet even this stunning display of God’s awesome power wasn’t enough to maintain the Israelites loyalty and trust. No, they soon doubted God’s beautiful provision and complained. Can anyone relate? God then took the Israelites deep into the wilderness where he taught them about himself.

As the Israelites entered the wilderness, they had no way to provide for themselves. During this season they fondly recalled their days in Egypt, even though they were slaves and life was extremely hard. But life in Egypt was also predictable. Now as they walked through the wilderness, life was anything but predictable. Yet even in this season of uncertainty, God took care of the Israelites. When they were hungry and thirsty, God gave them manna to eat and brought water from a rock. (Exodus 16-17) They lacked nothing. Did you catch that?

During this crazy beautiful health journey, there have been days I could not provide for myself. During this season of challenges, God has always provided. When I was unable to drive, friends would take me to my appointments and treatments. Others would drop off meals, so Laura would not have to worry about cooking. God has blessed Laura and I with some amazing people during this season.

As the children of Israel walked through the wilderness, they not only depended on God for their physical needs, but they also needed him for direction. They had to keep their eyes on God because without his guidance, they didn’t know where they were going. God went before them, as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night so that they would know when they had to leave and where they were supposed to go(Exodus 13:21-22). They were not given any instructions beforehand so they couldn’t make plans. The Israelites were forced to wait for God, only moving when he moved. During my health battle, I have chosen to only move when God tells me to move. My journey has been filled with many earthly unknowns, but God continues to guide my daily steps. I continue to keep my eyes on the promises of God.

One of the greatest gifts I have experienced during my wilderness experience is God’s presence. It is real and deeply intimate. I know He is with me. Every day I sense God’s love and comfort. In the wilderness, I feel God’s presence in ways that I can’t experience elsewhere. It is one of the elusive treasures of darkness. (Isaiah 45:3)

During their wilderness experience, God taught the Israelites to listen to his word. They learned that “man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deut 8:3). Through this wilderness journey, the Israelites learned that while manna was important, God’s word was essential. His words satisfied and sustained them in the desert in ways that food never could. In Jeremiah 15:16 we read, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart.”

God’s word is what has sustained me as I have walked through my health journey. I have learned to love God’s word in a deeper and more life changing way. God has spoken to me as I have studied the Bible, prayed and leaned into his promises. God’s word has provided me with direction, strength, comfort and peace during my toughest days.

This crazy beautiful health journey has definitely not been easy, but it has been priceless in so many ways. I have learned to trust God more and myself less. I have learned that God will always provide for my every need, though he often redefines what I need. I have learned to love God and his word more clearly.

So today, if you’re walking through your own wilderness experience do not give up. In this season, God can teach you his ways, provide for your needs and draw you closer to himself. I promise one day you will see how God used every minute in the wilderness to illustrate his glory and to maximize your eternal joy. Stay strong and keep thriving. ~OC

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Seeds of Hope

Good morning God. I come with a heavy heart this morning. I am tired of all the hate and violence in our world. It hit home this morning, as I watch a loved one and his family struggle with the grief of violence.

This morning, I lift prayers up for this family and every family walking through pain and loss today caused by hate and violence. We know life has always been a struggle between peace and violence. Good and evil. We know love and peace give hope to a broken world. That is something that so many of us are striving for in this world. We also realize that there is a group of people spreading hate and violence to destroy peace, hope and love. Good and gracious God, we know hate and violence tries to shatter love and hope. We know hate and violence can tear apart people, families and communities. But we also know that by loving and caring for the hurting, we can bring hope and love back to broken relationships and communities.

In each of us, is a seed of peace and love. It calls out not only to be recognized, but to be nurtured and cared for. As we scroll through social media or turn on the tv, we see what seems like an endless stream of hate and violence. Dear God, help us hold on to those seeds of peace, hope, love and unity.

As fear and violence try to destroy and divide us, may our repulsion of these actions turn us to the soil of our souls. May we instead plant seeds of hope, love and peace. May we work together to nurture those seeds of change. Regardless of skin color, different faiths, cultures or political views may we work together to create change. Not just change for this generation, but for generations to come.

Dear God, do not allow us not to buy into the lies that resistance of violence requires anger, aggression and animosity. No, keep reminding us that peace, prayers, love and community are the ways to achieve the positive changes we cry out for.

Dear God, remind us that love and peace are a constant pursuit and they only grow when we nurture and care for them. Peace, hope and love require constant tending, mindfulness in every moment, and a willingness to see each person as a reflection of You. Amen. ~OC

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Joy

Today’s a new day! As I walk through this crazy beautiful health journey, people always comment on how happy I always seem to be. I wish I could say I am always happy, but that would be a lie. The truth is, happiness is based on current circumstances. Happiness is like a yo-yo. Up and down based on the moment.

Let’s be real, it’s impossible to feel happy 24/7/365. That beautiful smile eventually falls into a frown. The different social groups that we belong to eventually disappear. The social gatherings we attend can leave us feeling alone. The people we put our hope in can let us down. The social media post we scroll through might not be telling the whole story. The truth is, happiness is fleeting. Happiness is an impossible feeling to feel all day everyday.

But then there is Joy. There is a major difference between happiness and joy. Joy is found in our relationship with God. It comes from Him. Joy in the Lord remains even in and through the storms that we face. Joy, unlike happiness is not fleeting. What a difference! The happiness that the world tries to hold onto can never even begin to compare to the joy that we experience with God.

When we look around at the world, it is so easy to get caught up in all of the negativity. It is so easy to be distracted and discouraged by everything we see and experience. But in those moments of doubt and distraction God calls us to cling onto the truth that is only found in Him. The word of God says that God is good and that He works all things together for His divine purpose. (Romans 8:28). I don’t know about you, but if there’s one thing that I’m 100% sure of, it is God’s word to His people. When we choose to see things in a different perspective, we will begin to recognize that maybe the trials that we are faced with were never meant to destroy us. No, maybe the storms of life are making us stronger. To be a little more like Jesus. In the book of James we are told to consider it ALL joy! (James 1: 2-3). This statement made by James is the same truth that helped Jesus face the evils of the world and make the ultimate sacrifice on the Cross with a heart of joy. When we choose to shift our focus to what God is actually doing through the storms in our lives we begin to see these storms differently knowing that Jesus ultimately wants good for us.

The truth is, you cannot fake joy. Joy is something that you either have or you don’t have, and I guarantee you, you can tell a difference. Scriptures share that joy is the very essence of who God truly is (1 Chronicles 16:27). If God is filled with joy, and He is molding us to be more like Him, why would we not desire to be filled with that same beautiful joy? To live it out!

The day we choose to open our eyes to the struggles in life and truly face reality can be one of the greatest days of our lives. To wake up every morning, and have the choice to choose joy that can only be found in God. I know God has taught me that joy is a gift from Him that can never be taken away. We no longer have to depend on the circumstances of life. Today, let our satisfaction be found in a new way of living. A life filled with joy. It is available to everyone. All you have to do is reach out to God. ~OC

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:11

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God Is Watching

Today’s a new day! I have been a Christian for almost 50 years. Definitely not a perfect one, but striving to be a positive light in a dark world. During these almost 50 years, I have seen a lot of things come and go in the Church. But the past 8-10 years, I have seen something that is very troubling. I have witnessed many Christians, including leaders in the church allow their politics to become more of an identity marker than their faith. Some have agued they are interpreting their politics through the prism of scripture, with the former subordinate to the latter, but in fact scripture and biblical truths have often been twisted to fit their political agendas.

The problem is not Christians being involved in the political world. The problem is when Christians and leaders of the church allow politics to eclipse the gospel. That is damaging and dangerous to the church and those watching from a distance.

Whether we like it or not, the world is watching how Christians and churches deal with the issues of the day. Including politics. This election season, will Christians and the Church show love, respect, compassion and grace or will they choose a candidate or political party over the gospel? The world and God are watching. ~OC

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What Picture Are You Living?

Today’s a new day! There are people who don’t know Jesus who are watching those who claim to know Him and making assumptions about who Jesus is. There are people around us whose only picture of who Jesus is will be shaped by what we do and say. For better or worse. 

As followers of Jesus, we represent Him to those around us. What we do, what we say, tells others something about God. Good or bad. Following Jesus means that He actually expects us to love, serve and forgive others. Our actions good or bad can have eternal consequences.

I hope you will spend some time today reflecting on the magnitude of this amazing responsibility. ~OC

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God Is With You

Today’s a new day! I hope you know God is always with you. You never need to walk alone. God always goes before you. He stands with you. Whatever you might be walking through today, be confident God is with you. ~OC

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Hope

Today’s a new day! I believe Hope is one of the most important tools in our toolbox. Hope is not based on our circumstances. No, it’s a firm conviction, a way of seeing the world. Hope is what carries us through difficult times. We know God is in control, regardless of what our struggles might lead us to believe. We trust suffering is temporary and that God will use even the worst of situations for good. Evil might have the first word (cancer, broken relationships, etc), but we boldly proclaim that God will have the final word.

Many times in the last twenty-one years, I’ve found encouragement in 2 Corinthians 12:8-9, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

I may or may not regain my health. That’s in God’s hands. But as I continue to walk through this crazy beautiful health journey, I will hold on to God’s hope, love and grace. That’s more than enough for me. ~OC

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A Different View

Today’s a new day! I have several friends who do not like going to church, but they think Jesus is really cool. When Jesus was walking on earth, thousands of people flocked to hear him teach. He had something worth saying and his message was life changing. If you are a Christian how do you live? If a non-Christian spent the day with you, would they change the way they viewed Christians?

Some people believe that the Church is a place that is only for people who are good enough. Nothing could be further from the truth. The faith lived out by Jesus was one that was taken up by people who were the wrong sort according to the religious people of the day. They did not have it all together. People came to Jesus with their imperfections and some turned to him and called on him for forgiveness and he forgave them and he led them in a new life. Jesus never sent anyone away who was imperfect and he never sent people away who didn’t agree with him or who didn’t want to follow his teaching. One of his disciples Peter, cut off the ear of one of the people who had come to arrest Jesus (John 18:10), Peter also denied knowing Jesus three times (Mark 14:66-72). In Matthew 16:18, Jesus shares these powerful words, “Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” In Peter we see the worst and best of the Christian faith, but Jesus loved him and still chose to work with and through him.

Where some Christians go wrong is that they try to portray themselves as perfect rather than the truth which is that we are all broken and thankfully have been forgiven. That as Christians, we are all on a journey of change. I’ve heard it said that: God loves us as we are, but he also loves us too much to leave us that way.

When we make the choice to follow Jesus we are born again, spiritually beginning a new life. The Bible also talks about us reflecting the glory of God as he changes us (2 Corinthians 3:18). The apostle Paul who wrote most of the New Testament talks about a battle going on in every Christian between the Spirit (God in us) and our sinful nature (Romans 7:9). Who will we listen to? Will we live for ourselves only or do we want to live for God?

I pray every Christian will walk securely in God’s love, acceptance, forgiveness, grace and all of His beautiful gifts. I pray as God’s children, we will be guided by the Holy Spirit living in us to keep on striving to become more like Jesus. ~OC

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Gift of Grace Part 3

Today’s a new day! Grace is simultaneously a call to rest and a call to action. There is nothing more freeing than knowing that we have contributed nothing to our salvation. It means we can do nothing to mess it up. Praise God that it is “by grace we have been saved through faith”—and that even this faith is a “gift of God” so that there is no room for boasting (Ephesians 2:8-9). Praise God that nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of Christ” (Romans 8:39). Indeed, we fix our eyes on Jesus as the “founder and the perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2), knowing He will be faithful to complete the work He has started in us (Phil 1:6). Our trust is in who God is and in what He has done on our behalf. What a sweet joy to rest in that truth. But resting in that truth is not a call to sit on the bench. No, in light of the fact that our standing in Christ is sure, we are called to get to work. No sooner does Paul tell us that we are saved by grace through faith does he tell us that we were “created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Ephesians 2:10). Even after telling us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author of Hebrews goes on to tell us to “strive . . . for holiness” (Hebrews 12:14). When we experience the amazing grace of God, we cannot just check out and wait for Jesus to come back. No, we called to be the first fruits of a coming kingdom, showing all creation what the restored image of God looks like (James 1:18; Romans 8:18-23, 29-30). “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). And this newness isn’t just “not sinning”; rather, this newness is marked by a zeal to advance Christ’s kingdom (2 Corinthians 5:20). Never shortchange the power of grace. As believers, we have a responsibility to share the transforming gift of grace with a lost and hurting world. even as it is transforming us. ~OC

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