Today’s a new day! God has already set us free from our past. Today our identity is no longer connected to our past mistakes. Now our identity is connected to what God has done for us. You are now washed, set apart and made right. The old is made new. Walk in that truth. Live out that freedom. ~OC
God’s Promises
Today’s a new day! As we begin a new week, remember these promises.
God has a glorious destiny for your life.
Your current or past circumstance does not alter the fact that He has a plan for your life.
God gave you the right personality, talent, gift, passions, and designed you the way you are, with His purpose in mind and your destiny in mind.
God has a destiny for everyone, not just a select few. It is God’s desire for us to walk in it and that is why we are destined to overcome.
No storm can rob you of God’s destiny for your life.
God will use the storms in order to change us and redirect us. Sometimes we feel that we are being blown off course but in fact God is using the storm in order to put us on the right path.
Whatever you give to Jesus, he resurrects. Give Him all the broken pieces of your storm battered life and He will breathe new life into it. The storms may be strong but God is stronger.
Remember, you are an Overcomer.
Have a wonderful and blessed week. ~OC
You Are In My Heart
Today’s a new day! I’ve looked back on it a thousand times. It plays on rewind in my mind. When did we become so divided? Family and friends divided over things that really don’t matter at the end of the day. Words spoken that have divided us and caused pain. Opinions over relationships. When did we become so divided? You are in my heart.
All this division has me praying and hoping for better days. Believing in healing days. Praying for those who choose opinions over friendships. Love keeps no record. You are in my heart
Would you love me across the political aisle? Would you love me if I worshiped in a different style? Would you love me if I thought in a different way? Would you love me if I chose a different lifestyle? Love keeps no record. You are in my heart.
What do we do with all this division? All this negative space between us. How can we come together and erase all that separates us? I am praying for better days. Believing in healing days. Love keeps no record. You are in my heart.
As I replay all this negativity in my head, I have nothing but love for all. I choose to look past the differences and embrace the beautiful diversity all around me. I choose to listen and learn. I refuse to hate and judge. Love keeps no record. You are in my heart.
I will not allow all this division to steal my joy. I will continue to pray and work for better days. Believing in healing days. Love keeps no record. You will always be in my heart. ~OC
God and Justice
Today’s a new day! As I study scripture, I have come to the conclusion that faith in God and a desire to do His will goes hand-in-hand with standing for social justice. Honestly, I do not believe you can have one without the other. You cannot fully walk with Christ without serving the the least of these and you cannot fully serve the least of these without an understanding and faith in Christ. Without Christ, you will never fulfill more than the surface-level needs of those you are trying to serve.
This is where Christians needs to take a stand. We should be a fortress for social justice. If we were truly following the scriptures, Christianity would be synonymous with social justice. I think our faith and social justice should be so intertwined they cannot be separated from each other. As Christians, we truly need to be the hands and feet of Jesus. We cannot just talk about the different issues that plague our country and world. We cannot continue to deal with every tragedy by just expressing our thoughts and prayers. No, as Christians we need to stand up for what’s right. Even if that means being challenged by society or other Christians for our beliefs. I believe social justice is close to the heart of God. ~OC
Dear Christian Community
As I scroll through social media, I shake my head at some of the things I read from the Christian community. A community I am part of, but often cringe at the post and comments of so many Christians.
As Christians we talk about the love, grace and forgiveness of God. We love to talk about redemption. We share stories from the Bible about amazing life changing experiences involving King David, the women at the well and Saul becoming Paul. The stories bring us hope. Unfortunately, I do not always see that lived out in the Christian community. Let me explain.
Recently Carl Lentz a former pastor at Hillsong NYC was hired by another church. I will not bore you with Pastor Lentz past troubles. There are plenty articles online. Based on some poor choices, Pastor Lentz has been out of the spotlight for the past few years. But as I mentioned above, he was recently hired by a church. According to some articles concerning this hire, Pastor Lentz has been working on rebuilding his family and himself. To me this is something to celebrate. There should have been articles encouraging Pastor Lentz in his new position. Instead, I saw post, articles and videos attacking Pastor Lentz and the church that decided to give him a second chance. A second chance. I thought we were supposed to celebrate second chances. God loves second chances.
I do not personally know Pastor Lentz. Have never met him, but I am praying God uses him and his family in a mighty way. Praying Pastor Lentz uses his life experiences to encourage and support others walking through their own storms. Praying he embraces the second chances in every area of his life. I for one will be rooting for him. I think God will to. ~OC
Hope
Today’s a new day! To be honest, there are moments when I would like nothing more than to walk away from battling the storms of life. Walking away can sound so much better than this journey of building endurance, character, and hope. How many storms do I need to face in life? But in those tough moments, hope reminds me that I am not its source. The hope I walk in does not come from me, but from God who is compassionate, loving and faithful.
Opening up my eyes, God encourages me to look at the world with more hope. To look deeper and see more than what is and more of what could be. To hope.
Taking a deeper, more honest look at the realities of a hurting world can also become an act of hope. I believe in the power of love and peace. My hope is in God who is filled with love, mercy and compassion. My faith always leads me back to hope. This hope is real and available to each of us. Today, I encourage you to take a step towards Hope. ~OC
Storms
Today’s a new day! Some of the biggest storms I have experienced, have become moments for God to teach me new lessons. Through those experiences, God has blessed me with the amazing opportunity to share about His grace, mercy, and love with other storm battered souls. Sometimes we have to go through storms that strip away everything that we are relying on, so we can experience God in a fresh and truly life changing way. ~OC
Hope
Today’s a new day! As we walk through the storms of life, hope is something we must continue to hold onto. Hope is not based on our circumstances. It is a firm conviction, a way of living out this journey called life. Hope sustains us through difficult times. We know God is always walking beside us, regardless of what our current circumstances might lead us to believe. We trust suffering is temporary and that God will use our storms for good. Even during our biggest storms in life, we boldly proclaim that God is in control. He never leaves the boat.
Many times in the last 21 years, I’ve found encouragement in reading in 2 Corinthians 12:8-9, where Paul talks about the thorn in his side. God responded by saying these powerful words, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” Those words give me hope. Those words give me strength. Those words guide me to encourage others as they walk through their own crazy beautiful journey.
I do not know what my future holds health wise, but I do know who holds my future in His strong nail scarred hands. I will continue to believe God’s love and grace is sufficient. It’s enough for me. I pray it’s enough for you. ~OC
Still Standing
Today’s a new day! I am still standing. On 3/20/09 after having what doctors thought was a cold, my wife Laura was informed she needed to take me to the emergency room. I was having trouble breathing and was extremely weak. My cold actually ended up being Myasthenia Gravis. I was in a Myasthenic Crisis. Some doctors were concerned I would not make it through the the night. Most thought I would not make it through the year. Here we are 14 years later and I am still standing. Still fighting. Still thriving.
This twenty-one year crazy beautiful health journey has not been easy. On more than one occasion, Laura has been told by doctors that my condition was critical and things did not look promising. Throughout this journey, Laura and I have looked to God for guidance, strength and wisdom. He has never failed us. We do not know what the future holds for me health wise, but we know who holds our future. Laura and I will continue to make beautiful memories. We will continue to encourage people with our story. I will continue to fight. After all these years, I am still standing. Still praising God. ~OC
You Are
Today’s a new day! You are Worthy. You are Valued. You are Favored. You are Loved. You are Chosen. You are Called. You have Purpose. You are Equipped. You are Qualified. You are Enough because God Loves you and Chose you before the creation of the world. ~OC
The Blessed Overcomer 