Tag: healing

Dear Christian Community

Today’s a new day! 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 share.

Recently Carl Lentz a former pastor at Hillsong NYC and his wife Laura, started a podcast called Lights On With Carl Lentz. There have only been a few episodes, but I have been blessed by Mr. and Mrs. Lentz sharing their journey. Based on some poor choices, Pastor Lentz has been out of the spotlight for the past few years. But in their podcast, the Lentz’s share how they have spent the last four years working on their marriage, family and themselves. Rebuilding the trust that had been lost. To me that is something to celebrate. There should have been articles encouraging and Pastor Lentz and Laura as they continue to heal. Instead, I have seen post, articles and videos attacking Pastor Lentz for sharing their journey with the world. The Christian community cannot talk about and preach about second chances, but only when it meets their criteria. I thought we were supposed to celebrate second chances. God loves second chances.

I do not personally know Pastor Lentz or his wife Laura. Have never met them, but I am praying God uses them in a mighty way. Praying they use their life experiences to encourage and support others walking through their own storms. Praying they embrace the second chances in every area of their lives. I for one will be rooting for them. I think God will to. ~OC

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Unity!

As I was praying this morning, God gave me the following words. I pray the following words challenge and encourage you.

Let us not be divided, but united, to grow the church into what God would have it be. There is nothing on earth like the local church when it is working properly. It has the power to transform and changes lives. To have eternal significance.

Jesus wants us to live as children of God. He promises to give us the strength and wisdom to face whatever storms come our way. Today, pray for those around you and those far away. Bear in mind that we are to be salt and light to a broken world. Also remember that Jesus is praying for us. Be like the tree of Psalm 1, “…their delight is in the law of the Lord…They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in due season.” ~OC

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Come Together

Today’s a new day! God, you created all of us in your beautiful image. Open our hearts and minds to this truth. Help us to recognize that all of us, regardless of skin color are your children. Dear God, help us build bridges of community and hope and not walls of hate and separation. Teach us to love, serve and listen. Open our eyes to the sin of racism. Give us the boldness and courage to stand up against the evil of racism and all hate. Dear God, teach us to celebrate our differences and to see diversity as a strength and not a weakness. Bless us with grace and patience to work together to end racism and hate in our world. Dear God, give each of us the desire to truly live together as brothers and sisters. Amen. ~OC

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Forgiveness

Today’s a new day! Have you heard the expression “Let go and let God”? Easier said than done sometimes. But when we choose to keep holding onto things so tightly, we cannot have open hands that can receive, so it’s better to let go of it today and give it to God. One major issues we hold onto is unforgiveness. So many people allow unforgiveness to rule their lives.

I think we can all remember a time, where someone has hurt us or let us down. And on many of those occasions, we decided to hold a grudge against that person. To not forgive that person, whether they asked for it or not. Who’s tracking with me on this? But stop for a second and think about all that God has forgiven us for. He chose not to hold a grudge against us. God never holds back forgiveness from us. So why would we choose to withhold forgiveness from someone? That does not mean their actions did not hurt. Forgiving them doesn’t necessarily mean we will hang out or have a relationship with them. The forgiveness we give is more for us than them. By forgiving someone we are removing any power they may have over us in our hearts and minds. Sharing forgiveness allows us to experience peace. Forgiveness is the first step in the healing process.

Finally, showing forgiveness to someone who has hurt us is important, but do not forget to forgive yourself. Ouch! Did I hit a nerve? This can be one of the hardest things to do in life. But please stop holding unforgiveness from your own life. Stop replaying the past. God loves you. He does not want you holding that pain in your heart. Today, make the decision to forgive yourself. Regardless of the mistakes you may have made in life, God loves you. He is not holding a grudge against you. Forgiving yourself is the beginning of you experiencing life changing healing. ~OC

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Me Without You

Running this morning and got caught by the red light. Saw a homeless man staring at me
He was holding a sign that read Need A Little Help and God Bless
A sign of the times

As the light changed and I started running again, I looked back and couldn’t help but think I knew that man
That thought pierced my heart

Later that day on my way home
I noticed another man sitting on the side of the road talking to himself
He looked lost, sad and angry
He was not in a good state of mind
As I drove by, I looked back
I couldn’t help but think I knew that man
That thought pierced my heart

In the middle of the night as I tossed and turned, I thought about those two men, then truth hit me and pierced my heart
I sat up and cried out to God

That could be me without You
Only by the grace of God am I sleeping in a comfortable bed and not under a bridge or wondering around in a lost state of mind
God, I praise you for your blessings and grace

I saw a man on the news
He looked like a regular guy, but his life had taken a different turn, he was going to spend the rest of his days locked away surrounded by prison walls
As the story ended, I couldn’t help but think I knew that man
That thought pierced my heart

All day, I thought about that man from the news and wondered what led him astray
Then it hit me straight in my heart
I looked up to Heaven and cried out to God

That could be me without You
Only by the grace of God am I living in freedom and not locked away in a prison cell
God I praise you for your blessings and grace

As I travel around town and see all the pain and broken dreams, I close my eyes and realize how different my life would be and I look up to Heaven and give praise

Dear God, those could be my stories without you
Thank you for saving me
And praise You for your blessings and grace ~OC

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White Christian Nationalism

Today’s a new day! I believe one of the biggest threats to America and the American Church is White Christian Nationalism. This false doctrine has been around for years, but since 2016 White Christian Nationalism has become a major problem in the American Church and the Christian community. Sadly, I have seen it separate churches, families and friends. White Christian Nationalism, has definitely made it difficult to be a white Christian who does not believe in the teachings of this cult like community.

White Christian Nationalism is far from the teachings of Jesus. Christian Nationalism is a political movement cleverly wrapped up in religious language. The movement is more concerned about spreading the American gospel and less concerned with sharing the love of Jesus. The movement wants control over people and issues they do not agree with -which is the exact opposite of what the Gospel teaches us. The Bible shares Jesus came as a servant who sacrificed lhis life for all of us, whether we’re gay, transgender, straight, rich, poor, black, white, refugee, different languages, backgrounds or faith.

Those who have been corrupted by White Christian Nationalism do not reflect the teachings of Jesus and how He lived his life. The theme of the Bible is God’s amazing love and sacrifice for all of us – regardless of our skin color, political affiliation, economic status or sexual identity. As a Christian, I believe God’s love is for ALL people. The Gospel is a beautiful gift. This life changing gift should never be used as a weapon against people or issues we disagree with.

What can Christians who disagree with the false teachings of White Christian Nationalism do? We can continue to pray. We must become more educated about this false and dangerous movement. We must speak up about the dangers of White Christian Nationalism. As Christians, we must earnestly pray that the false teachings of Christian Nationalism come to light in churches and in the hearts of those blinded by the lies of this cult. That truth prevails.

During this election year, Christians against White Christian Nationalism cannot be misled by self-serving politicians or Christians who are promoting false teachings. We cannot be silent like the Churches and Christians in Germany were in the days of Hitler. As Christians who truly believe in the teachings of Jesus, we must continue to live lives of love and respect for ALL of our neighbors regardless if we agree with them or not. ~OC

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Faithful Friend

Today’s a new day! Sadly, as I have run this crazy beautiful health journey, several friends decided to walk away. But this is not about them. No, this letter is for you.

Dear Faithful Friend, I want you to know you are one of the greatest blessings God has ever given me. Coming from a person who has watched many friends walk away, I am thankful that I never had to see what it would look like as you walked away. You have been a constant. You have been persistent. You have been faithful. You have constantly showed me that people are capable of caring unconditionally. Friends like you are hard to find these days, even in people who call themselves Christians.

I am thankful that you have never left, as I have run this crazy beautiful health journey. You haven’t just stayed during the good times, you have decided to run with me even as my body has went through one trial after another. You care for me even when I have nothing to offer.

You have seen the worst parts of this health journey. You know the good and not so good in this season. You know God gives us things exactly when we need them… that’s proven to be true because of the fact that He has blessed me to call you friend. Our paths crossed because God saw that I needed a faithful friend. He was right. I needed someone who intercedes in prayer on my behalf without me asking. I needed someone who would sharpen me as I walk through this journey.

I have studied the Bible to see what it means to be a good friend and most of the things I have read are qualities that you possess. I have seen you run with me at my weakest moments. You have been an honest voice. I have seen you build me up and encourage me. You have had my back in ways I will never be able to truly thank you for.

I am so thankful for your friendship.
I can only pray that I have had a small impact on your life. You have helped me become a better person as I run this crazy beautiful health journey. I pray for you and your family on a daily basis and I hope you know that I am here in all seasons for you, just like you have been there for me. I do not write any of this lightly. Thank you for being a faithful friend. I am thankful for your friendship in my life. ~OC

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True Identity

Today’s a new day! What are you attaching to your life? As I talk with people or scroll through their social media pages, I see so many people associating negative thoughts to their story. Too many people allowing negative thoughts to run through their head, telling them they’re not good enough or they do not measure up. After a while people begin to internalize these negative thoughts and allow them to become their identity.

My hope and prayer is that instead of believing the lies of not being good enough or measuring up, people would be reminded how amazing, unique and loved by God they are. That they are a masterpiece in His eyes. That’s your true identity. ~OC

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Be Still

Today’s a new day! Do you ever just sit still, with no distractions except your thoughts?

I believe this is one way to truly know God and experience His true peace.

In those quiet times with God, we experience the stress of the world fade away and feel the hopeful peace only He can provide. You may also discover that God uses that time to provide answers to those difficult situations in life.

What a joy it is to just rest in the peace of God. It reminds me of the beautiful scripture Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

I believe that it’s vital for us to rest in the presence of God. Life is crazy with family, careers, phones that never stop buzzing , a world filled with constant distractions and countless decisions to make on a daily basis.

These are not necessarily bad things, and they are all a part of the world in which we live today. But, it can be difficult to tap the brakes and slow down when we try to spend quiet time with God. So many times we rush through a short passage of scripture and our list of prayer requests, keeping one eye on our phone to make sure we don’t miss that text or social media post.

I think it’s awesome if you’re spending time in the Bible and lifting your prayers up to God, but I would encourage you to spend more time being still and truly listening to the voice of God.

I believe God wants us to share our praises, struggles and victories in life with Him, but I also believe God wants us to move beyond that and into a place where we simply sit with Him, resting in His presence. In His peace.

As we begin to do this, I believe we will find the stress and distractions of the world diminishing in the hopeful peace of God who saves, and we might just discover that He uses that quite time to provide answers to the difficult moments in our lives. ~OC

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Three Steps

Today’s a new day! As I walk through this crazy beautiful journey, I continue to notice so many people making a simple relationship with God much too difficult. In my personal experience, I have discovered if I do these three things daily everything else seems to flow properly.

1). Pray. Each morning I wake up giving God thanks for another day. I thank Him for the many blessings in my life. I pray for others. Then I listen. Each day I want to improve on making sure my prayer time is centered more and more on gratefulness and listening.

2). Time in my Bible. As I pray, I seek guidance on what book and chapter I should read in the Bible for that day. Sometimes, God has me reading through a certain book of the Bible, but I always seek His guidance as I spend time in the Word. Then I reflect on what I have read that morning. Sometimes it leads me to journal and sometimes it leads me to just listen.

3). Do what God says. As I finish my time of prayer and reading, I do not rush off to complete the days agenda. No, I spend more time just listening to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. Then I simply do what God wants me to do for that day. When I choose to live this way, I am able to be part of the bigger God story. That is the most amazing gift in life.

This three-step approach is as complicated as my faith gets. The hardest part of this faith journey is learning to slow down. We tend to have this false narrative, that if something is going to happen, then we must make it happen. But as I slow down in life and try to live out this three-step approach, God continues to teach me that’s not how our faith works at all. ~OC

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