Tag: Holy Spirit

Learning To Live From Those Preparing To Die

Today’s a new day!

As I have walked this long and often difficult health journey, I have discovered something about myself that may seem surprising.

I love talking with people who know they are nearing the end of their lives.

It isn’t because I have become fascinated with death. It is because, in many ways, those conversations are more about life than death.

There is something profoundly beautiful about the honesty that often emerges when someone knows their time is limited. The masks begin to fall away. The need to impress others disappears.

The pressure to maintain an image no longer matters. They are no longer trying to convince the world—or themselves—that they have it all together.

Instead, they simply tell the truth.

They admit their fears. They acknowledge their regrets. They celebrate what mattered most. They talk about family more than finances, relationships more than résumés, and faith more than fame. They have come to understand that life is not about accumulating things or building a reputation. It is about loving well, living with purpose, and leaving behind something far more valuable than possessions.

One of the greatest lessons they teach me is humility.

They know the world will continue after they are gone. Businesses will keep operating. The sun will rise. New memories will be made. Life moves on. That realization doesn’t seem to make them bitter; instead, it often makes them grateful. It gives them clarity about what truly deserves their time and attention.

Walking through my own health challenges has changed how I hear these conversations. When your own body reminds you that life is fragile, you begin listening differently. You stop assuming there will always be another opportunity to say what needs to be said, to forgive, to love, or to pursue what really matters.

You begin asking different questions.

Am I living with integrity?

Am I investing in people more than accomplishments?

Am I chasing significance or simply seeking approval?

If I knew my time was short, what would I wish I had done differently?

My sincere hope and prayer is that everyone reading this enjoys a long, healthy, and productive life. I hope your years are filled with purpose, meaningful work, deep relationships, laughter, and joy.

But I also hope you won’t wait until the final chapter of your life to embrace the wisdom that so many discover only then.

Spend time with those nearing the end of life’s journey. Listen more than you speak. Their perspective is a gift. They have little interest in pretending, competing, or impressing anyone. They have learned that authenticity is far more valuable than appearance and that love always outlasts achievement.

The people I have met in this season have reminded me that the greatest measure of a life is not how much we accumulated, but how faithfully we loved, how generously we served, and how honestly we lived.

Perhaps that is the invitation for all of us.

We don’t have to wait until death is near to become honest. We don’t have to wait until our health fails to appreciate the gift of today. We don’t have to wait until the end of our story to begin living the life we were created to live.

If we are willing to listen, those preparing to leave this world may become some of our greatest teachers. Their final lessons are not really about dying.

They are about living.

And the wisest thing we can do is learn those lessons while we still have time to put them into practice. ~OC

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When We Chose Silence

History never arrives wearing a name tag.

It comes in headlines,

executive orders,

courtrooms,

classrooms,

detention centers,

empty dinner tables,

and neighbors who suddenly disappear
from the routines of ordinary life.

It asks no one,
“Do you agree?”

Only,
“Will you notice?”

While some argued over politics,
children wondered if they would see
their parents again after school.

While some celebrated victories,
others quietly packed backpacks,
unsure if tomorrow would still feel
like home.

While many said,
“It isn’t happening to me,”
the circle kept growing,
its shadow stretching farther
than anyone expected.

A journalist lost a voice.

A teacher lost a lesson.

A veteran lost a place to sleep.

A refugee lost hope.

A worker lost dignity.

A family lost certainty.

And every loss whispered
the same question:

Who will stand beside them?

Freedom was never meant
to belong only to those
who look like us,
pray like us,
vote like us,
or were born where we were.

Justice was never intended
to recognize passports
before people.

Compassion was never supposed
to require permission.

One day,
our grandchildren may read
the journals written in 2026.

They may ask why children
wrote about fear instead of dreams.

Why families described hiding
instead of celebrating.

Why so many adults
mistook silence for peace.

I hope they also discover
another story—

Of ordinary people
who refused to let fear
have the final word.

People who crossed
political lines,
cultural lines,
and every invisible line
that divided neighbor from neighbor.

People who understood
that the measure of a nation
is not how loudly it celebrates liberty,
but how faithfully it protects
the vulnerable.

Because history remembers
more than what was done.

It remembers
who looked away,

and who,
at the right moment,

chose to speak. ~OC

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How Many Anne Franks Are Hiding Across America?

Today’s a new day!

“In the end, we’ll all become stories.” Those words, often associated with the power of memory, remind us that every life leaves behind a testimony.

Anne Frank’s diary has endured because it captured history through the eyes of a child. She didn’t write knowing the world would one day read her words. She wrote because she was afraid. She wrote because she hoped. She wrote because putting pen to paper was one of the few freedoms she had left.

Her diary asks every generation a difficult question:

What are the children of our day experiencing?

As I look across America in 2026, I can’t help but wonder…

How many children are quietly keeping journals they never intended anyone else to read?

How many are writing about watching a parent disappear after an immigration raid?

How many are describing the fear of hearing a knock at the door?

How many are documenting life spent wondering whether tomorrow will bring another goodbye?

How many families are being torn apart simply because they were born in another country?

These questions are not about comparing one tragedy to another. Every chapter of history has its own unique pain. Instead, they ask us whether we are paying attention to the people living through history right now.

One day, today’s children will grow up.

Some of them may publish memoirs.

Some may never share their stories.

Others may leave behind journals tucked away in closets, attics, or family boxes, discovered years after they’re gone.

What will those pages say about us?

Will they describe neighbors who chose compassion over fear?

Will they remember churches that opened their doors instead of closing their hearts?

Will they write about strangers who offered food, shelter, friendship, and dignity?

Or will they wonder why so many people looked away?

History has an unsettling habit of asking questions that cannot be answered once the moment has passed.

Future generations won’t simply read government policies or political speeches. They’ll read the stories of ordinary people. They’ll hear the voices of children who lived through these days. They’ll ask what the adults around them did when families were hurting.

As followers of Jesus, our calling has never depended on a person’s nationality, language, immigration status, or background.

Jesus consistently moved toward those on the margins.

He welcomed the stranger.

He cared for the vulnerable.

He challenged His followers to love their neighbors—not just the ones who looked like them or believed the same things.

Loving our neighbor doesn’t require us to agree on every political solution. Nations have laws, and citizens can honestly disagree about how those laws should be shaped and enforced.

But compassion should never become a casualty of politics.

A child is still a child.

A frightened family is still a frightened family.

A person created in the image of God is still a person created in the image of God.

Perhaps the question isn’t how many Anne Franks are hiding across America.

Perhaps the better question is this:

Will today’s children remember that someone saw them?

Will they remember someone who chose kindness over indifference?

Will they remember someone who reflected the love of Christ when they needed it most?

Because one day, the diaries of 2026 may be opened.

And when they are, may they tell stories not only of fear, but also of courage.

Not only of uncertainty, but also of hope.

Not only of suffering, but of people who refused to let compassion disappear.

History is being written today.

So is our legacy. ~OC

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Who Will You Stand In The Gap For?

Today’s a new day!

There is a question that every follower of Jesus should ask themselves from time to time.

Who am I willing to stand in the gap for?

Is it only the person who looks like you?

The one who thinks like you?

The one who votes like you?

The one who worships like you?

The one who believes exactly as you do?

The one who speaks your language?

The one who was born in the same country as you?

Or are you willing to stand in the gap for anyone God places in your path?

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus continually crossed the boundaries that people had built. He touched those considered unclean. He ate with tax collectors and sinners. He spoke with Samaritans. He healed Roman servants. He welcomed children. He defended the outcast. He loved those society had rejected.

He never asked whether someone had earned His compassion before extending it.

Instead, He saw people made in the image of God.

That same calling has been given to us.

The world is becoming increasingly divided. We are encouraged to place labels on one another before we ever learn each other’s names. Political affiliation, nationality, race, denomination, social status, education, income, and ideology have become walls that separate people.

Yet the Cross tears those walls down.

Jesus did not die only for people who would someday agree with us.

He died for the whole world.

Every refugee.

Every immigrant.

Every prisoner.

Every addict.

Every widow.

Every orphan.

Every veteran.

Every child.

Every elderly neighbor.

Every wealthy executive.

Every person experiencing homelessness.

Every believer.

Every skeptic.

Every person struggling to find hope.

Every person you may never fully understand.

The ground at the foot of the Cross is level.

Our assignment as Christians is not to decide who deserves our love.

Our assignment is to love.

Sometimes standing in the gap means praying for someone who has no one else praying for them.

Sometimes it means buying a meal.

Sometimes it means listening instead of arguing.

Sometimes it means forgiving when forgiveness feels impossible.

Sometimes it means speaking up for someone whose voice has been ignored.

Sometimes it means sitting beside someone everyone else has walked away from.

Sometimes it simply means reminding another person that they are not forgotten.

Standing in the gap isn’t comfortable.

It wasn’t comfortable for Jesus either.

His love carried Him all the way to Calvary.

The Cross reminds us that sacrificial love is rarely convenient, but it is always powerful.

Imagine what our communities would look like if Christians became known less for the people we exclude and more for the people we embrace.

Imagine churches where everyone knew they would be welcomed.

Imagine conversations marked more by grace than by outrage.

Imagine believers who loved so deeply that people caught a glimpse of Jesus before they ever heard a sermon.

That is what it means to be the hands and feet of Christ.

The next time you encounter someone who is different from you, don’t begin by asking whether they deserve your compassion.

Instead, remember this:

Jesus loves them.

Jesus died for them.

Jesus is pursuing them.

And perhaps He is asking you to stand in the gap for them.

May we be people whose love reflects the heart of Christ rather than the divisions of our culture.

May our hands be quick to serve.

May our words be full of grace.

May our prayers extend beyond those who are easy to love.

And may we never forget that someone once stood in the gap for us.

His name is Jesus Christ.

Because He stood in the gap between a holy God and sinful humanity, we have been offered forgiveness, redemption, and eternal life.

Now it is our turn to carry His love into a hurting world.

Who will you stand in the gap for today? ~OC

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Living A Life Of Significance:Day 3

Day 3: Salt and Light

Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:13-16  

Reflection: Significance is influence. Salt preserves. Light exposes. Both are ordinary things with extraordinary impact in the right place.  

Application: Where is one room, one workplace, one family conversation where you can bring light today?  

Prayer: Jesus, help me flavor my world with grace.

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Healing Prayer

Jesus, Our Amazing Healer

“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” — Isaiah 53:5

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” — Hebrews 13:8

Dear Heavenly Father,

Today we come before You with grateful hearts, praising You for Your endless love, Your mercy, and the healing found through Your Son, Jesus Christ. You are Jehovah Rapha, the Lord who heals (Exodus 15:26), and nothing is impossible for You (Luke 1:37).

Jesus, throughout the Gospels You touched the blind and they received their sight. You spoke to the lame and they walked. You cleansed those with leprosy, restored the brokenhearted, raised the dead, and brought hope to those who had none. Your compassion never failed, and Your power was always greater than sickness, fear, or despair.

Lord, we stand on Your promises today. Your Word declares, “Praise the Lord, my soul… who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases” (Psalm 103:2–3). We believe that You still heal hearts, minds, bodies, and souls according to Your perfect will.

Father, bring healing where there is pain. Bring strength where there is weakness. Bring peace where there is anxiety. Restore what illness has stolen. Encourage those who are weary. Comfort those waiting for answers. Let Your Holy Spirit surround every hospital room, every home, every caregiver, and every person crying out to You.

Your Word reminds us in Jeremiah 17:14, “Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for You are the one I praise.” We place our trust completely in You.

As James 5:14–15 teaches us, we pray in faith, believing that You hear the prayers of Your people. May every healing become a testimony that points others to Jesus Christ, bringing glory to Your holy name.

Lord, even in seasons when healing comes differently than we expect, help us remember that Your presence never leaves us. Your grace is sufficient, Your strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), and Your plans are always good.

We rejoice because You are our Savior, our Redeemer, our Great Physician, and our Living Hope. Thank You for every miracle You have already done and every miracle still to come.

A Short Closing Prayer

Jesus, thank You for loving us so completely. Fill us with faith, courage, and hope as we trust in Your healing power. Let our lives reflect Your goodness, and may everything we do bring honor and glory to You. We rest in Your unfailing love today and always.

We pray all of these things in the mighty and powerful name of Jesus. Amen.

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Living A Life Of Significance: Day 2

Day 2: Known and Called

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 1:5  

Reflection:Before you took your first breath, God knew you. Calling isn’t a job title. It’s belonging to Him first.  

Application: Spend 5 minutes in silence and ask, “Father, what do You say about me?”  

Prayer: Dear God, remind me that I am Yours.

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A Life of Significance

Today’s a new day!

There is something about a long and difficult health journey that changes the way you see everything.

It has a way of stripping away every illusion of control.

We spend so much of our lives believing we are in charge of tomorrow. We make plans, build careers, chase achievements, accumulate possessions, and convince ourselves that if we just work a little harder or prepare a little better, we can control what comes next.

Then life happens.

A diagnosis.
A phone call.
A hospital room.
A test result.
A moment that changes everything.

My health journey has taught me that life is far more fragile than I ever imagined. It has also shown me how fragile relationships can be. Some people will walk beside you through the darkest valleys, while others quietly disappear when the road becomes difficult. Although that can be painful, it also reveals something beautiful—it helps you recognize those who genuinely love you, not for what you can do, but simply because you are you.

This journey has also taught me that everything we often believe defines us can disappear in an instant.

Our careers.
Our physical strength.
Our independence.
Our financial security.
Our titles.
Our reputation.
Even our carefully crafted plans for the future.

None of those things are guaranteed.

When those layers begin to fall away, one question remains:

Who are we when everything else is gone?

For me, that question continually brings me back to Jesus.

My identity cannot rest in what I accomplish, because accomplishments fade.

It cannot rest in my health, because health can change overnight.

It cannot rest in what others think of me, because opinions come and go.

My identity must rest in the One who never changes.

The older I get, and the longer this journey continues, the more convinced I become that so much of what we spend our lives worrying about simply doesn’t matter in the end.

We argue over temporary things.

We compete for positions that won’t last.

We chase recognition that will eventually be forgotten.

We exhaust ourselves trying to impress people whose approval can never truly satisfy our hearts.

Meanwhile, opportunities to love, encourage, forgive, and serve quietly pass us by.

What if we invested as much energy into loving people as we do protecting our image?

What if we pursued kindness with the same passion we pursue success?

What if we measured our lives less by what we accumulated and more by whose lives were changed because we were here?

I don’t want my life to be remembered for what I owned.

I want it to be remembered for how I loved.

I don’t want to simply leave behind possessions.

I want to leave behind hope.

I want people to know that even in weakness, Jesus remained faithful.

Even through suffering, His grace was sufficient.

Even when life felt uncertain, His promises never failed.

If my health journey has taught me anything, it is this:

Life is a gift.

Time is precious.

People matter.

Jesus is enough.

So today, I want to encourage you.

Don’t spend your life chasing things that will never satisfy your soul.

Don’t allow temporary achievements to become eternal priorities.

Choose a life of significance.

Love deeply.

Forgive quickly.

Serve generously.

Encourage freely.

Walk humbly with God.

Because when this life is over, it won’t matter how impressive our résumé was or how much applause we received.

What will matter is whether we loved God with all our heart and loved our neighbor as ourselves.

Those are the things that last.

Those are the things that echo into eternity. ~OC

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What I Look For In A Leader

Today’s a new day!

As followers of Jesus, we are called to pray for those in authority (1 Timothy 2:1–2). We are also called to exercise wisdom and discernment when evaluating the character of those who seek to lead.

When I consider a political candidate, my first question isn’t, “What party do they belong to?” My question is, “What kind of person are they becoming?”

These are some of the qualities I look for.

I look for a joyful heart. Not a manufactured smile for the cameras, but a genuine joy that reflects gratitude, humility, and hope. Scripture reminds us that “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). A joyful heart often points to a soul that isn’t driven solely by fear, anger, or resentment.

I look for a clear mind that produces clear thoughts and the ability to express those thoughts with maturity. Leadership requires wisdom. Decisions affect millions of lives, and words have the power to unite or divide. Mature communication matters.

I look for self-restraint. In a culture that rewards outrage and impulsive reactions, self-control is becoming increasingly rare. Yet Scripture calls self-control one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23). A leader who cannot govern themselves will struggle to govern wisely.

I look for someone who values people more than power. Power should never become the goal; it should be a tool used to serve others. Jesus, the greatest leader who ever lived, washed the feet of His disciples instead of demanding they serve Him. That is the model of leadership I admire.

I look for someone who respects people—even those who disagree with them. We don’t have to agree with everyone to treat them with dignity. Every person bears the image of God. Civility is not weakness; it is evidence of maturity.

I look for someone who can receive constructive criticism. None of us has all the answers. Wise leaders surround themselves with truth-tellers instead of yes-men. Humility allows correction to become growth instead of offense.

Finally, I look for a heart that produces both kindness and strength. Kindness without conviction can become compromise. Strength without kindness can become cruelty. Jesus embodied both perfectly. He stood firmly for truth while extending extraordinary compassion to people who were hurting.

As I look across today’s political landscape, I find myself longing to see these qualities displayed more consistently in our leaders. That longing isn’t about one party or another. It reflects a desire for leadership that more closely resembles the character Scripture commends.

Perhaps the greatest challenge isn’t simply asking whether our leaders possess these qualities.

Perhaps it’s asking whether we do.

Are we joyful?

Are we self-controlled?

Do we value people over winning arguments?

Do we listen well?

Do we show kindness without abandoning truth?

The Church should be known for these qualities long before we expect them from Washington, our state capitals, or city halls.

Our ultimate hope has never rested in a president, governor, senator, or political party. Our hope rests in Jesus Christ—the King whose kingdom cannot be shaken.

So let us pray for our leaders. Let us vote with wisdom. Let us speak with grace. And above all, let us live in such a way that the character of Christ shines through us, regardless of who occupies positions of earthly authority.

Because while elections shape nations, transformed hearts change the world. ~OC

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Dear Christian Community: The World Isn’t Rejecting Jesus

Dear Christian Community,

I have spent countless hours talking with people who don’t attend church, who have walked away from the faith, or who have never considered following Jesus.

One thing has become increasingly clear.

Most of them are not rejecting Jesus.

They are rejecting what they have seen from many who claim to represent Him.

They have read about the Jesus who welcomed sinners, touched lepers, defended the broken, forgave His enemies, washed His disciples’ feet, and willingly gave His life on a cross for the salvation of the world.

Then they look at much of modern Christianity.

Instead of humility, they see arrogance.

Instead of compassion, they see outrage.

Instead of mercy, they see judgment.

Instead of sacrificial love, they often see a relentless pursuit of political influence and cultural power.

Some churches have become so consumed with defending political ideologies that the Gospel has been pushed to the background. Sermons increasingly sound like campaign speeches. Social media feeds often reflect more passion for political victories than for seeing lost people encounter Jesus.

When political identity becomes more important than our identity in Christ, something has gone terribly wrong.

Jesus never called us to build earthly kingdoms.

He called us to build His Kingdom.

He never instructed His followers to place their hope in governments, political parties, or elected officials. He told us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. He commanded us to love God with all our heart and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Our greatest weapon has never been political power.

It has always been the love of Christ.

The early Church transformed the world without controlling governments. They had no political majority, no cultural influence, and no worldly authority. Yet they turned the world upside down because they loved extravagantly, served sacrificially, forgave freely, and boldly proclaimed the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

That same Gospel still changes lives today.

But if we replace it with political tribalism, people will naturally conclude that Christianity is simply another ideology competing for influence.

The Church should never become known more for its political preferences than for its love.

Jesus said the world would know we are His disciples by our love for one another—not by our voting record, our online arguments, or our ability to win cultural battles.

This isn’t a call to withdraw from society or to stop caring about important issues. Christians should engage the world with wisdom, conviction, and courage.

But our highest allegiance must always belong to Jesus Christ.

The Gospel is too beautiful to be overshadowed by partisan division.

If people reject Jesus after seeing His love, hearing His truth, and encountering His grace, that is their decision.

But may they never reject Him because we failed to reflect Him.

Church, perhaps it’s time to ask ourselves some difficult questions.

Are we known more for making disciples or making political statements?

Do people see Christ when they look at us?

Are we carrying our cross—or merely carrying our preferred ideology?

The world desperately needs Jesus.

Let’s make sure they actually get to see Him.

May our churches once again become places where grace is abundant, truth is spoken in love, the hurting are welcomed, the forgotten are seen, and every person encounters the transforming hope found only in Jesus Christ.

Because the world doesn’t need a more politically powerful Church.

It needs a more Christlike one.

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