Love And Redemption

Today’s a new day! From the garden where creation bloomed in light,
Where You walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of night,
Every promise whispered in the fall,
You had a plan to redeem us all
Through the prophets and the years of waiting,
Love was writing history in the making.

In a manger lay the Hope of man,
God incarnate, the great I Am,
Healing hearts and calming seas,
Carrying chains to Calvary
On that Cross where mercy bled,
You bore our sin, the crown of thorns on Your head.

But the stone was rolled and death undone,
The grave could not hold Heaven’s Son,
Resurrection morning broke,
Living hope in every soul
The Spirit came like wind and flame,
Empowering us to lift Your name.

And one bright day the sky will part,
Trumpets sound and every heart
Will see the King in glorious light,
Faith made sight, wrong made right
Every knee will bow and sing,
Jesus Christ is Lord and King.

From the Garden to the Cross,
From the grave to glory’s dawn,
Father, the risen Son, to the Holy Spirit-our Helper,
The story of love goes on and on
Hallelujah, we proclaim,
Salvation written in Your name,
Three in One, forever reign,
All honor, all power, all praise. ~OC

February 12, 2026 0

Rise And Live Again

Today’s a new day!
In the silence of the midnight hour,
When the weight of the world feels strong,
There’s a whisper breaking through the dark,
A steady voice, a healing son
When my strength begins to fade away,
And my heart can barely stand,
I remember where my help comes from—
Held in nail-scarred hands.

It’s the power of God’s hope that lifts me,
The power of His unfailing love,
The power of His sweet compassion
Pouring down from above
His grace is more than enough for me,
His peace calms every storm within,
In the power of His forgiveness
I rise and live again.

When regret tries to rewrite my past,
And shame knocks at my door,
His mercy speaks a better word
Than I have ever heard before
He doesn’t see my brokenness
As something to condemn,
He wraps me in His righteousness
And calls me His child again.

In a world that’s torn by hurt and fear,
Where hearts are slow to trust,
His Spirit breathes a deeper truth—
From ashes, beauty comes from dust
He teaches us to love like Him,
To serve and not divide,
To carry hope into the night
With mercy as our guide.

Hope for the weary,
Love for the lost,
Grace that was given
No matter the cost
Peace like a river,
Forgiveness so wide—
All of His power
Now living inside. ~OC

February 11, 2026 0

Finding Purpose In The Pause

Lately, I’ve been getting a few messages asking how I’m doing, and how I spend my days. Honestly, it’s a bit of a challenge, but I continue to find beauty in the struggle. As I navigate this crazy beautiful journey with multiple health issues, I am reminded that life is not easy. It’s a little harder getting around these days, so I spend most of my days at home.

My health journey is a rollercoaster, and it’s okay to admit that it’s tough. Some days are better than others. But my constant desire is to walk closer with God every day and to connect with other people. Trying to put my thoughts together to write these days is much harder, but God helps me through, because it’s my way of connecting with people and letting those who are struggling know they’re not alone. If I didn’t share, I’d be stuck in silence, alone and that’s a lonely place to be.

My days are pretty simple. I spend most of my time in prayer, trying to write and read when my body allows. It’s not glamorous, but it’s my reality. And you know what? I am learning to find purpose in the pause, to cherish the quiet moments, and to share my story with others who might be walking a similar path.

I am not writing this for sympathy or to complain. I’m writing this to remind society, that people walking through health battles still need and want to connect with others. I am the same person I have always been, just a little slower. But my story isn’t over yet. And I want people walking through their own storms, to know that you’re seen, you’re heard, you’re loved and you’re not alone.

As I continue on this journey, I’m grateful for the few friends who have decided to stick around, even when life gets hard. And to those who’ve disappeared, I am doing my best to understand why. But I am learning to cherish the ones who stay and to find joy in the connections we have made along the way.

If you’re struggling, know that you’re not alone. Keep writing, keep praying, and keep pushing forward. And if you need someone to talk to, I am a phone call away. Let’s connect and walk this journey together. ~OC

January 24, 2026 0

Not A Performance

“The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.” — Psalm 145:18

Today’s a new day! Prayer isn’t a performance. It’s not a speech, a sermon, or a spiritual audition. It’s a conversation — raw, real, and sometimes downright messy. You don’t need a robe, a pulpit, or the perfect words. You just need a moment and faith like a mustard seed.

God doesn’t wait for you to sound holy. He waits for you to be honest. Whether you’re whispering in a hospital room, shouting in frustration, or mumbling through a mouthful of emotions, He hears you. He’s not grading your grammar — He’s listening to your heart.

Daniel prayed in danger. Jonah prayed in darkness. Peter prayed while sinking. And you? You can pray in your car, your kitchen, your wheelchair, your recliner or your weakest moment. You can pray with a full plate or an empty stomach. You can pray with tears, laughter, or silence.

There’s no wrong time to pray. No wrong place. No wrong posture. You can pray standing, sitting, lying down, or leaning on the edge of hope. You can pray in church, at the breakfast table, or as you’re being wheeled into the operating room.

So stop worrying about sounding like Shakespeare or James Earl Jones. Stop waiting for the perfect moment to pray. Just talk to God. Tell Him about your hopes, frustrations, dreams and hurts. Tell Him what’s funny. Tell Him what you need. And if all you’ve got is “Thank You, Lord,” that’s more than enough.

Because the power of prayer isn’t in how you say it — it’s in Who you’re saying it to. Can I get an amen? ~OC

January 22, 2026 0

The Unexpected Play

Today’s a new day! Over the years some brave and caring people have asked me “What’s it really like to live with multiple health issues that will eventually take you out.” (Insert laughter here)

After taking a moment to think about that question I shared, “It’s like your body came with a lifetime warranty, but when you read the small fine print, there is a little section that states “starts to expire once started.” My body has been under a recall for the past twenty-four years. When I call Customer Service, I am placed on hold, where a very nice voice keeps telling me to “get some rest.”

That’s just a little humor, but it’s also true in so many ways, when you’re dealing with multiple health issues that are breaking down your body. Walking through a medical journey, will test your faith, your patience and your Wi-Fi connection. You can either drown in self-pity or laugh at the absurdity of it all. I choose laughter. Because when you can’t move or think like you used to, joy has to do the heavy lifting.

See, the best medical team can study your chart, but only God knows your heart. The doctor ask, “How are we feeling today?” and I think, “You tell me — you’re the one with the fancy degrees.” But God looks past my diagnosis and says, “You’re still here. You’re still mine. You’re still fighting.”

When the nurse says, “This might sting a little,” I laugh because that’s life in a nutshell — a little sting, a little surprise, a little pain, and a whole lot of grace.

When I am in the hospital, which is often, you often hear or see a message reminding everyone to be quiet, because patients are resting. But I look around at all the beeping machines, the flashing lights, and people checking my blood pressure like I’m a contestant on The Price Is Right, and I think, “Dear God, if this is resting, heaven’s gonna be amazing.”

But seriously, I have learned something deeper through this crazy beautiful health journey called life: when your body slows down, your faith speeds up. When your strength fades, your laughter stretches further. And when life tries to crush your spirit, God uses joy as medicine for your soul.

In Proverbs 17:22 we read, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” That verse hits home for me. It’s God’s way of saying, “Keep your sense of humor, even in during the tough moments. Don’t let your spirit dry up.”

So what’s it like to truly live with the finish line always so close? It’s like sitting front-row at an audition you didn’t sign up for- but you still get to decide whether this play will be a drama or a comedy. For me, I have decided to sprinkle in a little Daniel Day-Lewis and a whole lot of Robin Williams. As I watch this play unfold, I remind myself and everyone around me that even when life isn’t very funny… you can still find the humor.

Because hope doesn’t always show up healed — sometimes it shows up laughing. ~OC

January 21, 2026 0

Cancel

How can you cancel someone

that God hasn’t canceled?

You judge with earthly eyes,

but His mercy is boundless.

He sees the heart, the soul,

the deepest, darkest night

and still He chooses love,

still He holds on tight.

Your opinion is but a whisper

in the winds of time

but His voice thunders loudly,

‘You are mine, you are mine.’

So let us not pretend

to be the righteous few

for we are all broken,

and He is still renewing.

How can you cancel someone

that God hasn’t canceled?

Let us love like He loves,

without condition, without fail. ~OC

January 12, 2026 0

A New Year

Today’s a new day! This new year arrived quietly for some, not with fireworks or fresh ambition, but with tired bones and a heart still heavy from all that was poured out in twenty-twenty-five. While the world seems busy reinventing itself, certain souls are simply trying to stand steady against the storms of life. Last year, left invisible footprints — of effort, of giving, of showing up, of holding everything together when it mattered most. And when the noise finally fades, what remains is often an exhaustion no New Year can reset or erase.

There is a kind of pressure in the air the first month of any new year. There is an unspoken demand to rise, improve, conquer, to shine. But not all of us begin from the same place. Some of us step into this new year carrying the weight of overextended emotions, stretched resources, and the quiet ache of having given more than we had. The body remembers. The heart remembers. And sometimes all it asks for is stillness. For a chance to rest.

As we start this new year, your spirit may feel low. That does not mean you are broken — it means you are human and deeply alive. Deeply loved.

Let yourself rest in the stillness for a while. Let the world rush ahead if it must. You are allowed to pause. You are allowed to heal quietly. You are allowed to face your mountain one small step at a time, or simply sit beside it and gather strength. You do not need to be anything more than you are in this moment.

And that is enough. ~OC

January 5, 2026 0

The Journey

Today’s a new day! Reflecting on my health journey, I’m reminded of the twists and turns that have shaped me into who I am today. It’s been a winding road, filled with ups and downs, but through it all, I’ve felt God’s presence guiding me every step of the way. The rough roads have taught me resilience, the detours have shown me new paths, and the smooth roads have given me peace. I’m grateful for this journey, and I trust that God will continue to lead me forward, even when the road ahead is uncertain. ~OC

October 30, 2025 0

The Journey

October 30, 2025 0

True Revival

Today’s a new day! The last several weeks, I have seen many social media post and heard many conversations about how America is in a Revival moment. I hope and pray that is the case, but I am not sure that’s what we are seeing. I desire to experience more than just a moment of Revival. No, I want to see a life changing movement that changes hearts and lives in a radical way.

Since 2019, God has woken me up most mornings with these three words: Miracles, Healings and Revival. But to understand what true Revival actually means, I believe all we need to do is look at the Book of Jonah.

I write the following not as a blog post, but as a prayer for America and the world.

The book of Jonah illustrates for us how God can transform and save an entire city in one day that is entrenched in wickedness, violence, and depravity. Jonah, the prophet of God, is called to go preach against the great city Nineveh, and instead of fulfilling his mandate, he flees to Tarshish aboard a ship. God decides to get Jonah’s attention through a massive storm and Jonah is thrown overboard, but yet is saved by grace in the most unusual and fascinating way…a great whale. We read where Jonah learns that “Salvation is of the Lord” and then is thrown up on dry land and is commissioned to preach a second time to this wicked city Nineveh.

In Jonah Chapter 3, we see five distinguishing marks of true repentance, revival, and spiritual awakening that serve to encourage us as we share the gospel across America and the world and in our desire to see God pour out revival throughout our communities.

The first thing we see is that God is most pleased to use the powerful preaching of His Word to see hearts radically transformed and for people to totally surrender their lives before Him. Jonah’s message was very simple, “Yet forty more days, and Nineveh will be overthrown!” In other words, God would utterly annihilate them if they did not flee the wrath to come by repenting of their sins. In Hebrews 4:12-13 we read, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” In every great revival in the history of the world, the preaching of God’s Word has been central. Notice how these wicked, violent Ninevites responded in Jonah 3:5: “And the people of Nineveh believed God.” They trusted wholeheartedly in the Lord for salvation because the preached Word had done its amazing effect in their hearts.

Secondly, when genuine revival comes upon a people, it is wide-spread and comprehensive. We see in Jonah 3:5 :“They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.” The entire city from the highest political leaders to the everyday citizen responded in repentance and faith toward the living God. When God pours out revival, it doesn’t just affect as small few, but impacts an entire community.

Thirdly, when God pours out revival, genuine repentance is evidenced by a heart transformation that is most demonstrated through mourning of sin and prayer. The message so “touched” the heart of the king, that he traded in his royal throne and stripped himself of all pride and position, and mourned in an ash heap. He grieved his personal sin and humbled himself before the Lord. In times of revival, sinners mourn their sin and cry out mightily to God in prayer. The king issues this command in Jonah 3:8, “and let them call out mightily to God.” I looked up the Hebrew word for “mightily” and it means with violent earnestness. Wow! When God grants revival, genuine repentance manifests itself in a wide spread prayer movement where people cry out earnestly to God and desire more of Him.

Fourthly, genuine repentance always bears fruit in that people turn from their sinful behavior. Notice that the king also says this in Jonah 3:8: “Let everyone turn from their evil way and from the violence that is in their hands.” Repentance means more than just feeling sorry for our sins and grieving over possibly getting caught. No, true repentance means that there is a genuine turning from our old ways of living and thinking, to completely trusting in Christ alone for our salvation and everything else in our lives. The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 7:9-10: “As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”

Lastly, in times of true revival, people come to the full awareness that they are totally dependent on the sovereign grace of God for salvation and cannot demand from Him anything. The king humbly and in brokenness declares in Jonah 3:9: “Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.” The king doesn’t appeal to his rights as ruler, but totally understands the sovereign right of the living God to show mercy and compassion to whom He wants to show mercy and compassion. All we can do as sinners is to cast ourselves on the mercy of Jesus alone for our salvation.

As I close, I pray that God would pour out His Spirit of revival upon America and the world, where the Word of God is preached with boldness every Sunday in churches across the world. I pray that God would impact America and the world with spiritual transformation that is widespread and life changing. I pray that all of us would mourn the violence, hatred and division we see around us and cry out mightily to God in prayer that a powerful prayer movement would sweep across this dry land like a wildfire. I pray that we would all turn from our sinful ways and trust in the living God and that there would be true radical life change. I pray that God would pour out His mercy upon us in salvation through Jesus and that every single person in America and across the world would love and worship Christ the Lord. ~Amen

Thanks for taking the time to read this prayer. ~OC

September 28, 2025 0