Today’s a new day!
Here is a morning prayer for Monday 2/10/25. Have a beautiful day! ~OC
Dear God, you are the hope for this world. Today, I pray you meet us in the darkness of our despair and speak a word of hope over our anxious hearts. Give us the strength to faithfully wait for your promises for our lives and to find hope in our hour of need. We pray all of this in the name of the One who is the true hope and love of this world. Amen!
Good morning! Here is another post from “The Lost Writings of OC.” This was written in 2019. Have a great day!
I am a Warrior, Fighter, Conqueror and Overcomer. Some people do not like using those terms when talking about their health journey, but I embrace each of them. Because every day that I am blessed to wake up and make it through another day is a Victory. A Battle won.
The words “fighter” and “warrior” are often linked with our response to illness. I think it’s appropriate. I have walked the halls of hospitals, chemo rooms, hospice rooms and believe me each of those individuals were fighting a battle. Waging war against a disease that is trying to destroy every single part of their bodies.
As I have traveled my own crazy beautiful health journey, I have been blessed to meet and become friends with some amazing “Warriors.” I do not think any of us warriors would consider ourselves to be “inspirations.” Even though a lot of people like to put that term on us. No, we are just focused on making it through the tough moments of the day. The weeks. And for some like me, the years. We will leave all the “inspirational” talk to you.
For many the word “fighting” might sound exhausting. And it can be. There are some days I just want a break from this health battle. When this happens, I do not want to be told I’m inspirational and to “just keep going!” or “battle on!” I just want someone to listen. This is where I have found my “people in my boat” to be so helpful. Even though some have never had to walk through a health battle, they have walked through their own battles in life. One of my friends once shared “Just keep swimming, and when you can’t swim, just float.” Some days I just want or need to float for a while.
So I will continue to use terms like Warrior, Overcomer, Fighter and Conqueror. I believe these terms unite those living with chronic health problems. We will fight and overcome together. ~OC
Good Morning! More writings from the “Lost Writings of OC.” I thought I would share a little bit about my Myasthenia Gravis (MG) experience with you today. I originally wrote this in 2024 and updated it several weeks ago. As I share this with you, my MG is getting much worse.
Today’s a new day! Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease that causes muscle weakness. But what exactly does muscle weakness feel like? To understand more, let me walk you through a typical day with MG.
For me it feels like I’ve run out power. In general, I feel it’s a huge effort to move when I’m very weak. When my legs are weak, they feel heavy and unsteady. I feel like I cannot move them or trust them to hold me up. The weaker I get, the closer and closer my steps get to each other, until I have to stop and lean against something or just sit down.
Also, I get pain in my hip flexors – basically my butt. It’s the same kind of pain you get from overdoing a workout: an achy soreness that feels like you have overused the muscles. These days, I deal with hip pain on a constant basis.
When my shoulders are weak, which is most of the time lately, I feel like I just cannot lift my arms. Like there are heavy weights holding them down.
My neck continues to get weaker. I just cannot hold my head up. It falls to the side or down, or I have to prop it up with my hand on my chin and my elbow on a table, or with a U-shaped neck pillow and a high-backed chair. As my neck weakens, I develop achy pain in my upper back from trying to hold my head up. I sometimes get a nauseating gagging sensation from my throat collapsing.
Eating with MG can be a challenge from having to take breaks while eating, to choking on solids and fluids. Sitting down to eat or drink is a major undertaking. I also start to slur my speech, and I get short of breath from minor exertion, or sometimes just sitting still.
I always have muscle weakness, but it gets more severe with heat, exertion, lack of sleep, infections, or other stressors. Summertime can be very challenging. Extreme cold is not my friend either.
Based on my weakened lung muscles, I am unable to take deep breaths. This causes issues on so many different levels. These days, every breath is a struggle.
I have to stay on top of my medications for the Myasthenia Gravis. I have to take one of those medications four times a day. Oh, I better not miss those dosages or things can go down hill pretty quickly.
I try to dress in cool fabrics and wear layers in winter. And I try to protect myself from sickness by keeping my vaccines up to date, wearing a mask when needed , and using hand sanitizer or washing my hands frequently when I am out of the house. I tend to fist bump and avoid shaking hands or hugging.
You know how much I love to walk, but that is getting harder these days. I have added a walking stick to help with my balance. This is a far cry from my marathon days
My medical team continuously tells me I am a one in two billion case with all of the multiple diagnosis. With Myasthenia Gravis, I fall into a small group of people being diagnosed with MG after having their thymus removed. My cancerous thymus was removed in 2003, but I was not diagnosed with MG until 2009. I will not go into what the thymus does, but feel free to research on your own.
How friends loved ones can help
One thing my friends and family do for me that’s immensely helpful is helping to educate themselves on Myasthenia Gravis so they can explain it to others and better understand my daily challenges.
I only have a few people besides my bride, who truly know me and my MG that well, but they are lifesavers. They’re also the ones I’ll talk candidly to when my MG gets me down. I cannot be relentlessly cheerful all the time, but I try.
I hope this gives you a better understanding of what Myasthenia Gravis looks like and how it affects my life on a daily basis. Each day is a struggle, but I continue to push forward and look at all the positives in my life. I encourage you to do the same. Go have a great day! ~OC
Dear God, Sometimes the pain is so great, I cannot think beyond my current struggle. On hard days, please ease my pain and help me focus on Your goodness one day, one hour, one moment at a time. Let Your overwhelming peace wash over me and remind me Your mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). There are days when I beg you to take the pain away. Days I just don’t have the strength. In those desperate times, I ask for Your unending strength to sustain me. I cannot do it alone, but with You all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). Amen
Good Morning! I wanted to share a bit of my Parkinson’s experience with you today. I was diagnosed with PD in 2007. The disease is starting to take its toll on me, but I continue to live with an attitude of hope. I originally wrote this in 2019 and updated it the first of 2025.
Today’s a new day! Living with Parkinson’s takes hope, persistence and a strong will to live. Because Parkinson’s never takes a day off. Parkinson’s is a daily battle. In the presence of Parkinson’s, one must have courage, the strength of character, and for me a strong faith.
While there’s life, there’s hope. Each morning when I wake, I do a full-body inventory, thinking ‘Okay body, what awaits us today?’ I remain hopeful that my just-completed sleep has re-fueled my brain and re-stocked my body. Of course that’s on the nights I actually sleep. Cloaked around every fiber of my body is my unwelcome guest named Parkinson’s; however, the day has started anew, and there is much to accomplish. I use hope as an anchor to secure my body and mind against the slowly rising tide from Parkinson’s. There is still time while staying hopeful.
Living with a positive attitude makes a big difference. Before I get out of my recliner, it can be easy to feel sorry for myself. I have Parkinson’s, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. And that’s the negative mindset Parkinson’s has provided but I try to never allow myself to stay there for very long. There are days that are going to be difficult; yet staying positive and focusing on the plans God has for my life is where I choose to place my focus. I choose to look at my life with a positive attitude. That is completely opposite of how this disease wants me to feel and live.
I have found living this journey and sharing my story has been a privilege of a lifetime. I start each day with a prayer to focus on what plans God would have for me on that particular day. I choose to stay engaged with the everyday activities of life. Things are starting to get much tougher these days, but I make the choice every day to embrace life to its fullest. I remind myself there is much left to accomplish in my life even in the presence of Parkinson’s. I will close with a prayer I lift up to God every morning:
Dear God, thank you for another day. Simply use me today. This is going to be a good day. I remain hopeful not hopeless, positive not negative, happy not sad, and driven not complacent. Thank you for Your strength, wisdom and courage as I walk through this day. Amen. ~OC
Good Morning! Life can be full of chaos, but we can still find peace. I hope this “Another Lost Writing from OC” gives you something to think about. This post was written in 2020.
Today’s a new day! The world can often feel chaotic and uncertain. How do you know how to respond to what the world throws at you? Recently, I took a look at Paul’s letter to the Philippians found in the New Testament. This is a letter that Paul wrote while he was in prison. He was living through turbulent times and how he encouraged believers back then directly applies to us still today. In particular, what he wrote in Philippians 4 offers us a beacon of hope today.
So how can you find peace in these turbulent times? Here are ways Paul encourages us in chapter 4.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” – Philippians 4:4
It is easy to rejoice when things are going well, but how about those tough and turbulent times? Paul calls us to rejoice then, too. He invites us to find joy in our relationship with God, regardless of our situation. It is a choice, a practice, and a powerful testimony to the world around us when we can rejoice in God always.
Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7
Anxiety often stems from feeling out of control with all that is going on around you. When we feel anxious, Paul provides a practical solution: bring everything to God in prayer, coupled with thanksgiving. This practice shifts our focus from our problems to the Problem Solver. The result of this rejoicing, gentleness, and prayer is a peace that defies all human logic. This peace serves as a reminder that God is protecting us from the onslaught of worry and fear when we trust and rely on Him.
“I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself.” – Philippians 4:11
Paul’s secret to contentment wasn’t found in his circumstances. He was content always because he knew that no matter what situation he was facing, he could rely on God’s strength rather than his own resources.
In conclusion, life can be complex and we live in turbulent times. However, may we take these lessons from Philippians 4 to heart. Let’s choose joy, practice gentleness, pray instead of worry, and find our strength in Christ. In doing so, we may discover a peace and contentment that truly passes all understanding. ~OC
Good Morning! Here is another writing from the “Lost Writings of OC.” I wrote this back in 2019.
Today’s a new day! As many get ready to start our day, some are filled with various burdens. Maybe it’s a personal thing in our life. Maybe it’s a strained relationship. Maybe your world has been rocked by a devastating loss. But at this moment, your life is burdened by the heaviness you are carrying.
It seems that these burdens are just too big to handle. In Psalm 55 we read, “Cast your care upon the LORD, who will give you support. He will never allow the righteous to stumble.”
Life seems overwhelming at this moment, but has we wake up on this Sunday morning, today is the best day to cast your fears, burdens, pain, anger, resentment, to the Lord. It’s time to “let go, and Let God.”
There is no better time to leave all your burdens at the feet of Jesus. It is time to release those burdens to the One who will never allow us to stumble. It’s time to unburden ourselves of these problems that have eaten away at us for far too long.
Let today be the day, that you release all of your problems, cares and burdens to the Lord, realizing that you cannot handle them by yourself. Whether at a church or the comfort of your home, make the life changing decisions to release everything to God.
Today, let’s let go and let God. Let’s lay our burdens at the foot of the cross. Take my heart, loving Father as I put it in your hands. Today, I release all my burdens and trust in You. ~OC
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:6-7
Today’s a new day! As we walk into a new week and are still navigating a new year, I want to share the following thoughts with you. Peace and blessings to each of you. ~OC
“Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” -Acts 2:38
Today the Holy Spirit is calling you. He is saying, “I am here my child. I am the Resurrection and the Life. I want to appear Myself to you today in a way you never have encountered me before. I want there to be a collision between Heaven and your world.”
Maybe you are disappointed with church, with pastors, the world or even with God. Maybe you have prayed and nothing changed. Maybe you used to be in love with God but things happened and now you are disappointed, discouraged, and angry. Maybe you had a bad church experience or were hurt by a person who misrepresented God’s heart to you. Forgive them. The Holy Spirit is calling you today. Return to the Lord with all your heart. He longs for there to be a collision where everything in your life crashes with God’s Kingdom and you are forever changed. You will never be the same. I encourage you to pray this dangerous prayer today and mean it if you want all of God:
“Holy Spirit, today I surrender my life totally to Jesus Christ. I am done running and living life for myself. I make a fresh decision to follow hard after You. I give you all of my life. I receive forgiveness for my sins and I release forgiveness to those who have hurt me and betrayed me. Heal my heart. Today, show me Your truth. Break every stronghold and addiction. Flood my life with your power and presence so that I will never ever be the same. Fill me with a fresh touch from You. I want to draw nearer to you with all I am. In Jesus name Amen”
“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit “-Titus 3:15
Today’s a new day! I’ve grown comfortable in my wilderness moments. The ups and downs of this crazy beautiful health journey is a place I no longer fear. I know how to operate here. I know how to encourage others that are walking through their own suffering . Because when you walk through enormous trials and God continues to show up in huge ways, you become changed by it. When you stand by people in places that conjure up feelings of death and God’s love swarms around you like it has in no other moment, you start to see even the worst pain differently. You start to see the beauty. The beauty that can be present even in suffering. That amazing message that I will never stop proclaiming because I believe in it with every fiber of my being. That God is present with us in the pain and the suffering of this world. And that He can use everything–absolutely everything–for our good and His glory. Even when it isn’t good in those moments of despair. Even when it feels like a million shades of awful. But remember, this wilderness place is never where our story end.
It’s a question that I have gotten a lot over the years, but I wonder if people actually really want the answer. The question is How could God allow me to walk through so much suffering? This is how I choose to answer that important question. Having a relationship with God and following Him for many years, I see more of His character each day I walk through this pain and suffering. I have experienced God’s outrageous love that has come through for me over and over and over again, in this long and winding road of suffering. I truly believe His ways and His timing are best for me. Let me ask you a few questions. Do you truly want an intimate relationship with God even if it means that enduring pain and suffering is part of the process? If it strips you of pride and idols and all the baggage that just continually brings us down? During my long health journey, I have learned that most people see the world through narrow eyes. They only see the temporal things. They see just what is in front of their face at any given time. And often what is staring back at them is so overwhelming–how could they possibly see anything else? But we have to look at the full picture standing in front of us. We have to think about how our stories ultimately ends.
Our God who gives us the choice of whether or not to love Him–because could we truly love Him if He didn’t give us that option? God is too big to accept that kind of response. He wants us. All of us. God wants us to love Him for who He is because He already loves us for all of who we are. And with the option to love Him also comes the option not to love Him. To go our own way and forge our own identity. We all have a will to choose, and we all at different points choose the wrong thing. And the world is broken and full of pain and how do we even begin to reconcile it all? How do we reconcile that God is still good? He promises to be our God. Our deliverer. Our Savior. Our refuge. Our strength. God promises that we are held safely in His everlasting arms. So why doesn’t He move those enormous mountains in our paths? Why does God sometimes make us take the slow and grueling climb to the top? The climb that eventually leads us up to the steepest peak where we can look below and see the landscape that was always there, but was just always over the next rise. The view that allows us to take it all in–the whole journey. To see both where we have come from and where we are going. The reality is, God doesn’t remove every single mountain in our path. He wants us to climb them. He wants us to put one foot in front of the other and feel our muscles trembling with every single step. We feel like we are drowning in our struggles and our sorrows and we cry out to Him for rescue, and the waves just get stronger. We forget that He already parted the seas for us. That our lives are not measured from one circumstance to another, but from His Son making the way for us and the forever that still awaits us. That there is another side to the mountain that we are climbing and the narrow road we walk is so much shorter than we could possibly believe. Every single step up the steep road strengthens our bodies and minds to continue the walk home. It can be hard, and it can be painful, and at times we fall over and feel like we could not possibly take another step. But it’s still the amazing road home. Will we make the choice to choose it anyway? Are you going to choose a road that is full of pain and sorrow and hurt? Because God shares throughout scripture, that suffering is part of the path. That suffering will always be a companion on our journey. That in this life we will be hated and slandered for God’s name and that by signing up to walk His way, we are signing up for some struggles and heartbreak. But would He ask this of us if it wasn’t worth it? Evil is running rampant throughout this world. This world can be full of so much pain and sorrow, and it is far too much to bear on our own. There are people all over the world struggling with more than we could possibly imagine, and why does God allow it? But would we know His goodness if He didn’t? Because there is a difference between allowing something to happen and condoning it. Approving of it. And if you spend anytime in God’s word, you will know that He so wholly and completely disapproves. He doesn’t like it anymore than us when we are faced with a huge mountain to climb in our journey –but He will use it. God will redeem it. He will show up and walk the road with us. Because God is good, and He wants the best for us. He can see more than we can and sometimes that means the hard road. Sometimes the hard road is the only road.
Evil is very real, but if we just focus on that part of life, we are missing the whole point. Because evil and wickedness don’t just offend God, they stand in complete opposition to God. He opposes it in every way–His perfect righteousness cannot stand for it. And He will get the final say over it. Ultimately, God will show just how much He does not approve of it. And the fact that God delays to set this world right is actually a mercy–it gives more time for people to come to Him. To choose Him. To take hold of the freedom that He gave us in the garden that we took and totally screwed up. Because as hard as it gets and as ugly and painful as the world may seem, God would not allow anything into our lives unless He knew that one day it would be worth it. That it is worth it when God leaves us in our tragedies. Because when He wages war on all that is evil, the fruit and beauty of our pain will be more than we could possibly imagine. The tears will turn into complete celebration because we will see–we will see what it was all for. Every sacrifice, every sleepless night, every painful moment and the utter senselessness of tragedy. Those very things will become our joy. We have to remember the full story. We have to remember that where we stand right now in this moment is not where our stories end. That our journey began in a garden full of promise and that the freedom that God gave us to love Him and choose Him, we took and turned it on its head and still He comes after us and promises to set it all right. God constantly gives us way more than we can handle, but He can. There is no situation or struggle that we walk into that catches Him by surprise. Including suffering. Including the worst of the worst. Including the darkest and loneliest nights. God is there. He never leaves us. God has already won. And the moments of our journey that we spend in the deep, shape us and allow us to become more like Him in the process. Because God would not lead us straight into the fire without knowing that it was worth it in the long run. And that is the beauty of it all. That as we step further into the darkness of pain and sorrow and still trust God in it, eventually He turns it all to light. The trials that turn into a testimony and a journey that becomes more than us being stuck in an impossible situation, but becomes about our Sovereign God and His strength and power that overcomes it. The deep that we despise becomes light for others walking their own path. The storms we walk into blaming God for and walk out of praising His name.
Remember, God has already won the war and is coming back to finish the final battle and get the final say over all the injustice and ugliness of this world. I, for one, would not have this deep relationship with God without the pain and suffering. Without walking through struggles. The darkest moments of my health journey have led me directly into His embrace. The storms that God allows even in all their heartache because He sees what we cannot see yet and knows that one day even we will find worth and meaning in those darkest moments. So the question becomes are we going to stand with God or against Him? Seeing the world as it is today and knowing what we know, are we going to choose God anyway? Even when all the pain and suffering doesn’t feel worth it, are we still going to trust that it is? Will we run straight into the deepest sea if it is the only way to get to God? Because over the steep rise of that mountain peak, there is beauty beyond measure. And just because we cannot see it yet does not mean that it is not there. Just like how the stars still shine in all their brilliance in the light of day, but only in the night sky can we take them all in. It is there. All the beauty and wonder and joy of our struggles. It’s at the end of this short and sometimes rocky road in the forever beyond. Believe me, it will be worth it. ~OC
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” ~Isaiah 41:10
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” ~Psalm 46:1
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” ~Hebrews 13:5
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” ~Romans 8:28
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” ~Psalm 23:4
Happy Friday dear friends! As I continue to run this crazy beautiful health journey, friendships continue to mean more to me than ever. I love when I am able to connect with the friends I have been blessed with over the decades.
As I have walked through this health battle, I have been to many funerals. It’s just part of the journey. At those funerals, many people gather to pay their respects, talk about how much the person meant to them and reflect on the good times. I often hear people share if they would have only had more time to share everything they wanted to share with their loved one or friend. Oh, do not forget about all the flowers. So many flowers.
As I thought about the above scenarios, it made me realize I do not want that to be my story. People gathering after I am gone and wishing they would have visited more or shared something with me. So here is my crazy idea for 2025. To everyone who calls me friend, let us all commit to getting together once a month to hang out and celebrate each other. Of course I realize some people would not be able to make every month, but if you could make it to a few gatherings throughout 2025, I would be forever grateful. For those that might not be able to make any of the gatherings based on geography, I propose we commit to meeting on Zoom once a month. No excuses for not being able to connect and share life together. We could even plan individual monthly phone calls if that works better for you. Based on my health, maybe we could do a few “Road Trips Reunions.”
As my health continues to decline and I deal with the new diagnosis of dementia, spending time with my friends becomes more important each day. So if you would be interested in making the “Year of Reunions” a reality, please let me know. We still have time in January to kick things off. Nothing fancy. Just friends getting together to celebrate friendships. Oh and no flowers required. Have a wonderful day. ~OC
Today’s a new day! Many people look at the Christian life and think it’s full of do’s and don’ts. Some people think the Christian life is boring. That Christians are not allowed to have fun. Then there are some who think the Christian life is impossible to live. Waves of guilt and shame combined with not feeling good enough can create a life of constantly feeling inadequate and hating oneself. So many people fill their hearts and minds with lies that they just do not measure up. People allow their past failures to keep them from experiencing the greatest gift in life. A relationship with Jesus.
I hope this post will reveal how much God loves you and wants you to come to Him just the way you are. God accepts each of us in our present condition and circumstances. He doesn’t need a cleaned up version of us, to start working in our lives. Jesus died for us to make us whole. To transform our lives in beautiful and amazing ways. To experience a life filled with joy and overflowing love that fills us up with acceptance and belonging. That acceptance and belonging then flows over to those around us as mercy and grace pouring out over our every step.
The Christian life doesn’t require us to do more or check off a bunch of boxes. Rather, it exchanges our old life filled with a bunch of junk for God’s love, peace and transformation. A life that is filled with rest and not with more things to check off. This new life in Jesus is about love and belonging, not rejection. It is about being able to live in the impossible while accessing the strength of the One who created us to move forward.
Jesus also created each of us for relationships. First with Him and then with each other. But as we all know, relationships can often be messy and filled with drama. But God created us for relationships filled with joy, peace and everything we need to keep moving and to sustain us during the difficult seasons of life.
My prayer for each of you is that you will experience the transformation of God’s amazing love and forgiveness and never want to go back to your old life again. Please believe me, when I say no one is ever too broken, too exhausted, or too much of anything to experience God’s life changing love and to live out the life He intended us to live.
So do not hold back. Dive head first into the amazing life God created for you. Let us explore the peace and wonder of God together. United in our love for Jesus and each other. Let us live a beautiful life of serving the One who created each of us by serving others. Let us delve into this life together and help make our part of the world a better place. ~OC
The Blessed Overcomer 