Tag: Joy

Beautiful Journey

Today’s a new day! As many of you know, I was diagnosed with young-onset dementia last September (2024). Life has changed in many ways since that diagnosis. Writing down my thoughts is much tougher these days. This post literally took me several weeks to write. Finding my words to write or speak can be a daunting challenge at times. As I navigate this new reality of living with dementia, I want to share the journey with you. To answer your questions and to share my thoughts for as long as I can. The following is a question I get a lot as I continue to run this crazy beautiful health journey.

What gives you the strength to remain positive?

My Christian faith gives me deep meaning in life, giving me hope for the future and a perspective of my life being eternal, not simply limited to what I see and experience on this side of Heaven. This life and my health journey are temporary.

“So we do not lose heart. Though our self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” ~2 Corinthians 4:16-18

I have met so many people with different health challenges during my journey, all at various stages of ability due to their declining health. But each person still remains an individual, with their true inner being shining through. The eyes remain a window into someone’s soul, and reflect our humanity.

As my thoughts and overall health becomes a bigger challenge, I see more clearly the importance of relationships. I also see and feel myself traveling through a wide range of emotions, even if they become a little more scrambled with the dementia. Our emotions connect us to each other, allowing us to form relationships, which is a mark of truly being human. As this journey takes me deeper within myself, I find myself reflecting more on God and how to truly live life more for Him. This is what gives me an abiding sense of meaning as I travel on this health journey wherever it takes me. Because I know the final destination is filled with peace and ultimate healing. As a Christian, the ending is really the beginning.

So as I continue to run this health race, I remain positive, feeling that I am gaining along this journey a far better sense of what it means to be truly alive and that much can be achieved to help others as I continue travel this crazy beautiful journey. ~OC

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A Night of Prayer

Hello. As I sit here at 10:00pm, I have this feeling God is calling me to a time of prayer tonight. That could be a few hours of prayer or it could mean a whole night of prayer. As I prepare my heart for whatever tonight holds, I want you to know I will be praying for you. If you happen to be up and need specific prayers, please feel free to reach out to me. I pray everyone has as a peaceful and restful night. God Bless. ~OC

Ending the day with God is just as important as when you begin. Another day is ending, and maybe you’re you looking for a way to give your dreams to God, forgive the wrongs of the day, or ask the Spirit to speak to you in your sleep. If you’re unsure what to say as you face another long night or a challenging tomorrow, you might like to pray along with these prayers and make Him the Lord of your nights.

From sunrise to sunset, let the Lord’s name be praised! Psalm 113:3

Thanks for Your Faithfulness

Heavenly Father, my day is drawing to an end, and I’m ready to turn in. But before I do, I have to thank you for your faithfulness today. It’s always a good day, even when things may not go the way I plan, or when the world seems in chaos, because you are in control.

Thanks for Your Unseen Presence

For all the times when I was aware of your help today, all the times when your unseen presence seemed so near, thank you, God. But for all the ways you worked behind the scenes, unknown to me, moments when heaven-sent angels moved on my behalf in ways I’ll never know, thank you for those also, Lord.

Thanks for Your Love and Forgiveness

Forgive me for any foolish actions on my part today or things I did without first asking your blessing or wisdom. Those are moments I would rather forget, but I am so grateful for your forgiveness when I ask. I never want to go to bed without clearing the air between us, Lord. Our friendship means too much, and your holiness deserves that. Thank you for loving me just as I an. Your love compels me to give you my all and fill my heart with praise for the relationship I share because of you sweet Jesus.

May Your Love Touch Others

As my family and friends close their eyes tonight, I am praying for each of them and praying they each would come to know You. I am praying that your love, like the countless number of stars in the night sky, will touch them and help them see who you truly are. I pray for our world and everyone in it. I pray for each of their needs to be met.

Grant Sleep, Refreshment, and Protection

Grant each with a good night’s sleep tonight, God, so that they can awake refreshed and ready to begin another day loving you. Thank you again for blessings so undeserved and too numerous to count. I long for the word “faithful” to describe our service to you, each day of every year. When I awake in the morning, may it be with a joyful smile, not a grumpy spirit. May your protection and your presence bathe my home with peace and safety against the enemy. Good night, Lord.

In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.

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Running On Empty

Today’s a new day! Here is another “Lost Writings From OC.” This was written in May 2023 during a hospital stay.

As I was reading and studying scripture this morning, the following came to my mind.

The Question of the Day: Do you find yourself at times, spiritually running on empty?”

Speaking for myself, I can say most definitely that there have been times when I was so focused on my spiritual destination and what I needed to do to get there that I allowed my spiritual gas tank to run dry.

Let’s take a moment to break that statement down:

– To begin with, there are a lot of “I’s” and “my’s” in that sentence – almost always a sure sign of trouble.

– My focus was on “my spiritual destination” – not on God’s intentions for me in that moment.

– My priorities were based on “what I needed to do” – not on God’s priorities for me.

– My spiritual gas tank was empty because I had neglected it; in my out-of-focus focus, I had left out the ONE who should have my utmost attention.

The Word of God gives us a beautiful comparison of two sisters with differing priorities.

Martha had invited Jesus into her home – an invitation that likely included Jesus’ twelve disciples. Luke writes, she “welcomed” Jesus. She was happy and excited to have Jesus in her home, she loved Him and wanted to serve Him well. But her focus quickly shifted from Jesus to the task of preparing the food and caring for her guests. Joyful service turned to resentment when Martha saw her sister, Mary, sitting at Jesus feet listening to Him talk.

Martha was running on “Empty” as she tried to guilt and manipulate Jesus into shaming Mary into helping her serve. Jesus kindly, but firmly, put Martha in her place. “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.” (Luke 10:41-42)

Jesus told Martha that although she was stressed out over many things, she had missed the most important thing. Martha’s focus on the busyness of hosting and serving her guests had drained her spiritual tank and blurred her focus. She was operating on empty.

We can say and do foolish things when we are tired and running on empty.

– Martha’s efforts had depleted her spirit and left her empty.

– Martha’s joy had been replaced by irritation and frustration.

– Her sincere desire to serve had been replaced by feelings of resentment.

Then Jesus spoke words that convicted Martha deeply and likely changed her perspective forever, “Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Jesus was saying that Mary had made the best choice – she had chosen Him. (Luke 10:42)

“The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.” Psalm 16:5

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26

“The LORD is my portion; I promise to keep Your words.” Psalm 119:57

Right now is a beautiful time of the year: a time to celebrate graduations, vacations and more time to hang out with family and friends. It’s also a time to run ourselves ragged – decorating, shopping, stressing about everything we need to get done before we can rest and enjoy the moment. If we are not careful, we will find ourselves running on EMPTY.

Not just Energy Empty…Spiritually Empty.

How can we keep our spiritual tank filled?

– Remember the focus is on God’s Love and His Ultimate Gift to Mankind (Don’t focus on yourself)

– Follow God in the moment (Don’t over plan and obsess on the details)

– Make God’s priorities yours (Don’t neglect your daily devotions and prayer time, keep first things first)

– Choose Jesus, He is your best choice – your perfect portion

The amazing thing is this, when we choose God as our focus, we will be filled, and we will stay full.

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9-11)

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
‭‭(Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭14‬-‭21‬)

Finally, I encourage us all to spend more time enjoying the journey and less time stressing about the outcome. ~OC

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Keep It Close

Today’s a new day! Here is another “Lost Writings From OC.” This was written back in 2021.

I want to encourage everyone, that whenever God does something amazing in your life (big or small) or a testimony takes place, to write it down because you will need it to look back on one day. When you’re drenched and soaked in a storm, it is so, so easy to forget about what God did yesterday. It is so easy to accuse God of being unloving, unjust, unfair, and everything else and forget how just a few weeks/months/years ago you were singing His praises and telling Him how wonderful He is.

All of us can look back on something that God has done in our past to encourage us in our present season. God has brought you through too many storms and tough seasons of life. So do not let the enemy fool you into thinking God has abandoned you all of the sudden. Remember, the enemy’s job is to deceive, kill and destroy. God is a fair, loving, compassionate and just God, who will never abandon or forsake us. ~OC

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Gratitude

Today’s a new day! Here is another “Lost Writings From OC.” This was written in 2022.~OC

When life is easy, gratitude is easy. But not in the storms. Not in the worried nights when anxiety is overwhelming us. Not in the hospital when pacing the floors hoping for good news. Gratitude hinges on our willingness to accept God’s will over our own. Accepting that He is in control, and we can trust Him.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, we see God’s instruction to always be thankful: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

In the storms of life, God is our only hope. His faithfulness and His goodness are present even during the darkest moments. It might not happen immediately, but thankfulness grows as we cling to Him. We are grateful not only for the joys of restored health, restored relationships and overcoming grief, but for the sorrows that brought us to a place of utter dependence on Jesus.

Today, before your day gets too busy with meetings and a to do list to get through, take some time to reflect on what God has done in your life. Offer gratitude not only for the “easy-sailing” blessings, but also for the lessons learned during the storms.

Dear God, thank You not only for Your countless blessings, but for the challenges that draw us near to You. For the lessons learned during the storm. Thank You for the hard moments when You gave us the strength to wait out the storm. You are so good. Whatever storms come into our lives, You are our Rock and our Shelter. Thank You for Your light that surrounds us, and Your love that never fails. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Let Love Flow

Today’s a new day! Here is another “Lost Writings of OC.” This was written back in 2023.

“Love overlooks the mistakes of others, but dwelling on the failures of others devastates friendships.” ~Proverbs 17:9

Jesus said that “your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:35)

One way of showing love is forgiving people’s fault. Even if they chose to hurt you on purpose.

Forgiveness can be difficult, but when we consider what God did through Jesus Christ, in that He made allowances for our faults before we made them, we should be able to find a place in our hearts to forgive.

So today, let us take time to search our hearts and make the decision to let love flow. To let love prosper. To make the choice to forgive. Today, let love win! ~OC

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Let Love Win

Today’s a new day! Don’t you think fear has won often enough in your life? Don’t you think anger has won enough in this world?

What if, just for today, you did absolutely everything in your power to see that love wins for a change? What if your small acts of love spread from community to community and across the world? What if it creates an absolute tidal wave that circles and embraces the entire world?

What if one act of love and kindness from you was the very thing someone needed to restore their faith in humanity or try one more time to keep running their race? To not give up.

What if you are the spark the world is waiting on to shift from a fear-based mindset to a love-based mindset?

Let’s let love win today and see what happens!

Wherever you are on your journey, remember you are awesome! Show some love and kindness today. ~OC

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A Prayer for America

Today’s a new day! Dear God, my heart grieves for America. Your word tells us that any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall (Luke 11:17). Our nation is so divided, and it pains me to think of our country falling. But I know we cannot stand without you at the center.

We know we must honor you, recognize you as Lord and Savior. We must acknowledge our shortcomings and failures. We must be willing to surrender to you, to follow the plans you have for us. As a whole, our country has fallen away, turned our backs on you.

But, for the sake of the faithful remnant, we call on you to be merciful to us. You know there are those who continue to choose you, who continue to truly seek your face. You know there are faithful ones who truly desire to honor you, to point the world back to you. For the sake of the faithful ones, hear our prayers and save our nation.

This world continues to grow darker. We know the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Corinthians 1:18), but we continue to cling to the old rugged cross. We know it is only because of the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ, that we have forgiveness and can enter into your presence.

As the world grows darker, we have an opportunity to let our lights shine brighter, to let your light shine through us to illuminate the darkness. May we reflect your goodness and grace for all the world to see. May we be purified as silver so the world sees an accurate reflection of you.

America has become such a hotbed of dissension. I pray that we, as Christians, would lead the way in putting aside our differences and learning to listen to those with whom we disagree. My dearest brothers and sisters take this to heart: Be quick to listen, slow to speak. And be slow to become angry, for human anger is never a legitimate tool to promote God’s righteous purpose. So this why we abandon everything morally impure and all forms of wicked conduct. Instead, with sensitive spirit we absorb God’s Word, which has been implanted within our nature, for the Word of Life has power to continually deliver us. (James 1:19-21)

Help us to be wise in the way we conduct ourselves, in the way we live our lives. May we remember, it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense. (Proverbs 19:11)

May we set our hearts and minds on things above, not on earthly temporal matters.  Because we are your chosen people, holy and dearly loved, help us clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. May we bear with each other and forgive one another… as the Lord forgave us. And over all these virtues may we put on love, which binds us all together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3:12-14)

I pray we would focus completely on you so your perfect peace will rule in our hearts, since as members of one body we were called to peace. And help us to be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among us richly, as we sing to God with gratitude in our hearts. And whatever we do, whether in word or deed, may we do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:15-17)

In this day and age where people freely say whatever they think, whatever they feel, I pray we as Christ-followers would remember the importance of speaking words of life and hope. Help us remember that if we consider ourselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on our tongues, we deceive ourselves, and our religion is worthless. May we show the world true religion that you accept as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep ourselves from being polluted by the world. (James 1:19-20)

Don’t let our faith be dead. Instead, help us show our faith by our actions. May we reach out to those who are hurting, those who are in need. May we be the hands and feet of Christ, meeting the physical needs of those around us. May we share your love by giving to those around us, by proving our faith through our actions. Never let us be all talk with no action.

Father, we long to see your face, to see your hand of grace and mercy over us. See our hearts as we bow before you. See our longing to know you better.

May your remnant, your people, who are called by your name, humble ourselves and pray and seek your face and turn from our wicked ways, so you will hear from heaven, and forgive our sin and heal our land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Help us all to put away politics, and join together and pray your blessings over America. Pour out your spirit of wisdom and reconciliation to our political leaders. Give them a heart that longs to seek you, to follow you. Give our political leaders a desire to sit with those who think differently, who have different agendas, and to listen, to find common ground, to find ways to bridge the gap and move forward together.

Dear God, we pray for unity within America. We don’t always understand why things happen as they do, but we do know you are still in control. May we commit to praying for each of our leaders, for our country, each and every day. May we commit to doing our part to bring unity wherever our journey takes us.

Dear God, we are yours. Hear our prayers, our pleas, for healing in our nation. We know it can only come through you, through your mercies which are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness! ~OC

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Leaning and Learning

Today’s a new day! As I continue to run this crazy beautiful health journey, I want to continue sharing some wisdom and life lessons with you. I pray they will challenge and encourage at least one person.

Today’s Lesson: Leaning and Learning

There’s nothing wrong with looking to others for advice when it comes to our spiritual growth, but just as in life, there comes a time in our road to maturity where we need to assume responsibility for our own relationship with Christ.

The truth is, we will never outgrow the wisdom of seeking advice from others, but there is a difference between leaning on and learning from others and not being mature enough to take responsibility for oneself.

If we are going to truly thrive and not just barely survive, I believe there are at least three lessons that can help us to take responsibility for our Christian life:

1). Constantly renewing our love relationship with Jesus.

2). Being in community with others.

3). Growing in our understanding of who Jesus is, primarily through growing in our understanding of Scripture so that we are not mislead by false teaching, the enemy, or our own preconceived ideas.

I will not take the time to break each of these lessons down, but we must constantly be renewing our love relationship with Jesus. And I believe these three lessons can help us do that.

As I was writing this post, I was reminded of the story of the foolish husband who mentioned to his wife, “Why do you always ask if I love you? I told you during our wedding vows that I did, and I will let know if that ever changes.” Just like any relationship, our relationship with Jesus needs continual expression of our love for him and reminders of his love for us. Jesus probably doesn’t need the constant reminders, but we certainly do. ~OC

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”~Romans 12:1-2

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