Tag: Judgment

One Day, The Polls Won’t Matter

The midterm elections are three weeks away. Politicians are campaigning across the country. Polls are being watched, approval ratings are being analyzed, and everyone is wondering what will happen on Election Day.

But I want to remind you of something.

There will come a day when none of it will matter.

There will come a day when approval ratings won’t matter. Poll numbers won’t matter. Popularity won’t matter. The number of elections you won, the number of followers you have on social media, and the number of people who applaud your words will mean absolutely nothing.

One day, we will stand before Jesus, and the questions that matter most will have nothing to do with politics.

Did you love your neighbors, even the ones who disagreed with you? Did you love your perceived enemies? Did you stand up against injustice, even when it was uncomfortable? Did you serve those who could offer you nothing in return? Did you show grace when others showed hatred? Did you forgive when you had every reason to hold a grudge? Did you truly love others?

Those are the questions we should be asking ourselves today.

Jesus didn’t tell us to love only those who vote like us, think like us, believe everything we believe, or belong to our political party. He commanded us to love our neighbors and even our enemies.

In Matthew 25, Jesus reminds us that how we treat the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the sick, and those in need matters deeply to Him.

Yet somewhere along the way, too many people have become more concerned about winning arguments than loving people, defending political leaders than defending the vulnerable, and protecting their political identity than living out their identity in Christ.

CHURCH, WE NEED TO WAKE UP!

Your political party cannot save you. Your popularity cannot define you. Your accomplishments cannot replace a life surrendered to Jesus.

You can win an election and still lose sight of what matters most. You can have thousands of followers and still fail to show compassion to the person standing right in front of you. You can know all the right Scriptures and still fail to practice the love those Scriptures teach.

So, as we approach another Election Day, by all means, be engaged. Be informed. Stand for what you believe is right. Exercise your right to vote.

But don’t allow politics to become more important than people, and never allow your political allegiance to become more important than your allegiance to Jesus.

Because one day, the campaigns will end. The signs will come down. The polls will be forgotten. The political arguments will fade into history.

And what will remain is the life you lived and the love you showed.

When that day comes, will the way you treated people reflect the Jesus you profess to follow?

That is a question worth answering today, not someday.

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” — John 13:35

LET THAT SINK IN. THE WORLD DOESN’T NEED MORE PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO WIN POLITICAL ARGUMENTS. IT NEEDS MORE PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO LOVE LIKE JESUS. ~OC

Dear God, examine our hearts. Help us love beyond our differences, stand against injustice, extend grace, practice forgiveness, and serve those who need us most. May our lives reflect Your love in a world that desperately needs it. When people look at us, may they see less of our pride and more of Your presence. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Stop Scrolling: America, We Need to Wake Up About Mental Health!

Saturday, October 10, is World Mental Health Day. And America, we need to have an honest conversation about mental health—not just one day a year, but every single day.

Mental health is a serious issue affecting millions of people across America and around the world. Yet, somehow, we still live in a society where people are mocked, ridiculed, and criticized for admitting they are struggling.

Recently, a so-called ESPN reporter criticized and made fun of Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Lane Johnson over his decision to step away from football amid mental health struggles and reportedly having both parents dealing with health issues. The reporter later attempted to apologize, but the apology came across as forced rather than sincere.

Let me be clear: THERE IS NOTHING FUNNY ABOUT SOMEONE STRUGGLING WITH THEIR MENTAL HEALTH!

We celebrate athletes for playing through physical injuries. We call them tough when they push through pain. But when someone acknowledges that they are struggling mentally and needs to step away, suddenly some people turn it into a punchline.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH US?

Mental health struggles don’t make you weak. Asking for help doesn’t make you a failure. Taking time to care for yourself doesn’t make you less of a man, woman, parent, spouse, friend, or professional.

IT MAKES YOU HUMAN!

We need to stop telling people to toughen up and start asking how we can help. We need to stop making jokes about struggles we may never fully understand. And we need to create a culture where people feel safe enough to say, “I’m not okay, and I need help.”

Whether you’re an NFL player, a teacher, a pastor, a first responder, a parent, a student, or someone quietly fighting battles nobody else can see, YOUR MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS!

If you’re struggling, please don’t suffer in silence. Reach out to someone you trust. Talk to a mental health professional. Ask for help. You are not alone, and you have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.

And if someone trusts you enough to share their struggles, respond with compassion instead of criticism.

America, it’s time to wake up! We cannot keep talking about loving our neighbors while laughing at their pain.

Let’s stop stigmatizing mental health and start treating people with the dignity, compassion, and grace they deserve.

Because sometimes the strongest thing a person can do is admit they need help.

And sometimes, the most important thing we can do for someone else is simply remind them that they don’t have to fight alone.

BE KIND. SHOW COMPASSION. END THE STIGMA. MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS! ~OC

If you or someone you know is struggling emotionally, help is available. In the United States, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 24 hours a day.

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Parent Your Phone

As I watch the news or scroll through social media, I hear and read a lot about how parents should police their children’s cellphone use.

I agree.

But maybe as adults we need to be worried about just more than the younger generations phone use.


Maybe as adults we need to put OUR own phones down.

That one hurts.

Because we can talk about kids being addicted to their screens.

We can talk about teenagers who spend hours scrolling.

We can talk about social media stealing their attention.

We can talk about the dangers of what they’re watching.

But if we’re honest…

We have to look in the mirror first.

Because sometimes we are just as guilty of the very thing we’re warning everyone else about.

Our phone is beside us when we wake up.

It’s in our hands while we’re eating.

It’s there when someone is talking to us.

We reach for it when we’re bored.

We reach for it when we’re uncomfortable.

We reach for it when we’re lonely.

We reach for it when we don’t want to think about what we’re feeling.

And sometimes…

We reach for our phones before we reach for God.

Ouch.

Maybe we don’t need to parent our children’s phones nearly as much as we need to parent our own.

Because somewhere along the way, many of us stopped using our phones and started being used by them.

A notification goes off…

We respond.

Someone posts something…

We check it.

Someone sends a message…

We stop whatever we’re doing.

The phone rings…

We immediately reach for it.

And the person sitting right in front of us?

They wait.

Our spouse waits.

Our children wait.

Our friends wait.

Sometimes even God waits.

And we wonder why our relationships feel disconnected.

Maybe it isn’t because we don’t love people.

Maybe it’s because we’re physically present…

but emotionally somewhere else.

Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” — Matthew 6:21

So where is our heart?

Because sometimes you can tell where someone’s heart is by where their eyes are.

And if our eyes are constantly staring at a screen…

Maybe we should ask ourselves what has captured our attention.

I’m not saying phones are evil.

I’m not saying technology is evil.

I’m not saying social media is evil.

I’m saying anything that can control us needs to be surrendered to Jesus.

The Bible says, “I will not be mastered by anything.” — 1 Corinthians 6:12

Not anything.

That means our phones don’t get to master us.

Notifications don’t get to master us.

Algorithms don’t get to master us.

Social media doesn’t get to master us.

Jesus is supposed to be our Master.

So maybe we need to start parenting our phones.

Maybe we need to teach ourselves that dinner is more important than notifications.

That a conversation is more important than a comment.

That our children’s eyes deserve to meet our eyes.

That our spouse deserves our full attention.

That sitting with someone who is hurting is more important than scrolling past another post.

That prayer deserves more attention than Facebook.

That God’s Word deserves more attention than our newsfeed.

And maybe we need to remember something incredibly simple:

Life is happening on the other side of the screen.

Your children are growing up.

Your marriage needs you.

Your friend may be hurting.

Someone around you may desperately need someone to listen.

And you may be missing it…

because you’re looking down.

So today, I’m asking myself the same question I’m asking you:

Who is parenting whom?

Do I control my phone…

or does my phone control me?

Could I put it down for an hour without feeling anxious?

Could I sit at lunch or dinner without checking it?

Could I spend time with God without reaching for it?

Could I have a conversation without looking at it?

Could I go somewhere without needing to document it?

Could I be completely present…

without a screen between me and the people I love?

Because maybe the issue isn’t our phones.

Maybe the issue is what we’ve allowed our phones to become.

So here’s my challenge:

Put it down.

Not forever.

Just long enough to look up.

Look at your spouse.

Look at your kids.

Look at your friend.

Look around your dinner table.

Look at the person sitting alone.

Look at the world God actually gave you.

And then…

look up toward Heaven.

Because there is a God who has been trying to get our attention long before our phones ever existed.

And maybe today He isn’t asking you to download another Bible app.

Maybe He’s simply whispering:

“Put the phone down, My child.
I’m right here.”

So before we tell the younger generation to get off their phones…

look at your own screen.

Before you complain about their screen time…

look at your own.

Before you tell them they are addicted…

ask yourself if you are.

And before you scroll to the next post…

stop.

Look at your phone.

Now ask yourself one brutally honest question:

“If I gave God the same attention I give this phone, how different would my life be?”

Let that question sit with you.

Don’t scroll.

Don’t defend yourself.

Don’t make excuses.

Just sit with it.

Maybe it’s time we stopped parenting everyone else’s phones…

and started parenting our own. ~OC

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The Morning That Changed My Prayer Life Forever

This is the second of two deeply personal experiences that I have shared publicly for the very first time.

The first was my experience during surgery in 2019, when I believe God allowed me to see Heaven before telling me, “Not yet. I still have more work for you to do.”

This is the story of another experience that forever changed how I pray, how I love people, and how urgently I believe Christians should share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

After the miracle God performed in my life in November of 2019, something incredible happened.

For a season, God allowed me to run again.

Considering everything my body had endured through years of illness, surgeries, and suffering, every mile felt like a gift from God. Every run became an opportunity not only to exercise but also to pray.

On a Thursday morning in October of 2020, I headed out for what I thought would be another ordinary run.

As I ran past Jupiter Medical Center in Jupiter, Florida, I did what I had done countless times before. I prayed for the doctors, nurses, staff, patients, and families. I asked Jesus to bring healing, peace, wisdom, comfort, and hope to everyone inside those walls.

A little farther into my run, I decided to stop at a men’s Bible study in Jupiter. We spent time praying together, encouraging one another, and opening God’s Word. It was a wonderful morning of fellowship.

After the Bible study, I decided to continue my run before heading home.

That’s when everything changed.

As I ran down Central Boulevard near the park affectionately known as “Duck Park,” life seemed completely normal. The sky was bright blue. The weather was cool. People were jogging, riding bicycles, walking, and driving by.

Then, in what felt like only moments, everything around me changed.

The blue skies disappeared.

Darkness surrounded me.

The temperature became unbearably hot.

What I experienced next is something that has stayed with me every single day since.

I believe God allowed me, for only a few brief moments, to experience something I can only describe as a glimpse of hell.

Around me I heard people crying out in desperation.

They were screaming.

Over and over I heard words that pierced my heart:

“Why didn’t anyone tell us about Jesus?”

“Why did so many Christians give up on us?”

Those cries echoed with an anguish that is impossible to put into words.

What made the experience even more overwhelming was that I could still see people running, riding bicycles, and driving as they had been only moments before, yet in this experience they too were crying out with the very same questions.

The entire experience lasted only a matter of seconds.

Then it was over.

I have often joked that I could have qualified for the Olympic team by how fast I ran home that morning.

But behind the humor is a truth that has never left me.

That morning changed my life forever.

Whether I am speaking with one person or a thousand people, I can no longer look at anyone the same way.

Every person I meet has an eternal soul.

Every conversation matters.

Every act of kindness matters.

Every prayer matters.

Every opportunity to share the love of Jesus matters.

I don’t believe Christians are called to preach with condemnation or fear. We are called to preach with tears in our eyes, compassion in our hearts, and the love of Christ leading every word we speak.

Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world.

He came to save it.

That experience gave me an urgency that has never faded.

I still wake up every day asking God, “Who needs to hear about You today? Who needs encouragement today? Who needs hope today? Who needs someone to remind them that they are loved by God?”

I believe every follower of Jesus should live with that same sense of eternal purpose—not out of panic, but out of love.

People all around us are searching for hope.

Many have never truly experienced the grace of Jesus.

Many have been hurt by people who claimed to represent Him.

Many have concluded that no one cares enough to tell them the truth wrapped in love.

May that never be said of us.

This is the first time I have publicly shared both of these experiences—my encounter in Heaven during surgery in 2019 and this life-changing experience during a morning run in October of 2020.

Both have been incredibly difficult to share, each for different reasons.

I know there will be questions.

There may even be skepticism.

I understand that.

My goal has never been to convince anyone based on my experiences.

My prayer is simply that my testimony points people to Jesus Christ.

If these stories encourage even one person to seek Him more deeply, to pray more faithfully, to love more compassionately, or to boldly share the Gospel with someone who needs hope, then sharing them will have been worth it.

As Scripture reminds us:

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15)

May we never grow comfortable with keeping the greatest news the world has ever known to ourselves.

There are people waiting to hear about the Savior who changed our lives.

Let’s tell them. ~OC

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Grace Over Judgement

In a world where news travels faster than ever, it didn’t take long for headlines and social media feeds to light up after the news broke that a famous golfer had been arrested on a DUI charge. Within minutes, opinions flooded in—many of them harsh, judgmental, and unforgiving. It’s striking how quickly people can shift from admiration to criticism, often acting as though they themselves have never stumbled, never made a poor decision, never had a moment they wish they could take back. The reality is, we are all human. We all have flaws, struggles, and chapters of our lives we’d rather not have put on public display.

What’s often forgotten in moments like these is that behind the fame, the trophies, and the public persona is a real person—someone who may be dealing with deep personal challenges. Instead of rushing to condemn, perhaps this is a time to reflect inward. How would any of us feel if one of our worst moments became front-page news, dissected and debated by millions? It’s easy to judge from a distance, but empathy requires us to pause and consider the full picture. Fame should never strip someone of their humanity or make them an easier target for criticism.

Today, rather than adding to the noise of negativity, I encourage each of us to choose compassion. Lift Tiger Woods up in prayer—for his health, for his healing, and for his family. Life has a way of humbling all of us at different times, and when it does, what we need most is grace, not judgment. Let’s be mindful of the words we share and the attitudes we carry, remembering that kindness and understanding will always speak louder than criticism. ~OC

You can check out the Spoken Word version of this post at my YouTube channel Todd E. Shoemaker Music.

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Flashing Neon Sign

Today’s a new day! As with many neurological illnesses there is nothing noticeable about my condition. It’s not like a broken leg or arm where there is a cast which is obvious when seeing the person. But I cannot tell you how many times I have heard the same old words since my diagnosis last fall, Todd, you do not look like you have dementia.

I often wonder if it comes down to the fact that people feel uncomfortable talking to me about it, so they say the first thing that comes to mind. Which at times can come across as very insensitive and judgmental. Since my diagnosis of early onset dementia caused by my Parkinson’s, I have had several people tell me I do not look or act like someone with dementia. Or Todd, maybe you’re just dealing with an infection of some kind and just need to take some antibiotics. I would be overjoyed if that was actually the case. But I have some amazing doctors and they didn’t come up with this diagnosis lightly.

What does dementia look like? There is no cast or bandage to put on it. I guess I could wear a flashing neon sign that says, “HELLO, I HAVE EARLY ONSET DEMENTIA!” that lets people know of my latest diagnosis.

But seriously, I am walking through a very new and strange season of life, but I know I am not the only one. It simply gets frustrating when people decide to find a different diagnosis or make you doubt your current state of health because they do not like the diagnosis. It can be irritating and cruel when people doubt you and your medical team. Believe me, no one wants to sit in a doctor’s office and hear the words “You have early onset dementia.”

I do think that part of this attitude is because people have a hard time believing someone in their 50’s could have an “old person’s” disease. Also the topic of dementia is not an easy or fun subject to talk about. It can be easier to just ignore it or try to explain it away.

I also believe people have their own preconceived beliefs about dementia and I and many others suffering from this horrible disease do not fit in their picture of dementia.

So please do me a favor. Stop putting your personal beliefs or opinions on those suffering from a visually invisible disease or one that you don’t like. Life with dementia is already hard enough. Thanks for listening. ~OC

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Judgement Free Life

Today’s a new day! Take time to listen to other people. People that do not look like, worship like, speak like or vote like you. Ask questions that help you know more about them. Listen with compassion. Hold back from judgement and seek understanding. When you are done listening, listen some more. Wait on God for guidance on how to respond to challenging situations and people. Dare to live a judgement free life. ~OC

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Divine Insight

Today’s a new day! Our ability to judge others requires a divine insight that we simply do not have. So do everybody (including yourself) a huge favor:  Do not judge. ~OC

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Stop Judging

Today’s a new day! If you’re ever tempted to judge another person and speak harshly of them, here are some sobering words from the Bible to ponder:

“No matter who you are, before you judge the wickedness of others, you had better remember this: you are also without excuse, for you too are guilty of the same kind of things! When you judge others, and then do the same things they do, you condemn yourself.” ~Romans‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬ ‭

Jesus was aware of other people’s shortcomings, but he didn’t stand as a self-righteous judge over them. Instead, He loved them in such a way that they strived to become better people. This is an ideal for all of us to strive for in a world that loves to pass judgment.

Shower your neighbor with love rather than self-righteous condemnation.

Shower your family and friends with understanding and compassion, rather than targeting them with resentment and anger.

Shower everyone you meet with goodwill and blessing that inspires them to be better people, rather than tearing down everything they do.

When we think badly of others, it reveals our own shortcomings. The best way to improve the world, is to start with improving our own state of thought. As we collectively love more and judge less, everyone will be better off. ~OC

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My Why

Good Morning! Here is another “Lost Writings from OC.” This was written in 2020.

Today’s a new day! Writing has been part of my crazy beautiful health journey. Writing has allowed me to see life in a different way and experience healing in many parts of my life. Writing has allowed me to experience the following:

God has put me on this earth to love and serve others. To encourage others. To hopefully inspire people to think about their own life journey.

God created me to truly experience life. To embrace the good…and bad moments of this journey. I am here to learn. Just a little advice, we should never stop learning.

I am here to overcome my physical limitations. I am here to transform inspiration into action.

I believe in living a peaceful life. Peace within myself. Peace with those I have disagreements with.

I no longer expect or demand to be understood. I understand myself. Most importantly, God understands me and still chooses to love me.

I am not alone when I connect with God and the amazing people He has put in my life. Those relationships fuel me.

I ache and grieve alongside the pain and suffering of others. I empathize with those who suffer.

I seek to overcome suffering by finding its meaning, purpose and lessons.

I no longer force my beliefs on others. I choose to show respect to those with different views, opinions and beliefs.

I choose not to be selfish. I love sharing and helping others. Serving others helps me experience God’s love in a meaningful and real way.

I choose to let God write my story, even though there are times I want to steal the pen.

I choose to be awake. To be present. I am called. I feel God’s presence within me. I can truly be me because He lives in me. ~OC

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