Tag: love

Why Am I Still Alive?

Today’s a new day!

Twenty-four years. Multiple diagnoses. Countless tests, treatments, surgeries, hospitalizations, and moments when the future looked anything but certain. And somehow, by the grace of God, I am still here.

Sometimes I sit back and ask myself a question that I don’t always know how to answer.

WHY AM I STILL ALIVE?

I’m not asking that question for attention. I’m not asking it because I want people to feel sorry for me. And I’m certainly not asking it because I believe I’m stronger than someone else who didn’t survive their battle.

I’m asking because, after everything my body has endured over the last twenty-four years, there are moments when I honestly don’t understand how I’m still standing.

I’ve lived with multiple life threatening health issues. I have experienced moments when my health has deteriorated so badly that living another day wasn’t something I could take for granted.

I’ve heard the medical predictions. I’ve faced the uncertainty. I’ve endured the pain, the exhaustion, and the frustration of watching my body struggle to do things that once came naturally.

I’ve experienced moments when speaking was difficult, when my body wouldn’t cooperate, and when the future seemed to be slipping away from me.

I’ve spent time in intensive care. I’ve faced hospitalizations when things didn’t look good. I’ve experienced the kind of physical suffering that is difficult to explain to someone who hasn’t walked a similar road.

And through it all, one question continues to follow me.

WHY HAS GOD ALLOWED ME TO LIVE WHEN SO MANY TIMES IT SEEMED LIKE MY STORY SHOULD HAVE ENDED?

I wish I had a simple answer.

I don’t.

But I know this: JESUS. ONLY JESUS.

I’m not claiming that I understand every medical explanation, every close call, or every reason I’ve survived. I’m not suggesting that faith means we never need doctors, medicine, treatments, or the hands of medical professionals. God has worked through many of those people and resources in my life, and I am grateful for them.

I’m also not going to pretend that every day is a victory lap.

Some days hurt. Some nights seem endless. There are moments when the exhaustion runs deeper than words can explain. There are things I miss about the life I once had, and there are battles I never imagined I would have to fight.

My faith doesn’t make me immune to fear, frustration, grief, or questions.

Faith simply gives me somewhere to take those things.

I take them to Jesus.

Sometimes my prayers are long and full of words. Other times, all I can manage is a whisper. And sometimes, when I don’t have the strength to say anything at all, I simply hold on to the truth that He is still there.

I have learned that you don’t have to understand everything God is doing to trust Him with your life.

You don’t have to feel strong to keep believing.

And you don’t have to pretend everything is okay to have genuine faith.

I’M STILL HERE, BUT I’M NOT GOING TO PRETEND I KNOW WHY.

People sometimes talk about surviving as though it automatically makes someone a hero. But I don’t see myself that way.

I’m a husband. I’m a son. I’m a friend. I’m a child of God.

I’m a man who has experienced more medical battles than he ever expected, a man who has had to learn how to live with a body that doesn’t always cooperate, and a man who still has questions about what tomorrow might bring.

I’m not alive because I figured out some secret to beating every illness.

I’m not alive because I never became afraid.

And I’m certainly not alive because I have somehow earned more of God’s favor than someone who lost their battle.

I am still here, and I am deeply grateful for every additional day I have been given.

I believe Jesus has carried me through moments when I didn’t have the strength to carry myself. I believe His presence has sustained me when the circumstances around me offered very little comfort. I believe there is still purpose in loving people, encouraging others, sharing my faith, and telling the truth about what it means to walk through suffering.

But I cannot tell you with certainty why my story continues while someone else’s ended.

I won’t pretend to know God’s complete plan.

What I can tell you is that my survival has made me more aware of how precious life is, how fragile our bodies can be, and how desperately we need grace.

I no longer want to waste my life chasing things that don’t matter.

I want to love my wife well. I want to encourage the brokenhearted. I want to stand beside people who feel forgotten. I want to remind those who are struggling that their diagnoses do not erase their dignity, their value, or their identity.

I want people to see Jesus in the way I live, not simply in the words I write.

If I have another twenty years, I want to use them well.

If I have twenty more days, I want to use them well.

And if tomorrow brings another medical battle, I pray I will face it with the same Savior who has sustained me through the battles behind me.

Because the number of days I have left is not something I can control.

What I do with the day I’ve been given is something I can choose.

JESUS NEVER PROMISED ME AN EASY ROAD.

One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned is that following Jesus doesn’t mean we get to skip suffering.

Faithful people get sick.

Faithful people experience pain.

Faithful people sit beside hospital beds, receive devastating diagnoses, and sometimes bury the people they prayed would be healed.

And sometimes, despite our most desperate prayers, the outcome isn’t what we hoped for.

I believe in miracles. I’ve experienced moments in my own journey that I can only describe as miraculous. I believe God can heal, restore, strengthen, and do things beyond our understanding.

But I also believe that Jesus is worthy of our trust when healing doesn’t come the way we prayed it would.

My faith cannot depend entirely on whether my body gets better.

If I make physical healing the only evidence of God’s goodness, what happens on the days when my symptoms worsen? What happens when another diagnosis arrives? What happens when I wake up hurting?

Does that mean God has abandoned me?

No.

My circumstances may change. My physical abilities may change. My future may look different from the one I imagined.

But my identity in Christ does not depend on the condition of my body.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that God’s grace is sufficient and that His power is made perfect in weakness.

That Scripture means something different to me now than it did before I became seriously ill.

I understand that weakness isn’t always something we overcome in the way we hoped. Sometimes weakness is something we learn to live with while discovering that God’s grace is still sufficient.

Sometimes overcoming means getting out of bed.

Sometimes it means enduring another treatment.

Sometimes it means asking for help when our pride tells us not to.

Sometimes it means crying, praying, and getting through one more difficult day.

And sometimes, overcoming simply means refusing to believe that our suffering has made our lives meaningless.

I AM STILL AN OVERCOMER, EVEN ON THE DAYS WHEN I FEEL OVERWHELMED.

Not because I always win the battles I fight, but because my identity is rooted in the One who holds me through them.

SO, WHY AM I STILL ALIVE?

After twenty-four years of health battles, I could give you a dozen answers.

Medical professionals have treated me. My wife, Laura, has stood beside me through more than most people could imagine. Family and friends have prayed for me. People have encouraged me when I needed encouragement.

I am grateful for every single one of them.

But when I look back over the moments when I wondered whether I would survive, when I think about the times I had almost nothing left to give, and when I consider how much of this journey has been beyond my control, I keep coming back to the same place.

JESUS.

Not because I can explain every moment.

Not because I know what tomorrow holds.

Not because I believe I am guaranteed another miracle.

But because, in the middle of all my unanswered questions, He remains the foundation of my faith.

I don’t know how many more years I have.

I don’t know what the next diagnosis, treatment, or hospitalization might bring.

I don’t know whether the hardest part of my journey is behind me or still ahead.

But I know I don’t want to spend whatever time I have left living in fear of what might happen.

I want to live with purpose.

I want to love deeply.

I want to forgive freely.

I want to encourage relentlessly.

I want to tell people about the hope I’ve found in Jesus without pretending that following Him makes life easy.

And I want to remind people who are fighting battles of their own that they are more than the worst thing that has happened to them.

You are more than your diagnosis.

You are more than your mistakes.

You are more than the opinions of people who don’t understand your journey.

And you are not forgotten simply because your life looks different from the one you imagined.

I cannot promise you that everything will work out the way you want it to. I cannot promise that every prayer will be answered in the way you hope.

But I can tell you that you do not have to walk through your suffering alone.

Jesus meets us in the broken places. He gives us grace for the moments when we have none left to give ourselves. And He reminds us that our worth was never determined by our strength, our health, or our ability to keep everything together.

I am still here. I am still fighting. I am still believing. And I am still trusting Jesus.

Not because I have all the answers.

But because I know where to turn when I don’t.

Twenty-four years ago, I could never have imagined the road I would travel. I never would have chosen it. I would never wish these battles on anyone.

But I am here.

And as long as I am here, I want my life to point beyond me.

I want people to see more than a man with multiple medical diagnoses. I want them to see a husband who loves his wife, a friend who cares about people, a man who still believes in the power of prayer, and a child of God who is learning to trust Jesus one day at a time.

I don’t need to understand every chapter to be grateful that my story is still being written.

And I don’t need to know how many pages remain to make the next one count.

WHY AM I STILL ALIVE?

I don’t know the complete answer.

But I know who I am trusting with the question.

His name is Jesus.

And until He calls me home, I will keep loving, keep serving, keep believing, keep encouraging, and keep overcoming.

Not perfectly.

Not without pain.

Not without questions.

But by His grace, one day at a time.

ONLY JESUS KNOWS WHY I’M STILL HERE. SO, JESUS, WHILE I’M HERE, PLEASE HELP ME MAKE MY LIFE COUNT.

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” — Philippians 1:21

KEEP FIGHTING. KEEP BELIEVING. KEEP LOVING. KEEP OVERCOMING.

Your health issues may be part of your story, but they do not get to define the entirety of your life. Your story is still about the person you love, the people you encourage, the grace you extend, and the Jesus you follow.

— A Blessed Overcomer, still walking by faith. ~OC

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Who Is Your Tribe?

When the storms of life hit, who will still be standing beside you?

Let me ask you a few questions.

Who is your tribe? Who is your 3 a.m. phone call? Who are the people you can count on when life falls apart?

Not the people who show up when everything is going well. Not the people who celebrate your victories, enjoy your success, or want to be around when life is easy.

I’m talking about the people who show up when the diagnosis comes. When the phone rings with bad news. When the bills pile up, the tears won’t stop, your faith is being tested, and you don’t know how you’re going to make it through another day.

WHO ARE YOUR PEOPLE?

Life has a way of revealing who truly belongs in your tribe. Sometimes, it takes a storm to discover who is willing to stand with you in the rain.

Some people will pray for you from a distance. Others will get down in the trenches and pray beside you. Some will tell you they’re there for you, while others will quietly show up and prove it.

And sometimes, the greatest gift someone can give you isn’t advice, a Bible verse, or a promise that everything will be okay.

Sometimes, it’s simply their presence.

It’s the person who answers the phone at 3 a.m. It’s the friend who sits with you in a hospital room. It’s the person who checks on you when everyone else has moved on. It’s the one who reminds you of God’s faithfulness when you’re struggling to remember it yourself.

Those people are precious. Love them. Appreciate them. Thank God for them.

Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 reminds us that two are better than one because when one falls, the other can help them up.

That’s what community looks like. That’s what friendship looks like. That’s what being the hands and feet of Jesus looks like.

But here’s something else we need to remember.

While we’re asking who our tribe is, we also need to ask ourselves a difficult question:

ARE WE SOMEBODY ELSE’S TRIBE?

Are we the person who answers the phone when someone is hurting? Are we willing to sit beside someone in their darkest hour without trying to fix everything? Are we checking on the people who always say they’re fine but might be falling apart inside?

It’s easy to say, “I’m praying for you.”

It’s harder to show up, stay present, and walk beside someone through a storm that might last months or even years.

Jesus never promised us a life without storms. But He showed us what love looks like in the middle of them.

And sometimes, God answers our prayers for help through the people He places in our lives.

I’ve learned that life isn’t about how many people know your name, how many friends you have on social media, or how many people celebrate your victories.

It’s about the people who love you when you have nothing to offer them except your brokenness.

So today, take a moment to think about your tribe.

Who can you call at 3 a.m.?

Who will stand beside you when the storms come?

Who will pray with you when you can’t find the words to pray for yourself?

And just as importantly, whose name would appear on their phone if they needed someone at 3 a.m.?

If you have those people, thank God for them. Don’t take them for granted.

If you’re still searching for your tribe, don’t give up hope. Keep showing up. Keep loving people. Keep building genuine relationships. Sometimes, the family God gives us is the family we find along the way.

And if you know someone who is walking through a storm alone, don’t wait for them to ask for help. Reach out. Make the call. Send the text. Show up.

BE SOMEBODY’S 3 A.M. PHONE CALL. BE SOMEBODY’S TRIBE. BE THE REASON SOMEONE REMEMBERS THAT THEY ARE NOT ALONE.

Because when the storms of life come, we don’t need more spectators.

We need people willing to stand in the storm with us.

And church, isn’t that what we’re called to do?

To love one another. To carry one another’s burdens. To encourage the weary. To stand beside the brokenhearted.

Let’s stop being a church that simply tells people to have faith and become a church that demonstrates faith through action.

Life is hard. Storms are real. And none of us was meant to walk through this life alone.

Keep loving. Keep showing up. Keep praying. Keep overcoming.

And never underestimate what God can do through one person who refuses to walk away when everyone else does.

A PRAYER FOR OUR TRIBES

Lord Jesus, thank You for the people You place in our lives who stand beside us when the storms come. Help us recognize those relationships, nurture them, and never take them for granted. Teach us to be the kind of friends who answer the call, carry one another’s burdens, and love without conditions. Show us who might be hurting in silence and give us the courage to reach out. May we become Your hands and feet to a world that desperately needs to know it isn’t alone. In the powerful and precious name of Jesus. Amen.

ONE LAST QUESTION: WHO IS YOUR TRIBE, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHOSE TRIBE ARE YOU? ~OC

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When Did We Start Accepting School Shootings As Normal In America?

Let that question sink in for a moment.

Why has it become acceptable for children to walk into their classrooms wondering whether they will make it home alive? Why do parents have to hug their children goodbye while wondering if it might be the last time? Why have active shooter drills become part of the school experience?

WHEN DID WE LOSE OUR MINDS?

Our children should be worrying about homework, friendships, school dances, and their futures—not bullets, bloodshed, and whether their classrooms are safe.

We offer thoughts and prayers after another tragedy. We mourn the innocent. We hug our children a little tighter. We change our profile pictures. Then, far too often, we move on until the next shooting.

How many more children must die before we decide that enough is enough?

This isn’t about political parties. It’s about human lives. It’s about parents who deserve peace of mind, teachers who deserve safe workplaces, and children who deserve to grow up without the fear of being gunned down at school.

We can disagree about solutions. We can debate policies. But we should never disagree about the value of a child’s life.

As a Christian, I believe every child is created in the image of God. Every child matters. Every life is precious. And protecting the most vulnerable among us should never be a partisan issue.

PRAY, YES. BUT DON’T STOP AT PRAYER.

Let our prayers move us to action. Let our grief move us to demand meaningful solutions. Let our love for our children become greater than our unwillingness to have difficult conversations.

America, our children are watching us.

What are we teaching them when we accept a world where going to school can cost them their lives?

School shootings should never be considered normal. Fear should never be the price of an education. And the deaths of innocent children should never become just another headline.

OUR CHILDREN DESERVE BETTER. OUR TEACHERS DESERVE BETTER. AMERICA MUST DO BETTER. ~OC

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Hope Refuses To Give Up

Hope is not wishful thinking that somehow everything will work out. Hope is the unshakable conviction that injustice will not win, death will not have the final word, and darkness will never overcome the light.

But hope is more than something we believe. It’s something we live.

Hope prays when the answers don’t come. Hope peacefully protests when injustice prevails. Hope weeps when hearts are broken. Hope keeps showing up when walking away would be easier.

Hope refuses to accept that the way things are is the way things must always be.

As Christians, our hope is rooted in Jesus Christ. We serve a Savior who conquered the grave, defeated death, and reminds us that even when the world looks hopeless, God is not finished writing the story.

So don’t just talk about hope. Live it. Fight for justice. Stand with the hurting. Love your neighbor. Speak truth. Keep showing up.

Hope is not passive waiting. Hope is active persistence. And as long as God gives us another day, we have another opportunity to make a difference.

“Let us not grow weary in doing good.” — Galatians 6:9

KEEP HOPING. KEEP STANDING. KEEP SHOWING UP. THE STORY ISN’T OVER! ~OC

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Too Liberal. Too Conservative.

Today’s a new day!

People often ask me about my political beliefs and what political party I belong to. My answer is pretty simple:

I’m too liberal for Republicans and too conservative for Democrats.

And honestly? I’m perfectly okay with that.

I’ve never believed that a political party should dictate my values, determine my convictions, or tell me what to think. I’ve never believed in blindly supporting a candidate simply because there’s an R or a D next to their name.

I believe in thinking for myself. I believe in standing up for what I believe is right, even when it makes people on BOTH sides uncomfortable.

I’m a Christian before I’m a Republican, Democrat, or Independent. My faith isn’t supposed to fit neatly into a political platform, and Jesus doesn’t need my political party’s permission to love people, defend the vulnerable, welcome the stranger, or speak out against injustice.

I’m not interested in pledging allegiance to a political party. I’m interested in standing for principles.

Will I always get it right? No. Will everyone agree with me? Absolutely not.

But I’d rather be criticized for thinking independently than celebrated for blindly following the crowd.

At the end of the day, my identity isn’t found in a political party, a candidate, or an election. It’s found in Jesus Christ.

So, if that makes me too liberal for some and too conservative for others, so be it.

I’d rather stand on my convictions than surrender them for the sake of political acceptance.

Because my allegiance isn’t to a political party.

MY ALLEGIANCE IS TO JESUS. ~OC

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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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I Want More

“As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after You, my God.” — Psalm 42:1

There is something powerful about being able to say, “I want more.”

More of God.
More of His presence.
More of His peace.
More of His wisdom.
More of His love.
More of His purpose.

The world constantly tells us that we need more stuff, more success, more recognition, more money, more followers, and more accomplishments.

But what if the “more” our souls are desperately searching for isn’t found in any of those things?

What if we’re simply hungry for Jesus?

You can have everything the world says should make you happy and still feel empty inside. But when you begin seeking God—not just what He can give you, but who He is—something changes.

You stop asking, “What can God do for me?”

And you begin asking, “God, what can You do through me?”

I want more.

Not necessarily an easier life.
Not necessarily more possessions.
Not necessarily more applause.

I want more Jesus.

More faith when I’m afraid.
More courage when I’m hurting.
More compassion when people disagree with me.
More grace when I fail.
More strength when I feel weak.
More willingness to love, serve, forgive, and overcome.

Because the more of Jesus we seek, the less room there is for the things that keep us from becoming who God created us to be.

TODAY’S CHALLENGE

Don’t just ask God to give you more today.

Ask Him to give you more of Himself.

“Jesus, I want more of You. Empty me of anything that keeps me from You, and fill me with Your presence, Your love, Your wisdom, and Your purpose. Use my life for Your glory. Amen.”

Don’t settle for more of the world when you can have more of Jesus.

I WANT MORE.
MORE JESUS.
MORE FAITH.
MORE LOVE.
MORE PURPOSE.
MORE OF GOD. ~OC

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Let’s Build An Invite and Invest Society

I think we need a different kind of society.

Not a society built around exclusion, division, suspicion, and “us versus them.”

Not a society where we constantly ask who belongs, who doesn’t belong, who deserves help, or who is worthy of our attention.

I want to live in an Invite & Invest society.

A society where we look around and ask:

“Who can I invite in?”

And then:

“How can I invest in them?”

Because an invitation can change someone’s life.

Invite someone to your table.

Invite someone into your home.

Invite someone into the conversation.

Invite someone who feels forgotten.

Invite someone who doesn’t look like you.

Invite someone who doesn’t vote like you.

Invite someone who doesn’t worship like you.

Invite someone who comes from somewhere different.

Invite someone who simply needs a friend.

Sometimes the greatest gift we can give another person is the simple message:

“There is a place for you here.”

But don’t stop with the invitation.

Invest.

Invest your time.

Invest your attention.

Invest your encouragement.

Invest your experience.

Invest your resources.

Invest your relationships.

Invest your wisdom.

Invest your prayers.

Invest in someone’s dreams.

Invest in someone’s potential.

Invest in someone who needs a second chance.

Invest in someone who hasn’t yet discovered what they are capable of becoming.

Because people aren’t investments in the financial sense.

They are investments in the human sense.

And the return isn’t money.

The return is changed lives.

A young person who discovers their purpose.

A struggling neighbor who realizes they aren’t alone.

A discouraged friend who finds hope again.

A stranger who becomes a friend.

A broken person who begins to heal.

A community that becomes stronger because people decided to care about one another.

That’s what happens when we invest in people.

And here’s the beautiful thing:

You don’t have to be rich to invest in someone.

You can invest five minutes.

You can make a phone call.

You can send a text.

You can listen.

You can encourage.

You can teach.

You can introduce someone to an opportunity.

You can buy someone a meal.

You can give someone a ride.

You can mentor someone.

You can open a door.

You can simply show up.

Sometimes investing in people means saying:

“I believe in you.”

And sometimes it means saying:

“I’m not giving up on you.”

We live in a world that seems determined to put people into categories.

Left.

Right.

Rich.

Poor.

Christian.

Non-Christian.

Citizen.

Immigrant.

Insider.

Outsider.

Us.

Them.

But before we are any of those things, we are human beings.

And every human being has a story.

Every human being carries something we may know nothing about.

Every human being has value.

Every human being deserves dignity.

And every human being has the potential to make a difference.

So let’s stop asking:

“What can this person do for me?”

Let’s start asking:

“What can I pour into this person?”

Let’s stop asking:

“Do they deserve an invitation?”

Let’s start asking:

“How can I make them feel welcome?”

Let’s stop waiting for someone else to make a difference.

Let’s be the difference.

Invite the lonely.

Invest in the young.

Encourage the discouraged.

Welcome the stranger.

Mentor the searching.

Stand beside the hurting.

Celebrate someone else’s success.

Give someone a second chance.

Open a door for someone who has been standing outside.

And when you have the opportunity to lift someone up, do it.

Because someday, you may be the person who needs someone else to do the same for you.

Imagine neighborhoods where people actually know their neighbors.

Imagine churches where nobody walks through the doors feeling invisible.

Imagine schools where every child has at least one adult who believes in them.

Imagine workplaces where people are valued as human beings, not simply as employees.

Imagine communities where generosity is normal.

Imagine a country where we could disagree without dehumanizing one another.

Imagine what could happen if we became known not for the people we kept out…

but for the people we invited in and invested in.

That’s the society I want.

An Invite & Invest society.

Because we may never know what one invitation will lead to.

We may never know what one conversation will change.

We may never know what one act of kindness will mean to someone.

We may never know whose life will be different because we chose to believe in them.

But that’s okay.

We don’t have to know.

We just have to be willing to invest.

So today, look around.

Who needs an invitation?

Who needs encouragement?

Who needs someone to listen?

Who needs an opportunity?

Who needs a second chance?

Who needs someone to believe in them?

Go find them.

Invite them in.

Pull up another chair.

Make room at the table.

And then invest your time, your heart, your wisdom, your resources and your love.

Because I believe we can build something better.

Not by building higher walls…

but by building longer tables.

Not by asking who belongs…

but by making room.

Not by tearing people down…

but by investing in people and helping them rise.

Invite.
Invest.
Encourage.
Believe.
Love.

Let’s build an Invite & Invest society.

Because there is always room for one more at the table. ~OC

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Stop Scrolling, America: You Look Like You Need A Hug

STOP SCROLLING.

Seriously.

Put down the phone for a minute.

Turn off the cable news.

Step away from the outrage machine.

Take a breath.

Because my country is hurting.

WE, THE PEOPLE, ARE HURTING.

And pretending everything is fine isn’t going to make it better.

We are exhausted.

We are angry.

We are divided.

We are scared.

We are frustrated.

We are watching neighbors turn against neighbors and families turn against families.

We’ve allowed political parties to become identities and political opponents to become enemies.

We’ve allowed algorithms, politicians, pundits, and influencers to convince us that the person on the other side of the aisle is somehow less American than we are.

STOP.

Just stop.

Your neighbor isn’t your enemy because they voted differently.

Your coworker isn’t your enemy because they worship differently.

Your friend isn’t your enemy because they were born somewhere else.

Your family member isn’t your enemy because they see the world differently.

They are human beings.

And they’re hurting too.

Behind every political argument is a person.

A mother worried about her children.

A father wondering how he’s going to pay the bills.

A senior choosing between groceries and medicine.

A young person wondering if there is still a future worth believing in.

A patient fighting for another day.

A grieving family trying to figure out how to keep going.

A lonely person desperately hoping somebody notices them.

These are our people.

Not their people.

OUR people.

We don’t have to agree with one another to care about one another.

We don’t have to share the same politics to share the same humanity.

We don’t have to worship the same way, speak the same language, look the same, come from the same country, or vote for the same candidates to understand one simple truth:

We are all human beings.

And America is supposed to be bigger than our divisions.

Bigger than our political parties.

Bigger than our outrage.

Bigger than our fear.

Bigger than our hatred.

America was never supposed to be us versus them.

America is supposed to be WE, THE PEOPLE.

So here’s the challenge:

STOP looking for reasons to hate each other.

Start looking for reasons to help.

STOP asking, “What party are you?”

Start asking, “How are you doing?”

STOP asking, “Who did you vote for?”

Start asking, “How can I help?”

STOP trying to win every argument.

Start trying to heal a few wounds.

STOP dehumanizing people.

Start seeing people.

And when you see someone hurting, don’t ask whether they deserve compassion.

Give it.

When someone falls, help them up.

When someone is hungry, feed them.

When someone is lonely, sit with them.

When someone is afraid, remind them they aren’t alone.

When someone is different from you, get to know them.

And when someone disagrees with you…

LISTEN.

You might discover that you have far more in common than you ever imagined.

America doesn’t need more people screaming at each other.

America needs people who remember how to be neighbors.

Stand for truth.

Stand for justice.

Stand for compassion.

Stand for freedom.

Stand for the vulnerable.

Stand for the people who have no voice.

And stand for what is right—even when it’s unpopular.

Because the strength of America has never been that we all think alike.

Our strength is that we can be different and still choose to live together.

We can disagree and still love.

We can argue and still respect.

We can come from different places and still call this country home.

We can have different beliefs and still recognize the dignity of another human being.

THAT is strength.

Not cruelty.

Not hatred.

Not humiliation.

Not division.

True strength is having the courage to love people you don’t agree with.

So, America…

HEY, AMERICA.

You look like you need a hug.

And honestly?

So do we.

My country is hurting.

We, the People, are hurting.

But I refuse to believe this is the end of our story.

I still believe in America.

I still believe in our neighbors.

I still believe in ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

I still believe we can put down the weapons of division and pick up the tools of compassion.

I still believe we can look across the aisle and see a fellow American instead of an enemy.

I still believe we can choose humanity.

I still believe we can choose decency.

I still believe we can choose courage.

I still believe we can choose each other.

So here’s what I ask of every American reading this:

Don’t become part of the problem.

Be the person who refuses to hate on command.

Be the person who listens before judging.

Be the person who helps when helping is needed.

Be the person who refuses to let politics erase someone’s humanity.

Be the neighbor who shows up.

Because this country doesn’t belong to one party.

It belongs to all of us.

WE, THE PEOPLE.

Different.

Imperfect.

Hurting.

Hopeful.

Still here.

Still capable of choosing something better.

So, America…

Come here.

Let’s hug it out.

Then let’s roll up our sleeves, look one another in the eye, and remember what those three words were always supposed to mean:

WE, THE PEOPLE.

Not us versus them.

Us.

All of us.

And if we’re going to heal this country, it starts right there.

With us. ~OC

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Dear Christians, Please Stop the Hate

Dear Christians,

Please stop the hate.

We live in a world that desperately needs Jesus, but sometimes the loudest voices claiming to represent Him are not reflecting Him at all.

We talk about Jesus, but do we love like Jesus?

We quote Scripture, but do we live it?

We defend our beliefs, but do we remember the words Jesus actually spoke?

The red letters of the Bible call us to love our enemies, pray for those who hurt us, forgive, show mercy, care for the hurting, welcome the stranger, serve the least of these, and love our neighbors as ourselves.

That isn’t weakness.

That is Christianity.

Jesus didn’t tell us to win every argument. He told us to love one another.

He didn’t tell us to build walls around ourselves. He told us to go and make disciples.

He didn’t tell us to hate people who disagree with us. He showed us how to love people who were different from Him.

So, dear Christians, let’s stop using Jesus as a weapon and start following Jesus as our Savior.

Let’s put down the hate.

Let’s put down the outrage.

Let’s put down the judgment.

And let’s pick up love, grace, mercy, compassion, forgiveness and truth.

Don’t just wear the name Christian. Live like Christ.

The world doesn’t need more people shouting about Jesus.

The world needs more people who actually live like Jesus.

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

Love like Jesus.
Serve like Jesus.
Forgive like Jesus.
Live like Jesus.

That’s what the red letters are calling us to do. ~OC

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