Tag: Miracle

The Butterfly

Today’s a new day! Change can feel uncomfortable and painful at times, but if we don’t allow ourselves to go through all the stages of change, nothing will change. We know all too well that change is a constant in life. Many times we fight that change. Especially when it happens so fast.

As I have walked out this crazy beautiful health journey, I have often thought about the butterfly. Do you know on average, butterflies only live two to four weeks. How crazy is that? But think about all the changes a butterfly experiences in such a short amount of time. During my health journey, I have experienced a lot of change. Every new health issue or near death experiences has allowed me to grow and become all that God created me to be. He has used the all my experiences to teach me new lessons and view the world differently.

To become a butterfly, they must first start off as a caterpillar. They begin crawling along the ground, creating their comfort zone. The moment it’s time to change from a caterpillar into a cocoon, they probably think they’re dying. It feels like life is over. Then they experience something beautiful, but probably a little painful. During this health journey, I have experienced many different stages of growth. So many times I truly thought I was dying. I was sure I was breathing my last breath and soon I would experience the freedom of Heaven. Those moments are never easy, but unlike the caterpillar, I did not experience uncertainty or confusion. No, in those moments I experienced peace. I also experienced something beautiful. A new chance at life.

This health journey has been filled with some difficult moments. Those difficult moments have helped me grow into a deeper relationship with Jesus. In this season, I have learned to not fight all the changes going on in my body. I have not let my health issues become my identity, but instead have allowed God to use life changing moments to teach me the lessons He has for me at that moment. God has taught me to embrace each and every lesson along the journey. He has allowed me to embrace the uncomfortable and painful moments. Getting to know your own uncomfortable self is not something to fear, but something to embrace. I promise you, keeping your faith and having the patience to hold on gets a little easier over time. Does it get less painful? Sometimes, but the suffering becomes more about growing in our walk with Jesus and less about the pain. As you walk out your own journey, learn to be patient and not beat yourself up so much. As I continue to walk through this health journey, God has made me stronger, more hopeful and more confident whenever I walk through a cocoon season of life.

So today, make the decision to walk in the light of Jesus and be free. Don’t waste one single minute. Strive for growth, not perfection. Commit to living out your God given purpose. Embrace every moment and surround yourself with inspiring and encouraging people. Strive each day to be all God created you to be. Do not allow fear or past failures to keep you from spreading your wings and flying. ~OC

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God’s Hope

Good morning! Over the years, I have enjoyed writing what I will loosely call poetry. So I have decided to share some of my “poetry” with you. Be kind.

A light in the darkness, a beacon so bright

God’s hope shines upon us, a guiding light

In times of uncertainty, it leads the way

A promise for tomorrow, of a brighter day

With faith as our anchor, we hold tight

Through life’s storms and trials, we allow God to navigate the night

God’s hope sustains us, a constant friend

A love that’s unwavering, till the very end

May God’s hope inspire you, uplift your soul

A reminder of love, that makes us whole

In His presence, we find our peace

A hope that’s eternal, a love that never ends. ~OC

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Potholes in Life

Today’s a new day! Last night after my doctor’s appointment, Laura and I drove around town a bit. There is so much construction going on around us. Also a lot of potholes and roadblocks to navigate around. At times, I felt like I was on some type of ride at the fair.

On our journey through life, we also face many bumps and potholes along the way. There are financial, relational, and medical trials that will come into our lives. What we do when we come to a bump in the road is usually slow down or come to a complete stop in order to better assess the situation before moving forward. We must also keep a certain balance ourselves, so as not to falter or fall down. There are times when Christian friends will come alongside us and help us to navigate these bumps in our lives. At times, if we become stalled for a long time, they might gently urge us and encourage us to move on and continue on the road of life.

“Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status.” ~Romans 15:1

As we were driving around town, it was only Laura and I paying close attention to the road construction around us, that saved us from hitting one pothole after another. It also helped that we knew some of the potholes were coming, so we were able to avoid them. Knowing the road allowed us the grace to prepare ourselves for the bumpy ride.

But what about the times when we don’t know what lies ahead of us on this journey called life or what’s around the next corner? In those times, we need to turn directly to Jesus. He knows the road ahead, and we can always depend on Him to guide us safely through those bumps in the journey.

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” ~Deuteronomy 31:8

Prayer for the Day: Dear God, help us to turn to You first when we face the bumps and potholes in our journey. We know that You are more than capable of helping meet our needs. Dear God, help our unbelief in times of trouble. Make us a people able to stand strong as we or a loved one walks through the bumpy moments in life. We pray all of this in your powerful and matchless name dear Jesus. Amen.

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Breakthrough

Good morning! As I have walked this crazy beautiful health journey the last twenty-three years, I have had many moments where I needed a breakthrough from God. As we walk into a new week filled with new challenges, I want to share some things I have done when I needed a breakthrough at different moments in my life.

Pray: This may seem obvious, but sometimes we get so caught up in the roller coaster of life we forget to pray.

But prayer should never be our last resort. It should be the first thing we do when facing challenges in life. We also need to call on some trusted friends to pray on our behalf.

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.” ~Psalm 130:5

Fast: When coupled with prayer, fasting is a powerful tool to use when you need a breakthrough. And fasting doesn’t mean you have to give up food. A fast is about sacrificing something, so you can clearly hear from God. He may asked you to give up social media, a hobby or tv. Some things do not break with just prayer alone. When you need a breakthrough, fasting is crucial to seeing it come to pass.

“So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.” ~Ezra 8:23

Build Your Faith: I’m just going to be straight up with you: Every breakthrough that I have personally experienced came from leaning into the promises of God. Thankfully, He is so gracious that He has not left us to figure out how to grow in our faith on our own.

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” ~Romans 10:17

Be Patient and Consistent: As I share this last point, I must warn you that breakthroughs can take time. The breakthrough you need may not come the first time you pray – or the hundredth. It may take weeks or even years. We cannot control the time, but we know that God can. He is always faithful. Our part is to stay consistent. So keep on praying. Keep on fasting. Keep on listening to the word. Keep believing in God. Your day of breakthrough will happen in God’s perfect timing for you.

If you’re waiting for your breakthrough the best thing you can do is remember that it will come at the perfect time. So press in to God and be patient. Your Breakthrough is coming! ~OC

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The Broken

Today’s a new day! Jesus didn’t choose the perfect or the polished. He chose the bruised and broken. Let that sink in for a moment. ~OC

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”
‭‭~ 1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭10‬ ‭

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Our Scars Tell A Story

Today’s a new day! As you have walked through this journey called life, you have experienced storms and trials that have left some scars. As I have traveled through this crazy beautiful health journey, I have collected my fair share of scars. We all have scars. Some are visible and some are invisible to the public eye. Scars can be painful and most of the time we choose to hide them from the world. But the last few days, this question has kept coming to my mind, “How does God view my scars and how can He use them?”

When I look at the multiple scars across my body, I can recall the day they became part of my story. As I shared earlier, I have collected my fair share of scars over the years. But I believe our scars, whether physical or caused by deep trauma tell the story of of our struggles and how God has helped us overcome those scars.

As I look at the scars that dot my body, I truly believe God has great purpose for each one. I think our scars are meant to make us stronger. Each one has a story and a lesson behind it. I believe our scars are beautiful to God.

Our scars should be a reminder of what Jesus went through for each of us on the cross. And remember when we get to heaven, Jesus will be the only one who still has his battle scars. The scars Jesus suffered should be a constant reminder to us of His great sacrifice and love for us.

No matter how deep the scars whether visible or not, God loves us and can use our scars and our pain to help someone else dealing with their own painful wounds.

As we continue to walkout this journey called life, remember our scars are beautiful to God because He loves us more than we could ever imagine and He desires that we share His love and our scar filled stories with others. ~OC

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Never Give Up

Today’s a new day! I think most people do not like to be uncomfortable. Most people do not like the hard moments in life. Most people do not like to be burdened or inconvenienced. Yet, in the tough moments in life, God never calls us to give up. Instead, He calls us to keep on pushing and trusting Him, even in the most difficult moments.

As a former marathon runner and someone who has been walking through a crazy beautiful health journey for over twenty years, I am used to being uncomfortable. I am used to the hard moments in life.

As I have walked through the tough moments in life, here are a few lessons I have learned:

Never give up on your prayers.

Never give up on the people God has placed in your life.

Never give up on your dreams.

Never give up on yourself.

Never give up when you face hard times or failures.

Most importantly, never give up on God.

The beautiful thing about God and his amazing grace is that He never gives up on us. He calls us back even when we decide to stray away and do things on our own. God is always there waiting for us with open arms. Remember, every battle we will ever face was defeated on the cross when Jesus gave his life for us.

I am not sure what type of season you’re walking through at this moment. Maybe you have been praying the same prayers over and over for years, but they seem like they will never be answered. Don’t give up.

I want to encourage you to never limit God and put him in a nicely decorated box. Allow Him to work through you and never give in to those temptations to give up.

Looking back on all of my marathons, I am so glad I completed each of my races and never gave into the temptation to quit. Based on my health, those marathons were never easy on my body, but each taught me about overcoming and to never give up.

I believe our faith and life journey is like a marathon, it’s not promised to be easy, it’s going to be hard and full of twist and turns, but our finish line and reward in eternity is far greater than anything we could ever imagine.

So today, keep pushing, keep fighting and never give up. ~OC

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” ~2 Timothy 4:7

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The Joy Robber

Today’s a new day! The Challenge for the day is: Stop comparing yourself to others.

Living a life of comparison is tiring and a big fat lie. When we look at someone else’s life, all we usually see is the surface. We usually do not see what is behind that amazing smile or what we consider a perfect life.

When we compare someone’s outside appearance with our current situation we do them and ourselves a disservice. Living a life of comparison is hurtful to everyone. I am convinced that comparison is one of the biggest joy-robbers and dream-destroyer in a person’s life.

The Joy Robber wedges its ugly self right in the middle of what God is calling us to do: write a book, apply for a new job, go on that mission trip or start a Bible study. Nothing will kill a dream faster than looking at the life of someone who’s already living your dream, then believing it’s too good for you.

When we compare ourselves to others we forget the value of our own lives. We forget that God created each of us in a unique and beautiful way. There is only one you.

If we truly want to live a life full of joy and purpose, we have to stop comparing ourselves to others. Life is not a competition. Life is so much better when we’re living out the gifts and talents God has given each of us. When we’re living out our purpose and not trying to be someone else.

So today, make the decision to start living out the life God created just for you and stop comparing yourself with someone else. Make it a great day! ~OC

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Heaven

Today’s a new day! As I continue to walk this crazy beautiful health journey, I sometimes think about the day I will actually see Jesus face to face. Of course, I hope that day is somewhere in the distant future, but thinking about that day brings me peace, comfort and hope.

I have noticed over the years, that so many Christians look forward to spending eternity with Jesus, but do not want to leave this earth to do so. They do not want to leave their loved ones. I understand that more than you know. Yet, during my long health journey, my suffering has compelled me to yearn for the relief I will find in the presence of my Savior. As I continue to walk through this season of health issues, I hang on to the hope that to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord. And in His presence, I will find fullness of peace and joy.

From threats of wars, division, health issues, and tragic accidents suffering is real. But as Christians we can rejoice while suffering. We can know and have confidence that suffering and death are not the end for us. We have an assurance of more. So much more. We have the hope of eternal life. And that’s what we have to hold onto when we’re suffering. My friend, if you’re currently walking through a season of suffering, know that God is with you. He has not forgotten about you. I encourage you carry the hope of heaven in your heart, knowing that God will deliver you in due season. Until then, keep living out your purpose and being a difference maker right where God has you planted. ~OC

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