Today’s a new day!
Say yes to loving others.
Say yes to forgiving others.
Say yes to helping others.
Say yes to standing up for others.
Say yes to listening to others.
Say yes to encouraging others.
Say no to hating others.
Say no to judging others.
Say no to bullying others.
Say no to gossiping about others.
Say no to discouraging others.
Say no to holding grudges against others. ~OC
On this day, we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Long after his death, Dr. King’s words and actions continue to inspire us. They continue to challenge us.
Today we take time to remember this amazing man of peace. Dr. King truly lived out the words he wrote and spoke. His words live on, some of the most meaningful ever spoken.
During this time of unrest in our world, I encourage you to stop and reflect on Dr. King’s words. To put those words in action. To come together and live out The Dream. Thank you Dr. King. ~OC
As I reflect on the unrest in America, I think about the powerful pledge from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As we celebrate MLK weekend, I wanted to share his pledge of non-violence. Here is Martin Luther King, Jr.’s pledge of non-violence:
I hereby pledge myself- my person and body-to the nonviolent movement. Therefore I will keep the following ten commandments:
1). Meditate daily on the teachings and life of Jesus.
2). Remember always that the non-violent movement seeks justice and reconciliation-not victory.
3). Walk and talk in the manner of love, for God is love.
4). Pray daily to be used by God in order that all men might be free.
5). Sacrifice personal wishes in order that all men might be free.
6). Observe with both friend and foe the ordinary rules of courtesy.
7). Seek to perform regular service for others and for the world.
8). Refrain from the violence of fist, tongue, or heart.
9). Strive to be in good spiritual and bodily health.
10). Follow the directions of the movement and of the captain on a demonstration.
I sign this pledge, having seriously considered what I do and with the determination and will to persevere.
As I read the above commitments, I think about all the heroes that lived out those powerful commitments in 1963. America was dealing with major unrest, as Dr. King and so many heroes marched peacefully for civil rights. Yes, peacefully. So the question is, will you take the pledge? I have personally committed to living out these commitments. Will you? ~OC
As I continue to pray for America, I imagine God bowing his head in sadness. His tears flowing as so many people who call themselves Christians, act with such hatred and meanness. They seem to have forgotten the beautiful scriptures about loving their neighbors. All Neighbors! The Liberal Neighbor. The Conservative Neighbor. The Homeless Neighbor. The Addicted Neighbor. The LGBTQ Neighbor. The Incarcerated Neighbor. The Immigrant Neighbor. The Depressed Neighbor. The Disabled Neighbor. The Atheist Neighbor. The Black Neighbor. The White Neighbor. The Hispanic Neighbor. The Asian Neighbor. The Middle-Eastern Neighbor. The Native-American Neighbor. The Neighbor of a Different Faith. The..,,, Neighbor.
Think about the sadness God feels looking down on America and seeing all the hatred and division. His heart breaks. Does your heart break? Mine does. So, I will continue to share love. Speak out against hate and violence. I will continue to pray. ~OC
When we walk through the storms of life, you reach out your hand and call us by name. Never leaving our side. You fill our broken hearts with your amazing love and grace. Never leaving our side. You fill our lives with joy and laughter. Never leaving our side. Whenever we call on your name, you fill the room with your amazing presence. Never leaving our side. You fill our hearts with beautiful dreams and purpose. Never leaving our side. Your there to protect us when the storms get rough. Never leaving our side. Our strong tower when we walk through the storms of life. Never leaving our side. Always holding our hand. Never leaving our side. Dear God, keep walking through the storms of life with us. Never leave our side. ~OC
Dear Jesus, I thank you for another year. Last year was filled with many challenges, but also some amazing moments. Both gave us a chance to grow. As we walk into 2021, here is my prayer for the new year.
Teach us grace, that we may walk in forgiveness, Teach us wonder, that we may walk in praise, Teach us goodness, that we may walk as servants, Teach us truth, that we may walk with courage, Teach us love, that we may walk in compassion, Teach us mercy, that we may walk in humility, Dear Jesus, teach us to walk with You, that we may walk with boldness. Amen. ~OC
Today’s a new day! Make peace with your past; so you can make friends with your amazing future. ~OC
Life can be filled with a lot of hate. Turn on the news. Check in on social media. It is hard to escape all the hate we encountered this year.
As we begin a new day, I want to put out a challenge. I challenge each of us to seek Peace & Love as we enter a new day. Let our hearts be filled with Peace & Love. Let our words be filled with Peace & Love. Let our actions be filled with Peace & Love. Let our social media pages be filled with Peace & Love. Let our homes be filled with Peace & Love. Let our workplaces be filled with Peace & Love. Let our neighborhoods be filled with Peace & Love. Let our places of worship be filled with Peace & Love. This challenge may not always be easy, but I believe it can be accomplished. Why? Because we get to choose Peace & Love. Each day we make the choice how we will treat people. Each day we make the choice how we let people treat us. Let us make today the day Peace & Love reigns. Are you up for the challenge? ~OC
Along this journey called life, we all deal with fear. Fear can hit us during what we thought would be a routine doctors appointment. Fear can hit us when test result comes back with more questions than answers. Fear can hit us when we watch the news or scroll through social media. We have all experienced fear in our lives.
Back in 2003, one of my doctors called me early one morning and shared he needed to see me right away. Oh, make sure you bring your wife. A little fear hit me at that moment. Later when the doctor shared I had a tumor, the fear grew a little deeper. Fear, Worry and Anxiety. My wife and I experienced all those feelings sitting in that doctors office.
A few weeks later a biopsy revealed the tumor was the size of golfball. A few weeks after that, surgery revealed the tumor was cancerous. Once again, Fear, Worry and Anxiety smacked me in the face. Things seemed overwhelming at that point.
Then something amazing happened. As I laid in ICU hooked up to several machines, God took away the fear, worry and anxiety. Those feelings were replaced by peace, calmness and even joy. Yes, joy. What changed?
God reminded me of the week long fast I had done a year earlier during a missions trip. He shared the reason I had fasted was to prepare me for this very moment. Peace flooded my room and heart at that moment. At that moment, I completely turned my heart toward Jesus and trusted Him to walk me through this journey.
Even though I had been filled with fear, anxiety and worry, Jesus was right there with me. He welcomed me into His presence, even as I was filled with fear. He never abandoned me in my time of need.
During that moment, I still had to deal with life as a cancer patient. But that unknown did not overwhelm me anymore. Jesus reminded me that He was bigger than any health issue I would ever face. I am thankful, I did not know my future would be full of more health issues, test, multiple doctors appointments and hospital stays. No, at that moment I was just filled with peace.
Here I am in 2019, still fighting multiple health issues. Still fighting for my life every day. Still living in the unknown regarding my health. But I am still experiencing that same peace and joy, I experienced in that ICU room so many years ago. Knowing that Jesus is still bigger than anything life throws at me. Still living life with a thankful heart. ~OC
To my brothers and sisters in Baltimore, I love you.
To my brothers and sisters of color, I love you.
To my brothers and sisters in the LBGTQ+ Community, I love you.
To my brothers and sisters on the other side of the political aisle, I love you.
To my brothers and sisters of a different faith, I love you.
To my brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico, I love you.
To my brothers and sisters who spew hate, I love you.
To my brothers and sisters who wish me harm, I love you.
To my atheist brothers and sisters, I love you.
To my brothers and sisters who have a different opinion than me, I love you.
To my brothers and sisters that feel lost, I love you.
To my brothers and sisters who want to give up, I love you.
To my brothers and sisters in prison, I love you.
To my brothers and sisters who do not feel loved, I love you.
To my brothers and sisters who might attack me for this post, I love you. ~OC
The Blessed Overcomer 