Dear God, thank you for my friends. I am grateful for each of them. I pray you would watch over them this day. You know the storms they are facing. I pray you would wrap your loving arms around them like a warm blanket. Help me be a blessing to them as they walk through the storm. Help me take the focus off myself and be available to them. Dear God, help me be the friend you have called me to be. Amen. ~OC
Power of Prayer
As I continue to walk through this crazy beautiful health journey, I depend more and more on prayer. Before I got sick years ago, sometimes when I felt God calling me to pray I would ignore that calling. I was too busy with life. I can always pray later I thought. I cringe as I write these words. How many amazing beautiful interruptions did I miss because I was too busy to pray?
Today, my life is full of prayer. Even as I write this blog, God is bringing people to mind that I need to pray for. So, I stop writing and pray for those individuals. I don’t write this to brag. No, I write this to remind myself of the importance of prayer. My life literally depends on the prayers of many. I want to encourage everyone to live in a spirit of prayer. A spirit of prayer? What does that even mean OC? I am glad you asked.
For me, living in a spirit of prayer means I am always open to hearing from God and following through with what He asked of me. That means praying for that friend when God brings them to mind. Not waiting until it fits my schedule. That means not telling someone I will be praying for them, but actually taking the time to pray for them that very moment. Living in a spirit of prayer means stepping out of my comfort zone. Being Present. Being Obedient. I am far from being a biblical scholar, but that is my personal definition of living in a spirit of prayer. Remember, I am just a simple man.
During my 17-year crazy beautiful health journey, God has taught me to always be in a spirit of prayer because my prayers carry weight. Not because of my power, but because of His power. You have the same power. Really, you do! Every time we pray we unleash the power of heaven.
Prayer is not a passive act. No, prayer is powerful and active. When I pray, I feel God’s power flowing through my body. Prayer is life changing.
I will leave you with the word P.U.S.H.
P-ray
U-ntil
S-omerhing
H-appens
I pray you will choose to live in a spirit of prayer. I pray you will pray with boldness. I pray you embrace the power of prayer. ~OC
Let Go of Fear
Has fear controlled your life? At some point in our lives, everyone has dealt with fear. For some, fear has paralyzed them. Kept them from truly living life.
During my 17-year and counting crazy beautiful health journey, fear has reared its ugly head several times in my life. I remember the first diagnosis so many years ago. Cancer. How could I possibly have cancer? Fear gripped my wife and I after that diagnosis. We had only been married a few years at that point. We had so many plans. Would we even have another year together? This scene has played out in our marriage many times over the years, as I have been diagnosed with one life threatening health issues after another. How have we dealt with the different fears that have tried to steal our happiness?
Prayer. I know this sounds simple, but a lot of times we reach for everything but prayer. Prayer becomes a second or tenth option. I would encourage everyone to make prayer your first option. I can personally testify to the power of prayer and faith in my own journey. I know I would not be alive today, writing this post if not for prayer. Not just my prayers, but the prayers of many. Whatever you may be going through today, I encourage you to pray and don’t be afraid to ask for prayer. People genuinely want to pray for you. Let them.
Team. Do not try to walk through your fears, or life for that matter, by yourself. We were not created to do life alone. The Lone Ranger may have been a good tv show/movie, but is a terrible lifestyle choice. During my health journey, my wife and I have surrounded ourselves with an amazing team of people. Team Todd has helped us walk through some of the most difficult days of our lives. People want to help, so let them.
Keep Living. This is much easier said than done. The fears and all the junk life throws at us can become overwhelming. We have all been there. Laura and I made the choice early on in this crazy beautiful journey to keep living. We decided not to just live, but to Thrive. Todd, what does that even mean? Thriving means not letting your current circumstances define you. Thriving means taking a last-minute cruise. Thriving means spending quality time with family and friends. Thriving means stepping outside of your comfort zone. I could go on, but I think you get the idea. Don’t allow your fears or your current circumstances to keep you from living a beautiful and blessed life.
Find Purpose. During my crazy beautiful journey, I knew there had to be more than doctors appointments, hospital stays and multiple medications. There just had to be. Finding purpose in this journey allowed me to overcome my fears. During the past 17 years, God has allowed me to use my story to encourage others. To pray for someone going through their own journey. To hold their hand and guide them through the toughest moments of their lives. To walk them through their fears. So what is your purpose?
Does doing these four things guarantee you will no longer deal with fear? Unfortunately no. After all these years, I still deal with fear at times. But I do not live in fear. Fear does not control me. The power of Prayer/Faith, Team, Thriving and Purpose help me let go of any fears that come my way. Faith>Fear. ~OC
Silence Is No Longer An Option
This past week, has been a tough one in America. For the last few years, I have kept fairly silent about the things going on in Washington and around our country. I have spent my time praying for this nation and her leaders. I have spoken with some close friends about the issues facing our country. I made the choice not to share my thoughts in a public way. Then the President of the United States decided to comment that four women of color should go back to their country because they have some different beliefs than he does. Then he stood silent at a political rally, while his supporters chanted “Send Her Back.” These comments were directed to four American citizens. Regardless of what you think about their political views, they are American citizens. As Americans, they have the right to their views and should not have to deal with racist comments from the leader of the free world and his supporters. Yes, the comments from the President and the chants of his supporters were racist. A lot of people will disagree with me on this subject, but in my opinion there is no debate.
As I spoke with some of my friends of color this week, they shared that on more than one occasion they have been told to “go back to their country.” Their home country is the United States of America. My friends shared how hurtful these comments made them feel. As a white man in America, no one has ever told me to “Go back to your country.” I do not believe I have ever heard that comment directed towards a white person. That is why I feel the comments by the President and his supporters were racist.
I may not agree with everything the four Congresswomen stand for, but I do stand for their right to say it. That is what America was built on. The freedom of speech and to express your opinions. These four women are elected leaders. If their constituents disagree with their views, they can vote them out. But in America, we should never tell fellow Americans they should go back to their country. They are already living in their country.
I will continue to pray for America and her leaders. I am thankful to live in this beautiful country. With that said, I can no longer stay silent, when I need to speak out. I encourage everyone to pray for this country and our leaders. I also encourage everyone to speak up when needed. I still believe better days are ahead for America. Let us stand together with all of our fellow citizens and demand more from our political leaders. And more importantly, demand more from ourselves. ~OC
Racial injustice in America
I am once again writing about racial profiling in America. The only “Crime” these men committed was being African American in America. Sadly, I have posted similar blog post over the last year. A African-American man in Illinois is arrested for stealing medical equipment from a hospital. He was a patient at the hospital just going for a walk. A African-American man in Texas playing with his children is confronted by police after being mistaken for a fugitive. The only thing the two men had in common was they both had dreads. In Ohio, a African American police officer has a gun pulled on him by a white security guard in a IRS office. I am saddened and angry that we continue to deal with racial profiling, racist comments and racism in America. I will continue to pray the following prayer until there is justice for all in America.
Dear God, please be with my brothers and sisters of color. Be with them as they walk down the street, that people will not clutch their purses or bags a little tighter. Praying as they visit a place of business, they will not be hassled. I pray if for some reason they are pulled over by the police, they will be treated with respect. I am saddened that I have to pray this prayer every day for my brothers and sisters of color. I pray that one day, I will wake up and not have to lift this prayer up to you. Until that day comes, I will continue to pray for my brothers and sisters of color. I will continue to listen to their stories of injustice. I will continue to learn how I can help. I will continue to write and speak out against racism in America until there is justice for all. ~OC
Love This Photo
I love this photo a dear friend sent me. I am thankful for the amazing people God has surrounded me with during this crazy beautiful journey. ~OC
Encourage Others
I love encouraging everyone around me. Each morning I pray God will bring people my way that need some encouragement. Here are a few easy ways we can encourage others.
Pray for other.
Call a loved one.
Share words of encouragement.
Pay for someone’s meal.
Send someone a card or letter.
Leave your spouse or roommate a post-it note with some encouraging words.
Be patient with the clerk at the grocery store. Share a kind encouraging word with them.
Share a smile.
Encourage your coworkers.
Share a hug (Be appropriate).
Spend some quality time with family and friends.
Take your neighbors garbage can to the curb or return the empty garbage can.
Send a positive text to a loved one or friend.
Tell your boss, coworkers, employees, pastors and friends that you appreciate them.
Always say Thank You.
Be quick to listen and slow to speak.
Recognize others and their accomplishments. Celebrate them.
Turn your cell phone off when visiting with family and friends.
Be a positive and encouraging person.
Don’t always talk about yourself.
These are just a few ways to encourage others. Find ways to encourage those around you. ~OC
Healing
During my 17 year health battle, many people have prayed for my physical healing. During that time, I have often wondered why those prayers were not being answered. I never obsessed over it, but God and I had numerous conversations about the subject. During those discussions, I never heard God answer me. Then several months ago, during a late night encounter I heard God speak to my heart. He shared that my complete healing would come in heaven. You might think I was disappointed by this answer, but I actually felt nothing but peace. That late night conversation has only strengthened my resolve to continue sharing my faith and encouraging others. You see, God shared my complete healing would come in heaven. I am still believing, I will experience some healing on this side of heaven. I continue to be thankful for this crazy beautiful journey and the opportunities it brings me. I will continue to embrace every moment. I am at peace. ~OC
The Road
Today’s a new day! My health journey has taken me down many winding roads. At times the road has been muddy and tough to travel. There have been many hazard signs to navigate. This journey has not been easy and continues to take me down roads I would not have chosen to travel. But this journey is really not about me. This is a journey God has placed me on. A journey I embrace daily, because of the lessons learned. The memories made. I did not choose this crazy beautiful journey, but I am excited to see where it takes me. I encourage you to embrace the journey God has you on. I hope to see you along the way. God Bless. ~OC
Thriving with Chronic Illnesses
During my 17-year plus crazy beautiful health journey, I have learned many lessons. Here are just a few:
1). Embracing Relationships That Matter.
Want to find out who your true friends are? Let life throw you for a loop and you will quickly find out.
During this journey, many friends who I thought would stand with me walked away. I must admit that hurt. But, instead of dwelling on those friends that walked out, I decided to celebrate those that have stuck around through the best and worst of times. I am forever grateful for each and everyone of them.
2). Laugh And Then Laugh Some More.
My wife and I have learned the power of laughter during the darkest times. Our dark humor has helped us deal with some of the toughest moments in this crazy beautiful journey.
Even during the worst days, when my medical team has stated they have no idea what is going on with my body. Or when they wonder out loud, how are you still alive? We still laugh.
Sometimes it comes down to, if we don’t laugh about the situation we might go hide in a dark place. Who wants to deal with that scenario?
3). Be Your Own Advocate.
During the early days of my health journey, Laura and I depended on my medical team. Hey, their the experts. They know best. Wrong!
After some of my doctors refused to listen to us, Laura and I learned we needed to take charge of my healthcare. If not, some of our former doctors would have ended up killing me. That’s not a joke.
It is vital to stand up for yourself and take charge of your healthcare needs. If you are not able to do it yourself, please have a team of advocates around you. They could save your life.
Never be afraid to ask questions. Listen to your gut. Never be afraid to fire your medical team.
4). Keep Living Life.
Do not allow a bad diagnosis to keep you from living your life. I mean truly living life.
Stop putting things off until you get better. Guess what? You may never get better. So take that trip. Take that class you always wanted to. Call that friend who’s been on your mind.
Do not get so caught up in your health journey, that you forget to embrace the beautiful moments of life. The truth is, we only get one shot at life. Don’t waste a minute. ~OC
The Blessed Overcomer 