Tag: Purpose

A Life of Significance

Today’s a new day! What is a “Significant Life?” I think it is one which can be measured as having great worth and value–forged by carefully chosen crossroads leading to the sum of a life well spent. It is a life whose moments are not wasted on the material things of life, but lived out in a way that is pleasing and glorifying to God.

I am eternally grateful for meeting God at the age on ten (Unfortunately, I did not always live for Him in those early days). But at an early age God pulled me close and began to open my eyes to eternal matters–but I regret at times I’ve wandered through the “ordinary” days, grumbled and complained as I trudged through the difficult days, and frivolously skipped carefree through seasons which could’ve been spent with more forethought and purpose.

As the decades of life are quickly flying by, the brevity of life as described in Psalm 90 bears heavy on my heart and one thing I know: All that matters is living for Christ.

I don’t want to waste another single moment of my life. I desire to bear fruit for Him until my last breath is taken. I desire to live all out for His glory–whatever that may look like in this crazy beautiful health journey.

As I write these words, I reflect back on the wasted moments, days, opportunities for fruitfulness–but I have hope for those which are before me.

I want to challenge you to spend some time reflecting on the following questions:

*Am I currently living a life of significance?

*Am I using my gift of time wisely?

*Am I allowing something other than God to drive my passion for life? ~OC

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Standing Beside You

Today’s a new day! True friendship and good character is all about how a person nurtures another person when they are vulnerable and can give very little in return.  Thus, it’s not who’s standing beside you during good times, but the ones who stick by you through tough times that are your true friends.

So take note of who remains in your life when times get tough, especially the people who sacrifice the resources they have in their life to help you improve yours when you need it most.  Seriously, when you come out the other side of a difficult period in your life, look around you. The people still standing beside you are your true friends. ~OC

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Warning!

Today’s a new day! Be careful of people who claim to be your friend, feel the freedom to share your story, but you haven’t seen or heard from them in months or even years. Do not allow them to be part of your boat. They add nothing to your story. ~OC

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The Power of One

Today’s a new day! More importantly, it’s Rosa Parks Day. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks changed the course of history with one act. Ms. Parks refused to give up her seat on the city bus to a white passenger, as the unjust law demanded her to do during that time of American History. She was removed from the bus and arrested. Yet her spontaneous defiance sparked the ensuing Montgomery Bus Boycott, a movement of blacks and whites that took shape within hours of her arrest and advanced the civil rights movement across the United States. The boycott lasted 381 days. A time in which black commuters walked, rode bikes, or accepted rides from sympathetic supporters — until a district court ruling declared bus segregation unconstitutional. This ruling was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, striking down the practice across the country. And this was just the beginning: the boycott galvanized a national network of support, and created a framework of committed activists, that would form the backbone of the civil rights movement for decades to come. ~OC

“People always say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn’t true. I was not tired physically… No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.” ~Rosa Parks

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Sportsmanship

Today’s a new day! The last few days we celebrated Rivalry Week in College Football. The games did not disappoint. There were some amazing moments, finishes and upsets. But most people will not be talking about that today. No, sadly most people will be discussing incidents of winning teams trying to place their team flags on the logos of the losing teams and the brawls that ensued. At Ohio State, police used pepper spray on players. How crazy is that. Which brings me to the question about sportsmanship.

Although it comes in many forms, everyone can give a few examples of what sportsmanship looks like and what it takes to be viewed as a “good sport”: We shake hands before and after games, we clap for injured players once they show they are okay, and we extend a hand to help an opponent get up off of the ground. These examples are just scratching the surface of displaying good sportsmanship.

Sportsmanship is an understanding of and commitment to fair play, ethical behavior and integrity, and general goodwill toward an opponent. It is an affirmation that an athlete is disciplined enough to have perspective, maintain poise and do what is best for his or her teammates.

Being able to make appropriate behavioral choices at the “moment of truth” and in a pressure situation will often reveal a player’s character and his or her ability to be a good sport. Simply put, sportsmanship is a choice.

It is easy for the athletes, coaches and fans to get caught up in a game and become too focused on winning. Although winning is important, it is not always the most important aspect of the game. There is so much to be gained and learned from an athletic experience that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. Good sportsmanship is one of those life lessons that should be intentionally learned, taught, practiced and reinforced.

No matter how much we would like to, we cannot win at everything every time. So we need to learn to deal with defeat. After a hard fought game in which everything was left on the playing field in a losing effort, it can be very difficult to look your opponents in the eye and tell them “good game” or “good job.” But this is what is asked of athletes. The key question is: How do we handle losing with class?

Keep losing in perspective. Just as in life, sports are a learning experience. Very few wins and losses are remembered, even a short time later. 

Always accept responsibility for the loss. Acknowledge the winners and congratulate them. Sometimes your opponent was just better. Even if they are not better, they were better on that particular day. The effort should be acknowledged. Sulking shows a lack of discipline and respect.

Winning is fun! It is the reward for your hard work. But excessive gloating and flaunting your win in front of the losing team does not promote or show good sportsmanship. Remember how you feel when you’re on the losing side of a sporting or life event.

Keep winning in perspective. Winning doesn’t mean you were perfect or that you will win again. Celebrate your win, but celebrate your win with class, respect and grace.

Have empathy for the team you defeated; win with humility and class. Acknowledge your opponents’ effort and that they were worthy competitors. The late , great North Carolina basketball Coach Dean Smith once said, “A lion never roars after a kill.” I love that quote and the parallel to what “good winning” should look like.

Life is tough, and life is not fair. Like life, sports are tough and not always fair. Yet sports can be a wonderful training ground for life’s challenges. Just like we win some and lose some in sports, we also deal with plenty of successes, challenges and failures in our own lives. Let’s try to be good sports in both the winning and losing situations and during our successes, challenges and failures.

Let me leave you with a few more quote about sportsmanship:

“One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than a hundred teaching it.” ~ Former University of Notre Dame Head Football Coach Knute Rockne

“Sometimes I think sportsmanship is a little bit forgotten in place of the individual attention.” ~ MLB Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr.

“If character is what you do when no one is watching, then sportsmanship is that conduct with everybody watching.” ~ ESPN Sportscaster Bob Ley

“Sportsmanship is that quality of honor that desires always to be courteous, fair, and respectful, and it is interpreted in the conduct of players, spectators, coaches, and school authorities.” ~ Former University of Michigan Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Fielding H. Yost

I truly hope we will spend some time reflecting on the importance of sportsmanship in all areas of sports and life. ~OC

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Forgiveness

In Matthew 6:9-15 we read the following words:

Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

This is just one of many lessons Jesus taught us about unforgiveness. He shared on numerous occasions about not allowing unforgiveness to reside in our hearts. God shared those who refuse to forgive others will not be forgiven by the Father. Be careful not to misunderstand Jesus’ meaning here. We do not lose our salvation when we refuse to forgive others. Rather, we break fellowship with God because an unrepentant attitude interferes with regular confession and turning away from sin.

Forgiveness is an act of the will more than an act of the heart. We do not often feel like showing mercy or forgiveness to someone who’s wronged us, but but that’s exactly what we’re called to do (Matthew 5:38-40). A resentful spirit grows into a terrible burden. God knows that forgiveness is best, even when it is difficult. Claim the divine mercy He offers, and ask Him to enable you to lay aside your frustrations, anger and resentment. As part of the decision to move forward in grace, make a habit of praying for those who hurt you. And if God so leads, seek their forgiveness for your wrong attitude or actions.

A bitter spirit doesn’t fit who we are in our relationship with God. That’s why there are so many scriptures about forgiveness. We have to choose to be liberated from our burdens and unforgiveness. Did you catch that? We have to make the choice. God promised to make us free when we choose to believe and obey Him (John 8:31-32). Freedom from our burdens sounds pretty good to me. ~OC

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True Friendships

Today’s a new day! True friends never make you feel like a burden. A true friend is never burdened with stressful promises and obligations.  When true friends step up, it’s because they care and because they want to.

Don’t chase after friendships. True friendships don’t need to be chased.  If someone is a true friend and wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you.  You should never have to fight for a spot in their life. Never, ever force yourself on someone who continuously overlooks your worth. ~OC

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Three Identities

Today’s a new day! During this crazy beautiful health journey, God has revealed so much to me. One of the major revelations is about identity. I believe our lives are wrapped up in three identities. I wrote this on December 20, 2018.

1). Our Identity in the World: This is about our careers, relationships, our standing in society. This identity is ever changing based on our current circumstances.

2). Our Goliath Identity: This is the voice in our head that tells us we are not good enough. We can never measure up based on our past mistakes, insecurities, or disabilities. This identity can keep us from becoming all God created has created us to be.

3). Our Identity in Jesus: In this identity, we learn that no matter what the world thinks about us, the mistakes we make, or our current situation, we are a child of God’s. In this identity, we find our true worth and purpose in life. This identity brings us peace. This is the identity we should be focused on and strive to live out. ~OC

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