Tag: Purpose

Growth

Today’s a new day! Life can be filled with lots of trials and tribulations. As we walk through these trials, we must learn how to endure and overcome those storms. As we endure, we grow in character. As we grow in character, we grow in hope. This hope comes from God, who walks with us through every trial. Our pain and trials bears evidence of the life changing spirit of God living in and through us.

Some days, I have no strength or desire to go for my morning walk. But when I put my shoes on and get out the door, I see the beauty of God’s creation. I realize God has called me to live in his strength.

Some days I wrestle with questions and emotions about why God has me on this crazy beautiful health journey. I am thankful God is patient with me during these moments. He patiently and lovingly reminds me of my purpose during this journey. So I shake off the negative thoughts and take another step forward. Trusting and believing God will continue to bless and meet my needs.

Dear Friends, I pray your hope is not based on your own strength and ability to walk through the trials of life on your own. God is bigger than any trial we will endure. He is waiting for us to lean into his loving strong embrace. God does not want us walking this journey alone. He is using these trials to grow us and teach us life changing lessons. I know that is not always easy. But our aim is not perfection (on this side of heaven), but it’s growth. So continue to keep growing where God has you planted. ~OC

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Walk In Freedom

Today’s a new day! Let praises arise from the depths of the storms you are facing. Allow the praises to burst through the brokenness and disappointments that are trying to consume your life. The hope and promises of God will totally free you from the strongholds that are giving you a worldly view of your current situation. Allow God to free you from those shackles. Walk in freedom! ~OC

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Be Kind Always

Today’s a new day! I mostly write about life and the lessons God continues to teach me. Some lessons can be tough to walk through. Being open and honest about my crazy, beautiful journey on social media can be challenging. I choose to share some of my toughest moments because I truly believe sharing our stories can help others. Even if it’s just one person. Remember, everyone is going through something in life.

The point is, you never know what storms people are dealing with inside, nor what they’ve had to face in life. As I have been open about health journey the last 20 years, many people have shared their own life experiences with me. I have been uplifted and heartbroken at what some friends and strangers have shared with me in confidence. They have not shared these thoughts and feelings with their own family. You just never know the struggles people are walking through.

That is why we need to show love and grace to everyone we encounter. Everyone is walking though a storm we know nothing about. I encourage everyone, including myself to stop and listen to our loved ones and the stranger at the coffee shop. You might be the one God has chosen to walk with that person through the storm they are facing. Do not miss out on a beautiful interruption. Be kind always. ~OC

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I Choose

Today’s a new day! Life is not for the faint of heart. To live, really live, requires courage. It takes courage to face the storms of life and overcome its challenges. We set goals and work to achieve them, some days we make progress and other days seem to stand still. We have to make the choice to keep moving forward.

Facing multiple incurable diseases is not for the faint of heart. But I keep making the choice to live my best life. I will never let the long list of incurable illnesses define me. I am a child of God’s. Made in His image. I will continue to make the choice to live with hope. I will keep making the choice to encourage others. I look forward to living this crazy beautiful journey with each of you, as we courageously live each and every day. Blessings. ~OC

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Rap Sheet

Hello friends. I have always tried to be open and honest about my health journey. I have never wanted or allowed my health to define who I am. I am a child of God’s. Wonderfully created in His image. A lot of people have reached out to me since my stroke to see what was going on with my health overall. So after praying about it, I have decided to share my medical rap sheet (HaHa). Once again, none of these conditions define who I am. I share this to encourage anyone walking through a storm to stay positive and use their story to encourage others. Please do me a favor. Do not fill my comment section with home remedies or ways to fight these conditions. I have a great medical team taking care of me. Thanks. Here we go….

  • I am only the 28th person in the world to be diagnosed with Parkinson’s and Myasthenia Gravis at the same time. Yeah me!

*Covid Long Haulers.

*Still recovering from a stroke.

*Based on being so many medications over the years, the doctor shared my pancreas is fried. So I have been diagnosed with Diabetes. Currently taking insulin.

As you can see, I am in a real fight. But I am not walking this journey alone. God is walking right by my side. Holding me up when I cannot stand myself. I am blessed with a beautiful bride Laura West Shoemaker, who is an incredible caregiver. I have a wonderful circle of friends standing in the gap. I am blessed with a great medical team. I am thankful I have great insurance. I will continue to fight and share the story God has given me. I am far from giving up. I am excited about the wonderful plans God has for me. Living a blessed life. ~OC

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Radical Obedience

Today’s a new day! Radical obedience to Jesus does not seek to conform to the standards set by the world. No, radical obedience to Jesus is completely laying everything at his feet. Radical obedience is pursuing Jesus at all cost. Radical obedience is saying yes to Jesus when he says “Sell it all and go serve me.” Are you walking in radical obedience to Jesus?

I pray every Christian will pray this prayer each morning:

Dear Jesus, fill me with your radical faith that does not waver in hard times.

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World Stoke Day

Hello. Since today is World Stroke Day, I thought I would share a little of my experience since having a stroke a month ago. ~OC

*Still cannot remember the days of the week or the months of the year. Thank goodness for my cellphone.

*Still having memory issues.

*Still having difficulty putting words and sentences together.

*Still having weakness on left side and balance issues.

*Still cannot bend over without getting a tremendous headache and dizziness.

*Still very fatigued.

*Still takes me forever to text.

*What I can do:

*I am still breathing.

*I am still walking.

*I am still laughing.

*I am still trying to make a positive difference.

*I am still trying to encourage others.

  • I am still making memories.

*I am still moving forward.

*I am still standing.

*I am still living.

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Character and Integrity

Today’s a new day! Christians should be the last people on earth posting fake stories on social media or anywhere else. Even unintentionally. As believers, we need to spend the extra time fact-checking before we post something on social media or share a story. Character and integrity should mean something.

This is not a game. When the integrity of God’s people is undermined the truth of the gospel gets called into question. That can come with devastating consequences. And not just for Christians. The eternity of many are at stake. Speaking and posting the truth should always be a higher priority than pushing our agenda or getting likes. ~OC

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Conversation With God

Hello. As I walk through this crazy beautiful health journey, God has been sharing and teaching me a lot. I thought I would share some of the lessons and conversations with God.

*I will not experience healing on this side of heaven. Yes, God clearly shared that with me during one of our morning conversations. I am at such peace. There is no fear, worry or anger. Just the sweet peace of God flowing through my life. Do you have that kind of peace?

*Healing comes in many different forms. We get caught up in the miracles we can see with our eyes. Those are beautiful! But God is performing miracles daily that we cannot see with our eyes. Those healings and miracles are just as real as the ones we can see.

*Keep sharing the story God has given me. The thorn in my side is health issues. Still God is using my health issues to minister to a broken world. A broken world that needs the beautiful light of God. A world that needs encouragement.

*Be bold in sharing the true gospel. A lot of false theology being pushed in the Christian community.

*I did nothing to lose my miracle from 2019. My current health battle is not from sin in my life or an evil spirit living in me. That healing from 2019 was real and from God.

*God shared he owes us nothing. Everything He does in our lives is a beautiful gift. A gift of love, forgiveness and grace.

*God will not always answer our prayers the way we want them to be answered, but He will always walk with us through the journey. We have to learn to be okay with His plans for our lives and the lives of our loved ones. Also every trial will produce lessons. We learn more in the valley than on the mountaintop.

*Then Jesus asked me a question. I did not hear the audible voice of Jesus. He asked me “Who has suffered more than me?” Jesus shared he suffered most of his life. Suffering is part of the journey. But as Christians we never want to walk that journey. But by choosing not to embrace the journey of suffering, we are missing out on some incredible lessons Jesus has for us and others.

I pray these words bring you comfort today. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Stay Focused. Finish Strong. ~OC

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Love Over Hate

As I scroll through social media, I see a lot of Christians who share hateful and mean post. This breaks my heart. As I pray for these misguided people, God brought some things to my mind.

*You can not truly love Jesus if hate is living inside your heart. Look at his life. He had every reason to have hate in his life. But the life and death of Jesus was all about love.

*If you hate someone or something, that means you hate God’s creation. This world was built on love. We the people of this world ruined that beautiful creation. But with the love of Jesus we can build up and encourage a broken world.

*We have to be willing to show grace and forgiveness to others. Look what Jesus has done in our lives.

*We cannot show the love of Jesus with nasty rotten fruit. Where are you planting your seeds? Are spending time planting good seeds?

I will always choose love over hate. I hope you will join me. Share Love. ~OC

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