Today’s a new day!
Today’s a new day!
Dear God, as we walk through this journey called life, let your light shine through us. Destroy all the darkness and negativity around us. Dear God, let the warmth of your light, the brightness of your love, the sweetness of your joy, the beauty of your hope shine through us. Dear God, let your light be our guide through the storms of life. Let your light brighten our path. Dear God, let your light shine through us everyday. Shine God Shine! ~OC
Today’s a new day! Division has always been a part of society, but I would say that in the last 10-15 years we have seen division grow to new heights. It seems to be hitting us on every level; national, regional, and individual. It has the potential to destroy what is precious to us if we yield to it. Division can separate us from those we love the most; it can take down sporting teams, companies and nations if left unchecked. The following is a few things I have tried to apply in my own life over the years to help overcome division. Not always successfully, but still striving for.
1). My enemy is the Enemy, not you. In Ephesians 6:12 we read the following words, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” The enemy doesn’t really care who you’re divided against, as long as there’s division. Why would the enemy want to stir up division? Because “a house divided against itself cannot stand.” The enemy’s objective is to lie, steal and destroy, and division is an effective way to accomplish all three.
2). Division will always result in disconnection and disconnect opens the door to disunity. I believe connecting with others is why we’re here. Each of us are hardwired to connect with others, it’s what gives purpose and meaning to our lives, and without it there is suffering. When we experience division between ourselves and another person or group, a good question to ask is, “What connection does the enemy want to steal from me?”
3). It is possible to stand up for a worthy cause, but do it with an incorrect attitude. When we see ourselves or others fighting for truth, justice, or anything good, but recognize wrong attitudes, it can be extremely confusing. A good question to ask ourselves when we find ourselves in the midst of disunity is: Am I dealing with pride? Is my perspective of those I feel divided against tainted with judgments rooted in criticism, self-righteousness or pride? Am I motivated by love, or by fear? In my experience with division, I have found that one “side” is rarely 100% right and the other 100% wrong. I have found people on different sides of an issue, often have a mix of right and wrong attitudes. I have found it helpful to ask God to reveal my own heart to me. David did this when he prayed, “Who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.(Psalm 19:12)
4). Rejection and division often work hand in hand. This is where it is wise to remember your history with people. Choose to remember the times that they have been there for you during the storms of life. Ask yourself: “Is this rejection I’m feeling from this person or group a long-standing pattern? Or is this something new?” The enemy would love to steal the harvest of our lives…the years of faithful friendship we have had with one another. Let’s have the courage to press in and fight for the precious relationships that we’ve invested years in cultivating. Be willing to have the tough conversations. Even if we walk away with a “agree to disagree understanding.”
5). We also must walk through tough situations with the mindset of “Forgiveness is always on the table if we are to walk in unity and freedom.
6). When we pray for those we disagree with, our heart and perspective will often change. Praying to be unified in truth and in love can be a very strategic spiritual weapon against the evil one.
7). Venting or gossiping to others who are not part of the problem or the solution can bring anger, misunderstandings and division. Here’s the bottom line, none of us win when division is given the freedom to rule the day.
8). We have to be willing to look past our differences and agree to come to the table and talk about the things we have in common. Those conversations can lead to the harder conversations. Are you willing to sit at the table with those you disagree with?
I hope this blog post helps you in working with those you might disagree with. Let’s decide to live with the following in our hearts “Unity Over Self.” ~OC
Today’s a new day! Let’s face our fears with bold courage. Let’s fully embrace life, whether young or old. Let’s stand tall, let our light be bright, shining through the darkest moments. Let’s live with strength, never yielding. Let courage conquer and truth reveal. ~OC
Today’s a new day! Walking through the tough moments of life requires what I call quiet strength. This is a strength that allows us to get back up when life knocks us down. This is a strength that allows us to hold on when we want to let go. This is a strength that powers through when it would be easier to quit. This quiet strength isn’t always pretty, but it’s strong. This quiet strength will leave scars. But the beautiful thing about this quiet strength is that it never gives up.
The life that God has called you to live requires a quiet strength and a deep down in the soul determination to keep pushing forward. To keep fighting.
This quiet strength from God defies logic and can grow in the most unlikely people. Like you and me.
So today, allow that quiet strength to guide you through another day. Don’t give up. Dig deep and keep living. Keep thriving.
Today, draw strength from God and keep living out the purpose he has planned for your life. ~OC
Today’s a new day!
When the nights are long and sleep is a distant memory and your days are full of dark cloudy memories, I will be here for you
When the world feels like it’s moving a million miles an hour and you want to jump off, I will be here for you
When the world seems to have forgotten you and moved on, I will be here for you
When the doctors give you little hope your friends can’t be found, I will be here for you
When you feel alone in this broken and dark world, I will be here for you
When the rest of the world calls you crazy because you go against the grain, I will be here for you
When you decide to question everything you been taught and your friends and church question your faith, I will be here for you
When your lifestyle doesn’t align with those of your family and friends, I will be here for you
When you decide to speak up and be bold, I will be here for you
When the rest of the world misses out on your beauty and promise, I will be here for you
When you need to laugh or cry, I will be here for you
When the world thinks your ideals are but a pipe dream, I will be here for you
When your journey takes you down a winding and uncertain road, I will be here for you
When you need a second or hundredth chance, I will be here for you
You never have to walk this journey alone, I will walk with you anyway you need me to
I never want to miss a chance to show you, I will always be here for you
It’s gonna be okay, I will be here for you
I’ll be here, I’ll be here
Anyway you need
I’ll be here for you
~OC
Today’s a new day! Harsh words, can bring heavy storms and division. Loving words spoken softly, bring peace and mend the soul. Kind words act as a bridge to a better world. Love’s gentle touch, forever sustains us through the storms. Healing hearts bring us peace and joy. Be part of putting the broken pieces back together again. ~OC
Today’s a new day! We are a few days removed from the 2024 election. So as Christians, how should we handle what was a contentious political season moving forward? Here are three things I believe as Christian we should do moving forward:
1). Be Careful With Your Communications: Guard your words and actions. Including what is shared on social media. (Check out Galatians 5:26, Job 31:29-30, Romans 12:15, Ephesians 4:3). We need to ask ourselves the following question before speaking or posting something on social media. Are our words or post bringing a sense of unity or disunity? Our words and post should follow the words found in Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”
2). As Christians We Must Put Our Faith In God: This should not be just a tired old cliché. As Christians we must remember to never put our hope or trust in a political party or candidate. (Check out Psalm 146:3-5, Jeremiah 17:5-7, Psalm 118:8-9, Isaiah 2:22). We need to trust God during these moments because we know who He is. God is unchanging as Malachi 3:6 reminds us, “For I the LORD do not change;utherefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.”
3). Live With A Eternal Perspective: My Dear Brothers and Sisters, we must always live our lives with an eternal perspective. Remember we are just passing through. This world whether you’re a Democrat, Republican or Independent is not our home. Living with that mindset gives us a proper view of what is happening around us in this broken world. (Check out Philippians 3:20-21, Colossians 3:1-2, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, Romans 8:18).
Please know, I am not wearing a pair of rose colored glasses. I realize the United States and the world are dealing with some major issues. Sadly, we live in a divided and broken world. I realize there are days we all just want to stay under the covers in our comfortable and safe beds. But God did not call us to hide under our covers. No, He called us to be lights in a dark and lost world. We need to pray for our political leaders as hard as that might be to do (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Pray that God would guide their hearts, words, steps and actions. We must also pray that God would give each of us His strength, courage, wisdom and boldness to stand up for what’s right. That we would not conform to the ways of this world (Romans 12:2). I may not be wearing rose colored glasses, but I will choose to put on my love glasses as I venture out into the world or jump on social media. Stay grounded. Stay focused. Let your light shine. ~OC
Today’s a new day! You may not realize it or feel it now, but you inspire people just by being you. It may seem what you’re going through right now is too overwhelming, but your breakthrough is coming. You have touched so many lives. So today is not the day to give up. Because there is somebody out there that needs your smile, your laughter and your encouraging words. They need you. So today, I want you to keeping fighting, to keep pushing through those tough moments. I want to encourage you that these hard days are just temporary. This journey called life is not always easy, but it’s worth living. Even through those tough moments. Life is better with you in it. I pray your day is filled with amazing moments and God’s blessings. ~OC
Today’s a new day! The election is over…now what? ~OC
Our nation has spent the last few years tearing each other apart. Now, as the 2024 election results have been tabulated and Donald Trump will become the 47th president of the United States of America, we have a tough task staring us in the face. We must pull ourselves together as one nation. We must make the choice to reach across the aisle and find a way to work together.
That family member, friend or neighbor that you exchanged unflattering names with is still in your life today. Nobody is moving out of the country. Or the house. So will we continue to flip them “the bird” or will we extend a hand and find a way to carry on in a loving and respectful way?
As I write this blog post, the American people have spoken. Half of America will wake up celebrating this morning and the other half will want to stay under the covers. So this Wednesday morning we have a new President-Elect, many laws and amendments have been passed or rejected.
So the political commercials are over, no more political phone calls /text or political rallies. So, now what?
During times like this we tend to turn to music to soothe our souls and help us through the uncertain times of life. Here is the chorus to the 1985 classic That’s What Friends Are For:
Keep smilin’, keep shinin’
Knowing you can always count on me for sure
That’s what friends are for
For good times and bad times
I’ll be on your side forever more
That’s what friends are for
One of the challenges of relationships is disagreement. Yesterday, those disagreements were not settled in a voting booth. But today, it’s time to move forward and return to being civilized neighbors and friends. If we cannot manage that, we will have lost the ability to be caring and respectful human beings.
Today, I will continue to pray for America. Today, I will continue to stand up and speak out for what’s right. Today, I will continue to respect those I disagree with. Today, I will continue to look at what unites us over what divides us. Today, I will continue to choose love over hate. I will probably not be perfect in that area. But I will surely try.
Do I have concerns about the future of America? Yes, I do. But I will continue to use the power of the written word to share my concerns and challenge others to speak out. I will not be silent.
But today, as I turn to my family, friends and neighbors the words of singer/songwriter Randy Newman come to mind:
“When the road looks rough ahead
And you’re miles and miles
From your nice warm bed
You just remember what your old pal said
Boy, you’ve got a friend in me
Yeah, you’ve got a friend in me.”
Today’s a new day! Well, it’s finally here. After months of political ads, speeches, debates and political rallies, it’s finally Election Day. In a few hours, or possibly a few weeks we will have a new president. But sadly, this election and the last few elections have divided America. Everyone has their opinions and sometimes are not open to other points of view.
In our current political climate, it seems almost impossible for anyone to cross party aisles. And if our elected officials cannot bring themselves to be open-minded to opposing views, what hope is there for the rest of us? Navigating a relationship with a family member or friend who has different political views than you do isn’t easy. But it can be done. It will take some hard work and open minds, but we can walk away from the 2024 election still loving our family and friends. Here are a few steps we can take to make sure our relationships are intact after today’s vote.
Be Curious: Ask questions. Take the time to find out about why someone thinks the way they do and share your experiences. We do not need to be condescending when sharing our political points of view. Do not make people feel stupid if they have questions. Instead, encourage them to continue asking questions. This is how we get to know each other. Our differences should be something we celebrate. Not demonize.
Listen: It’s easy to tell yourself you are open-minded. But when your family member or friend has an entirely different political viewpoint you may find yourself wanting to defend your beliefs instead of listening to theirs. It’s important to resist that impulse. If you’re taking the time to sit down and discuss a certain topic, both of you need to be really present in the conversation. Distractions should be kept to a minimum as you engage in conversation.
So how do you and your loved ones actively listen to each other? One way to do this is by reiterating the point you just heard them make by saying “This is what I heard you say, am I correct?”. This allows your family member/friend to confirm this or correct themselves if it didn’t come across in the way they hoped it would. In return, your family/friend should offer you the same courtesy. The whole point of a discussion is to see how someone arrived at their opinion; Arguing over why their opinion is wrong is not.
Monitor Your Reaction: When you are having a spirited conversation about political differences that you know both you and your family/friend are passionate about, there are ways to ensure that the discussion will not get heated. Before jumping in, take some time to organize your thoughts. By allowing yourself to take a breath you lessen the risk of saying something angry and disrespectful. If there is a point when voices are being raised or volatility is starting to take over, that’s your cue to take a timeout and return to the discussion when you are both level-headed enough to continue. Even a simple “Hey, this is important and I want to talk about it, but I’m feeling pretty upset right now. Maybe we can talk tomorrow?” can make a huge difference.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T: It’s more than a Aretha Franklin song. There is nothing wrong with questioning your beliefs. Although, to be honest, it can be terrifying when it happens.
We allow ourselves to be open to new ideas when we question what we originally thought we knew. Though, keep in mind, your family/friend should never force their beliefs on you. A supportive family member or friend would never try to influence your opinions. Instead, they would tell you this is how they see an issue and that how you process that information is up to you.
There you go. Not every relationship can survive political differences. Sadly, that’s just part of life. However, if you find yourself in a conversation with a family member or friend with different political beliefs or opinions than you, open and honest communication is going to be more important than ever. Do not be afraid to talk to each other about your opinions and ask questions if you want to know more. The key is to always be respectful of each other’s thoughts and feelings. After all, love has no political affiliations. ~OC
The Blessed Overcomer 