Today’s a new day!! The brightness of our light is not determined by how loud we talk, how big our platform is or how famous we are. No, the brightness of our light is determined by how loud our behavior speaks. The consistency of the decisions we make. Our commitment to truly follow Jesus and serve others. The decision to do the right thing regardless of what the world thinks. How bright is your light? ~OC
It’s About Love
Today’s a new day! Life is about people. Loving and serving others with the love of Jesus. It’s not all about the big gatherings at church or some other big gathering. No, it’s about truly loving our family, friends, coworkers, neighbors or the stranger at the store. ~OC
Come Home
Today is Easter. I love Resurrection Sunday. A day to celebrate the Risen King. This year for the first time in many years, I will not be at church celebrating this beautiful day. No, because of the effects of Covid and double pneumonia, I will be watching Easter service online at home. I know a lot of people are also walking through their own storms on this Easter Sunday. So I want to try and encourage you this morning with a few thoughts.
I know it can be hard to find rest when you cannot find peace. I know it can be hard to find rest when there is so much turmoil raging in your life. The weight of those storms make you feel like you are drowning. The pain from those storms are breaking your heart and spirit. Life seems overwhelming. The stress feels overwhelming. The anxiety feels overwhelming. The pain feels overwhelming. The emptiness feels overwhelming. The depression feels overwhelming. The struggle is real. Life is hard. But there is Hope.
During the times when life seems overwhelming, I want to encourage you to run to Jesus. The One who hung on a Cross and laid in a tomb for three days. The One who died for all of those storms and struggles we face. The One who is patiently waiting for us to come to him and lay all our burdens down at his feet. Today is Easter. The day Christians around the world celebrate the resurrection of the One who gave it all for us. I can think of no better day to come home to The One who is waiting with open arms.
Let me be honest before I finish. Just because you lay all your junk at the feet of Jesus, does not mean all that junk immediately goes away. Sorry for that truth. But I can guarantee you, when you decide to turn over all that junk to Him, your life will be filled with a beautiful Peace. Your life will be filled with new Hope. New Purpose. You will still have days filled with raging storms, but you will not be walking through those storms alone. No, you will have a risen King walking with you. A risen King holding your hand. A risen King guiding your steps. A risen King making a way for you during those storms of life. So I encourage you to come home today. To find rest in the Risen King. ~OC
Living Out God’s Journey
Today’s a new day! Becoming a Christian is more than a one time decision. It’s more than waiting to die with a ticket to Heaven in our hand. No, becoming a believer in Christ is about experiencing Him here and now. To live out a beautiful creative journey.
Living out this God journey actually means believing and truly living out the scriptures. Not just the scriptures we like.
Living out this God journey actually means loving our neighbors. All of our neighbors.
Living this God journey actually means serving all people. Not just the people we deem worthy.
Living out this God journey actually means living in God’s love and unity. Not being separated by the color of our skin, denominations, political parties or anything else that tries to separate us.
Living out this God journey actually means we can have opposing opinions without having division. Being able to listen without judgment or prejudice.
God never said this beautiful journey would be easy. It will take a lot of patience, constructive conversations, listening, wisdom, love, healing and grace. But I personally believe God wants us to experience him in a beautiful creative way, right here on planet earth. ~OC
Endure the Trials
Life is full of trials. My life has been marked by health issues. I have walked a 18 year journey of multiple life threatening health issues. But I have endured.
During these trials, I have been helped by the truth that Jesus endured his own suffering and trials. Scripture tells us that great joy gripped Jesus when he looked ahead to what his suffering on the Cross would accomplish. Jesus endured all that suffering knowing he was completing the will of his Father. Jesus endured the suffering on the Cross, knowing the joy his resurrection would bring for generations to come. We are still living in the joy of His resurrection in 2021. And most importantly, Jesus endured the pain of the Cross for the joy of one day being able to present his redeemed sons and daughters before his Father.
The suffering Jesus endured on the Cross was not a joyful experience. As we read in scripture, the pain was excruciating. But Jesus was able to endure. When we walk through the trials of life, we can lean into the promises of Jesus and endure. ~OC
Reach Out
Good Morning! God put this on my heart this morning. ~OC
By its very nature, adversity brings uncertainty, confusion and isolation. It is difficult to talk about these things, and so many who suffer feel they need to bear their burdens alone.
When we are walking through the storms of life, we need our brothers and sisters in Christ. Through our own suffering we have witnessed in the lives of others, how profoundly we need one another as followers of Christ.
Since the beginning of time, we see the importance of family, friends and groups coming together to serve and love each other.
And let us not neglect our meeting together,
as some people do,
but encourage one another,
especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Hebrews 10:25
Amazing Grace
Today’s a new day! Remember hearing the word Grace after becoming a follower of Jesus? Oh how it stirred my emotions. Do you remember how sweet it was to sing about God’s Amazing Grace? Does God’s Grace still move you to truly love your neighbors? Does God’s Amazing Grace still move you to thankfulness? Does God’s Amazing Grace still lead you to tears? Are your emotions still moved when you sing that beautiful song Amazing Grace and reflect on God’s beautiful promises? ~OC
God’s Tears
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
Hello Christian
Let us take a walk to your local mall and take a survey. No, not the Census. The survey we are going to take is much more important than the Census. Here we go.
The good thing about our survey is there is only one question. That’s right. We traveled to the mall to ask one question. I believe it’s a pretty important question. Here we go. The one survey question we are asking fellow shoppers is “What Do Think About Christians?” What would be their response?
Group A:
Would they say Christians are such loving people?
Would they say Christians are such giving people?
Would they say Christians are such forgiving people?
Would they say, I wish I could learn more about having a relationship with Jesus?
Group B:
Christians are against everything.
Christians are judgmental.
Christians are angry.
Christians are racist.
Christians are hypocrites.
Let me asked my brothers and sisters in Christ a question. If you personally did this survey, would you end up in Group A or B? I pray my brothers and sisters will take the time to honestly answer this question. Because the way you answer this question could change the world for better or worse.
“So I give you a new commandment: Love each other just as much as I have loved you. For when you demonstrate the same love I have for you by loving one another, everyone will know that you’re my true followers.” ~John 13:34-35
Living With Hope During The Storm
Life is hard. I think we can all agree on that one. We are either experiencing a storm, coming out of a storm or getting reading to enter a storm. Can I get an Amen? That is how life tends to work for most of us. So how can we find Hope during or after the storm? Here are a few things that have helped me as I walk through my own crazy beautiful journey.
God Is In Control. I know sometimes that is hard to fathom, when we are in the middle of the storm or dealing with the aftermath of a storm. But if God is in control during the good times, that means He must be in control during the rough times. Also, if God is God, then nothing good or bad happens apart from His knowledge. One of my favorite scriptures and one that has helped guide me through my almost 18 year crazy beautiful health journey is 2 Corinthians 1:8-9:
For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.
God Never Forsakes Us. Sometimes that is hard to believe when we are walking in the middle of the storm. It can appear that God has left us to find our own way. We have all faced those moments in life. The poor diagnosis, the broken relationship or the lose of a loved one. But God promises us in His word that he will always be with us. One scripture that has given me comfort during my own journey is Deuteronomy 31:8:
It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.
God’s Timing. I used to use the old Christianize, God is always right on time all the time. But during my health journey, I have started looking at this in a different way. When I used to use that phrase, I felt like I am saying that God had left my side at some point during my journey. I truly believe God’s timing is always perfect, because He never leaves us. *Just a side note. I do not have a problem with people using the phrase. This was just me sharing my perspective. Sometimes I still find myself saying it.
I pray these words will encourage you as you walk through the storms of life. God wants us to seek Him during the good and bad times. He is always there for us. We just have to reach out to Him. ~OC
The Blessed Overcomer 