Tag: Scriptures

Gratitude

Today’s a new day! Here is another “Lost Writings From OC.” This was written in 2022.~OC

When life is easy, gratitude is easy. But not in the storms. Not in the worried nights when anxiety is overwhelming us. Not in the hospital when pacing the floors hoping for good news. Gratitude hinges on our willingness to accept God’s will over our own. Accepting that He is in control, and we can trust Him.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, we see God’s instruction to always be thankful: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

In the storms of life, God is our only hope. His faithfulness and His goodness are present even during the darkest moments. It might not happen immediately, but thankfulness grows as we cling to Him. We are grateful not only for the joys of restored health, restored relationships and overcoming grief, but for the sorrows that brought us to a place of utter dependence on Jesus.

Today, before your day gets too busy with meetings and a to do list to get through, take some time to reflect on what God has done in your life. Offer gratitude not only for the “easy-sailing” blessings, but also for the lessons learned during the storms.

Dear God, thank You not only for Your countless blessings, but for the challenges that draw us near to You. For the lessons learned during the storm. Thank You for the hard moments when You gave us the strength to wait out the storm. You are so good. Whatever storms come into our lives, You are our Rock and our Shelter. Thank You for Your light that surrounds us, and Your love that never fails. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Let Love Flow

Today’s a new day! Here is another “Lost Writings of OC.” This was written back in 2023.

“Love overlooks the mistakes of others, but dwelling on the failures of others devastates friendships.” ~Proverbs 17:9

Jesus said that “your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:35)

One way of showing love is forgiving people’s fault. Even if they chose to hurt you on purpose.

Forgiveness can be difficult, but when we consider what God did through Jesus Christ, in that He made allowances for our faults before we made them, we should be able to find a place in our hearts to forgive.

So today, let us take time to search our hearts and make the decision to let love flow. To let love prosper. To make the choice to forgive. Today, let love win! ~OC

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Walking Through The Unknown

Today’s a new day! Here is another “Lost Writings of OC.” This was written in 2018. I hope and pray it will bring you some encouragement. ~OC

Have you had moments in life, that you allowed fear to overwhelm you? Those moments where you just crawled under the covers because the fear had become too much for you to handle. I think we have all had moments of fear to some degree.

I remember when my health first started to fail me. Fear decided to pay me a little visit. Even though I do not remember it, my wife Laura shared I started giving some of my possessions away. The one thing I do remember about that period of time is, I opened my Bible and this familiar passage jumped off the pages:

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” (Isaiah 43:1-2)

As I read each word slowly, God showed me something I’d never seen: My fears were like flames and my efforts to protect myself were like gasoline. Every attempt to ease my fears was like dousing fuel on the fire, and now it was consuming me.

Gently, the Holy Spirit reminded me of 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

Suddenly, I knew the only way to overcome my fear and walk in faith was to walk through what most of us fear the most. The Unknown. At that time and even today, I have no idea what my future holds health wise, but thankfully I know who holds my future in his hands. I am often reminded of this scripture: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

I had to make the decision to put fear away and walk through this health journey trusting God, realizing that even if my worst fears came true, He would still be with me.

Obviously, that doesn’t mean I no longer have moments of fear creep into my life. I am human after all. But in those moments, instead of letting fear overwhelm me I open my Bible and allow God’s words to flow over me. I lift my prayers up to God and asked for him to help me overcome whatever fear is trying to steal my peace. As I do these two things, I begin to feel that fear wash away.

In this long crazy beautiful health journey, I have learned that fear loses its power when we actively trust God more than what we fear.

Today, ask God to show you what you are afraid of. What is paralyzing your faith and keeping you from living confidently in His peace and freedom? And then make the choice to allow God to help you walk courageously through your fears, holding God’s hand and trusting His heart to lead, protect and preserve you each step of the way.

Dear God, help us walk through our fears by facing them instead of being paralyzed by them. We want to take Your hand and trust Your heart with all that is within us. Give us courage today to take the first step. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

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A Prayer for America

Today’s a new day! Dear God, my heart grieves for America. Your word tells us that any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall (Luke 11:17). Our nation is so divided, and it pains me to think of our country falling. But I know we cannot stand without you at the center.

We know we must honor you, recognize you as Lord and Savior. We must acknowledge our shortcomings and failures. We must be willing to surrender to you, to follow the plans you have for us. As a whole, our country has fallen away, turned our backs on you.

But, for the sake of the faithful remnant, we call on you to be merciful to us. You know there are those who continue to choose you, who continue to truly seek your face. You know there are faithful ones who truly desire to honor you, to point the world back to you. For the sake of the faithful ones, hear our prayers and save our nation.

This world continues to grow darker. We know the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Corinthians 1:18), but we continue to cling to the old rugged cross. We know it is only because of the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ, that we have forgiveness and can enter into your presence.

As the world grows darker, we have an opportunity to let our lights shine brighter, to let your light shine through us to illuminate the darkness. May we reflect your goodness and grace for all the world to see. May we be purified as silver so the world sees an accurate reflection of you.

America has become such a hotbed of dissension. I pray that we, as Christians, would lead the way in putting aside our differences and learning to listen to those with whom we disagree. My dearest brothers and sisters take this to heart: Be quick to listen, slow to speak. And be slow to become angry, for human anger is never a legitimate tool to promote God’s righteous purpose. So this why we abandon everything morally impure and all forms of wicked conduct. Instead, with sensitive spirit we absorb God’s Word, which has been implanted within our nature, for the Word of Life has power to continually deliver us. (James 1:19-21)

Help us to be wise in the way we conduct ourselves, in the way we live our lives. May we remember, it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense. (Proverbs 19:11)

May we set our hearts and minds on things above, not on earthly temporal matters.  Because we are your chosen people, holy and dearly loved, help us clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. May we bear with each other and forgive one another… as the Lord forgave us. And over all these virtues may we put on love, which binds us all together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3:12-14)

I pray we would focus completely on you so your perfect peace will rule in our hearts, since as members of one body we were called to peace. And help us to be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among us richly, as we sing to God with gratitude in our hearts. And whatever we do, whether in word or deed, may we do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:15-17)

In this day and age where people freely say whatever they think, whatever they feel, I pray we as Christ-followers would remember the importance of speaking words of life and hope. Help us remember that if we consider ourselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on our tongues, we deceive ourselves, and our religion is worthless. May we show the world true religion that you accept as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep ourselves from being polluted by the world. (James 1:19-20)

Don’t let our faith be dead. Instead, help us show our faith by our actions. May we reach out to those who are hurting, those who are in need. May we be the hands and feet of Christ, meeting the physical needs of those around us. May we share your love by giving to those around us, by proving our faith through our actions. Never let us be all talk with no action.

Father, we long to see your face, to see your hand of grace and mercy over us. See our hearts as we bow before you. See our longing to know you better.

May your remnant, your people, who are called by your name, humble ourselves and pray and seek your face and turn from our wicked ways, so you will hear from heaven, and forgive our sin and heal our land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Help us all to put away politics, and join together and pray your blessings over America. Pour out your spirit of wisdom and reconciliation to our political leaders. Give them a heart that longs to seek you, to follow you. Give our political leaders a desire to sit with those who think differently, who have different agendas, and to listen, to find common ground, to find ways to bridge the gap and move forward together.

Dear God, we pray for unity within America. We don’t always understand why things happen as they do, but we do know you are still in control. May we commit to praying for each of our leaders, for our country, each and every day. May we commit to doing our part to bring unity wherever our journey takes us.

Dear God, we are yours. Hear our prayers, our pleas, for healing in our nation. We know it can only come through you, through your mercies which are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness! ~OC

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Leaning and Learning

Today’s a new day! As I continue to run this crazy beautiful health journey, I want to continue sharing some wisdom and life lessons with you. I pray they will challenge and encourage at least one person.

Today’s Lesson: Leaning and Learning

There’s nothing wrong with looking to others for advice when it comes to our spiritual growth, but just as in life, there comes a time in our road to maturity where we need to assume responsibility for our own relationship with Christ.

The truth is, we will never outgrow the wisdom of seeking advice from others, but there is a difference between leaning on and learning from others and not being mature enough to take responsibility for oneself.

If we are going to truly thrive and not just barely survive, I believe there are at least three lessons that can help us to take responsibility for our Christian life:

1). Constantly renewing our love relationship with Jesus.

2). Being in community with others.

3). Growing in our understanding of who Jesus is, primarily through growing in our understanding of Scripture so that we are not mislead by false teaching, the enemy, or our own preconceived ideas.

I will not take the time to break each of these lessons down, but we must constantly be renewing our love relationship with Jesus. And I believe these three lessons can help us do that.

As I was writing this post, I was reminded of the story of the foolish husband who mentioned to his wife, “Why do you always ask if I love you? I told you during our wedding vows that I did, and I will let know if that ever changes.” Just like any relationship, our relationship with Jesus needs continual expression of our love for him and reminders of his love for us. Jesus probably doesn’t need the constant reminders, but we certainly do. ~OC

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”~Romans 12:1-2

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Just Dance

Today’s a new day! As I continue to run this crazy beautiful health journey, I want to continue sharing some wisdom and life lessons with you. I pray they will challenge and encourage at least one person.

Today’s Lesson: Dance Through the Journey

Life might not be the journey we hoped for, but while we are here, we might as well dance.

One of the first things I would encourage anyone currently walking through a life you didn’t necessarily choose is to Embrace the Journey.

Grasping this approach to life is something I have been working on as I dance my way through this crazy beautiful health journey.

But twenty-three years into this health journey, I still don’t have it down — but thankfully I am further along than I used to be. Praise God.

As I have spoken to many different people during my journey, I have found so many people live life with the following beliefs:


“Once I get through (fill in the blank), then I’ll have time for … “


“When my children are grown and out of the house then I can really … “


“If only I were (fill in the blank — more creative, more outgoing, healthy …) then …”

Most people are living for the future and not making the most of the present.

Most people are waiting for the perfect time, when everything is in order.

Where did we get the idea that would ever be possible?

I’m not sure, but I believe so many times we get caught up in looking at other people’s lives on social media or what we see in the media. If only our life looked like….

We are bombarded with messages that life is all about the pursuit of happiness and the perfect life.

But scripture bears witness to a different reality. We are told to expect trials and count it all joy; that God’s grace is sufficient in our weakness; and even that joy itself is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

During this health journey, I have found life is not about the pursuit of happiness… It is about joy in the pursuit of God.

It’s about embracing the journey God has called us to for the time He has called us to do it, in the circumstances He has placed us in.

It’s about trusting Him to lead us and leaning on His Spirit to grow the fruit of joy and peace within our souls.

It’s about choosing contentment in spite of the storms.

That’s not always easy.
It does not come naturally.
It requires intention, discipline, and discernment.
But God.

God who calls us to be content is the ONE who equips us to choose joy.

Praise His holy name!

Keep Dancing! ~OC

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Along the Journey

Today’s a new day! As I continue to run this crazy beautiful health journey, I want to continue sharing some wisdom and life lessons with you. I pray they will challenge and encourage at least one person.

Twenty-three years ago, I sat in a sterile doctors office as the doctor shared I would probably be dead within five years. As I have continued running this crazy beautiful health journey, I have heard similar predictions from many doctors. Today as I write these words, my prognosis is not great. But as I write these words, I laugh a little because God continues to let me thrive in life despite the poor diagnosis. Throughout the past twenty-three years, God has answered the prayers of many. He continues to give me a reprieve. God continues to work miracles.

During the past twenty-three years of this crazy beautiful health journey, I have learned many lessons. I thought I would share a few.

I have learned to not fear death, but anticipate it with joy.

I love the words of the Apostle Paul,

“As it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” ~Philippians 1:20-21

I believe most Christians do not fear going to be with Jesus. It’s the pain and suffering that often precedes death that makes us a little uneasy. But I think as Christians, we tend to look at it the wrong way. Most of us think that we are in the land of the living en route to the land of the dying. But nothing could be farther from the truth. If we know Jesus, we are in the land of the dying traveling to the land of the living. I have experienced amazing peace during my hardest days. I have felt contentment and surrender wash over me.

Be brave. When I open my eyes each morning, I hear God singing these words to my heart.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” ~Psalm 27:1

Most days , I deal with a lot of pain, weakness, nausea and horrible headaches. But each morning, I make the choice to get up and look forward to all that God has planned for me that day. Now that doesn’t mean I do not have rough days. I definitely do. That is why I always try to share the good and not so good parts of my journey. But I look at others who are suffering more than me and see how they do not complain and are living life with a beautiful sense of joy. I figure if they can face the pain with faith, so can I.

Let God’s Word empower you.

Speak it. Pray it. Sing it. Envision it. The more you allow God’s word to feed your soul, the stronger your spirit becomes. When I am feeling too weak to do anything, I open God’s word or listen to praise music to help me through those tough moments.

I love what the psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:92-93:

“If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life.” ~Psalm 119:92-93

Remember. Be grateful. Be glad. 

As I have faced this health journey, Laura and I have decided to continue traveling and making precious memories. On the really tough days, I look at those pictures and re-live those beautiful moments. I feel so blessed to connect with friends old and new, with family, with former classmates and everyone I have met on this amazing life journey God continues to let me live. All I can do is smile. Well, I cannot really smile that well these days, but I try.

The Apostle Paul shared the following words while sitting in a prison cell:

“For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God,” ~1 Thessalonians 3:9

Embrace each precious moment. 

I have learned to not leave any words unsaid. Hug the people you love (or fist bump). To share and give freely. Leverage your time and energy for God’s purpose.

Over the past twenty-three years, I have faced death many, many times, but God allows me to keep standing. During this journey, I have learned what really matters in life: my relationship with God, my family/friends, serving others and not waiting for the perfect time to make amazing memories.

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” ~2 Corinthians 4:16-18

When life gets dark, the glory of God shines brighter. I am not afraid of the valley of the shadow of death, because He is with me….closer than I could have ever imagined! ~OC

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The Day After Easter

Today’s a new day! It’s the day after Easter. It is easy to get busy with the next thing on our list or start planning for the next holiday on the calendar. But I encourage us all to not forget about Easter and do our best to keep Easter alive.

The magnificent sounds of the trumpets, organ, bagpipes, all the other instruments, and, of course, the choirs, are still ringing faintly in our ears. The colors and aroma of the beautiful Easter flowers are pleasant, but fading, memories. The company has gone home, or perhaps you yourself have returned from visiting friends and family. It was a wonderful, and beautiful weekend. But now it’s Monday and we are exhausted, weary, and perhaps feeling the effects of stress from such a busy weekend. Now it’s time to get back to the grind of another week. So much on the to do list.

It’s only been a few hours since we were together for sunrise service or in a full church service shouting “He is Risen Indeed!” We felt good and confident that, for a few moments, everything in our life seemed to be okay.  Collectively we had a sense that whatever challenges we may face in the next few days, we could come out ahead. God seemed closer and more real than he has in months, if not years.

And now it’s Monday, the day after…
We aren’t sure what the disciples did on the Monday after.  Maybe they stayed together celebrating the news of the resurrection, while keeping a low profile in case soldiers or religious leaders came looking for them. We can’t be sure what they did on the day after Easter except we know that their lives were never the same. The men who had been so timid and fearful were now becoming courageous and brave. Their moments without faith were forgiven and their new mission was becoming very clear. Easter became such a huge part of their lives that nothing would ever be the same again.

For most people the day after Easter will seem like any other day. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can keep the joy of Easter alive not just today or this week but much, much longer. Let the spirit of God fill you with faith and the certainty that hope and optimism are yours through Jesus Christ.

Do not allow the day after Easter to take away the encouragement and optimism and hope you felt and knew on Easter Sunday. The tomb was empty and as you face whatever challenges that may come your way just go back in your mind to that empty tomb. There is real power and hope and optimism there. ~OC

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. ~Psalm 42:11

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Resurrection Sunday!

On Friday morning, Jesus was crucified. On Saturday, the disciples and all who loved Jesus mourned his death. Everyone thought it was over with. It was finished! But thankfully, we know the whole story.

The first Easter Sunday Mary Magdalene and some other women who followed Jesus went to Jesus’ tomb. The tomb was empty and two angels were there. They asked the women a question we read in Luke 24:5-7:

“Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ 

These women had seen Jesus die on the cross. They knew he had died. What a question-“why do you look for the living among the dead?”

Jesus defeated death for us. His resurrection is proof that when he died for our sins, it accomplished the plan of God.

Jesus lives! He is alive on his throne in heaven and one day he will return.

Because he lives, we can face the problems of this life. Because he lives, we can face tomorrow whatever it brings. Because he lives, we have hope in any situation.

Happy Resurrection Sunday! ~OC

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