Tag: Thankful

Take a Moment

Today’s a New Day! Here is a challenge for the day.

Take a moment to just stop and take a deep breath.

Take a moment to thank God for the air in your lungs.

Take a moment to count your blessings and remember the number of blessings doesn’t matter. Embrace every blessing. Big or small.

Take a moment to look back on your life and see how far God has brought you.

Take a moment to just stop and take in God’s amazing creation.

Take a moment to capture all the blessings around you.

Today, just take a moment. ~OC

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Things I Love

Today’s a new day! As I sit in my hospital room receiving treatments and there being more questions than answers, I started reflecting on life and everything going on around the world. And the conclusion I came up with… the world is a mess.

Do not stop reading yet. This is not going to be a post about all the negative things going on around the world. That would be too easy to write about and very depressing. No, today I am going to share about things that I love and that make me happy. So, here we go.

I love hearing my bride Laura’s voice and seeing her face the first thing in the morning. I love making memories with my bride and making her laugh. I love God. I love hanging out with good friends. I love my family and friends. I love puppies. I love watching manatees. I love sports. I love 80’s music. I love a great movie. I love reading a book that I cannot put down. I love seeing old couples still holding hands. I love hearing babies laugh. I love seeing people overcome great obstacles. I love seeing people laugh and be happy.

I love watching planes fly over and wondering where they’re headed. I love laughing for no particular reason. I love encouraging people. I love walking through a bookstore. I love history. I love visiting museums and historical places. I love to daydream. I love lighthouses. I love my quiet time with God. I love hearing the rain at night. I love the quiet of the morning before the rest of the world wakes up.

I love people watching. I love to pray for people. I love the theatre. I love shopping for running shoes. I love a great t-shirt. I love meeting new people. I love reminiscing about days gone by. I love my medical team past and present. I love a large cup of ice tea with extra ice. I love loving people and being loved. I love still being in awe of God’s creation.

I love watching and listening to birds with my bride. I love a road trip. I love thinking about friends from my school days and thankful I am still in touch with many of them. I love thinking about the ones I have lost touch with and hope they’re living amazing lives. I love that laughter is more contagious than the flu. I love hearing about answered prayers. I love watching people succeed in life. I love cruises. I love hanging out with positive people. I love receiving cards in the mail.

I love watching people pull over on the side of the road to take pictures of a beautiful rainbow. I love old churches and buildings. I love small towns. I love beautiful sunrises. I love amazing sunsets. I love taking pictures. I love the Fall and Winter seasons. I love making up songs. I love singing in the car.

I love mornings. I love a great diner. I love city life. I love watching the ocean. I love sitting on a porch in the mountains. I love old houses. I love a cup of hot chocolate made with milk not water. I love to learn new things. I love hearing a great sermon. I love to write. I love great conversations. I love when people are respectful and kind.

I love all of you for caring enough to read this post. What does your love list look like? ~OC

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Grounded in Hope

Today’s a new day! I am temporarily ending my break from social media and my blog to share the following. ~OC

I was admitted into the hospital this past Monday. After not feeling well for the past few weeks, my medical team shared I was in the middle of a Myasthenic Crisis. This can be very dangerous and deadly for a patient with Myasthenia Gravis. So I am spending the week in the hospital receiving treatments. This week and everything leading up to it have not been easy, but I have found Hope in the midst of the storm. The following is what God has been sharing with me this week.

As we walk through this journey called life, we will face moments on the mountaintop and in the valleys.

We will experience moments of peace and days of trials and tribulations.

There are some things in life we can control, but there are a lot of things in life that are totally out of our control.

I cannot control that my body is being destroyed by multiple health issues, but I can choose to live with Hope as the waves crash around me.

I am not sure what kind of storm you’re currently experiencing, but it does not have the final say. Jesus does. Each day He gives up a Hope that will never fade.

This week as I sit in this hospital room, I am reminded of these beautiful words:

When darkness veils his lovely face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil

His oath, his covenant, his blood
Supports me in the ‘whelming flood
When all around my soul gives way
He then is all my hope and stay

On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand

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Truly Living

Today’s a new day! Are you just merely existing in this journey called life?

As I look around me, I see so many people who are just walking through the motions of everyday life, but they are not truly living life. They are not embracing it. For whatever ever reason they have stopped living before their hearts stopped beating. 

As I have walked this crazy beautiful health journey for the past twenty-three years, I have learned that living a meaningful life has nothing to do with how much money you have in the bank or the materialistic things that you may possess. To truly live has nothing to do with your status in life.

To truly live life is to appreciate everything that you are. To live your life being aware of all your shortcomings but still loving yourself. To understand that those imperfections are part of who you are. To realize that you do not need to change anything about yourself to just impress others. Make changes because they make you a better person. To understand that you are far from perfect but you are unique. There is only one of you walking on this earth. To truly live is to be happy with the person that God uniquely created…You.

To truly live life means to take that trip now, instead of waiting for the right time. The right time is now. A lot can happen in life between now and the right time. Choose to embrace adventure now.

To truly live life means to be in the present, to live in the moment and not waste your time dwelling on the past, or what could have been. To let go of what has happened and focus on what you can do right now to live a better life. To be a better person.

To truly live means to appreciate everything around you. To take time to watch the sunrise or sunset, listen to the birds singing, sit by the ocean or call up some friends to get together to just celebrate living.

To truly live life is to be okay expressing your feelings. To accept that sometimes we need to laugh, cry or scream. To allow yourself to grieve and heal.

To truly live life is to appreciate each moment. To find awesomeness and wander in every day life. To make the choice to get up every day and try to make the best of every day because you don’t know if you’ll be here tomorrow. To try and learn something from each of your life experiences.

To truly live life is to spend time with friends and loved ones. To surround yourself with those that encourage, challenge and inspire you to live your best life.

To truly live life is to find your purpose and live it out. To chase after your hopes and dreams and then go out and accomplish them. To never give up!

To truly live life is to be kind and respectful to others. To buy breakfast for the person in line behind you. To reach out to family and friends to let them know how much they mean to you. To smile at a stranger. To take time to do one selfless act, big or small, on a regular basis. To truly live is to try to make a difference in your part of the world. 

To truly live life is to make the world a better place for the next generation. This one life is a beautiful gift. Embrace it! ~OC

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A Beautiful Day

Today’s a new day! Can you imagine the day when we are held by the same loving hands that created us? The hands that formed us and redeemed us will welcome us into our eternal home. What a beautiful day that will be!

John 14:3:

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

Thank You, Jesus, for the hope of eternity with You. One day, all the pain, tears, sorrow and trials will fade away, and we’ll forever be with You.

Revelation 21:4:

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.””

So hold on, child of God—our forever HOME awaits! ~OC

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A Flicker

Today’s a new day! As this crazy beautiful health journey gets a little tougher each day, I want to take some time to share a few lessons I have learned along the way. The following has been written over a series of weeks and months. I hope it brings a time of reflection as you walk out your own journey.

  • Do not waste your time on things that you don’t enjoy. I have learned it’s hard to succeed in something that you don’t like. Patience, passion, and dedication come more easily when you love what you do.
  • Do not be concerned over other people’s opinions. Being caught up in others opinions can weaken and paralyze you. If you let it, it can grow worse and worse every day until there is nothing left of you, but a empty shell of yourself. Listen to God’s voice and go with it. Some people may call you crazy, but many may be encouraged by your choices.
  • Do not allow any person or situation to control your life. Take full responsibility for your actions. Limit bad habits and try to lead a healthier lifestyle. Find a hobby that makes you happy. Most of all, do not procrastinate. Make the most of each day. Let your life be shaped by the decisions you make not by the ones you didn’t.
  • Do not be so busy, that life slips past you. Appreciate the people around you. May your friends and family always be a source of strength and love. Never take them for granted.

It is difficult for me to fully express my feelings about the importance of these simple realizations, but I hope that you will listen to someone who has experienced how valuable time is.

I am not upset or scared about what lies ahead because this health journey has helped bring meaning and purpose to my life. Each day is a beautiful gift to be celebrated. So every day, I take some time to take it all in. Time is truly a beautiful gift.

As I continue to run this health journey, I have learned that everyone has potential. But potential means nothing without the courage to realize it. To believe that God has given each of us purpose in this life. To turn that purpose into amazing opportunities.

We can move through a life created by circumstances, missed moments and opportunities or we can strive for what we believe in and write the amazing story of our life. I hope you will make the right choice.

I pray you will leave a positive mark on this world. That your life will be filled with hope and meaning. Life is a beautiful playground, where dreams are possible. Yet, we are not here forever. Our life is a short spark in this beautiful world that flies by with incredible speed. So, live your life with meaning and passion. Embrace every moment. Make it spectacular. Make it count! ~OC

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Timeless

Today’s a new day! Being a cancer survivor and dealing with multiple health issues forever changes your relationship with time. It seems to pass so quickly, and there’s always a question about how much of it you’re going to get. At times it can be overwhelming. But maybe that’s why I always loved running. A 5K, 13.1 or 26.2 run can feel timeless if you’re embracing every moment of the journey.

Before I had to quit running a number of years ago, running almost made me forget my health issues. As I continue running this crazy beautiful health journey, I realize time marches on whether we are ready or not. I am as ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s go! ~OC

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Passion and Purpose

Today’s a new day! As men, our first question to another man usually is “What do you do for a living?” As men our careers tend to be our identities in so many ways. But what happens when that identity is taken away? Shattered into a million pieces when the doctors tell you that you have multiple life threatening illnesses that have no cure. Within hours of hearing that devastating news, what I did for a living didn’t matter anymore. But I still needed purpose. Something to distract me from all the test and multiple hospital stays. That’s why through prayer, I became a medical missionary/coach. Way back when my health journey first started, I was not qualified to help anyone walk through their medical journey. Still not sure I am. Only through God’s help and guidance, am I able to sit with people who are going through some of the toughest battles they have ever faced. I consider it an honor to help others navigate through their health journey. Through my own health challenges, I have found peace, joy and purpose.

As I talk with other patients, I always share the following: “It is not what happens to us during this season of struggles, but how we react that truly defines who we are.” So how do you want to be defined? Health issues or no health issues, that question should dictate how you live.

As I continue walking through this health journey, I am a big believer in being as honest and open as possible. Men are notoriously bad at sharing their feelings, but I want to change that narrative as I continue to live out this crazy beautiful health journey.

We get pushed along in this world by consumerism, but it really doesn’t matter what car, house or latest technology we have. No, what really matters in this journey called life is love, relationships, kindness, caring for others, being surrounded by family and friends. I want to create the best relationships I can, and live the happiest life I can, because I no longer know what my timeframe is (none of us do). So I will continue to live life with passion and purpose. ~OC

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Serving. People. Prayer.

Today’s a new day! On the final night of his life, Jesus washed feet, ate with friends, and prayed.

Serving. People. Prayer.

It’s no coincidence that those things are central to God’s vision for our lives. I believe if we put our energies there, we will rarely have any regrets. ~OC

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A Night of Prayer

Hello. As I sit here at 10:00pm, I have this feeling God is calling me to a time of prayer tonight. That could be a few hours of prayer or it could mean a whole night of prayer. As I prepare my heart for whatever tonight holds, I want you to know I will be praying for you. If you happen to be up and need specific prayers, please feel free to reach out to me. I pray everyone has as a peaceful and restful night. God Bless. ~OC

Ending the day with God is just as important as when you begin. Another day is ending, and maybe you’re you looking for a way to give your dreams to God, forgive the wrongs of the day, or ask the Spirit to speak to you in your sleep. If you’re unsure what to say as you face another long night or a challenging tomorrow, you might like to pray along with these prayers and make Him the Lord of your nights.

From sunrise to sunset, let the Lord’s name be praised! Psalm 113:3

Thanks for Your Faithfulness

Heavenly Father, my day is drawing to an end, and I’m ready to turn in. But before I do, I have to thank you for your faithfulness today. It’s always a good day, even when things may not go the way I plan, or when the world seems in chaos, because you are in control.

Thanks for Your Unseen Presence

For all the times when I was aware of your help today, all the times when your unseen presence seemed so near, thank you, God. But for all the ways you worked behind the scenes, unknown to me, moments when heaven-sent angels moved on my behalf in ways I’ll never know, thank you for those also, Lord.

Thanks for Your Love and Forgiveness

Forgive me for any foolish actions on my part today or things I did without first asking your blessing or wisdom. Those are moments I would rather forget, but I am so grateful for your forgiveness when I ask. I never want to go to bed without clearing the air between us, Lord. Our friendship means too much, and your holiness deserves that. Thank you for loving me just as I an. Your love compels me to give you my all and fill my heart with praise for the relationship I share because of you sweet Jesus.

May Your Love Touch Others

As my family and friends close their eyes tonight, I am praying for each of them and praying they each would come to know You. I am praying that your love, like the countless number of stars in the night sky, will touch them and help them see who you truly are. I pray for our world and everyone in it. I pray for each of their needs to be met.

Grant Sleep, Refreshment, and Protection

Grant each with a good night’s sleep tonight, God, so that they can awake refreshed and ready to begin another day loving you. Thank you again for blessings so undeserved and too numerous to count. I long for the word “faithful” to describe our service to you, each day of every year. When I awake in the morning, may it be with a joyful smile, not a grumpy spirit. May your protection and your presence bathe my home with peace and safety against the enemy. Good night, Lord.

In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.

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