Tag: Words

Seasons

Today’s a new day! This journey called life is made up of many seasons
some seasons slip away, never to be seen again while other seasons look like they’re slipping away, but they have only just begun

Like the dim light on the road ahead on an evening run, we only get a glimpse of the secrets of the world
May never pass this way again

Noises all around us
the seasons come and go
May never pass this way again

The dreams we dream keep us moving forward in the difficult seasons of life, those dreams keep us flying like an eagle on a warm summer breeze
May never pass this way again

Like Dr. King in the olden days
we must gather all our courage and live out our dreams
May never pass this way again

So cast away your fears
Our dreams will ebb and flow
different seasons will come and go
May never pass this way again

I wanna laugh with family and friends
I wanna cry and not waste a tear
I wanna dream and live in the moment
May never pass this way again

I wanna dance with my bride on a cool summer night to the sounds of the 80’s in the background
I wanna drive down the highway with adventure in my heart and some Motown playing on the radio
May never pass this way again

On those tough days when my body is failing me, I want to look in the mirror and not see a life of washed out dreams, on those days when it’s hard to breathe, I wanna hear Journey in the background reminding me Don’t Stop Believing
May never pass this way again

As the season change, I’m still standing, maybe not better than before, but living as an Overcomer
I wanna keep dancing in the light
May never pass this way again. ~OC

0

Woke

Today’s a new day! Several years after the horrific mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC, Laura and I visited the church. It was a sobering and powerful experience.

I also remember that being the first time someone referred to me as being “Woke.” It was said in a very loving and respectful way. Unfortunately, that is not always the case when the word “Woke” is used in today’s politically charged world. As a white Christian in America, I am saddened that so many politicians, pastors and Christians misinterpret the word “Woke” to suit their own biased ideology.

Some politicians and pastors have the nerve, for example, to quote Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he spoke at the March on Washington in 1963 and shared the following words, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Dr. King was projecting a vision of a world without racism, where people would see each other as friends, neighbors, and fellow human beings. But some politicians, pastors and Christians have twisted Dr. King’s words to insist that we should ignore racism right now, stop teaching about it, and pretend it does not exist. They use his words to justify laws on teaching about or discussing the racism in the here and now. They use his appeal for an unrealized future to blind us to a cruel present.

Today, I propose that we make a concerted effort to reclaim the original meaning of the word Woke. So many politicians, pastors and Christians have turned the word into a shameful four-letter word. Have they even taken the time to look up the true definition of WOKE? I have. The original meaning of the word Woke is “Being aware of injustice and inequality, specifically when referring to racism.” What is wrong with that?

I strive to be aware of injustice and inequality and racial discrimination and to do whatever I can to help educate and make things better. I believe as humans we should all do that.

So yes, I will wear the tag of “Woke” with honor. I pray that Dr. King’s “Dream” someday will become a reality in America and around the world. But we have a lot of work to do. Let’s Go! ~OC

0

Labels

Today’s a new day! What label are you wearing today? Labels? Am I wearing a label? What does it say? Who gave you this label? If you’re wearing a label and it doesn’t reflect who God says you are, then it’s time to rip it off.

I remember when I was in 1st grade, the teacher Ms. Deer sat what she perceived as the “Smart Students” in the front of the class and the perceived “Not So Smart Students” in the back of the class. Without really knowing me, Ms. Deer placed me in the back row. There it was. The “label” I did not ask for, but that was the one that was placed on me. Ms. Deer had no idea that in that one moment, she would define who I was as a student for the rest of my academic career. As look back, I remember always sitting in the back of the class. That “label” Ms. Deer slapped on me may have been invisible to everyone else, but I saw it. I felt it.

We have to be so careful about the labels we slap on people. Because without knowing it, those labels can follow people the rest of their lives. Those labels can end up defining a person.

I am thankful, that I would later have teachers and professors that put a lot of time and effort into pushing me past that “average” label. But I must admit, that label was always in the back of my mind all of my academic career.

I am grateful that God does not look at me and slap on a “average” label. No, God looks at me and all of us and sees masterpieces. God takes the time to look past all the labels the world has put on us and sees that masterpiece. But we need to discover who we are in God. To truly believe who God says we are. Then we need to declare it. Take out that megaphone and shout it out to the world. ~OC

“As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you say.” ~Numbers 14:28

0

Love Our Neighbors…No Exceptions

Today’s a new day! In the age of social media and partisan cable news, one of the most common questions I get as a Christian is how do I stay in relationship with the family member or friend who believes differently than I do? It can be difficult when we are all firing off text and social media post without giving it any thought or even taking a breath. Things can get nasty and personal real quick.

I recommend that each of us get in the habit of never posting a quick reply to another person’s post or text we disagree with. This can be difficult. We so desperately want to share our opinions. If something someone has posted or shared really bothers you, take a day to think about it and then message them. Maybe you need to type something out to get your feelings on screen.  If you’re like me, once you get your feelings out, you realize there is no real need to push send.

Sometimes you may need to adjust the settings on your email or social media to “mute” a certain person’s messages. They don’t have to know you aren’t reading the stuff they are sharing and forwarding to you.  You can spare yourself and them the awkward discussion of why you “unfriended” them.

Other times you may have to take the hard step of “un-friending” someone or maybe just letting that person know you need to communicate with them in other ways besides social media, text or email, because you can’t keep your emotions in check. I’ve had to make this move with some close friends, because what they share or post provokes a reaction in me I don’t like.  I’m pretty sure the stuff I share and post has caused that same kind of reaction in them. I’m definitely sure that what either of has posted has never changed their mind or mine.

Finally, there are those people who share such negative and personal things that it may amount to emotional abuse. In such cases, setting firm boundaries is necessary for your own well-being and health. Loving your neighbor can only happen from a safe distance with some people.

Remember the biggest companies with the smartest minds are working non-stop to keep us glued to our phone, tablet and computer. They make money and lots of it, the longer we keep using their app or watching their channel. The easiest way to keep us making money for them is to keep us outraged. There are genuine things to be outraged about in the world, but few of them are ever changed by a shared social media post, a forwarded email or text.

Sadly, our culture does not reward maintaining relationships with people different from ourselves. It rewards outrage and remaining in your own bubble. Yet, if we are really going to “Love our neighbor. No exceptions.” it has to cut both ways.

Nobody ever said this Christian life would be easy. ~OC

1

Reach Out

Today’s a new day! Praying for those who stay strong even when they feel weak. Praying for those who feel tired and sad, but cannot say anything because the word’s just will not come out. Praying for those who hide all their pain just not to bother anyone and keep a smile on their faces all the time.
Praying for those who want to scream, but they stay calm to not rock the boat. Praying for the fighters, the survivors, the overcomers who keep pushing through every single day even though they may give up along the way but manage to get up again. Praying for everyone who continues to grind. Please do not run your race alone. Reach out. I am praying for you. ~OC

0

Let Love Win

Today’s a new day! I am tired of all the hate speech and division I see around me. It breaks my heart. More importantly, it breaks God’s heart. I will always believe that no one was born with hate in their hearts. Somewhere along their journey, they were taught to hate. Just like I was taught to love. I will always speak out against hate of any kind. I will confront hate when I see it. Even if that means standing up to a friend or loved one. I will not allow hate to touch my heart.

We can never let hate win. So be careful of the words and thoughts you allow to grow in your heart. Because eventually those thoughts will flow out of your mouth and cause pain and division. Or those hateful thoughts may flow out of your heart on to your social media pages. Once again causing pain and division. So today, examine what you have growing in your heart. I pray it’s hope and love. ~OC

0

Taste

Today’s a new day! Dear Christian’s, imagine everyone we come in contact leaves with a little taste of what Heaven will be like. Will they walk away with a taste of honey or vinegar from their encounter? ~OC

0

Keep Pushing

Today’s a new day! Back in my running days, I had the honor of coaching a few runners as they trained for upcoming races. I challenged them to run further than they thought they could. To change up their diet. To push past what they thought they could do. My friends were not always happy with the way I pushed them until they crossed the finish line of a race. Then they could look back and see how all the training and pushing helped them achieve their goals.

There are some Christians, who are not always happy with my post. Some think I push the envelope a little too much. They’re not always comfortable with the way I push and encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ to do better. To actually live out the scriptures we read in the Bible. To truly be the hands and feet of Jesus.

But just like I always pushed those runners to go harder, I will continue to push the Christian Community to do better. This race we’re running is more important than any 5K, half-marathon or marathon. A lost and hurting world is depending on us. Finish Strong! ~OC

0

I Choose…

Today’s a new day!

Even if you look different than me…I will still choose to love you.

Even if you came from a different country…I will still choose to love you.

Even if you worship differently than me…I will still choose to love you.

Even if you speak a different language than me…I will still choose to love you.

Even if you live a different lifestyle than me…I will still choose to love you.

Even if you vote differently than me…I will still choose to love you.

As I continue to run this crazy beautiful journey, I will always choose love over hate. ~OC

0

Embrace Silence

Today’s a new day! As I walk through this crazy beautiful health journey, one of the issues caused by my health battle is with my voice. As I write this morning, my voice is becoming weaker and weaker. Over the course of this crazy beautiful health journey, I have experienced many hours without a voice. While my voice issues have made it difficult for others to communicate with me, I have found amazing peace in my own silence.  I love having the time to sit quietly with my thoughts and to sometimes just be present without thinking at all.  I also love quietly watching what is going on around me without having to connect to the conversations.  During the course of this crazy beautiful journey, I have grown to love the silence in my life.

In my silence, I have learned or reinforced many lessons that I already knew.

1). Silence allows me the time to create a beautiful container for my own thoughts.  Sometimes the chatter that I engage in takes away my ability to be present and to trust my own thoughts and desires. The silence has given me the space to allow what God put in my heart to resonate more fully within me. The silence has allowed me to hear and connect with God in an intimate and powerful way.

2). As a Speaker, my voice was often used as a tool to tell stories and to connect with people. Dealing with voice issues, forced me to trust God and others in new ways.

3). As my voice became more of an issue, my love of writing became stronger. I have been blessed to write two books and start a blog. Issues with my physical voice can never silence me.

4). Vulnerability is a reality of life.  Sometime illness takes away our ability to function; it also makes me realize how we sometimes need to rely on others. That’s not a sign of weakness. No, it’s just part of being human.

As I have shared, my health journey is a gift. A gift that keeps taking away so many things, but also allowing me to experience so many beautiful moments. Losing my voice has given me time to reflect and to make some decisions for how I will navigate my life a little differently.  Perspective has come from the silence.  Instead of me just speaking the words that come to me, I have had the opportunity to stop and take the opportunity to reflect before acting too quickly.  Much can be learned in the space between the words (spoken or written).

My hope is that I will create a little more silence in my life as I continue to navigate this crazy beautiful health journey. I hope you take the time to experience the beautiful gift of silence in your own life. ~OC

0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑