I Choose Today...

I Choose Today to See Beauty from Chaos (Transformation Series)

Last week, I wrote about how the Spirit of God brings order from chaos — how He doesn’t leave us in the dark, but hovers close, bringing light and life where there was once confusion. But God doesn’t stop at order. He always takes it further — He makes it beautiful. When I look back at my life, I can see moments that felt like pure chaos—messy, unformed, out of control. But every single time, God was doing what He’s always done: shaping something beautiful from what I could only see as broken. Genesis 1 tells us that once God brought order, He began filling creation with beauty — color, texture, variety, light. Everything He made was called good. In the book, Terra Nova, Julian Adams explains that the Hebrew word ṭôv—translated as “good”—doesn’t just mean morally right; it carries the sense of beauty, delight, and excellence. When God said creation was good, He was admiring its beauty. He was taking pleasure in what He made. That insight changed how I see Him. Because God’s goodness has never been only about function — it’s about flourishing. Genesis 2:9 says the trees in the garden were “pleasant to the sight and

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I Choose Today to See What’s Surrounding Me

Recently during worship at church, we sang the familiar song “Surrounded (Fight My Battles)” by Michael W. Smith. As we repeated the words, “It may look like I’m surrounded, but I’m surrounded by You,” the Holy Spirit brought to mind a passage of Scripture that beautifully captures that truth. It’s the story of when the king of Aram (Syria) sent his army to capture the prophet Elisha. Every time the king planned an attack against Israel, Elisha would warn the king of Israel in advance because God had revealed the plans to him. This enraged the Aramean king, who decided to send a massive army with horses and chariots to surround the city where Elisha was staying (2 Kings 6:8–17). The next morning, Elisha’s servant went outside and saw the enemy forces encircling them. Terrified, he ran to Elisha crying, “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” (v. 15). To him, it was hopeless — two men surrounded by an army. But Elisha responded calmly: “Don’t be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Can you imagine the servant’s confusion? He could only see what was in front of him — a

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I Choose Today to Let God Use the Little Things

Romans 8:28 tells us, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” We usually think of this verse in light of the big stuff—job loss, illness, grief, tragedy. But what about the little things—the everyday interactions, the words we speak in frustration, the way we respond when we feel misunderstood? Not long ago, I was on the phone with a customer service rep about a shipping mistake. Her response came across as accusatory, and before I knew it, my defenses went up. My words followed quickly after. The call ended with tension instead of resolution, and I felt the sting of conviction. I had not been a good witness for Christ. Shame whispered that I was a failure. But God… He reminded me that even my shortcomings can become places of growth. The Holy Spirit gently uncovered the deeper reasons for my reaction and gave me the opportunity to invite Him into those places. That moment became a lesson—a reminder of what not to do, but more importantly, a call to let Him transform me so my light can shine brighter

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I Choose Today to Let God Heal Every Part of Me

Have you ever been in pain or in a painful situation that just felt inescapable? You prayed for God to take the pain away or to take you out of the situation, but it didn’t seem to happen quickly…or maybe at all? If that’s you, I want to give you this reminder: God is always at work, even in the healing. A couple of years ago, I injured my knee from overuse. At first, it was manageable, so I ignored it. But over time, the pain grew worse. Then one day, my knee gave out completely—I could barely stand. I finally went to the doctor, tried physical therapy, did everything I was supposed to do, but nothing seemed to help. One night I woke up in intense pain—not just in my knee, but in my other knee, my hip, and my foot. Lying there, I cried out to the Lord: “What am I doing wrong? I’m doing all the right things, but the pain just keeps spreading!” And in that quiet moment, I sensed the Spirit whisper: “Sometimes coming out of a painful situation means healing all that was affected, not just the knee.” That truth hit me deeply. While

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I Choose Today to Live in the Promise, Not the Curse

I’ve been thinking about this thread that runs through Scripture, and it’s stopping me in my own tracks. Back in Genesis 9, Noah curses Canaan, Ham’s son, declaring that his descendants will live under the weight of servitude. From that moment forward, the land of Canaan carried the weight of that curse. And the results showed quickly, Canaan’s descendants became a people marked by corruption, rebellion, and practices that grieved the heart of God. Their land became known as a place of idolatry and wickedness. And yet in Genesis 12, God does something that looks upside-down, He sends Abram to that very land. The land of the cursed becomes the land of promise. Over and over again, as Israel steps into Canaan, we see God pulling people out of the shadow of that curse, like Rahab, a Canaanite woman in Jericho, who had faith to believe in the God of Israel and ended up folded right into His family, even into the very lineage of Jesus. The place and the people once branded as cursed become part of God’s story of redemption. And then we see it again in Jesus’ ministry. There was a woman who had been bleeding for

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