I Choose Today...

I Choose Today to Tell My Story

The “great commission” is something with which most believers are familiar: ”And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.“ ‭‭Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬ This can be daunting. Some say this means we are to leave our jobs, homes, friends, and families to go to countries around the world to proclaim and preach the gospel. While this is true for some, most of us are not called to do that. But the “great commission” is for everyone: you and myself included. ”Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.“ Psalms‬ ‭107‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬. Another version says it this way, ”Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story…“ (NIV). Everyone has a story to tell: experiences God has brought them through, deliverance from something or someone, provision for a need, healing from sickness or trauma, redeeming relationships. In the rest of Psalms 107, David gives examples of people who cried out to God, and He answered them. People who were wandering in the desert alone, hopeless, and hungry cried out to God and “He put them on a wonderful road that took [them] straight to

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I Choose Today to Remember

Have you ever had a time in your life when you wanted something so badly, you prayed and prayed until you ran out of words? As a result, you didn’t get what you asked for? Reflecting on such moments can lead us to unexpected realizations. Recently, my husband and I found ourselves sitting on the back porch, indulging in our weekly ‘back porch sittin,’ and it sparked a conversation that brought forth a flood of memories and gratitude. During our reminiscing, my husband commented that where we are now is not anywhere he could have thought or imagined. He was hoping for a specific job and career path, but that never materialized. In our younger days, we made it a common practice to write down our goals for the next 5, 10, 20 years. But even in our wildest goals and dreams, we wouldn’t come close to where God has brought us! I can remember praying so hard for some things to happen. Prayers that didn’t get answered, and I found myself really disappointed; dare I say a little upset with God for not answering my prayers and giving me my desires of my heart. Looking back, reminiscing with my

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I Choose Today to Recognize Good

Good ideas, good food, good days, good…. Do you ever wonder where all the good comes from? Scripture tells us where good comes from, when it states, ”Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father…“ James‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬a ‭NLT‬‬ Barnes’ Commentary talks about goodness within the context of this verse, he states,  “…where it can be regarded as good as a whole and in all its parts. The general sense is, that God is the author of all good. Every thing that is good on the earth we are to trace to Him.” Even when everything around us seems to be bad, evil, or not going as well as we had hoped, there is always good. How can I say this when I’ve experienced such tragedy and trauma in my life? Because I have seen it first hand, and God also promises it in His Word, ”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.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬ ‭NLT‬‬ In those times, and those since, I have intentionally looked for good. And when something good happens

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I Choose Today to Wait with Purpose

How does one wait well? Waiting with a purpose is a healthy way to approach our wait. There are so many examples of waiting in scripture: Abraham waiting till he was 100 to see God’s promise come to fruition; Joseph waiting over a decade as a slave/prisoner for God to delivery him to his destiny; The Israelites waiting 40 years to reach the promised land; As well as waiting for the most important  promise of all: the coming Messiah, Jesus. Waiting is not special to us here in our time; it is a common theme. It is how we handle the waiting that matters. Just as Charles Spurgeon says, “If the Lord Jehovah makes us wait, let us do so with our whole hearts; for blessed are all they that wait for Him. He is worth waiting for. The waiting itself is beneficial to us: it tries faith, exercises patience, trains submission, and endears the blessing when it comes. The Lord’s people have always been a waiting people” So we wait with confidence, assurance, and boldness, trusting that the Lord is guiding us through the waiting period to shape us into His best for His glory and according to His

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I Choose Today to Wait

There is purpose in the waiting; there is purpose in the pain. There is an expression “it will be worth the wait.” Well, God ALWAYS shows us that His timing is worth the wait. The account of what happened when Lazarus dies (falls asleep) (John 11:1-44) shows us so much about Jesus and the power He has over death. He wanted to illustrate a point; He wanted to show the people (of the time and all those since) that He alone has the power and was sent to conquer death. It showed His divinity. But He also showed His humanity and love by having compassion for His friends’ pain. Which by weeping with them, showing compassion for them, comforting them, He illustrated how He would do the same for us. He was showing us how He responds to our pain. It seems to me that it is easy for us to understand that Jesus conquered death and that He is compassionate and understands our pain. But the waiting? We don’t get it. Am I on target or am I the only one who has a hard time understanding it? Just as Jesus was illustrating a point of His power over

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