I Choose Today...

I Choose Today to Renew My Mind

Transformation doesn’t begin when our circumstances change, it begins when our thinkingdoes. Our lives move in the direction of our most dominant thoughts, which is why Paul’s reminder in Romans 12:2 is so powerful: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” So often, we focus on changing what we do before changing how we think. But the real work of transformation happens in the mind. That’s where God reshapes how we see ourselves, our situations, and even Him. I’ve learned that the enemy can’t control my life, but he can influence my thoughts, and my thoughts influence everything else. He does what he did in the garden: twist truth just enough to create doubt, shame, or fear. He uses guilt to weigh us down and comparison to keep us small. I’ll never forget walking into a women’s leadership conference filled with about a hundred women. From the moment I stepped in, I felt like an imposter. I wondered how I ended up there, surrounded by so many women who seemed smarter, stronger, and more confident than me. During worship, I bowed my head

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I Choose Today to Train for the Race

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” When I was raising my daughter, this verse was foundational for me. Like so many parents, I was intentional about training her in the things of God: integrity, respect, love, kindness, honor, and work ethic. But as I think back now, I realize Scripture doesn’t just call us to train our children, it calls us to train ourselves as well. The Bible speaks in more than fifty places about training, discipline, and instruction. Training takes intentionality. It takes work. When I was training to walk half marathons — 13.1 miles — it was sixteen weeks of methodical preparation, starting small and slowly building endurance. To cross that finish line, I logged nearly 300 miles of walking. It took discipline, long and lonely roads, sore muscles, and many moments when I wanted to quit. But every time I crossed that finish line, it was worth it. Lately, I’ve been thinking about my spiritual training the same way. It takes discipline, showing up, studying God’s Word, letting Him teach, correct, and strengthen me. It’s breaking down bad habits

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I Choose Today to See the Seed in My Hand

Have you ever looked at something small and thought, What could this possibly amount to?A dream, a step of faith, a prayer whispered when you don’t feel strong enough to believe it out loud. It feels so small, almost insignificant. But what if God sees it differently? Seeds don’t look like much. They’re tiny, fragile, forgettable. But inside a seed is an entire future, roots, branches, fruit, even shade for generations to come. The extraordinary is already written into the ordinary. It just hasn’t had its season to grow yet. Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed…” (Matthew 13:31–32). Small at the start, but when planted, it grows into something so much larger than we could imagine. The same is true for you. The seed in your hand, your willingness, your obedience, your faith, may not look like much. But God is the One who makes it grow. Your part is to plant, to trust, to release it into His hands. Don’t despise what feels small today. That prayer matters. That step of faith matters. That “yes” matters. You don’t have to see the full picture yet. You just need to believe the seed has a

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I Choose Today to Fix My Eyes on Jesus

I’ve always loved Peter. He was bold, outspoken, and quick to jump in with both feet. He was the first to put himself out there for God—to take a stand, to speak up, to lead with passion. But even Peter lost his footing when his eyes shifted off Jesus. Matthew tells us: “But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. ‘Save me, Lord!’ he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. ‘You have so little faith,’ Jesus said. ‘Why did you doubt me?’” (Matthew 14:30–31 NLT) I think Jesus was teaching Peter—and us—that the only way to walk in boldness is to keep our eyes fixed on Him. Jesus knew Peter’s destiny would require courage. He was preparing him for the day he’d stand and proclaim the Good News, unshaken by fear. It’s no different for us. When we take our focus off Jesus, our circumstances feel bigger than our faith. The “what-ifs” swirl, and suddenly we’re sinking under the weight of doubt, fear, and distraction. And isn’t that exactly what the enemy wants? To shift our gaze from the One who steadies us. It reminds me of driving—our car

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I Choose Today to Be Unburdened

Not too long ago, I hosted an event at my home. As I greeted my guests at the door, I asked to take their bags, coats, and anything else that might weigh them down. That small gesture helped them relax and feel unburdened. When we’re unburdened, we can breathe deeper, be more present, and actually enjoy the people we’re with. That’s exactly what Jesus wants for us too. When we come into His presence, He invites us to hand Him our baggage—the worries, the shame, the endless to-do list, the heaviness of disappointment or grief. He wants to unburden us, teach us, and give us rest for our souls. Listen to His words in Matthew 11:29: “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Even as you read that verse, do you feel something stir inside of you? For me, I can almost feel my shoulders drop. It’s like a deep exhale, a release of what I didn’t even realize I was holding. When I’m awake in the middle of the night, replaying the same problem over and over, I’ll pray and ask

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