I Choose Today...

I Choose Today to Open the Door to More

One of my favorite things is to have a meal with family and friends. For a long time, I had wanted a big round table—one where everyone could visit easily, rather than being limited to just the people sitting near them at a rectangle table. A few years ago, I finally got my table and have put it to good use! For our Bible Study group, we share a meal together each week before we have our study. We sit around our large round table, relaxed, sharing stories, sharing our desires, hopes, and sometimes our pain. We bond over each other’s experiences; we laugh together, cry together, dream together. We open up our hearts to each other and give a glimpse of ourselves. Sharing a meal with them is an intimate time of connection around this large round table. One of my favorite times of my week. Have you ever had that experience with your family and/or friends? Does it bring a smile to your face and joy in your heart like it does mine? Now, imagine that same warmth, that same connection—but with Jesus Himself. Jesus wants this type of opportunity with you too. He said it Himself in

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I Choose Today to Build in Faith

A little while back, a pastor friend of mine wrote a sermon about the faith of Noah. He pointed out that Noah is listed in the “Hall of Fame” of Faith: “It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before.” — Hebrews 11:7a (NLT) Noah had great faith because he obeyed God—building something that had never been seen, built, or even imagined—simply because God said to. Noah obeyed and built the ark. What’s remarkable is that the ark’s design stood out from every other ancient boat. Unlike boats meant for navigation, the ark was built for survival, not direction—it had no rudder, no sails, no way to steer. It didn’t need them, because God was in control of its course. We don’t need to steer when God is leading. At that time, rain had never even fallen (Genesis 2:5-6 suggests the earth was watered by mist). Yet, Noah obeyed. He built a massive ship for a phenomenon he had never seen, purely on faith in what God spoke to him. Even when we don’t understand, obedience is our part—God

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I Choose Today to Seek Deliverance

Have you ever found yourself holding onto something that you know is weighing you down—fear, anxiety, guilt—but felt too paralyzed to let it go? If so, you’re not alone. Many of us cling to chains God never meant for us to bear. The good news is that God is a Deliverer, and He longs to set us free. Today, let’s explore how His promises invite us to cry out to Him and experience His transforming power. ““Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; He snapped their chains.” (Psalms‬ ‭107‬:‭13‬-14). He delivered them from their distresses! What a promise! So why do we hold onto our chains, our fears, anxieties, addiction, tendencies? Do we think our chains will go away on their own, as Pharaoh did when he waited an entire day to ask for deliverance from the frogs? When asked by Moses when he (Pharaoh) wanted to be delivered from the plague, ““Do it tomorrow,” Pharaoh said.” (Exodus‬ ‭8‬:‭10‬a). How often do we do the same—putting off deliverance until ‘tomorrow,’ even when we’re overwhelmed by our burdens? What are we waiting for? Why are

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I Choose Today to Celebrate His Legacy

Today, my son would have turned 31 years old. Though his life was brief, it left an eternal imprint on my heart. The memories I have of him are tender, precious, and irreplaceable. Losing him to SIDS was a heartbreak that shook my soul, but his life continues to shape the way I love, live, and trust God. Grief is a journey, one that doesn’t truly end but evolves as time passes. What I’ve learned along the way is that God meets us in the middle of our sorrow. Psalm 34:18 reminds us, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” This has been my experience: God’s presence has been my refuge, His promises my anchor. As I reflect on my son’s life today, I am reminded of the lessons his brief time on earth taught me. His life, though short, revealed the beauty and depth of love—a love that doesn’t end when life on this earth does. His legacy reminds me to cherish the small, fleeting moments and to trust God with every step, even when the road feels impossibly hard. Grief has a way of opening our hearts to see the world

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I Choose Today to be an Affirmer

I have been reading a book with a friend called Balcony People, by Joyce Landorf Heatherley. In the book she talks about two types of people: evaluators and the affirmers. The evaluators are “people who either broke our spirits by their critical or judgmental evaluations. The affirmers are those who “healed us by their loving perceptive affirmations.” When I read these descriptions of evaluators and affirmers, my mind went right to the people who have been evaluators. Those people and the things that they said that crushed my spirit by their critical perceptive things they said to me or how they treated me. Those memories came quickly, with no effort on remembering them. The affirmers took a little more thought. But you know what? The affirmers were there too. The people who came alongside me to breathe life and love into me. Those who helped me recognize my worth and that I could heal. They walked with me on my healing journey. I believe God brings affirmers in our lives to walk with us, to encourage us in our faith, and to come alongside our healing and life’s journeys. I praise God for all the affirmers in my life past,

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