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 Believe God Can Use Me

The name of God is nowhere to be found in the book of Esther. It is as though He was absent. Instead, the narrative of Esther mimics our own experiences today—an era of dominance and oppression where power belongs to the elite. It was a time of opulence, where the who’s-who flaunted their wealth and influence, and where those in authority made reckless decrees without wisdom or justice. In our world today, we see something similar. Society elevates influencers who seem to have it all—wealth, status, and the admiration of millions. They hold positions of power, appearing wise and all-knowing while often using their influence to serve themselves rather than others. Many of us are left feeling insignificant in comparison, wondering if our lives truly matter. But then, there’s Esther. God used a lowly, orphaned girl to upend the most powerful empire of her day. She came from an oppressed people, living in exile, treated with contempt and abuse, considered unworthy and powerless. And yet, when the time came, she was the one God used to change history. She wasn’t royalty by birth, she wasn’t highly educated, and she certainly wasn’t the logical choice to stand before a king and

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I Choose Today to Practice

The other day I was watching the show Amazing Race. The participants were challenged to learn a dance from another culture and then perform it in front of judges who would determine whether or not they got all the steps and nuances correct. They would pick an instructor to teach them what they needed to know. But it wasn’t until they went out to preform the dance, did they understand where they needed to practice some more. Watching their instructors was not enough, they needed to practice and refine their skills to succeed. This reminds me of what Paul says in Philippians 4:9, where he encourages us to put into practice what we’ve learned in our faith. “Keep putting into practice all you have learned and received from me-everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.” Just like the contestants on The Amazing Race, we can’t just watch others live out their faith—we have to step out and do it ourselves. We can read the Bible, listen to sermons, and learn from great teachers, but at some point, we have to apply what we’ve learned. And just like those contestants,

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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 be Led Through the Wilderness

What is holding you back from stepping out in faith into your calling? Is it fear of failing? Inadequacy? Uncertainty? Fear of the unknown obstacles, giants, or hills that need to be battled? I have felt all these things. I have also stepped out in faith and, trial after trial, I wondered if I would have been happier or better if I would have just stayed where I was. At least I knew what to expect. But one of the things that I have learned is that when I have stepped out in faith and walked through the wilderness, that is when I learn the most. God did that for the Israelites when they left Egypt: “He brought us out from there in order to bring us in, to give us the land which He had sworn to [give] our fathers.’” Deuteronomy 6:23 AMP God brought them out of oppression, slavery, and captivity and into the wilderness in order to get them prepared for the promised land. “The Lord your God will drive out those nations to make room for you. But He will do it little by little. You won’t be allowed to get rid of them all at

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