I Choose Today...

I Choose Today: To Be Seen and Loved

Molinda Hern November 23, 2024

“God can’t use me—I’ve done so many bad things! How could a holy God ever love and accept me?” Does that sound familiar? I know it does for me. I’ve had those same thoughts and conversations with others over the years. It’s easy to believe the lie that our past disqualifies us from God’s love and purpose. But the truth is, God sees us differently. There’s a man in the Bible whose story reminds me of this. His name was Zacchaeus. By common standards, Zacchaeus was a sinner—a man who had made choices that earned him wealth at the expense of others. Though he was rich, he was despised, isolated, and deeply empty. Then one day, Jesus came to town. And everything changed. While Zacchaeus climbed a tree to catch a glimpse of Him, Jesus stopped, looked up, and called him by name. Instead of seeing Zacchaeus for what he had done, Jesus saw him for who he was. With compassion and love, Jesus invited Himself into Zacchaeus’s life. That encounter turned everything around. Zacchaeus went from being a man weighed down by sin to someone transformed by grace. This story reminds us of an incredible truth: Jesus didn’t come

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I Choose Today to Exercise What Matters

Molinda Hern October 31, 2024

Have you ever had a situation where you know the thing you should do but don’t do it? You even have all you need to do this thing, but the tools sit unused? For example, I know I need to build my strength by working out my muscles. My dietician and my daughter have told me for a while now that I need to incorporate strength training into my workout routine. I have everything I need – weights, resistance bands, and the time – but for some reason I don’t make or take the time to actually incorporate strength training into my routine. I know it is what is best for me. It will make my quality of life better for the long run, but yet I am not utilizing these tools and knowledge in a way that will make a difference. We all have areas where we know what we should do, but following through is a struggle. Whether it’s exercise, prayer, or forgiveness, the tension between intention and action is real. Even Paul wrestled with this. He said in Romans 7:15, “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do

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I Choose Today to Change My Spiritual Wardrobe

Molinda Hern October 1, 2024

God’s Word is rich with practical wisdom for daily life. In his letter to the Colossians (3:12-14), Paul paints a clear picture of how we are called to interact with others: “Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.” In a world where being quick to judge, offend, or harbor resentment is common, God calls us to walk a different path—a path that stands in stark contrast to our culture. We are asked to change our spiritual wardrobe and dress in qualities that reflect Christ’s character. Let’s break down what that looks like in our lives: • Make allowances for others: This means giving grace when others fall short. None of us are perfect, and offering forgiveness can create space for healing and growth in our relationships. • Forgive freely: Forgiveness isn’t just a suggestion, it’s a command. Letting go of grudges and bitterness frees us to experience the

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I Choose Today to Embrace the Magnitude of God’s Love

Molinda Hern September 28, 2024

Not too long ago, my Aunt pointed out a small, easily overlooked word that completely shifted my understanding of one of the most well-known verses in the Bible. It was as though I was just beginning to grasp the true magnitude of God’s love. So… “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭ How many times have we read and quoted that verse and overlooked the word “so” and its significance? The word “so” in this verse is meant to convey the extent or magnitude of God’s love. It shows us the vastness of God’s love — a love so great that He gave His only Son. “So” conveys a powerful image of God’s love in action — it’s not just that He loved, but that He loved to such an extraordinary measure. When we grasp that God so loved the world, it shifts how we live. This love reaches into our deepest struggles and lifts us into grace and salvation. Guilt and shame are byproducts of a broken world — the same world that tells us our mistakes define us,

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I Choose Today to Walk in Restoration

Molinda Hern September 26, 2024

Not long ago, I talked about Simon Peter, how he was the boldest, most outspoken, and enthusiastic of all the disciples. He was the first to put himself out there for God; to take a stand, to be bold in how he felt, to be a leader among his peers. But when push came to shove, when it mattered the most, Peter denied knowing Jesus, not once, but three times. He essentially turned his back on Jesus when the pressures of his circumstances became too much for him to handle. After Jesus’ death, Peter lost all hope. He went back to the life he knew, the way of life Jesus had called him out of. Instead of being the “fisher of men” Jesus called him to, he went back to being a fisher of, well, fish. Instead of giving people the gift of being able to be sustained into eternity through Christ Jesus, he was giving them a once and done deal of sustaining them for a moment, merely surviving. How often do we do that same thing? We make a mistake and we lose all hope of a thriving life? We figure we’d go back to our lives since

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