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

Read More »

I Choose Today to be Empowered by the Spirit

One of the most amazing things about the Bible—other than it being the very breath and essence of God—is that it is alive and active, working to transform our lives every single moment of every single day. When I read and study God’s Word, I often discover something new or have the Holy Spirit reveal a deeper meaning I hadn’t noticed before. This happened when I was reading Isaiah 11:1-2. The passage begins by describing the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ, as a Branch bearing fruit: “Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.” This verse paints a beautiful picture of Jesus’ ministry, growing out of what appeared to be a lifeless stump and producing abundant fruit. The chapter continues by describing how the Holy Spirit would anoint Jesus with seven qualities, empowering Him to complete His mission and purpose on earth: “And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord [awe and reverence].” We see this prophecy fulfilled in John 1:32, where John the Baptist recounts

Read More »

I Choose Today to Share His Love

Lately, I have had several people ask me what I do for a living. One such occasion was when I was helping to care for a family member, and a nurse asked me the question. Since leaving my professional career as a business analyst, that question has often left me searching for the right words. How do I explain something so deeply rooted in purpose and faith? God has shifted my perspective on what it means to “work.” My life now revolves around sharing the truth about who He is and how deeply He loves us. Through my blog, my soon-to-be podcast, and daily interactions with others, I’ve discovered that the most important work is the kind that points people back to Him. This is the calling God has placed on my life—to encourage others in their walk with Him. And yet, it’s not just my calling. It’s the purpose He gives to all of us: to reflect His love and truth in the way we live and to help others grow closer to Him. Jesus’ commission in Matthew 28:19-20 is clear: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” And

Read More »

I Choose Today to Find God in the Unexpected

One of the things we can ascertain from reading the Bible and living as a child of God, is He rarely, if ever, does things the way we expect or anticipate. As a result, we see over and over again stories of missing God’s goodness and miracles God is doing in and among us. Even worse, we risk missing the fullness of His presence. John 1:10-11 (NLT) “He came into the very world He created, but the world didn’t recognize Him. He came to His own people, and even they rejected Him.” It broke Jesus’ heart that the city which was the center of His chosen people, didn’t recognize Him. We might think they were foolish not to recognize and accept Him when He was walking among us, right? But we do the same thing, don’t we? We think we are right in our expectations of God because it makes sense to us. But that is where we miss recognizing that He is walking among us. Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so

Read More »

I Choose Today: To Be Seen and Loved

“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

Read More »