I Choose Today...

I Choose Today to be a good gift giver

I love Christmas. I love the twinkly lights, the gathering together with family, friends, and co-workers to celebrate the birth of Christ. One of my favorite things is to buy gifts for the people in my family. I have a rule, “buy what they want, not what they need.” This gives me so much joy to give them something they want to open up on Christmas morning. It is so much fun for me to give gifts! I remember one year I wanted to buy my daughter a diamond ring for her middle finger. I wanted it to be classic, to stand the test of time, so she would want to wear it for years to come. I searched for the right one and finally found one that I thought she would like. She absolutely loved it! That was 13 years ago and she still wears it whenever she can. It brought me so much joy to give it to her. God loves to give good and perfect gifts to His children (James 1:17). I am sure it delights Him when we use the gifts He gives with joy! Gifts given by God are to be used to leave a

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I Choose Today to live abundantly

Don’t miss the opportunity to live an abundant life because of your trauma. In the days, weeks, and months after my trauma, I can honestly say I did not have any joy, nor was I living a life of abundance. I was in survival mode. I was surviving, not thriving. My focus was on my loss. Who could blame me, right? Up to that point in my life, I had experienced a great deal of trauma: being abused, abandoned, belittled, marginalized, and having innocence stolen. God had brought me through those times, and I was beginning to thrive in a life that was finally good, more than I could have asked or hoped for. I was experiencing joy and abundance. That was until that morning in early June when I woke up to my worst nightmare. In the time following this traumatic morning, once the fog of despair and grief started to lift, I had a choice to make. I had to choose if I was going to continue to live in survival mode or if I was going to thrive with an abundant life. Jesus said in John 10:10, “A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.

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I Choose Today to be Logical…

I love the verse, “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 In my linear way of thinking, this verse draws a logical line of “if” and “then.” “If” I trust in God and His legacy of faithfulness in my life and believe He will take care of all the details in my life, “then” I will be COMPLETELY filled with joy and peace! Who doesn’t want joy and peace? I know I do! We can fully trust that things will work out for the good, both in accordance with His perfect plan and for our benefit, bringing us joy and allowing us to live in peace, only when we put our faith in the One who is faithful. I want to live like that! I want to have joy and peace in my life. How do I do it? I trust God with everything, and don’t worry about anything. I don’t get impatient and try to do things on my own (get ahead of God).  I put my focus on

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I choose today to trust

I love the verse, “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” In my linear way of thinking, this verse draws a logical line of “if” and “then.” “If” I trust in God and His legacy of faithfulness in my life and believe He will take care of all the details in my life, “then” I will be COMPLETELY filled with joy and peace! Who doesn’t want joy and peace? I know I do! We can fully trust that things will work out for the good, both in accordance with His perfect plan and for our benefit, bringing us joy and allowing us to live in peace, only when we put our faith in the One who is faithful. I want to live like that! I want to have joy and peace in my life. How do I do it? I trust God with everything, and don’t worry about anything. I don’t get impatient and try to do things on my own (get ahead of God).  I put my focus on God and

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