I Choose Today...

I Choose Today to Embrace God’s Plan

God has a perfect plan and purpose, and He created you and me to step into that plan. He has already set up the plan, and His desire is that we step into it with Him. God placed His plan in our hearts. It is present in our hopes and dreams. He equips us to fulfill those hopes and dreams. Sometimes we think, “I can’t achieve what I hope and dream; it is way out of my abilities and comfort zone. My dreams are too outlandish. I’m just an average, ordinary person. Dreams don’t come true for people like me.” But if you believe that, let me walk you through these verses: “Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]. Glory to Him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21 NLT (emphasis added). Let’s break these verses down: 1. “…God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us…” • Our hopes and dreams (the ones He placed in our hearts)

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I Choose Today to Give Jesus My Time

It is our decision each day to prioritize our time with Jesus. Jesus Himself told us how we should prioritize in Matthew 6:33: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” We can’t expect to start off strong with God, or hit the ground running, if we don’t dedicate time to Him. When we hit the ground running with God, we are: • Allowing Him to guide us throughout the day • Surrendering our will to His • Attuning to where He wants us to go and what He wants us to say • Making room for Him to work in our lives and the lives of those we encounter • Shining His light for all to see His glory His ways are not our ways. His ways are so much better. When we start our day with Him, we are acknowledging that His ways are better than ours and that we need Him to lead and direct our paths. When we choose to hit the ground running without God, we are: • Saying we don’t need His guidance • Believing our ways are better than His • Alone

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I Choose Today to Plug into the Power Source

Have you ever had the electricity go out on you? Ever had a time where you were surrounded by utter darkness without any source of light to help you walk or navigate your way around? It is difficult to get around even if the place is familiar, like your home. We tend to walk slowly to ensure we don’t run into any obstacles which would inevitably trip us up, make us stumble, or cause us to fall. We feel on the walls in hopes it will guide us to a place of safety or a source of light. Sometimes we find something that would shed some light that would enable us to see a little of what is around. Maybe it is a flashlight, candle, or the light from our cellphones. That is good, right? At least it is enough light to see what’s right in front of us so we don’t fall. This type of light will help us survive the darkness, right? But the light’s effectiveness is not sufficient to thrive. It is when we have the power from the true power source (the electric company) can we see clearly and thrive. Jesus is our true power source,

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I Choose Today to Exhibit Self-Discipline

Self-control/discipline seems elusive sometimes. In this a day and age, people (myself included) can react inappropriately to situations. What does it mean to have self-discipline, and where does self-control come from? Self-control and self-discipline are closely related concepts, but there is a subtle difference between them: Self-control typically refers to the ability to restrain one’s impulses, desires, or emotions in the moment, particularly in situations where there may be temptations or distractions. It involves exercising moderation and making wise choices. One of the things I have exercised self-control is when it comes to eating sweets. I have learned to control my blood sugar with making life choices with my food. However, I do allow myself one bite of sweets when dessert is offered. This aligns with exercising moderation while making wise choices for my health. Self-discipline, on the other hand, is more about the ability to control one’s behavior and habits over the long term. It involves setting goals, making plans, and consistently following through with them, even when faced with obstacles or difficulties. In essence, self-control often pertains to immediate actions or reactions, while self-discipline is about maintaining a broader sense of control and direction in one’s life. Both

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I Choose Today my Abba Father

The churches in our area have partnered up with the county to host guests who need a warm, safe bed during these cold winter nights. On one such night when it was our churches opportunity to host, my husband and I were able to be hands and feet. During dinner, we had the opportunity to hear some of their stories. One gentleman was regaling us with stories of his youth; how he was a sports phenom of his day. He was making the papers, setting new sports records, had college offers which would set him up for life. During the course of the evening we spent with him, he kept talking about he had life by the tail when he was young. When asked what changed the trajectory of his life, he said drugs. But then, through further conversation, he tearfully explained his reason for his pain; what hurt he was trying to cover through the escape of drugs. He explained, with all of his games he had in high school, all the accolades he received from everyone at school, in the community, with college coaches, there was something missing; someone missing. You see, his dad never came to one

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