I Choose Today...

I Choose Today to Renew My Perspective

I’ve been starting my quiet time a little differently lately. Before I bring God my needs or questions or concerns, I’ve been writing down what I’m grateful for. Just a few simple lines. Nothing fancy. But it’s been surprising how deeply it resets my heart. I want to come to Him with a thankful heart before I ask Him for anything else. Scripture is full of invitations to give thanks, not because God needs to hear it, but because we need to remember what’s still true, even when life feels uncertain. Paul wrote, “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances…” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18). Not for all circumstances, but in them. There’s a difference. James reminds us that “whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down from God our Father…” (James 1:17). Every good moment, every breath of relief, every small piece of joy, it all has a source. And it all traces back to Him. David understood this better than most. His life was full of turmoil and pressure, yet he continually chose gratitude. He wrote, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever” (Psalm 107:1). Gratitude anchored

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I Choose Today to Let God’s Blessings Flow Through Me

A couple of years ago, we visited friends out of town and went to church with them. As we walked in, the ushers handed each person a small three-inch piece of PVC pipe with 2 Corinthians 9:11 printed on it: “Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.” The pastor explained that this verse reminds us of a simple truth: we are blessed to be a blessing. The pipe was a visual, what God pours into our lives is meant to flow through us to others. Our gifts. Our encouragement. Our joy. Our resources. Our compassion. None of it is meant to stop with us. I’ve thought about that little pipe often since that day. It still sits on my bookshelf as a quiet reminder to keep my life open… to let God’s blessings move through me, not just to me. God never intended for us to be containers. He intended us to be conduits, living expressions of His generosity, His kindness, and His heart. What has God entrusted to you that someone else might desperately need today?

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I Choose Today to Renew My Mind

Transformation doesn’t begin when our circumstances change, it begins when our thinkingdoes. Our lives move in the direction of our most dominant thoughts, which is why Paul’s reminder in Romans 12:2 is so powerful: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” So often, we focus on changing what we do before changing how we think. But the real work of transformation happens in the mind. That’s where God reshapes how we see ourselves, our situations, and even Him. I’ve learned that the enemy can’t control my life, but he can influence my thoughts, and my thoughts influence everything else. He does what he did in the garden: twist truth just enough to create doubt, shame, or fear. He uses guilt to weigh us down and comparison to keep us small. I’ll never forget walking into a women’s leadership conference filled with about a hundred women. From the moment I stepped in, I felt like an imposter. I wondered how I ended up there, surrounded by so many women who seemed smarter, stronger, and more confident than me. During worship, I bowed my head

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I Choose Today to Train for the Race

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” When I was raising my daughter, this verse was foundational for me. Like so many parents, I was intentional about training her in the things of God: integrity, respect, love, kindness, honor, and work ethic. But as I think back now, I realize Scripture doesn’t just call us to train our children, it calls us to train ourselves as well. The Bible speaks in more than fifty places about training, discipline, and instruction. Training takes intentionality. It takes work. When I was training to walk half marathons — 13.1 miles — it was sixteen weeks of methodical preparation, starting small and slowly building endurance. To cross that finish line, I logged nearly 300 miles of walking. It took discipline, long and lonely roads, sore muscles, and many moments when I wanted to quit. But every time I crossed that finish line, it was worth it. Lately, I’ve been thinking about my spiritual training the same way. It takes discipline, showing up, studying God’s Word, letting Him teach, correct, and strengthen me. It’s breaking down bad habits

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I Choose Today to Be a Living Stone

Sometimes the most faithful work is the kind no one ever sees. Centuries ago, when the great cathedrals of Europe were being built, the process took generations. Some craftsmen would spend their entire lives carving stones or setting foundations they’d never see completed. Many of them even carved intricate designs, hidden faces, flowers, and symbols, into stones that would be buried deep in walls, never visible again. When asked why they did it, they said, “Because God sees it.” That phrase always stirs something in me. They weren’t building for applause, they were building for the Lord. And maybe that’s where you find yourself today. You’ve been faithful in the quiet places, serving, praying, loving, forgiving, but it feels like no one notices. You’ve walked through transition, waited for clarity, or carried wounds that left you wondering, “God, where do I even fit?” But what if the in-between isn’t rejection? What if it’s construction? What if God isn’t setting you aside… but setting you in place? Peter wrote, “You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but He was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones

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