I Choose Today...

I Choose Today to Worship—Even Here

(from Episode 18 of the I Choose Today podcast) I’ve had Isaiah 43:1–2 highlighted in my Bible for years. You’ve probably seen them before too—verses that speak to God’s presence in the hard places. “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” They’re the kind of verses you cling to when life gets hard. But recently, it wasn’t the verses I had highlighted that stopped me. It was verse 4. “Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.” I had to just sit with that. This isn’t surface-level love. This is sacrificial love. Personal love. The kind of love that says, “I see you. I choose you. I gave everything for you.” There have been seasons where I couldn’t grasp that kind of love. Seasons when shame clouded my vision,

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I Choose Today to Keep His Name Holy

How many times have we read or recited the Lord’s Prayer without really paying attention to the first line? I know I’ve skimmed past it plenty of times—eager to get to what feels like the “meat” of the message: asking for my daily needs, seeking forgiveness, and asking for protection throughout my day. But that first line? That’s where it all begins. Jesus teaches us to pray like this: “Our Father in heaven, may Your name be kept holy.” (Matthew 6:9) So, what does it actually mean to keep His name holy? And because this is a prayer we’re meant to return to daily, maybe the better question is: How do I keep God’s name holy today? Tomorrow? And every day after that? How do I live in a way that reflects His holiness to those around me? If I’m honest, it feels like an impossible task. On our own, we couldn’t keep His name holy. But we’re not on our own. Because of Jesus—because we’ve been adopted as God’s children—we’ve been made holy in Him (Hebrews 10:10). And as we walk in step with the Spirit, He empowers us to live in a way that reflects that holiness to

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I Choose Today to Breathe His Praise

Recently, during a worship service at church, we sang a song that truly spoke to my heart: “Great Are You Lord” by All Sons and Daughters. (I’ve added the link at the end so you can listen if you’d like.) The chorus resonates deeply:  “It’s Your breath in our lungs, so we pour out our praise, pour out our praise… to You only.”   This beautiful truth led me to reflect on the very moment God gave us breath—the moment He brought life into existence. “Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.”  —Genesis 2:7 (NLT)   This verse reveals three profound truths about our Creator: 1. We Are Created With Intentionality and Purpose God didn’t just make Adam—He formed him. Every detail was intentional, deliberate, and purposeful. Psalm 139:13 reminds us, “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Have you ever watched someone knit? Each stitch is part of a larger plan, crafted with care. That’s how God made you—yes, you! He chose every detail about

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I Choose Today to Know How to Talk With God: Pray

During my last blog, we discussed a conversation I had with friends about aspects of prayer. Together, we discovered what we are supposed to pray about: EVERYTHING (Proverbs 3:5-6). This blog will focus on how to talk to God. It is easy to talk to our friends, family members, co-workers, and even complete strangers. My family makes fun of me because they say that in the amount of time it takes to come down an elevator, I will know everyone life story! Now that is a gross exaggeration, but not too out of the realm of possibilities. For some of us, it is easy to talk to others, but what about talking to God? The reality of talking to the Creator of the universe seems daunting! What does one say to the One and Only Amazing Majestic God? Well, let’s once again go to His Word to find out how Jesus told us to pray. He said this when asked how we are to pray: “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.

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I Choose Today to Exclaim!

Today, as I gaze out of my window and soak in the lush greenery of spring, I’m reminded of our journey exploring various ways of worship. This season, as all of creation awakens, provides a perfect opportunity to step outside and celebrate God’s boundless creativity, echoing the exuberant praises found in Nehemiah 9:5-6 (AMP): “Stand up and bless (praise, honor) the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting. May Your glorious name be blessed And exalted above all blessing and praise.” [And Ezra said], “You are the Lord, You alone; You have made the heavens, The heaven of heavens with all their host (the heavenly bodies), The earth and everything that is on it, The seas and everything that is in them. You give life to all of them, And the heavenly host is bowing down [in worship] to You.” Everything that exists — on earth, in the seas, and in the heavens — is a masterpiece of God’s creation. This alone is reason enough to exclaim in worship! So, let’s make today a day of exclaiming worship! Step outside, take in the wonders of God’s creation, and let it inspire your worship. How does nature speak to you about

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