Have you ever caught yourself saying, “I’ll do that someday…”?
Too often we let the days slip by—some feeling mundane, others overwhelming. But what if today wasn’t just something to survive or check off the calendar? What if today was a verb—an invitation to act, embrace, and fully live?
On this week’s episode of The Love Offering podcast, I’m joined by my friend and bestselling author Carol McLeod to talk about her new book, Today Is a Verb: Open the Gift of Now in Every Ordinary Moment.
Carol encourages us to stop waiting for “someday” and to begin living with purpose today. Through powerful, action-oriented words like pray, trust, celebrate, forgive, and persevere, she helps us uncover the beauty and meaning tucked into each moment.
In our conversation, you’ll discover:
- How to shift your mindset to see today as a divine gift
- Practical ways to take action in your faith right now
- How to embrace joy, even when life feels hard
- Why God’s plan for your life isn’t just in the future—it’s unfolding today
Whether you need encouragement to get unstuck, hope for your current season, or a fresh perspective on the everyday, this episode is for you.
Let’s stop letting days pass us by. Let’s start living with intention—because today matters.
Summary
In this episode of the Love Offering Podcast, host Rachael Adams speaks with Carol McLeod about her new book, ‘Today is a Verb.’ They discuss the importance of living intentionally, embracing each day as a gift from God, and the role of joy in our daily choices. Carol shares practical tips for shifting our mindset, overcoming challenges in intentional living, and the transformative power of forgiveness. The conversation emphasizes the significance of partnership with God in our daily lives and encourages listeners to take vibrant steps towards a purposeful existence.
Takeaways
Living intentionally means choosing how to live each day.
We should embrace each day as a gift from God.
Joy is found in spending time with Jesus.
Forgiveness is an act of love towards ourselves.
We can transform our time into a life of significance.
Singing can uplift our spirits and bring joy.
Every day is an opportunity for divine appointments.
Intentional living requires resolve and purpose.
We are called to deliver God’s character into the world.
Our labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Intentional Living
02:13 The Inspiration Behind ‘Today is a Verb’
04:09 Embracing Each Day as a Gift
06:46 Living with Intention and Purpose
11:02 Challenges of Intentional Living
13:42 The Role of Joy in Daily Choices
16:56 Taking Vibrant Steps Towards Purpose
19:30 The Transformation of Life Through Intentionality
22:45 Forgiveness as an Act of Love
24:18 Loving Music and Community
Transcript
Rachael Adams (00:01.525)
Welcome to the Love Offering Podcast. I’m your host, Rachel Adams, author of Everyday Prayers for Love, learning to love God, others, and even yourself. Each week we dive into meaningful conversations about how to live out the greatest commandment, loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving our neighbors as ourselves. Whether through inspiring stories, practical tips, or biblical truths, I hope to encourage you to love boldly.
Live faithfully and reflect God’s love in your everyday life. Today’s guest is Carol McLeod. She is the author of Today Is A Verb. Carol is a bestselling author and popular speaker at women’s conferences and retreats where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. Carol encourages and empowers women with passionate and practical biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor.
Carol has been married to her college sweetheart, Craig, for 44 years and is the mother of five children in heaven and five children on earth. Graduates of Oral Roberts University, Craig and Carol have spent the past 38 years pastoring churches across America. Currently, Craig is the North American director for Global Partners and is training pastors in helping to plant churches in unreached areas of the globe. They are now enjoying being Marmee and Paw to their 10 delicious grandchildren whom Carol refers to as the 10 wonders of the world. Hello Carol and welcome back to the Love Offering Podcast. You are a repeat guest and we are so happy to have you again.
Carol McLeod (01:38.988)
Hello, my friend Rachel. It’s always so great to be with you. I feel like you’re my little sister and dear friend who lives far away all wrapped in one.
Rachael Adams (01:48.198)
Yeah, I feel the same. I’m so excited to talk about your newest book, your 19th book. Congratulations.
Carol McLeod (01:55.086)
Yeah, thank you. I have to pinch myself when you say those words, Rachel, because it’s a dream come true for me.
Rachael Adams (02:03.565)
So the title of your new book is intriguing. It’s titled Today is a Verb. So what inspired this concept and how did God place the message on your heart?
Carol McLeod (02:13.634)
Well, Rachel, so several years ago, I went for my annual physical, my annual checkup with my doctor. And at the end of the appointment, he said to me, well, now, Carol, you’re growing older. And I thought, what are you talking about? And he said, so I just want to coach you a little bit. I want to tell you some things that you can incorporate in your life to stay as young as possible, as long as possible. And I thought, well, who wouldn’t want that?
Rachael Adams (02:25.31)
Hahaha
Carol McLeod (02:37.91)
And Rachel, the first thing he said to me, and after he said this, I nearly blocked everything else out that he said. He said, Carol, I want you to walk intentionally. He said, so many older people shuffle through life. They don’t pick up their feet. And because of that, they lose their balance. They bump into things they normally wouldn’t bump into otherwise. And as my doctor was talking to me, the Holy Spirit was speaking to me and said, Carol, this is a life lesson to walk intentionally through life, not to shuffle, not to slog, but to pick up your feet and march through life, dance through life, be purposeful as you go through an ordinary day. So Rachel, I started to think about that and I started to think about all the todays I’ve been given, all the now moments that have been mine and that will be mine yet to come. And I thought, Lord, I want life to happen to me, but I want to happen to life. So that’s the backstory of my newest book. Today is a verb.
Rachael Adams (03:45.667)
What a great story. And I think that that’s so true of no matter what age we are, we want to be intentional. I know many of us are probably familiar with the term dash living. You know, we have the date we’re born and the date that one day we will pass away. And then there is the dash in between. And so what are we going to do with that time? We do not want to waste it. And so we’re going to actually take a quick break to hear a word from today’s sponsor and when we come back we’re going to talk about practical ways to shift our mindset.
Rachael Adams (04:23.157)
Welcome back today we are chatting with Carol McLeod about her new book today is a verb and in it Carol you described today as a gift from God. So what are some practical ways we can shift our mindset to truly embrace each day as an opportunity rather than just another 24 hours?
Carol McLeod (04:40.91)
You know, as I said right before the break, Rachel, one of the things that I tell myself daily, I’m going to happen to life today. You know, there’s so much about life we are unable to control. We can’t control the economy. We can’t control to a great extent the doctor’s reports we get or the way our grown children act or the choices that they make. But there’s still an intentionality that comes with living a life. It means to me, Today’s verb, or living with intention means choosing how I will live the days that have been allotted to me. You know, in this space that we’re living in, Rachel, so far from heaven’s shore, we were created to be joyful. We were created to be thankful. We were created to be the grandest forgivers in all of recorded history. We were created to be generous with our time and our talents and it really is a glorious assignment. So each remarkable day that we have been given to live and breathe on planet earth, we’ve been commissioned, Rachel, we have been commissioned by the Holy Spirit to be a demonstration of the love of God and the joy of his presence. So that’s sort of the overview of what it means to shift our focus from today happening to us, but instead us happening to today. I can give some more practical things as we talk to just to bring it to a practical walk rather than a theological treatise.
Rachael Adams (06:26.615)
That’s such a good distinction and a mindset shift that’s so important and I think many of us struggle with either dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. So how can we become more present in our daily lives and trust God with both what has been and what will come?
Carol McLeod (06:46.06)
What a wonderful question, Rachel. I love that question. in my book today is a verb. As you know, there are 30 chapters. It’s a bit of a rich devotional is what it is. Each chapter is a verb. Forget, remember, forgive, celebrate, read, walk. And so every chapter gives you a verb to incorporate into your daily life. So then you know what to do, Rachel. When somebody wrongs you, you forgive them. When you’re concerned or worried, you know what to do. You pray. When memories of a difficult past experience threaten to just cloud your soul, you know what to do. You forget. When you meet a new stranger or a discouraged friend, you know what to do. You smile. So although this book may sound like, man, that sounds like a lot of life philosophy to me, it’s actually not. It’s a lot of practical application.
Rachael Adams (07:45.709)
Well, it sounds very simple, you know, it’s a one word, but to actually live that out is much more difficult to truly forgive somebody that has wronged you to extend grace, to love someone unconditionally. We have to have the Lord in this process. And as you’re talking, I’m thinking about how active God has been from the very beginning in creation, He’s an active God and He’s still active in our lives today. So maybe talk to us about the Holy Spirit’s empowerment to help us do some of these activities that we may not be able to do in our own strength.
Carol McLeod (08:23.958)
Yeah, you know, Rachel, when God the Father sent Jesus to planet Earth, the book of Colossians tells us that Jesus was the firstborn of creation. Well, what in the world does that mean? Well, what it means is that Jesus is our big brother. He’s the elder son, and he has taught us how to live. So Jesus doesn’t ask us to do anything that he hasn’t already done himself. And so we look at the life of Jesus as our role model.
Jesus forgave sinners. Jesus multiplied provisions. He was generous. Jesus calmed people’s storms. But this is the deal, Rachel. When Jesus was going to heaven, he looked at his band of brothers. They were all young men. And he said to them, look, I’m leaving you. But don’t worry. I’m going to leave you some power. I’m going to leave you the Holy Spirit to empower you to live a life that heaven will stand up and cheer for. So Rachel, when I’m weary and I just think, God, I can’t forgive that person, that is too hard for me. If I can change my perspective and say, Holy Spirit, this is too hard for me, but it’s not too hard for you, would you give me the power to forgive this person? You know, recently, Rachel, the Lord has given me the opportunity to love a very difficult person and I didn’t want to love this person. I really didn’t. And I sort of stuck my feet in the sand of my life and said, nope, not gonna do it. And the Holy Spirit said, Carol, I know you can’t do it, but I can. So how about if we do it together? And I said, okay, we’ll do it together. And Rachel, it’s been a joy. And I guess that’s called surrender, right? When we surrender our personality, when we surrender our preferences and we say to the Holy Spirit, not my way, but God’s way.
Rachael Adams (10:25.575)
We really are in partnership with God and I’m reminded as you said that about and I forget exactly where it is in scripture but Jesus says I am working and to this day my father is working so there is work for us to do while we’re here it is a very active faith.
Rachael Adams (10:44.981)
And so we’re going to continue this conversation after a brief break and hear a word from today’s sponsor. And when we come back, we’re going to talk about some of the challenges we may face in embracing this lifestyle.
Rachael Adams (11:02.701)
Welcome back today we are chatting with Carol McLeod about her new book, Today is a Verb and in it Carol you mentioned that this kind of intentional living is not for the faint of heart. So what are some of the challenges people might face in embracing this lifestyle and how can we overcome them?
Carol McLeod (11:20.396)
You know, Rachel, some days it might seem easier just to sit on the couch and watch the news and read your latest romance novel and order in food. Some days that might seem easier. But is it really, is it really easier to do life in sort of a slog, just going through the mundane day after day after day? Listen.
We have not been given the oversight to select the day that we step from time into eternity, but we have been given the power to transform the time we’ve been given into a life that smacks of eternal life. And Rachel, it takes resolve. It takes, I keep using the word intentionality, but that’s what it takes. You know, Rachel, every morning, when I get up, the first thing I do is I say out loud, this is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. So I have set the framework to turn an ordinary day into a day of divine appointments, into a day of worship, into a day of saying yes to the Lord, to his plans and purpose. So we’ve got to know why we’re here, Rachel. And we are not here to get the latest deals at Old Navy. We are not here to see how many times this month we can eat out. We are not here to see how small we can get our bodies. We are here in this measured space of time to deliver the character of God and the atmosphere of heaven into a world paralyzed by pain and division and confusion. And if we can grab hold of that, let me tell you, sister, the Lord will give us a list of wonderful things to partner with him in, in order to change the complexion of at least the world that we live in.
Rachael Adams (13:35.467)
Wow. That just, that inspires me. You know, if you really, if you think each and every day, he has something for you today, a purpose for your day today. That’s why you woke up another day. And so there is so much for us. And so you, you talk a lot about joy in, in, your book. And so what role does joy play in our daily choices and how can we cultivate it even in difficult seasons?
Carol McLeod (14:03.202)
Well, Rachel, as you know, I spent about a decade of my life in a deep, dark depression in my thirties. I loved the Lord. I was a Christian, but my, my world had collided with pain and I didn’t cope well. And so I was just living in the pit of depression. And during that period, now for those who are listening today, Rachel, I want you to go see your medical doctor. If you’re depressed, do whatever he or she tells you to do. I want you to find a great Christian counselor who will help you peel back the layers of your pain. But if you are depressed, never forget the power of your faith to lift you out of that black hole of depression. And so during that decade of my life, not only was I depressed, but I also developed an addiction. And the addiction that I developed, Rachel, was to the word of God. And the Bible delivered me from that deep, dark place of the soul before my circumstances ever changed.
I decided to become, as much as you can be, an expert on the word joy. Like I wanted to know what it meant. I wanted to know how you got it. I wanted to know how you kept it. I wanted to know how you shared joy. So I have spent the decades since then studying this incredible word joy. And Psalm 1611 says this, Rachel, in his presence, there’s fullness of joy.
So all the joy we could ever need this side of heaven is found in hanging out with Jesus. It’s found in spending time with him. And you know, a couple minutes ago, Rachel, you said to me, Carol, that sounds so easy. You know what, Rachel? This is not rocket science. If I can do it, anybody can do it. So the more I spend time with Jesus, the greater is my joy.
Now, there are other things I’ve incorporated into my life to stay in a place of joy. And they’re all found in my book today as a verb. I go for a walk every day, Rachel, whether it’s snowing or raining or sunny or a hundred degrees or 40 degrees. I go for a walk outside and it helps me dramatically. I’m very intentional about being generous. Did you know when you smile at a stranger, Rachel, it raises your endorphin level? And endorphins are one of the things that help us battle depression. When you’re generous, it raises your endorphin level. So there are so many just real sweet, practical, not hard things, but things you can decide to do that are going to deliver you into the joy of His presence.
Rachael Adams (16:52.075)
You know, I’m just imagining the woman listening right now thinking, I want that. That’s something that I want. And so you encourage each reader to take at least one vibrant step toward the life that God desires for them. So today, what is the first step someone could take to begin living with greater purpose?
Carol McLeod (17:12.66)
Okay, so this is what I’m going to say because there’s so many, as you know, Rachel, that are running around in my mind and my heart. But just for today, I’m going to ask you to sing. I’m going to ask you to sing out loud. I’m going to ask you to make a joyful noise because for many of us it is a joyful noise. When you get in the car today, I want you to sing. When you’re in the shower, I want you to sing. When you’re unloading the dishwasher, I want you to sing. When you go for a walk, I want you to put your earbuds in and to listen to worship music and sing. And Rachel, in my life, I have often sang with tears rolling down my cheeks because I don’t believe that sadness or crying or grief should ever deny us the great joy that will fill our soul when we sing. Sing the great hymns of the faith. Sing a current worship song. Sing a new song to the Lord. Put a scripture to music. But I want to encourage wherever you are today, whatever you’re going through today, make today a day that is filled with music. Sing your song to the Lord. You are created to sing your own song. So don’t let your circumstances mute your song. Don’t let the enemy steal your song. But today is a great day to sing your song to the Lord.
Rachael Adams (18:39.299)
So I’m going to admit I do not make a joyful noise. I can’t clap to the right beat. I have no rhythm. My pitch is terrible, but I still love right before we recording. had my worship music just blaring and music is good for my heart and I sing anyway, right? The Lord, it’s beautiful noise for the Lord, but mine is really honestly probably noise.
Rachael Adams (19:14.255)
So, know, as you have, since you had that doctor’s appointment and you have really just taken this concept to heart and really lived it out as you’ve walked out writing this book, how has your life changed for the better?
Carol McLeod (19:30.438)
My goodness, Rachel, it’s been incredible. You know, I’ve always lived with intention. I’ve always tried to turn a bad day into a good day. I’ve always tried to give a word of encouragement. But since I have written this book, it’s like I’m surrounded, surround sound purpose from heaven’s shore because I have realized today is not a 24 hour period. That is not what today is. But today, I have been given the ability, expectancy, I have been given an opportunity to partner with Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, in sculpting a life of eternal significance, despite the ticking of a clock, the turning of a calendar page, or the wrinkles that are appearing on my face have been invited to partner with God in making hell smaller and heaven bigger. I have been invited by my creator to leave an eternal footprint in the sands of time. I have been summoned by the one who loves me more than words can express to hold his hands and to gather others who need him the most.
You know, it’s probably, even though I am growing older, Rachel, it’s been the most exciting part of my life ever to realize the divine assignments that we’ve been given as a human being. So we must not, we must not slog through the swamp of disappointment or discouragement. We’ve got to kick that off, hold the hand of our Savior and say, this is the day that the Lord has made. This girl, she’s gonna rejoice and be glad in it. Father, what can I do for you today? Father, help me to become like you as I live this side of eternity.
Rachael Adams (21:41.091)
Amen. You know, I am going to start doing that, Carol, waking up and making that the first thing I say. It’s almost a, it’s a, it’s a proclamation, but it’s also a prayer and it just sets your mind on Christ before you go to bed. And then honestly, when you wake up, but then when we go to bed, maybe do the same thing. Lord, thank you for today. And you know, and then be with me again tomorrow and he will be that that is his promise. Yeah.
Carol McLeod (22:03.106)
Yes, yes, yes, yes, amen, amen. You know, when I was a young mom, Rachel, I put a piece of sticky notes all over my kitchen and it said, this is holy work. And I put it on my kids’ bedroom doors, this is holy work. I put it on my laundry room door, this is holy work. Because whatever season of life you’re in, whatever God has called you to do, is a holy partnership. And that’s what makes life so wonderful is knowing that whatever we’re given to do, it’s a holy partnership.
Rachael Adams (22:41.379)
Yeah, our labor in the Lord is not in vain and really our life is but a vapor. It’s a mist. And so let’s make the most of it. And so as we start to come to a close, I’ve been asking each of my guests, is there a biblical concept of love that you think applies to this topic? That’s a little bit of a challenge. So I’m interested to hear your answer.
Carol McLeod (23:05.534)
Yeah, well, there really is. And I’m going to go back to a word we’ve already talked about today, Rachel, and that’s the word forgive. That forgive is one of the verbs that we need to incorporate into our lives. And Rachel, it’s not, we don’t choose that word. We don’t choose that posture so much because of our great, unconditional love for people, but we do it because of our great love for our Savior. And again, He wouldn’t ask us to do anything that He has not already done. And He forgives difficult people. I was the difficult person He forgave. And so I have to keep that awareness in my soul. If I want to love like Jesus loved, and boy, I do, then I have to forgive the dysfunctional, irregular, even obnoxious people in my life, I have to forgive with a heart filled with love. And my goodness, it might be the greatest gift I’ve ever given to myself.
Rachael Adams (24:12.643)
So tell us something you are loving right now.
Carol McLeod (24:18.208)
Okay, what am I loving right now? Okay, I am loving listening to the Collingsworth family. They’re a Christian gospel group, a mom and a dad, and they’re four kids who are, you know, young adults in their probably 20s and 30s now. And I love their harmonies. I love their choice of music. I love their spirits. And so Rachel, every night before I go to bed, I go to YouTube and I listen to the Collingsworth family. I want to say you’re welcome right now to all the people out there who love a good hymn, who love a good song of faith. You’re going to love the Collingsworth family.
Rachael Adams (24:56.711)
So we need to include that in our show notes because that was one of the practical tips. That’s one of the ways is through song and through worship. So I will include that in the show notes and also include how to stay connected with you. So tell us how we can best do that.
Carol McLeod (25:09.612)
Yes, my website is carolmccloudministries.com. Also have an app for your smartphone. It’s such an easy way to stay in touch. You can just do a search in your app store on your smartphone. You can leave a pre-request, you can join a Bible study, you can read a devotion, you can see my books there. On Facebook, I’m Carol McLeod, Bible teacher and author, and the same on Instagram. I’ve written 30 U version devotionals. So if you’ve got that little brown Bible, app on your smartphone, I’d love to connect with you there.
Rachael Adams (25:41.455)
Well, we’ll have to do that 30. That’s amazing. God has given you so much. And so thank you for sharing it with us. Would you, would you pray for us as we close today?
Carol McLeod (25:47.48)
Thank you, Rachel. I would love to, Jesus, we love you. Lord, we love you with our whole hearts. Lord, we love you with everything that’s within us. Lord Jesus, every cell in my body loves you. And Father, today I pray for that woman out there who’s discouraged, who might even be disgruntled or frustrated. Lord, I pray that you would restore to her the joy of her salvation. Lord, I pray that you’d stir up grand purpose in her heart. Lord, I pray for divine appointments today in the wonderful name of Jesus. Lord, we love you. We love serving you, but most of all we love being with you. So thank you for your presence and for your power. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Rachael Adams (26:37.619)
Amen. Thank you so much, Carol, for joining us today and helping us to live more intentionally.
Carol McLeod (26:44.961)
Love you, Rachael, see you soon.
Rachael Adams (26:47.255)
Thank you so much for listening to the Love Offering Podcast. I hope today’s conversation encouraged and inspired you to love God, love others, and even love yourself a little bit more. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and leave a review. It helps others find the show and spreads the message of love even further. To connect with me, visit my website at rachellekayaddams.com. While you’re there, be sure to download the Love Offering Calendar, a free resource filled with simple daily ways to love those around you.
And don’t forget to pick up a copy of my new book, Everyday Prayers for Love, Learning to Love God, Others, and Even Yourself, and Carol’s book, Today is a Verb. They are available now wherever books are sold, and we pray they are meaningful resources for your faith journey. A special thank you to Life Audio for supporting this podcast and making it possible. To find more great podcasts, visit LifeAudio.com. Thanks again for joining us today. Until next time, let’s make our lives an offering of love.
*Transcript is AI generated.
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