Happy New Year!

Time for 2014. What happened to 2013? The older I grow, the faster time seems to pass. 2013 was an eventful year with a new great-granddaughter and our second oldest granddaughter moving to Houston and living with us for eight months until she could find a full-time job and get settled. What a delightful time that was. I hope you had many happy events in the past year, too.

As the new year approaches, many people are thinking about resolutions. I quit making resolutions years ago and now set goals. I’m in First Place 4 Health at our church and we were challenged to give God a year to work in our lives. We made commitments as to what we would do and then listed the things we prayed God would do for us in that year. I'm doing that for 2014 and those commitments are my goals for the year.

I challenge you to give God 2014 and see what He will do for you. Here's what you do: Use an index card 3x5 or 4x6; on one side head your list: "What I will do this year;" then on the other side list "What I ask God to do this year.  The front side is for personal goals set for yourself, but no more than 5 or maybe 6. The other side is for those things you would ask God to do for you. You don't have to tell me you're doing it, but I would like to hear about any results at the end of the year.

I also find a word I believe God has for me for the year. Last year it was “seek” and the verse Matthew 33:6 became my verse. I filled out my card with my commitments on one side and what I expected from God on the other side. This is my sixth year to do this, and God has not failed me. I haven’t been as faithful to all my commitments, but He is always faithful.

The word I have for this year is “Joy.” I choose to find joy in everything I do and in everything that happens no matter whether it is good or bad. Whatever it is, God is in control and will take care of me. My verse for this year is Romans 15:13 NIV. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

One of my commitments is to have a more active blog this year. On Sunday/Monday I will have a devotional thought along with any personal news or comments. On Tuesday thru Friday, I plan to feature two authors who have new releases or are promoting other releases. There will be give aways of books and other items throughout the year, so I hope you will subscribe and drop by often and leave your comments. 

Some posts will be interviews with the author, others will be interviews with characters, and still others will be about the book itself and how it came to be or interesting facts about the book. On Saturdays, I will have brief writing tips for writers and suggestions for great books for readers. I hope to have something for everyone.

What will you choose for this year? Will you accept the challenge? Will you make resolutions you can’t or won’t keep or will you set goals to accomplish in 2014? Will you choose joy and seek Him above all others? Are you willing to commit the year 2014 to Him and see what glorious blessings He has in store for you as a faithful child?

Whatever you decide to do, may you do it with love, grace and faith in our Lord and Savior who gave us the greatest gift ever known to man. Leave a comment and tell me your plans.

Love Stays True is a story of commitment. A young man is committed to God and believes in his future. A young woman is committed to a man, but unsure of how she feels about God. The second book, Love Finds Faith, will be released in early February. 

Your comment will enter you in the drawing for this new book. If you don’t have the first one, let me know and I’ll send both. Be sure to include your email address so I can contact you if you win. Actual books for the US only.