Lindi here! 2018 is here and I’m thrilled to be starting my 4th year with the Inspy blog! November 2014 was my first post in this Inspy world. I blogged about strong heroines and my love of reading.
Some things never change! (But some things do as I talk about further down.)
Last year I did a monthly recap of books I had read. (Or in the process of reading.) There are some constants in life. I’m glad reading is one of mine.
Even though January 1, 2018 is simply the day after December 31, 2017, that last digit in the year changing from the 7 to the 8 brings a multitude of changes in peoples lives. There’s something refreshing about newness that makes us take notice.
That gives us hope.
That makes us believe things/situations/relationships will be different.
It’s almost like we are the heroines in our novels for a short time. Isn’t that what writers do? Isn’t that our goal? To take a fictional person, put them through turmoil in hopes that they find whatever it is we’ve set before them? Love, respect, grace, mercy, joy? (The list is much longer than this, of course.)
We usually begin our novels in places of change for our characters. Places of new beginnings, places of indecision. Places of “things” on the line, potential happiness? Loss?
And through our novels our characters learn and grow. They’re changed by the decisions they’ve made-hopefully with new insight from what they’ve learned and experienced in the journeys we’ve set before them.
So here we are, heroines, (or heros) faced with a new twelve month calendar in front of us, waiting to be filled, waiting to see what 2018 will bring. What kind of mindset are we in as we journey?
I don’t normally do resolutions because I break them right away. (Not sure why I set myself up for failure like that!) I’ve heard of people putting goals in jars, then pulling them out in December to see how many goals they achieved. (I’ve never done this.) I usually do a word of the year, but right now I’m not sure what that word is, if there even is one this year for me.
I have been known to write on a calendar certain goals when it comes to writing. This many pages in this amount of time. This book will be done by this day and so on. I usually need a deadline from someone that isn’t me. Just being honest here. I need to commit to a group project, or work with other authors to make sure I get things done. When I self-pub a book I hire an editor, and if I know I have to have the book to her by a certain date, that’s a good deadline for me.
So, we all have our tricks and things we do to go from the old to new year. We all have hope for a new beginning–just like our heroes and heroines!
What are your hopes for this year? Or new things to do? One thing my husband and have decided is to try and eat at local restaurants when we eat out and support more local businesses.
We’d love to hear yours so we can encourage–or if you have a word of the year, we’d love to hear that!
USA Today featured author Lindi Peterson lives in north Georgia, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with her husband and a lively array of cats, dogs and birds. She loves sharing life with her family and friends. Her passion for reading led her to writing, and then God spoke words of love into her heart and changed her life forever.
Hi Lindi:) I am looking forward to a new year- my main goal is to be more deliberate in planning time with friends. Some of our best friends live a couple hours drive away, so we ‘book’ weekends in advance where we can catch up, so I want to make the most of these this year.
More regular exercise is also a goal!!
Blessings:)
I’m in the same place. Not seeing friends that live within driving distance. :) We’ll do better!
Hi Lindi! Happy New Year. Being retired – not any new resolutions, hubby and I enjoy one day at a time. Once a month we take a road trip if the weather and health permits. Often meeting my husband’s sister and her husband. We support local businesses and I write reviews for the places we visit or post an encouraging note on their Facebook page. Best wishes.
Renate–I LOVE road trips. :) And yes, I forgot about the reviewing of local restaurants and such. So important. Thank you for the reminder. I love that you do that.
I am hoping to be more intentional about how I spend my time. I am also hopeful to stick to a good eating and exercise plan.
Hi Elizabeth—Those are good goals. I changed my eating lifestyle in August and was pretty much able to stick to it through the holidays. :) I haven’t started my exercising yet! Soon, though.
I don’t really do resolutions, other than to make my quiet time each day a priority before the day begins. It never ceases to amaze me how even after 40-some years, God’s Word can be new & fresh. My hubby retired 6 months ago, and we also just take one day at a time. Our desire is to be able to go to our grandchildren’s performances or days like Grandparents Day, which we could seldom do, due to work. I did choose a word for this year, and it’s “deeper”. I’m not sure what all it means, but I believe God wants me to go even deeper with Him this year.
Hi–Becky! First, I love your word—:) and my hubby is semi-retired–I would love for him to be fully retired. :) And yes, God’s Word is new every day–no matter the years that have passed. Thank you for sharing that!
We recently made a major move and relocated and retired. We are near our children and grand children now. The Lord has put on my heart to be available to them rather than get super busy with church. We are still going to church just not voluntering for everything like we have done in the past. I’m also looking forward to time for sewing.
Diana—sounds like a great plan. You are serving the Lord while being with your family! :) And you sew, girl. I never was able to pick up that skill. I have friends that sew well, and they love doing it.