A lot of folks ask God to give them a specific Word of the Year to help them focus on a positive change for the upcoming year. Is this something you’ve found helpful? If so, would you like to share your Word of the Year for 2021 in comments below? Or, share how having a WOTY has been helpful or challenging for you in previous years. Or, share why you don’t do this!
Winners this Week
If you’re a winner, you should have received an email from the author in charge of the giveaway. If not, please email us at: prizes at inspyromance dot com.
Shannon Taylor Vannatter’s winner is Kara Marks!
Toni Shiloh’s winner is Winnie Thomas!
Congratulations!
Don’t forget… every comment you make qualifies you to win one of the monthly Amazon card giveaways!
Specials this Week
Janet W. Ferguson’s The Art of Rivers is free through January 14.
Reader Gathering
Did you know Inspy Romance hosts a Christian Romance Reader Gathering group on Facebook? Join us… but don’t forget to answer the questions for admittance!
StoryChats @ InspyRomance
Story Chats is back this week with an all new episode launching Friday! Narelle, Elizabeth, and Valerie will be chatting with Deb Kastner about new beginnings. You won’t want to miss it!
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Last Week on Inspy Romance
On Monday, Jaycee Weaver challenged us with 20 silver linings from 2020 (and inspiration for 2021).
On Tuesday, Heather Gray offered the fifth entry of A Day in the Life.
On Wednesday, Janet W Ferguson shared a bad boy turned hero (and a favorite inspirational romance)
On Thursday, Elizabeth Maddrey took us from a fake relationship to a marriage of convenience… plus #giveaway
On Friday, Valerie M Bodden asked should a romance always end with a wedding?… plus #giveaway
On Saturday, Staci Stallings invited us wandering
Next Week on Inspy Romance
Monday: Marion Ueckermann (Slow? Or Fast? (#giveaway))
Tuesday: Hallee Bridgeman
Wednesday: Andrea Boyd
Thursday: Valerie Comer (Being a Single Dad by Travis Cavanagh)
Friday: Angela Ruth Strong (The Game of Love)
Saturday: Jan Thompson (First Lines… and #Giveaway)
New Releases
January 2021
Hope for Family (Hope Ranch 5) by Elizabeth Maddrey
For the Love of Joy (A Coastal Hearts Novel) by Janet W Ferguson
An Unlikely Proposal by Toni Shiloh
Daisy’s Decision (Dixon Brothers 4) by Hallee Bridgeman
Opening Her Heart by Deb Kastner
Pray for Me (Vacation Sweethearts 5) by Jan Thompson
December 2020
Cadence of Cranberries (Urban Farm Fresh Romance 10) by Valerie Comer
Forgiven by the Hero (Heroes of Freedom Ridge 6) by Tara Grace Ericson
Becoming Us by Jaycee Weaver and one other
Ride with Me (Chapel Cove Romance 10) by Marion Ueckermann
A complete list of Inspy Romance books by our authors is always available on our BOOKS tab. Find our audiobooks, our permanently free e-books, and our thank-you gifts for newsletter subscribers there as well!
Valerie Comer is a USA Today bestselling author and a two-time Word Award winner who writes where food meets faith and fiction. She injects experience laced with humor into her green clean romances. Her life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local foods movement as well as their church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily-ever-afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.
Good Morning Valerie! In the past, I have not usually had a Word of the Year after the drama and heart ache of 2020; I chose the word RESILIENCE for 2021. My German immigrant parents taught me to be resilient. They had lived through trying times. My father was born in 1918 at the end of WW1 and beginning of the Spanish flu pandemic to a single mom. His father passed 6 weeks before he was born of a war injury. Both parents survived horrendous atrocities in Germany during WW2, the Berlin Airlift before immigrating to the US in 1955. Resilient people are aware of situations, their own emotional reactions, and the behavior of those around them. … By remaining aware, resilient people can maintain control of a situation and think of new ways to tackle problems. Another characteristic of resilience is the understanding that life is full of challenges. I think this last statement is what is helping me get through. I know many have chosen the word HOPE for 2021. “Hope” is commonly used to mean a wish : its strength is the strength of the person’s desire. In the Bible hope is the confident expectation of what God has promised and its strength is in His faithfulness. Therefore I know that life is full of challenges (some I can’t change) and I have the hope the God is faithful. By favorite Bible verse remains: Be STILL and KNOW that I am GOD! Psalm 46:10. Best wishes. Enjoy your Sunday.
I am Thankful! I am recovering from Covid at the age of 78 ( will be 79 next month.) I have a stiff neck from it, but, it is easing up some.
I’m not usually a “Word of the Year” person, but this year I didn’t have a choice. The word “persevere” came very strongly to me. It was odd … like God dropped it into my brain and placed it on my heart. 😊
Resilient and hope are both great words! Also, Ps 46:10 is one of my favorite verses. I need the reminder constantly!
Oh, Mary. I’m so sorry to hear you’ve had covid and am offering up a prayer right now for your complete healing. You are in good hands – God’s.
We don’t always have to do what we’ve done before, and the nudging of the Spirit is the best reason to make a change! Persevere is a great challenge.
I’ve never done a word of the year before. However, after everything that happened in December, I’ve decided that for 2021 my word will be comfort, as I know God will comfort me during this season of mourning.
It’s a promise! 2 Corinthians 1:3-4—Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
Offering a prayer on your behalf today…
JOY 😊
Maybe I do have a WOTY, if I can have the same one every year! I choose joy. I want it to shine out of every crack in my life… and there are definitely cracks.
Joy is a family favorite. My daughter in love and my 7 year old granddaughter. Their middle names are JOY. Family tradition to pass on a parent or grandparent name or middle name. Great WOTY or every year as you stated, Valerie.
Thank you so very much!!!!
I chose Hope for my word. In God and with God there is Hope. Have a Great week and stay safe. God Bless you and your family.
In the past, God has dropped a word in my heart. This year it seems I keep getting the word “Hope”; I think we all need a little hope these days. A quiet assurance that only God can give :-)
I keep coming back to the scripture “in this world you will have trouble, but rest assured I have overcome the world.” (paraphrased). Now that’s the kind of hope I can cling to! There’s so many troubling things happening in our world today, but I know I can put my trust & HOPE in the Lord. And that is so reassuring!
Happy Sunday everyone!
I just listened to this past weeks StoryChats with Mandi Blake & borrowed both “Then There Was You” by Kara Isaac & “His Perfect Catch” by Narelle Atkins on KU. You guys convinced me I need to read them :-)
Amen for the HOPE we have in Jesus!!!
Hope is so important, and I can see why so many have chosen it for their word for 2021!
I hope you enjoy both! And thank you for listening :)
Determination is my word for the year. Congratulations to the winners.
Determination is a good one!
Although I never “chose” a word in 2020, circumstances demanded TRUST for me. And Trusting God got me through it. This year seems to be a year for Discernment. I’m hearing a lot of troubling news and I have already been praying for Discernment, and the year has just begun. So Discernment it will be; and I think I’ll hang on to Trust as well. I’m pretty sure I’m going to need it.
Both good words, and I see why you chose them… or why they chose you!
My word for 2021 is Grace. I know I need to be reminded of my need for God’s grace more so that I will give grace to others more freely.
Yes, for sure! Grace must go both ways, and it can be challenging.
Congratulations to the winners.
I chose Intentional as my word.
Ah, good word!
Thanks for ‘The Art of Rivers’ – I just downloaded it and hopefully can fit it into my TBR for this year. Cadence of Cranberries is sitting on my Goodreads list under ‘Currently Reading’ but I got sidetracked, so it is definitely up next, Valerie Comer. I also have several hardcover books that I am working my way through. I did meet my 120 goal for 2020, but decided to make it 100 for 2021. I felt a little rushed.
My word for 2021 is ‘Thankfulness’ – so grateful for so much and for the ability to get through the losses. Thankful that God is good, even when bad things happen.
Aw, I’m THANKFUL for readers who have my books in their TBR! I hope you enjoy.
My word is “spicy.” That doesn’t sound very biblical, I know, but variety is the spice of life, and after surviving cancer, I just want to make the most of life by filling it with variety. It’s like the more I experience this amazing world God has given us, the more I have to be thankful for.
Plus, now that I’ve been bald, I feel like I have permission to be eccentric!
Ha, Angela, I love it! Spicy it is. ;)
Yes, I’ve found it to be helpful. It keeps me focused, expectant, joyful.
For several years, I’ve held onto Jer 29:11.
This year, it’s a statement, not “a word”:
Nothing is too hard for God – from Gen 18:14, Jer 32:27, John 42:1-2, Mk 10:27 and Mt 19:26.
Such a good reminder!