Welcome to 2008!

I trust you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's over the last couple of weeks. I had to work through both holidays (no holidays in the television business!), so I don't really feel rested. Hopefully, that will come later.

This was a special Christmas for my side of the family because we were able to celebrate the miraculous year my brother had. Plus, this was the first time in 4 years that all of my siblings and all grandchildren were together, hence our annual family Christmas snapshot. On the other hand, it was a "different" Christmas for my husband as he lost both his grandmother and mother this year. Watching him deal with the change has been inspiring and seeing his faith has been uplifting.

So it's now that time of the year when we make our resolutions. I make a few every year, do you? Can't promise I fulfill them all 100%, but I usually get close. Of course I'd like to lose my baby weight once baby girl arrives, but God prompted me to make a couple of others: finish reading the Bible through, memorizing more scripture, and working a bit more on my book.

Many people become frustrated when their resolutions fall through; and how many stories have we seen on TV lately that gives advice for sticking to them? I am reminded of what Paul said in Philippines 3:13, "But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Forgetting the past isn't always a bad thing, in my opinion. I believe it can remind us of how far we've come and what we've been able to accomplish with God's help. More importantly, the past helps us focus on what is ahead. If we didn't make resolutions, we would be prideful and complacent which could inhibit our continued growth in grace. So go ahead, make a resolution or two, and don't become complacent in allowing God to complete His work in you for 2008.