By Sandy Kirby Quandt

With all the New Year’s advice of what we need to do to ensure we enjoy a wonderful, life-fulfilling 2015…read this or that book…listen to this or that speaker…select one, and only one, Scripture verse as your verse for the year…select one, and only one, word as your word for the year…I can’t do it.

While I have nothing against the plethora of advice designed to enhance my life, (hey, I’m giving advice in this post, aren’t I?) the stubborn side of me comes out. I’m not one to go along with the crowd simply because it is trendy. I’ve only recently switched from a flip phone to a smartphone, for goodness sake. Trend-setter? Hardly.

There are a lot of books I’d like to read this year. Not all or them are for my personal or spiritual growth. Some are pure entertainment, like Wendelin Van Draanen’s Sammy Keyes mysteries for kids.

There are many worthy speakers out there, but not all of them speak to what’s going on in my life right now. If ever.

As far as choosing ONE verse of Scripture as mine for the year, sorry. Can’t/Won’t do that. I leave the door open each day for God to show me the verses he wants me to meditate on. I’m not going to limit my verse to one.

Now, about having one word…it’s pretty much the same thing as having one verse. Each day God shows me new things. New aspects of his character. New directions he wants me to go. One word? How could I possibly choose?

Today my word for the year is Grace. No, wait. Today it’s Redeemed. No, no, no. Today my word is Faith. No…

See? How can I possibly choose one word, or one verse, when there are so many wonderful words and verses to choose from in my relationship with the Creator God? The Father who cared enough for me…insignificant, weak, sinful me…allowed his perfect, sinless son to die a horrendous death on the cross at the hands of his creation, to pay the debt for my sin, which there is no way I could ever possibly pay on my own.

He did the same for you, too, you know.

So pick those books to read, speakers to listen to, or one word as your guide for 2015 if that’s what you feel led to do.

Me? I’m gonna’ read whatever strikes my fancy at any given time and try for a balance between fiction and non-fiction. I’ll pay attention to speakers, and pick and choose what I believe is meant for me, and leave the rest. I’ll continue to search God’s written word for the verses and words he put in the Bible for me to live by, and do my best to honor him.

If God’s mercies are new every morning, and they are, how can I limit myself to the same word for 365 days?

What’s your advice for this new year?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Leave a comment below. If you think others would appreciate reading this please share it through the social media buttons.

I wish you well.

Sandy

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