A New Year, A New Attitude

By Cindy Patterson

Today is the last day of the year. But not only is it the last day of the year, it’s the last day of this decade. As I’ve been thinking about what I wanted to post about, my mind has taken me in all different directions. That could be because 2020 and the beginning of a new decade is full of things to get excited about.

With the new year upon us, we all tend to make New Year’s Resolutions and goals, but I’ve never been all that great at sticking to something throughout the year. Especially diets. What about you?

This year, I’m trying to think differently. Instead of only working on ways I can improve myself this year, I’m also thinking about ways I can help others. How I can be a better friend. How I can support other authors. How I can make the most of every single day God gives me by being a blessing to others. How I can glorify Him in my day to day life. We all get so busy in our own daily schedules with work, taking care of our families, and reading, writing, and editing, that another year goes by without doing things we wish we would’ve done.

One of the most exciting things that could have ever happened to me, became a reality in the summer of 2019. I was given the wonderful opportunity to visit Israel on a mission’s trip over the summer.

Nearly a year ago, I started a wonderful habit of listening to my Bible App every morning while getting ready. I started at the beginning and I’m working my way through the entire Bible. And because of my trip to Israel, I skipped ahead to the gospels a few weeks before my trip. I wanted to listen to that particular portion to prepare my heart for being in the place where my Jesus walked.

After the trip to Israel, I resumed in my Bible reading/listening, where I had stopped. And then just a few short weeks ago, found myself back in the gospel’s during the Christmas season. I will listen to the gospels every Christmas from now on. What a wonderful way to have the spirit of God poured over you through his Word as we celebrate the birth of our Savior.

It’s been six months since my trip to Israel and because of the overwhelming joy of being in God’s chosen land, it’s hard to share everything that happened in a single conversation. So, one of my main goals this year is to journal my time spent in God’s holy land so that I can share it with more clarity with others. I want to break down each individual day, each individual site visit, each and every special memory as I relive a time I will never forget, and at the same time share it with my family and with others. And I have literally hundreds of pictures to go along with it.

Another exciting thing that happened this year, is my third novel, Shattered Treasure, released this month. It has been a crazy year of preparing, but has been worth every single minute.

In what ways can you make this a new year that will be glorifying to Him?

Thank you so much for stopping by and for allowing me to join you today. May God bless you in your journeys, whatever they may be, in the new year.

Cindy Patterson believes in life changing fiction and happily ever afters that start with Jesus. Her passions include Jesus, her husband, and her family. She’s an ordinary girl wanting to do extraordinary things for Christ. Her favorite pastimes are watching her son play baseball and watching her daughter dance. Cindy reads a lot, drinks too much coffee, and wishes she had more time to write. Author of Chasing Paradise and Broken Butterfly, she loves to connect with her readers at www.cindypattersonbks.com and on twitter @cpattersonbks.