This is now closed, winner will be announced later Tuesday (Numbers 1 -39 are the only numbers being considered for the Amazon gift certificate, but feel free to add your link if you write a post on your New Year Meditations).

Hi my name is Lori and I hate New Year’s Resolutions.

On the other hand, I believe it is important to set goals for the New Year. Without dreams and goals we expect things to come to us, but the Lord rewards those who seek him out.

Ps 34:10 The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. Heb 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

We, as Christians need to be proactive in our spiritual growth.   So my question that I ask myself at the beginning of 2009 is  “How do I plan to grow to know more about Christ and how do I plan on spreading the gospel?”

Several of my goals this year is

1. To read through the Chronological Bible I won at the end of 2008.I am the type of person that needs to make sure I am spending time with God and learning more about him, or I am no good to anyone. I have signed up for a 16 week bible study that covers signs of the times, the peace process and false religions; along with an in-depth study of Ezekiel, Daniel, and The Book of Revelation. The woman that teaches this is so knowledgeable and I pray I can glean much from her.

2. I recently completed a bible study by Tara Barthel (which we are offering as a giveaway at Laced With Grace–click button below to enter). This bible study really opened my eyes to some of the idols I struggle with. This year my goal is turning those idols over to God to deal with; for it is not by my power I can do so, but his! God keeps me relying on him and I turn the idols I struggle with over to him, sometimes on a daily basis.I praise God for my sponsor child Mary she has been such a blessing already in my life.

I don’t know  what 2009 is going to bring, and if I did not have total faith in God I would admit I am worried where we are heading as a country. But God is King of Kings and Lord of Lord and nothing happens without his knowledge.

I remind myself of that daily especially while being a Mom to teenage boys. It is so much fun watching them develop and grow older, but it is down right scary also.

Next year will bring driving for my oldest. My youngest will enter middle school next year. New adventures await and I need to trust in the steady hand of God while my life sometimes feels like a roller coaster.

3. I praise God for my husband’s employment. It is by God’s blessing that he has a job, sure pay was cut and things became tighter but I know we are blessed.  I will be praying for my husband’s continued employment during these difficult times.

“Jesus Christ went into the ultimate wilderness and lost God so that when you and I go into our little wildernesses we can find God.” – Tim Keller, “A Man in the Wilderness”

4. For me personally, I am praying I will follow God’s leading. I am a person who likes safety and I get nervous when I am asked to step out into unknown territories. There is this nagging feeling I have that God is going to lead me into the unknown, and I will readily admit I am scared about taking leaps. I am more of a “put one big toe in at a time” type of gal. But I fear God is going to call me to trust him, even when I don’t see the road ahead.

For blogging I pray everything I do reflects Christ (even my weaknesses and bad days).

I will continue to review books. Reading is like breathing to me!! I understand not everyone feels this way, so I have made a separate place where I will host book giveaways and reviews.  Please make sure to sign up for the RSS it is different then this main blog.  Anything I review for Christian Women Online Magazine will not be posted on my book review site until the following month.

Same goes with my Beauty Inside & Out page.  I have this page because I enjoy beauty products, I will alert you when I have a review up, but it will be on that page not here (different RSS).  Today I have a new review up and the company is offering my readers an additional 20%.

I will continue to write for Laced With Grace and Wedded Bliss monthly unless the Lord leads else where.  I am amazed and humbled each of these sites will have me =) Thank you so much for reading, I would love to read your dreams for the New Year!  Happy New Year.

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Why don’t you join me, I would love to read your New Year’s Meditations. As an extra incentive, anyone who participates in “New Year’s Meditations” on their blog will be entered in a drawing to win a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com. I’ll do a random drawing from the names of everyone who does a post and leaves their link here (beginning Jan. 1st) via Mr. Linky.  Winner will be announced January 6th. I reserve the right to delete any links not pertaining to the New Year’s Meditations.