3 more sleeps until this year is history.

How are ya feeling? I hope this was a wonderful year for you full of laughter and love. Maybe during  the past 365 days, you accomplished big goals and made major steps forward. Perhaps you look back over the last 12 months and see abundance and beauty.

Good for you.

But the truth is I know many of you had a hard year. Right now, you may be sitting in your living room wondering where the last 365 days actually disappeared so quickly. Wasn’t it April 15th just yesterday?  You just got done doing your taxes, and somehow you are taking down the Christmas tree the next day.

The last 365 days may have been a whirlwind. You lost your to-do list under a pile of paperwork on your desk several months ago, and you’ve been putting out fires and fighting to stay standing all year long. For the last 12 months, you’ve crawled out of bed and cried out, “Jesus, help me get through today.”

Some years are like that. You just feel stuck. Unexpected hardship comes crashing down on you in waves and never lets you get firm footing.

Bruce and I understand this first hand. In fact, we have a little joke about how we prefer the “odd numbered years” over the “even numbered years.” Here’s a quick review to give you an idea why:

2009: Got married. Yay!

2010: Had a miscarriage. Buried Bruce’s mom. Cried almost every day.

2011: Survived. Walked on egg shells, but faced no major drama.

2012: Ended up in the ER. Cried my eyes out at our granddaughter’s funeral. Had the hardest year of my life.

2013: Got my life back and managed to not have a nervous breakdown….

2014: My best friend’s husband lost his battle against Cancer in January, and it went downhill from there….

I could go on, but I think you see the trend. Every even year hits us hard.

Therefore, when the calendar turned from 2017 to 2018, Bruce and I braced ourselves for something big to crash down and create lots of chaos.

Except on January 1st, I decided to do something different. Rather than worry my way through my year, I determined to worship. I reminded myself that God is bigger than my bad days, and I vowed to trust God is faithful even if my world is falling apart.

Rather than gripe, I made a conscious choice to give God praise with empty hands because sometimes a “No” is a glorious promise from God.

I learned I can stand secure in an unstable world because God’s promises are unshakable. When my world is spinning out of control, I can remain calm by crying out to Christ.

Even on the most hellish days, I can encourage and empower my heart my hanging on to God’s truth.

Each day is a gift from God. With the new year just 3 days away, we can look back and see how God has carried us even on those days when we didn’t think we could make it. He is faithful.

The year ahead will provide 365 opportunities for us to believe our omnipotent God has better days ahead for us.

We can set aside fear and choose to walk forward in faith.

We can say no to disbelief and start counting our blessings.

We can decide to see every obstacle as an opportunity for God to teach us how to love and transform us into the image of Christ.

So, how do you feel about the next 365 days?

We have 3 sleeps to “get our head in the game” and step forward with a renewed perspective.

Let’s start by holding on to 5 truths that will help us remember God is in control, and He will carry us through one step at a time.

5 Promises You Need to Know for the New Year

God delights in you.

“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

God is watching over your life.

“The Lord will keep you from all harm– He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:7-8)

God gives good gifts.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” ( James 1:17)

Your suffering has a grander purpose.

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)

God will make a way for you through the wilderness.

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19)

Are you ready to face the new year with renewed faith? To help you get fired up, I’m sharing a copy of My Pray Big Prayer Calendar with you. Start your year praying each day for God to do a miraculous work in your world.  Sign up today as a member of the Wildfire Faith Community and  grab a copy in our Faith Fuel Library. Print out your copy and start each morning inviting God to rock your world. Let’s #PrayBig and stand on God’s promises in 2019!

As you stand on the promises of God, no weapon formed against you will prosper. Friends, God is not done writing our stories yet, and every day on the calendar provides a new opportunity for us to partner with Him.  As you persevere in faith, the people in your circle of influence will see how you are holding on to God’s Word, and your life will be a witness.

Face the next 365 days without fear by fueling your faith with God’s faithful promises.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by your commitments and constantly running on empty? CHECK OUT MY COACHING SERVICES TO HELP YOU develop a plan to Refuel with rest and soul care.

Are you ready to fire up your faith?

Join the Wildfire Faith Community and get weekly #FaithFuel in your inbox.

You’ll receive “4 Surefire Ways to Ignite Your Faith” as my gift to you.

You’ll also get access to the practical resources and goodies in our private Faith Fuel library.