Prayer reveals goals for the new year

Let this coming year be better than all the others. Vow to do some of the things you’ve always wanted to do but couldn’t find the time. Call up a forgotten friend. Drop an old grudge, and replace it with some pleasant memories. Vow not to make a promise you don’t think you can keep. Walk tall, and smile more. You’ll look ten years younger. Don’t be afraid to say, ‘I love you.’ Say it again. They are the sweetest words in the world.

-- ANN LANDERS

I was enjoying my first walk of this new year. The air was delightfully crisp and the sky seemed to be extra clear and bright blue, having been thoroughly washed by the recent rains. I heard two dogs barking excitedly nearby, as if they both saw something or someone they were anxious to see.

As I rounded a corner I saw that they were indeed excited to see someone, and they pulled on their leashes and wagged their tails as their owner waved to a woman with a red sweatshirt across the street. The dogs practically dragged their owner across the street, and danced around the other woman who was clearly happy to see them too.

The women hugged and the woman with the red sweatshirt said, “Wow, this is quite a greeting, I feel so special. How is the new year treating you so far?”

“It’s great to see you too,” the woman said, while trying to untangle the dogs’ leashes. “As far as the new year goes, so far, so good, and the same goes for my new year’s resolutions. Actually, that’s not entirely true. I really only resolved that my resolutions would last longer this year than last, and so far, they have, but I think that’s cheating.”

Both women laughed.

This past New Year’s Eve, my husband, Jon, and I had the pleasure of being with our daughter, Amy, her husband, Tyson, and Jon’s parents. We played games before dinner and then during a delicious dinner Amy asked us what were the highlights of the past year.

I loved the special time of sharing, and realized that God had truly blessed us all in many ways. I also realized there were far more highlights than we had time to share.

Then Amy asked us if we had any resolutions for the New Year, and again I enjoyed hearing everyone’s thoughts. In the past, I’ve usually come up with a list by New Year’s Eve, but for some reason, this year, I hadn’t.

I’ve thought about it since then, and noticed that once I prayed about it, my list began.

The first thing on my list is to spend more time with God. I have not kept that as high a priority lately as I have in the past, and I can feel the difference.

In addition to valuing my relationship with God more, there are other relationships that I want to focus more on as well. In December, two friends I haven’t connected with in a long time called me and wanted to catch up with me. It meant so much to me to hear from them, and I have since thought of some friends that I would like to reach out to in the new year.

No matter what we think about New Year’s resolutions, we have chances and choices every day to do what we can to help make this year better than all the others.

And you can quote me on that.

* CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON is a Newport Beach resident who speaks frequently to parenting groups. She may be reached via e-mail at [email protected] or through the mail at 537 Newport Center Drive, Box 505, Newport Beach, CA 92660.

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