I can hardly believe 2017 is at an end. It has come and gone in the blink of an eye. And yet, it has held so many blessings:
~My husband & my 23rd wedding anniversary!
~A new phase of life for us with both of our sons’ graduating (one from HS and one college) and starting job/college
~The publication of my debut novel (Under This Same Sky!!) 
~Book signings
~The completion of my second novel (Under Prairie Skies) which is set to release spring, 2018!
~New acquaintances, friendships & critique partner
Yet, it also brought several new challenges:
~Parents with failing health
~Tensions between the U.S. and other nations
~The stress of change
~Periods of drought, (and for others natural disasters)
As with any year, 2017 held both joys and sorrows. I’m so grateful to have the Lord by my side through each and every high and low He is my constant, the One who uplifts me when times are tough and the One who stirs my heart to write words which hopefully will touch the hearts of readers. Without Him I am nothing.
My goal for 2018 will be to walk closer to Him, to seek His will for myself, my family, and my writing. Whatever the future holds, I’m confident He’ll be with me, giving strength for each new day.
I pray you too, know the Savior’s love and presence. May 2018 find us walking with our Lord, sharing His message with those who don’t yet know Him.
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance.” (Psalm 33:12)
Has the Lord blessed you in an unexpected way this past year? If so, I’d love to hear about it!
Connect with Cynthia on Facebook and Twitter. Read more of her writing at: Putting on the New Blog.
UNDER THIS SAME SKY
Read how God works in the lives of Cynthia’s characters in her debut novel, UNDER THIS SAME SKY, available in both e-book and print at Amazon.com
Cynthia, congratulations on those 23 years of marriage, the successful raising of two boys to adulthood, and of course, the release of Under This Same Sky (which I loved!).
I spent 2017 discovering, as a widow, what I can and can’t do on my own. My plan for 2018 is to build on my capabilities and accept my limitations.
I hope to draw closer to our Savior, let others see His magnificent light through me, and always seek to do His will.
Blessings to you and your readers in 2018!
You are doing just that, Patti, using your amazing gift of encouragement to shine His light and bless others! Thanks so much! And may the Lord richly bless you in return.
I found at the beginning of the year it was difficult with jims diagnosis and his operation, also my mums short term memory became worse and she needs care now, through it all the Lord has been with me and my rock, hoping for us to be together in the Lord next year and for good health, blessings for your next book.
Thanks, Ann! You’ve been a wonderful encourager to me! May the Lord continue to be your strength in the coming year. Blessings and prayers, my friend.
I’m really excited to read your debut novel! This has been a year of “firsts” for us. My husband retired at the end of June, and for the first time he can sleep later in the morning or stay up later at night. We were going to bed really early so he could get up anywhere between 3:30 and 5:00. The only good thing was that I got to read many, many books in bed, so I usually finished a book every day. We won’t draw Social Security until January (actually it starts in January, but the first check is at the end of February), so we were overwhelmingly blessed when his boss gave us a bonus check which enabled us to make it to the end of the year. God so kindly kept showing us that we were listening to Him in making this decision, and blessing us beyond what we even thought possible.
That’s wonderful, Becky! The Lord is such a wonderful provider and loves to shower down blessings on His people! Thanks for sharing! I look forward to hearing your thoughts on Under This Same Sky. I pray you’ll be blessed by it. Enjoy your retirement years!!