“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here.”– 2
Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

A new year is upon us.
My challenge is “Can you do better?” Hoping to do better and doing better are two
different things just as making resolutions and following through are not the
same. Whether your resolutions include getting out of debt or losing weight, resolutions
don’t resolve themselves. The word resolution means “a resolve or
determination.” Another definition is “the act of resolving or determining upon
an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.”

The origin of the word, resolution,
has its roots in Latin. From the early fifteenth century, the word means “a
breaking into parts.” Another meaning is the “process of reducing things into
simpler forms.” I think that is where we fail to achieve our goals. We can make
a resolution to lose weight, even determining the number of pounds we want to
lose. We might start out enthused, even signing up for a gym membership. After
several weeks of sweating and groaning, our willpower ebbs and we fall back
into old habits. I think it is because we are not specific enough. We set
ourselves up for failure when we don’t break our goals down into parts. For
example, wanting to lose 20 pounds doesn’t identify the good habits you need to
incorporate into your life each day and which habits are detrimental to your
health and need to be addressed, too.

Another popular New
Year’s Resolution involves finances. It’s so easy to get caught up in the
secular world of “spend, spend, spend,” especially during this time of the
year. When those credit card bills come due in January, the holiday hangover
can really play havoc with a budget.

While losing weight and
getting out of debt are two of the most popular New Year’s resolutions, I challenge
you to seek God’s guidance by asking Him, “Father, where can I do better in
2012?”

I like this quote by
author Gordon B. Hinckley, “Each of us can do a little better than we
have been doing. We can be a little more kind. We can be a little more
merciful. We can be a little more forgiving. We can put behind us our
weaknesses of the past and go forth with new energy and increased resolution to
improve the world about us, in our homes, in our places of employment, in our
social activities.”

One
of the most important things we can do in the New Year is to give ourselves a
gift that will have far-reaching effects on our health, physically, mentally,
emotionally and spiritually. 1 Peter 2:1 tells us to rid ourselves of all
malice. Anger, resentment, grudges and a
desire for revenge can weigh us down, preventing us from experiencing the joy
of the Lord.

Do you need to lose weight for health
purposes? Are your finances in a mess?
Do you need to be kinder? Maybe you need to forgive someone. In what area of your life is God calling you
to do better?

Carol welcomes your feedback at carolaround@yahoo.com or her blog, www.carolaround.com.

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About Carol Round

I have been writing stories, poetry
and essays since I was first able to hold a pencil. Although I have been a freelance
writer for more than 25 years, I turned my passion for writing into a full-time
career after retiring in 2005 from a northeastern Oklahoma public school
system. My passion is using my writing
to inspire others.

I have written articles for national
magazines, like Western Horseman, American Profileand Mature Years. My essays have appeared in
“Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff,”“Hometown
Heroes”and “Raging Gracefully.”

“A Matter of Faith,” my self-syndicated column,
is currently running in 12 Oklahoma newspapers and two collections of my
columns are also available in book form. Carol’s latest book, “Journaling with
Jesus: How to draw closer to God,” was just released and can be purchased at http://bookstore.westbowpress.com/Products/SKU-000522049/Journaling-with-Jesus.aspx
or at www.journalingwithjesus.com.

I always love hearing from my
readers and I especially welcome hearing about how God has worked or is working
in your life. Readers may contact me at carolaround@yahoo.com or check out
my blog at www.carolaround.com
to purchase copies of my books and read more inspirational thoughts.

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