Happy New Year Everybody!
January is an exciting time of year.
It’s like we all take a collective deep breath, shake off the dust and wear-and-tear from the year, and agree to begin again.
Hope runs rampant! I love that contagious feeling of hope and positivity—feeling like good things are coming our way. I wish everyone good things to come in 2023!
Part of looking ahead to the new year obviously includes looking back at the previous one. January is a time of reflection; we learn from the past so that we can set goals for the future.
In reviewing 2023, I took a look at some of the stories I wrote. These stories reminded me that God wants us to be happy and successful. So, without further ado, here are my four ways God can help us in the coming year.
1. God Can Answer Us
“Joseph Smith also had many defining moments, but it all began with what has come to be known as his ‘first vision.’ It sounds unbelievable: a 14-year-old boy seeing Jesus Christ and God the Father. How could anyone believe such a tale?”
If you have a question that you need help with, I know that God can answer your prayers. He answers my prayers all the time. God really is in the details of our lives. The more we open the door to let Him in, the more He can help us to know that He is there and He really loves us.
In this article I wrote about how I discovered the truth about Joseph Smith’s First Vision. The article also includes the testimonies of some of our local missionaries.
Read my story about the First Vision here.
2. God Can Empower Us
“Reading about the history of the Relief Society is a reminder to me of the Lord’s love for women. He wants to bless us with strength. He wants to enrich our lives through empowerment.”
God inspires us to serve one another. When we serve others, we show kindness. That is how God empowers and strengthens us—through global inspiration to show kindness and love.
In this story I visited the Red Brick Store in Nauvoo on the anniversary of the founding of the Relief Society. The Relief Society is a global women’s service organization created by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I also discovered a little-known fact about women and the history of LDS temples.
Read the full article here.
3. God Can Guide Us
“Emma’s parents were ‘bitterly opposed’ to her marriage. In deciding to marry Joseph she was also deciding to say goodbye to her family, her home, and everything she’d ever known and loved. Why would Emma do it? Why elope with Joseph?”
God can guide our lives by softening our hearts. When he softens our hearts we make decisions we probably otherwise would never had made. When we allow God to influence us, amazing things can happen. Things we never could have imagined or even dreamed of.
God has good things in store for us, but we have to trust Him if we want to discover what is waiting just beyond the horizon.
Read about how God softened my heart as well as the heart of Emma Smith and what happened because of it. Read the full article here.
4. God can Help Us Set and Accomplish Goals
My relationship with goals is not the best. I usually set them…and promptly forget them. And if I don’t forget them, well, then I usually just don’t do them. After reviewing what I wrote last year, I’m reminded that God can play a big role in helping me set and accomplish my goals.
He can answer me.
He can empower me.
He can guide me.
And He can do that for all of us.
With than in mind, here is a FREE printable to help me, you, and our families start setting goals TODAY! This goal-setting theme is based on the LDS Youth Guidebook. If you’d like to learn more about this personal development program, get the guidebook here. If you are looking for more ideas and tools to get organized this year, I highly recommend the Get Things Done Home Organization System from Chrissy at Ministering Printables.
I know that God can help us make the most out of the new year. Thanks for reading!
All the best,
Justina
