What Are My Personal Writing Goals for 2014? – A Blog Hop

What Are My Personal Writing Goals for 2014? – A Blog Hop

I am joining a number of writers in a Blog Hop. This is the first week. Ruth Snyder is running the hop and you can find our first Links on Ruth’s Blog. Every other Monday we will continue the blog hop. I hope you join us in writing and/or reading the posts.

I would encourage you to sign up for my monthly newsletter. Receive a free ebook – Living Life – One Word at a Time. See the Sidebar for instructions.

OneWord2014FOLLOW
Thanks for the template to Melanie at Only A Breath.

My writing and my artwork twirl together. As I am led in one area the other one seems to follow.

Goals and plans are made but must remain open to God’s leading. I have tried writing schedules and except for my morning times, something always seems to interrupt them.

Being retired (read realignment), means my time is my own (not) – or should I say it is God’s time. As He inspires me and as He leads me I follow.

But here are some of my writing dreams:

      • to pray, to read, study, and listen to God
      • to relax and enjoy this experience
      • to continue to let God lead me
      • to publish more books
      • to find a rhythm to posting my blogs: I write on these sites, Under the Cover of Prayer, Family and Faith Matters, and Inscribe Writers Online
      • to tackle social media and get control of it so it doesn’t control me
      • to actually paint the illustrations for 2 books

Each year I try to find One Word for the year that God has given me. In 2012 it was TRUST. In 2013 it was LIVE.

Word-of-the-Week---Trust

OneWord2013LIVEweb

After much prayer, study and listening I have decided that this year will be the Year of FOLLOW.

God has the plan
I will listen to Him. (click to tweet)

Relationship with Jesus is the key
It is not about me. (click to tweet)

TODAY. The Word tomorrow is not in the Holy Spirit’s vocabulary. When Jesus calls us to follow, He means right now. He means today. ~ Kyle Idleman from Not a Fan (click to tweet)

I want to be ready to say, “Yes, Lord.”

My goal for 2014 is to be a Christ Follower. (click to tweet)

 

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35 comments

  1. Janis…Loved reading your heart for the new year. And your word for the year is a good one.Following Him and His plan/will is so important for the child of God. May the Lord show you His faithfulness as you follow Him. Thank you for sharing at WJIM’s Monday’s Musings. Blessings friend.

  2. Congrats on your word, Jan. It’s certainly challenging, isn’t it? Mine is “focus”. Should be interesting to see how God leads us as we apply the word He’s given us for 2014.

    1. Alison,
      It is amazing how this one word can help me through the year. Both years I have done this it has been the “focus” I needed. Good word – Focus.
      Blessings
      Janis

  3. Hi Janis, thanks for stopping by my blog.

    I love this, “Goals and plans are made but must remain open to God’s leading.” So true! That statement sums it all up.

    Thanks for your inspirational post. God bless. 🙂

  4. Janis, how you put this: “My writing and my artwork twirl together” is lovely! Your heart for God and hearing His voice is inspirational. Isn’t that what we all want, more than any amount of productivity? Your encouragement and enthusiasm are always much appreciated!

    1. Violet,
      I guess you can picture my life with both the art and writing – so hard to know what to pick up when. I look forward to Tuesday afternoons when I know I will be painting with my art group.
      Inspirational! – Wow thank you.
      Praying that He will continue to inspire and excite me in whatever pursuits He wants me to follow.
      Blessings,
      Janis

  5. The one word motto is interesting. I am with you in following Jesus. I want to follow His leading and see where this new adventure of 2014 will lead me. I have goals, but they are definately there for God to change, if He wants!

    1. Linda,
      Very smart. We don’t want to go ahead of God but we want to be aware of where He is going and go there. Awareness is the key.
      Blessings on your listening and following HIm,
      Janis

  6. Love this! I know what you mean about your time not being your own in spite of being retired. I live that. I also love the “one word” idea. Let me know when you wrestle social media to the ground. I know I need to learn to use more, but it feels overwhelming. Is there someplace I can check out your illustrations? I’m so impressed that you are both a writer and an artist.

    1. Kathleen,
      Thank you. Retirement is realignment to me. I believe that God will show me how to wrestle the giant – social media – to a lesser evil than it is at the moment. One wise person said choose 2 and see how that goes. For me Twitter and Pinterest seem to have the most action and connections. Pinterest is one place you can find my artwork; as well as my gallery. AuthorJanisCox on Pinterest.
      Blessings,
      Janis

    1. Tracy,
      Focusing on one word for the year really helped me the last two years. Whenever I got “lost” in my focus I would recall the word and that would spur me on.
      Blessings,
      Janis

    1. Thanks Rose,
      Rhythms of grace… oh I like the sound of that. Exactly – we don’t have to be sure what we will be writing because if we are following Him He is doing the writing on our hearts.
      Blessings,
      Janis

  7. Thank you, Jan. I find the conflict for me lies in the ‘relax and enjoy it’ and ‘publish more books’. I guess the path is to lean back and follow God. I loved your Word for the year. I would like to see one, too. I also loved your ‘right now’ to follow rationale.

    1. Bobbie,
      When we are working too hard at something it might mean that we are not allowing God into the equation. Stop what you are doing and take time to reflect with Him what you are doing. That will take the stress away because when we lean on Jesus He makes the burden light.
      Blessings,
      Janis

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