New Year Reset

 Who else was keen to see in the new year? So much happened in 2020, it seemed like a whirlwind, but I’m not sure if it went quickly or far too slowly. 

Originally the new year was celebrated around the vernal equinox, in mid-March. The early Romans calendar designated March 1st as the start of the new year. It wasn’t until 46 BC when Julius Caesar’s new solar-based calendar decreed January 1st to be the new year.

Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash

I saw a meme on Facebook a few days ago. about being concerned that this new year is in fact 2020 won … it does not bode well for this coming year, or people are really starting to have very low expectations. I wonder how many people are actually going to set new year resolutions or goals.

Why do we set new year goals? I mean, we can set goals at any point in the year, so why do we get so hyped up about setting them? If you know the answer to this question, please let me know because the average person who decides to do something in the new year will usually abandon it two weeks later. If you’re someone like me who has writing plans this year, how do we prevent ourselves from stumbling into the life of the average person and have nothing to show for it come New Year’s Eve?

I know some people, including myself who reflect on the year gone before they go about looking at the new year ahead.

• What did you accomplish, no matter how small?

• What lessons did you learn?

• What skills or knowledge did you acquire?

• Your happiest moment?

• Your saddest moment?

Each year I’ve answered these questions and then set a whole bunch of goals for the new year. Sadly, I’m an average, new year, goal-setter. Most of the things I decide I’m going to do never pan out and by the end of the year I may be lucky enough to have completed one out of the dozen goals I set for myself (it’s usually the easiest one). This year, I’m going to try something different. I am going to set four goals for the year. A goal for my mind. A goal for my body. A goal for my spirit. And a goal for my writing.

They are simple.

• To take a moment for myself each day - read a book, watch the sunrise, paint my nails. Something just for me.

• To be more careful about what I eat - gluten free, dairy free.

• To dive deeper into the word of God - study a book or passages each month.

• To have fun writing - write for the pure pleasure of writing and not be bogged down with the pressures or stress of editing or publishing or that perfect sentence. To remember why I started writing.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

What about you? What are your goals for this year? If you’re like me, post your goals below in the comments or on the CWD Facebook page and we can all keep each other accountable for the year ahead.

K.A. Hart is a born and bred Territorian who moved to Queensland and had no choice but to stay after her assimilation into Toowoomba's infamous, collective known as Quirky Quills.

Since then, K.A. Hart has had two short stories published. Stone Bearer, appears in Glimpses of Light and Tedious Tresses, in the As Time Goes By Mixed Blessings anthology. She is currently working on a fantasy novel.

Becoming an Elephant

I stumbled across an old email the other day—it hinted at a true story about elephants. I’ve always been fascinated by these creatures (who abounded in the land of my birth), so I eagerly read on. What an intriguing tale! Lawrence Anthony, nicknamed ‘The Elephant Whisperer’ had been an international conservationist, environmentalist, explorer and bestselling author. I quote from the narrative:

“On March 7, 2012 Lawrence Anthony died. He is remembered and missed by his wife, 2 sons, 2 grandsons, and numerous elephants”, italics mine.

How did those ‘numerous elephants’ show that they remembered him?
How did we know that they did?
But first, what had they to remember of him?

Lawrence Anthony had been a legend. Rogue elephants who would usually have been put down, had been calmed, rescued and given refuge in a large sanctuary he established for them. Anthony was known to be exceptional in caring for traumatised elephants. When the ‘Elephant Whisperer’ died, something mysterious and profound took place. From miles away, wild elephants—dozens of them, silently began a long trek to his home, in solemn single file, taking at least 12 hours to reach. They stayed for two days, refusing to eat or drink, saying goodbye to the man who had championed their cause.

What an amazing story! And what a brilliant example of remembering. How did they even know he had died? We human beings are good at recalling the bad done to us. Do we also bring to mind often the acts of kindness we’ve received? I've been inspired by the life of King David as I've studied it recently. I was struck also by an occurrence that took place when King Saul died. Men in the small town of Jabesh Gilead came stealthily at dead of night, and took his body away with them so that his enemies would not taunt his body. These valiant men risked their lives for a dead king, because years before, King Saul had helped them. They too had remembered.

Would you like to be an elephant today? Not in size of course. Nor in looks, so you can rest easy. But would you like to be an elephant today in the act of remembering?

WHAT CAN WE, WHO CALL OURSELVES CHRISTIAN WRITERS, REMEMBER?
1. That Jesus bought us life, freedom and salvation. Praise Him.

2. The inspiring books we’ve read and how we’ve been changed through them.

3. Writers, role models and teachers in our writing sphere who have taught us, shaped our writing and grown us. Let’s appreciate them.

4. That our dreams, talents, abilities, time and even opportunities to write, all come from Him who reigns over all. We are stewards. We owe it all to our Lord.

5. That everything we’ve achieved are gifts from Him, so any praise directed at our writing and speaking efforts should be boomeranged back to our Creator.

6. The encouraging ways that God came through for us in the past, so with grateful hearts, we can entrust the future of our creativity to Him.

7. The deep joy we have in being writers called of God—how thrilling the journey. Let us never take our calling for granted.

And so today, I pause, reflect and give thanks. To God—for calling me to write for Him, for His guidance and inspiration. To you, my fellow writers who’ve taught me over the years and encouraged me stay on course. To those whose insightful books have showered God’s truth over my being. I look forward to new mountains yet to climb, because all I know of our God tells me that if He’s come through for me in the past, I can count on His faithfulness in the future.

I’d like to be an Elephant today.
Would you care to join me?

And now my Christian Writer Friends, this is for you:
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Phillipians 1:3-6


Anusha’s been on many interesting detours in life, as a lab technician, a computer programmer, a full time Mum, a full time volunteer, a charity director, a full time job chaser, until one golden day (or was it a dark moonless night?) God tapped her on her shoulder and called her to write for Him. She has never recovered from the joy it brought her. She loves to see others enjoying life with Jesus and does her mite to hurry the process in her world through her writing and through her life. The goodness of God is her theme song through each season, as she dances in the rain with Jesus. Please stop by at her website Dancing in the Rain to say G’day. She’d love to see you.