What do you see?

Ah, the new year: a time for looking back and reflecting, looking forward and planning and...making lists.

Hi, my name is Sharon Dunn and I write humorous whodunits for the Christian market. I am excited to be guest blogging for Susie. It's the new year, so I guess that means I have to share my resolutions. I am not fan of resolutions, but I did make two this year. Most people make big far reaching ones like losing weight or decluttering their lives (both of which I need to do).  I know I won't get those done, so instead I made much smaller resolutions, but they were things that have been nagging me for some time and I knew there had to be change. My resolutions: clean the top of the refrigerator and get rid of the gooey stain in the egg tray.  I got them both done on January 1. Yeah!!!Yippeee!!!! I feel so good. Now maybe I will do something a little bigger. Declutter my office? Baby steps, that's what it is all about.

New Years is a time to look back and reflect, lool forward and plan and make lists.

I'll start with the lists--

Best fiction I read in 2007

Lisa Samson's Tiger Lillie

Brandt Dodson's The Lost Sheep

and from the classics file Graham Greene's Travels with my Aunt   

Best non-fiction

James McBride's The Color of Water --a beautiful memoir written by a black man for his white mother, though published by a secular publisher, the book shows the power of Christ to transform lives, made me realize how important a mother's influence is on her kids and made me laugh.   

Best movies

Nativity Story

Amazing Grace

And a little looking back and reflectiong---

The best thing I did in 2007 for spiritual growth--I trusted God in the financial arena (something that has always been a struggle for me) What did I do? My daughter wanted to go on a class trip to DC. The trip had huge price tag, my hubby was and still is looking for work.  As a child, I was constantly told that I couldn't do things because of finances (I grew up fairly poor) that negative response has fueled a lot of pessimism in my life. But I am trying to let go of that with God's help. So instead of saying "no" to my daughter, I said "let's see if we can make that happen" and I started praying. She is within a couple hundred dollars of her goal!  The support from the community has been incredible, my ladies Bible Study took up a collection for her, I have had all kinds of relatives come through with the support letters we sent out. God is so good.

I am looking forward in 2008, to trusting God even more in this area, to learning to hear his voice even clearer and to more growth as I learn how to be a glass half full person and shed the pessimism I learned from childhood.

Finally, for my reading I am looking foreward to picking up another Graham Greene (probably The Power and the Glory) since I enjoyed the first one so much. I am looking forward to finishing The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis and garnering even more insight.

It has been a good year in so many ways. I am excited about the stretching and growth God has in store for me. What about you? What are you looking forward to? What do you see when you reflect back? And what's on your lists?

Sharon Dunn is the author of five mysteries including book two in the Bargain Hunters mysteries Death of a Six Foot Teddy Bear to be released Jan 15. You can read more about Sharon and her books at www.sharondunnbooks.com.