As my one word for 2017, “Create” turned out to be an apt summary for my year. As I sought to be open to what God might create in me, that led to new blog articles, new ways of doing ministry, new connections both on-line and in real life, and the creation of a new proposal for my next book.

Now at the start of 2018, I’m still exploring what it means for me to create–and yes, that includes finishing my book manuscript that’s due February 1st! The book is still very much a work-in-progress, and I’m eager to see how it will continue to unfold.

At the same time, when I’ve needed a break from the book, I’ve been playing with this new website design that I’m unveiling for the first time today. I love the bright new look of this Karuna WordPress theme:

• It allows my feature photos to keep their original shape instead of getting arbitrarily cropped into the same standard frame size, which was one of the major changes I wanted to make from my previous theme.
• It allows me to customize with a header photo of the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, Arizona. This photo was taken by my husband, so it’s a personal reminder of our visit to Sedona one year and beautifully conveys the faith-based theme of my website.
• And I love, love the new Tangerine font for my site title, and hope that it displays properly on your computer or other device.

For comparison and as a historical record for myself, here’s a screen shot of my previous Opti theme that has served me well for the past year. I bid it a fond farewell as I move on to a new year and a new look for this site.

The other creative project I’m unveiling today is a new e-book: How to Pray When Prayer Seems Impossible. I’ve wanted to create an e-book for some time, have been working on it off and on for the last while, and now finally it’s ready! For 2017, some of my most popular posts have been part of my How to Pray When You Can’t Find the Words series. Now I’ve distilled the five basic principles from that series into just five pages plus a closing prayer. If you’re already a subscriber, you should receive an email today with your copy. If you’re not a subscriber but would like a copy, just click on the book cover below.

Writing/Reflection Prompt: If you chose a word or phrase for 2017, how did it go for you? What will your one word be for 2018?

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