Our personal resolve and New Year’s Resolutions are hot topics right now. You may or may not be into goal setting, and there’s no shortage of advice from bloggers, coaches, and mentors. I’m not going to add my voice to that fray. I bring it up because it’s pretty relevant to 1Glories in 2018.

For the last two years, the 1Glories approach to refining life, on purpose, has been monthly exploration of life lessons. It’s been very rewarding to me personally. It’s no surprise, then, that many have asked 2018 will feature a third installment.

Honestly, I’ve gone back and forth on that one. I’ve thought a lot about it as 2017 has progressed and it feels like time for somewhat of a shakeup. So, the answer is “Yes, but… and wait! There’s more!”

The 2018 Year of Listening Up

In college, I was introduced to Jonathan Edwards. We did a literary review of “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” It was pretty deep for my young brain. Truth be told, what has most stayed with me since then is the boldness with which he delivered that message. Admittedly, I have had interest in Edwards and his works ever since, but have been reluctant to take on further study of it.

As he prepared to enter ministry, in approximately 1722, Edwards made a list of resolutions, committing himself to a God-centered life. He probably added to it during his lifetime, with seventy resolutions in all.

The Year of Listening Up in 2018 seeks to learn more about this important preacher, philosopher and theologian. So, rather than tackling a different subject each month, and rather than tip-toe around surface level YLU18 will dive deep.

We’ll be studying all of Jonathan Edwards 70 Resolutions, looking at the from biblical and practical perspectives as well as their applicability in our modern age. I’m really looking forward to it and hope you are as well.

What do you resolve for the year ahead? At 1Glories, in 2018, we’ll be taking a new approach to the Year of Listening Up, studying the theology of Jonathan Edwards, launching a new service and publishing new books! It’s going to be an exciting way of refining life, on purpose.

What do you resolve for the year ahead? At 1Glories, in 2018, we’ll be taking a new approach to the Year of Listening Up, studying the theology of Jonathan Edwards, launching a new service and publishing new books! It’s going to be an exciting way of refining life, on purpose.

Introducing Life Refiners and FoodThrifting

In addition to the YLU18, the year 2018 will see the completion of a project I had hoped to get complete this year. I have been doing a lot of research and study over the last 2-3 years, and am finally getting it into a format that can be shared with others.

My hope and aim is to help people save money on their food costs through a book and low-cost e-course. Participants will learn about Biblical money management, historical perspectives, secrets of the marketing and grocery industries, methods of food storage, tips, tricks, recipes, hacks and more.

You may or may not know, this is a deeply personal quest, so I am really looking forward to seeing it to launch and watching what God does with it from there.

The book and course accompaniment will be called “FoodThrift” and there will be opportunities for beta readers and course participants to Swarm readers and those with VIP access, which you can get at LifeRefiners.com, a new learning platform of the 1Glories ministry. FoodThrift will be the inaugural offering of what will be many other personal development programs in the future.

More Listening Up, Kids.

Finally, with two years since the publication of Listen Up, Kids, 24 topics have been explored here at 1Glories. The book was initially written as a book of life lessons and personal advice for my daughters, but grew well beyond that. 1Glories has served as a means for years of growth that span well beyond what is in the book, so it’s time for a sequel.

I’ll be taking some of the more thought-provoking, read, shared and commented upon posts from each topic and compiling them along with further reflections into a new book that will be published sometime in 2018.

As you can see, there’s a lot in store and I’m super excited about what’s 2018. I hope you are as well. I am so blessed that you have joined be along the journey to achieve a refining life, on purpose.

Have a joyous Christmas and wonderful New Year.