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he New Year has arrived, and we have Tying your New Year’s resolutions into the all been busy making — and trying to keep — principles of stewardship — giving of your time, our list of New Year’s talent and treasure back to God — is a great way resolutions. Many of us choose resolutions to ensure that the “root” of your resolution is right geared toward health and fitness. After all, on track! possessing good overall health is critical to Maybe our failures lie in both how we our well-being. Others may try to avoid a make our resolutions and what resolutions we particularly bad habit. Maybe you need to actually choose. What we need to understand quit smoking or stop swearing. Still, many of is the “root” of our resolution. For example, us plan things we have always wanted to do, if you resolve to eat less candy to drop those but never get around to doing. recently added holiday pounds, is the “root” As the days of January continue onward, of your resolution a selfish one — wanting however, many of us find the inspiration of to look better since you overindulged? Or, keeping our good-intentioned resolutions to are you genuinely seeking to stop giving in be fading fast. By the end of the month, most to each “sweet tooth” craving by practicing of us have given in to our temptations and mortification — giving up of a personal returned to our old ways. We are only human, pleasure to glorify God? If the “root” is a selfish right? Discouraged by this yearly failure, one, only to benefit yourself, then it is often many of us don’t even bother making New difficult to keep in the long run. However, if Year’s resolutions anymore, especially if we we are trying to glorify God, our mission is feel like we won’t succeed. continued on back cover
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