In my annual Christmas cards, I wrote this line: I pray that 2016 will be your best year yet.

I sincerely mean it. I want my friends to have amazing, abundant lives in which God has called us to (John 10:10). Our lives are not easy, but they can be rich in the Lord.

2015 was, by far, my best year and I’m hoping that 2016 will be even better. My prayer for you, my Captivating sisters, is that 2016 will also be your best year.

Here are 3 ways 2016 can be your best year.

Reason 1 – Fast

Let me honest, 2015 started on a sour note. I broke up with a guy (the first guy I had ever dated) 4 days after Christmas. There were a lot of tears entering into 2015. Hannah (one of our Captivating Woman writers) and I decided to fast for 21 days because we desperately needed to hear from God. The fast was difficult. I was hungry and emotionally exhausted. I would be awake until 3 am crying and talking with God. I felt attacked by the enemy. Statements like, “No one will date you” or “You’re not good enough” fled my mind. I had to bind those up, with Satan himself, and send it to the throne. It was powerful. I truly felt that God was on my side and that He was my protector.

For 21 days I wrestled with God, but it was amazing and good. I experienced God in such a different realm which catastrophically changed the way I viewed the Lord and how I spent time with Him. I saw Him as a Father. A Father who heals broken hearts. A Father who is intentional with His children. A Father who I can approach with a kiss.

Whatever you’re craving more than God, you might want to fast from. You can fast from food, social media, sugar, etc. You choose. Not being distracted by these things can cause you to want God even more – it creates a heathy habit of running to God.

Reason 2 – Don’t Make New Years Resolutions

I feel like a failure right at the gate when I create resolutions. I do get excited when I make resolutions, but automatically feel anxious looking at them. I probably accomplish 2 out of the 10 resolutions that I create. Automatically I put an L on my forehead. But you know what?  Change is good. We shouldn’t have a complacent lifestyle where we say, “It is what it is.” So instead of create resolutions for the whole year, create a goal for the month or the week. I’d suggest to make a small goal if you’re making a goal for the week. Make it a little bigger if you’re making a goal for the month. John Maxwell says that it takes 21 days to create a habit. Change is coming, friends. Give it some time. Work with your weeks and months. Be gracious with yourself.

Reason 3 – Create Seasons of Excitement

During the summer I decided I would say yes. Yes to what? Yes to adventure, yes to traveling hours away to be a part of workshops, yes to life. I didn’t want to let money, distance, or people stop me from doing things I’ve always wanted to try. #thesummerofyes is how I titled it. My summer was fun. I traveled to Southern California to learn brush calligraphy and I drove to Canada because, why not? God introduced a lot of new things in my life & my spirit felt refreshed.

What have you been dying to do? What are your dreams? What can you be saying yes to?

We pray that 2016 will be your best year yet. We pray for adventure & whimsy. We pray that God will speak to you in different ways and that you’re heart is ready to receive. 2016 is going to be good. 2016 is going to be fun. 2016 is going to be the year that God is going to some amazing things through women. Don’t miss it.