{"id":13267,"date":"2024-12-31T05:00:56","date_gmt":"2024-12-31T09:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/askshaunti\/?p=13267"},"modified":"2024-12-20T18:04:56","modified_gmt":"2024-12-20T22:04:56","slug":"looking-back-and-looking-ahead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/askshaunti\/2024\/12\/looking-back-and-looking-ahead\/","title":{"rendered":"Looking Back, and Looking Ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><head><meta http-equiv=\"content-type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><meta http-equiv=\"content-type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><\/head><body><p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13273\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/392\/2024\/12\/Blog-Posts-Wide-2024-12-20T165824.795.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"384\"><\/p>\n<p>What a year, ya\u2019ll! As I\u2019m sure each of you can relate, my year was so full of twists and turns.<\/p>\n<p>On one hand, I got to do more of what I love and have been called to do:<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>I released Find Hope, a beautifully designed 60-day devotional to encourage women toward biblical hope that \u201csticks\u201d\u2014hope that\u2019s more than just wishful thinking.<\/li>\n<li>I got to encourage audiences all over the country (often with Jeff) with scientific research and biblical truths proven to help relationships and lives. If you joined my email list this year at a speaking event, I\u2019m so glad that you\u2019re here.<\/li>\n<li>My bestselling book For Women Only turned twenty! TWENTY! That title, and its companion For Men Only, have sold more than 3 million copies in 26 languages. I had a hunch we were onto something when women craned their necks in coffee shops to hear as I told friends what my research revealed about how men think. But I\u2019m still amazed.<\/li>\n<li>I coauthored a book in two months while trying to pass a kidney stone that landed me in the hospital (twice!) and while zooming around on a scooter with a torn tendon in my foot. (I don\u2019t recommend any of the above as optimal writing conditions!)<\/li>\n<li>I traveled to the Dominican Republic to experience the incredible work of Compassion International. I\u2019m so honored to encourage others to release children from poverty in Jesus\u2019 name through child sponsorship. I urge you to close 2024 by opening up a child\u2019s world, and consider child sponsorship through Compassion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>And on the other hand \u2026<\/h2>\n<p>So, those were some highlights. But just like many of you, I\u2019ve experienced heartaches, setbacks, and hurdles this year, too. Life can be unbelievably joyful and in the same breath be just so hard. Jesus said in John 16:33 that in this world we will have trouble. \u201cBut take heart,\u201d He added, \u201cfor I have overcome the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What a tremendous promise.<\/p>\n<p>We need each other to spur us on toward good deeds in the fulness of this promise. So, I want to take this final opportunity of 2024 to let you, my readers, know that I am incredibly grateful for your support of this ministry. I am deeply encouraged every time you write to let us know that a blog mattered to you, or when we get to connect personally at a speaking event, or when you support our ministry by sharing our books, blogs, or social posts with your friends. You are a living, breathing example to me of 2 Corinthians 3:2, when Paul wrote to his friends in Greece:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jeff, my team, and I put our heart and soul into this ministry. When it makes a difference in your lives, you become a letter that\u2019s written on our hearts and read by everyone around you.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>Exciting things ahead<\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019ve followed the blog for a while, you know that we end each year with the \u201cbest-of\u201d blogs from the previous year. We\u2019ll bring the \u201cbest of 2024\u201d to you next week. It\u2019s a great way to catch up on posts you might have missed, based on what really landed with our readers.<\/p>\n<p>But of course, the New Year is especially time to look ahead! There are several exciting things on the horizon in our ministry that I\u2019ll tell you about as soon as I can. I can\u2019t wait to blow the lid off what my team has been dreaming up for you. I\u2019m not sure whether I keep them busy or they keep me busy, but either way we always have you in our hearts and minds.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019re the reason we do what we do.<\/p>\n<p>Many blessings to you in 2025.<\/p>\n<p>-Shaunti<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8830 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/392\/2020\/12\/Signature-logo-shaunti-feldhahn_300.jpg\" alt=\"Shaunti Feldhahn logo\" width=\"300\" height=\"197\"><br>\nImprove your relationships with simple, actionable steps backed by proven research! Visit<br>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/SurprisingHope.com\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><strong>SurprisingHope.com<\/strong><\/a> to learn about our courses.<\/p>\n<p>Do you want Shaunti to share these life-changing truths at your church or event? <a href=\"http:\/\/%20www.shaunti.com\/speaking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" class=\" decorated-link\">Send<br>\nus a speaking inquiry request today!<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Please note: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn a small<br>\namount from qualifying purchases through these affiliate links. This doesn\u2019t cost you<br>\nanything.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>But of course, the New Year is especially time to look ahead! There are several exciting things on the horizon in our ministry that I\u2019ll tell you about as soon as I can. I can\u2019t wait to blow the lid off what my team has been dreaming up for you. I\u2019m not sure whether I keep them busy or they keep me busy, but either way we always have you in our hearts and minds.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019re the reason we do what we do.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1684,"featured_media":13273,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[6709],"class_list":["post-13267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-happy-new-years"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Looking Back, and Looking Ahead<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"But of course, the New Year is especially time to look ahead! There are several exciting things on the horizon in our ministry that I\u2019ll tell you about as soon as I can. 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