At her husband's passing, this author faced the loss of custody of her children as well. Through prayer and trust in God, however, she won the right to raise them on her own.
Now is the time when people start talking in earnest about the resolutions they plan to make in the coming year. But a resolution made simply because January is here probably won't result in lasting gain. True renewal isn't the province of a single season or of a particular phase in one's life. It's an ongoing process of discovering one's connection to God.