diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 86f5dda..d472221 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 
 This `npm` module focuses on the date formatting of the `new Date()` JS object. It parses the result to a legible `string` state for both data manipulation and display.
 
-**Currently it only parses the current date.**
-
 ## Usage & Installation
 
 To use this module install it with either `npm`
@@ -48,7 +46,18 @@ const nonCompactFullDate = cdate('mm/dd/yy', { compact: false, fullDate: true })
 // Monday, February 24 2020
 ```
 
-If either the `format` of the date, or the `options` are wrong in some way, `cdate` will return `undefined`
+Additionally, you can specify a custom date to parse with the same format passing a `instanceof` Date; the default parameter of this option will parse the current date:
+
+```javascript
+const dateUnspecified = cdate('mm/dd/yy', { compact: true, fullDate: false });
+// Feb 24 2020
+
+const dateSpecified = cdate('mm/dd/yy', { compact: true, fullDate: false }, new Date (2019, 10, 15));
+// Nov 15 2019
+
+```
+
+If either the `format` of the date, the `options` are wrong in some way, or the `date` variable is not a valid instance of Date or an invalid date, `cdate` will return `undefined`.
 
 #### Created by:
 
diff --git a/lib/cdate.js b/lib/cdate.js
index e4266bd..da305d7 100644
--- a/lib/cdate.js
+++ b/lib/cdate.js
@@ -3,13 +3,17 @@
 import formatter from './helpers/formatter';
 import getDays from './helpers/days';
 
-export default (format = 'mm/dd/yy', options = { compact: true, fullDate: false }) => {
+export default (format = 'mm/dd/yy', options = { compact: true, fullDate: false }, date = new Date()) => {
   if (typeof options.compact !== 'boolean' || typeof options.fullDate !== 'boolean') {
     console.error('You can only pass booleans in the options object');
     return undefined;
   }
+  if (!(date instanceof Date) || date === 'Invalid Date') {
+    console.error('The date attribute must be a Date type');
+    return undefined;
+  }
   format.toLowerCase();
-  const d = new Date().toString().split(' ');
+  const d = date.toString().split(' ');
   let date = formatter(d, format, options);
   if (options.fullDate) {
     return `${options.compact ? d[0] : getDays(d[0], true)}, ${date}`;
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 73aa4c9..119e430 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "cdate-formatting",
-  "version": "0.5.6",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
   "description": "A simple Node package library for quick JS Date formatting",
   "main": "index.js",
   "type": "module",