The possibility for fresh starts has always been important to me.

Have you ever had a bad week at work? Lost a job? Had to move from a place you really like in order to get a promotion? Well one way to cope is to think in terms of what you can gain rather than what you've lost, or what you can learn from the experience that will help you go forward, or the most likely ways to make connections in a new town. Is a relationship in trouble? Someone you love die? Worried about the friends your child tends to associate with or his bad attitude? It would be great to be able to see these things with fresh eyes, with novel insight and with new hope.

Just remember, whatever happens, there'll be a new beginning in the offing for you very soon.

Friend, a sense of brokenness is often the mandatory first step to renewal and healing. So it isn't a bad thing to lament our losses. But it is a terribly bad thing to spend the rest of one's life looking over a shoulder to the past instead of lifting one's eyes to the future. Such an attitude can be fatal to the spirit.

As you might expect in light of all this, the turning of the calendar to a new year means a lot to me. Doesn't the idea of a clean slate appeal to you too? Doesn't the chance to start over again sound great? But I'm not necessarily suggesting that you make a long list of New Year's Resolutions. In fact, I'm against it.

"Long lists" are intimidating and frustrating. In fact, most "resolutions" are too vague - reduce stress, save more money, be more pleasant at home. And the notion of pledging to do something for 365 days is tough on people who are honest about just how often failure has come. So perhaps there is a better way.

Do you may remember the advice Jesus gave about just taking care of today and not biting off tomorrow's troubles? "Each day has challenges enough of its own!" he said. Think about it and you will realize that your own experience confirms it.

In the context of that statement, Jesus gave this counsel: "Strive above all else for the reign of God in your life, and the things that have been worrying you will resolve!" Friend, God's reign requires conscious surrender. Not of the entire year, but of today's trouble, this stress, or a particular loss. Not of the other person, but of my attitude toward her. Not of yesterday's failure, but of today's opportunity.

A new year is God's fresh mercy to us all. In fact, if his presence is a reality to us and if we have a one-day-at-a-time willingness to surrender to him, creative new things will come out of the waste-and-void chaos. And life itself becomes brand new.

Well, it's here! A New Year! Welcome to the exciting world of 2013! Treat it right and it will serve you well. With proper use, your New Year can bring you happiness, joy, a sense of purpose and accomplishment, contentment and adventure that you have never known before. If you would like some help to get the most from your New Year, we would be pleased to send you a booklet titled "Your New Year Owner's Maintenance Manual". Just follow the instructions and you should receive excellent service from these twelve months. To receive your complimentary copy, just write to Discovering A BETTER LIFE, P.O. Box 1540, Albany WA 6331 or Email: abl-alb@omninet.net.au