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Alisandra Photography Blog

I am the girl who starts the effort of going to the gym on the first of the month. I start a new piece of paper if I mess up on my grocery list. And I need a clean house before I leave for vacation so that when I come home.

I love fresh starts.

It’s as if starting fresh has power over the success of the endeavor. Only in the past few years have I been challenged in my thinking. And the New Year is the perfect example. As much as I want to believe that TODAY is the day to start new things, I don’t think this day has the power. I don’t think that if I start something today, I’ll be more successful than if I begin, say, next Wednesday. If I want something to happen, accomplish my goals, or start training for a 10K, why do I have to rely on the first of the year to feel like I’ve started something worth completing?

At the risk of sounding like a total hypocrite, I do love January First. [Oh. And Happy New Year!] This year in particular I love that January 1st was a Sunday because I got to go to church the first day of the year. And I love that kind of start. Today, the Pastor at Portico preached on this verse:

Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.”
~ Revelation 21:5

God is an active God. Today, he made a new day. The start of a new year. God loves new beginnings. But God also, MAKES new beginnings. He owns them. He holds the power behind the newness. Today I was reminded of this. I think we can learn that God also wants us to be active in making things new. If we have goals or things we’d like to accomplish, we don’t need a special day to do it. But here we are. The start of the new year. The best of both worlds in my opinion. A fresh start, and a reminder of who holds the power.

So.

What will you make new this year?