New Year, New Mindset

Welcome to the year 2012! This is the beginning of a new year. We can never go back to last year, the same as we can never go back to yesterday. That time has past, its gone forever. But even though we can't go back, we can reflect on events that occurred, choices we have made, things we have or have not done.

As we reflect on these things, we should be seeing situations where we should have done or said things differently. How many times have we heard ourselves say, “if I had it to do over again, I would.....”? Although we can't return to that specific moment of time, there will come another circumstance that will be similar. The faces may change, the places may change, but the situation won't. That is our chance to use the lessons we've learned from the past and apply them.

You see, every day we are learning. Learning about ourselves, our God, our life. Its what we do with that knowledge that is important. Sometimes we tend to make the same mistakes over and over, sort of like the Israelites wandering in the desert. Other times, we realize our mistakes rather quickly. But our God is faithful and quick to forgive. All we need to do is ask And when He forgives, it is forever. That is what we need to learn to do - forgive.

When we handle situations badly, we need to acknowledge that and forgive ourselves. Although we are seldom able to forget the error of our ways, we are able to forgive and learn from it. We are able to take that lesson and apply it to our lives.

Sometimes there are things that happen that we can't change. Like when someone hurts us. But we can forgive them and move on. Holding on to yesterday's hurt is not only harmful, it is pointless. Why would we intentionally hold on to something that is hurtful to us? Let it go. Put it behind you. Move forward.

So let's start this new year with a new mind-set. Once today is gone and tomorrow becomes the present, let us put yesterday behind us and move on.   Don't take today's junk into tomorrow.  After all, you can't put new wine into old wineskins least they burst and make a mess.