So I recently got a new computer in my office. Which is at the same time both exciting and a lot of work! It’s good to start fresh. It’s good to clean away the amazing amount of clutter that ends up on your virtual desktop and in the ‘My Docs’ folder. To start with nothing, and only add what you need.

Yes it is a lot of work to put all of your programs back on the computer, to get your settings right again, to get a bookmark in your browser for football news…but it’s worth it.

So as I sat here going through this process and thinking these thoughts, my mind began to draw the inevitable parallels to our lives.

When I was growing up we moved a lot. I was in 9 different schools by the time I was a freshman in high school. Yes it was hard at times leaving friends, having to make new ones, having to find out where I fit in the social structure of the new school. But it was much like a new computer, in that I could start fresh. Become who I wanted to be. Take on only what I wanted, and leave the rest behind. Not to mention I had to ‘learn’ how to put on the software for new social interactions…and I got good at it.

The beauty of each new year, and maybe even each new semester, is that excitement about starting again. During Christmas break everything from the past semester is…well... past, and the stuff from coming semester is… yes you guessed it, still coming…it’s new. And in this newness each year/semester what are you going to install differently in your life?

You can start clean, you know.
Wipe away what was before.
Add only what you want to become.

And if you’ve begun to pick up on the spiritual overtones I’m hinting at here, good for you. Because it’s as true there as it is in any social/physical realm.

When you put your life in Christ, all the old clutter can be wiped away, you can start clean. Check out 2 Corinthians 5:17. Just like getting a new computer…or moving to a new school…or starting a new semester… yes, it can be a lot of work, but at the same time, it can be the most exciting thing you’ve ever done!

It’s a New Year! Most of my New Year’s resolutions in the past had to do with exercising. This year I’m taking a new approach. I am going to try cooking one new meal every other month. Every other month…that’s doable right?! Don’t get me wrong, I love cooking dinner. We just have a routine with certain meals that get rotated. Barbeque chicken and fries, spaghetti and garlic bread, frozen pizza, Cheeseburger Macaroni Hamburger Helper…and that usually gets us through a typical week. Lettuce salad or green beans usually accompany most meals. This semester Brad has 2 night classes so with my work schedule we’ll only have dinner together Thursday through Sunday. It may be difficult, but I’m confident I can achieve this resolution! And by the way, I am still planning on starting to exercise next week!

Did you make a New Year’s Resolution? If so, I’d love to hear about it! Go ahead and make a post!