Beginnings.

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Beginnings are the best things. For those of us who have needed a new lease in life, beginnings always give hope.

Most people look forward to January 1, for when they can start a new year, and thus change those things in their lives which have been the products of bad decisions. Others would like to have a fresh start when things beyond their control end up undoing parts of their lives. Some may have lived through bankruptcy, a fire that razed their household and all that is dear to them; for our brothers in Japan, a devastating earthquake and tsunami, and for our American brethren, hurricanes and tornadoes that left lives in shambles.

Beginnings give the embattled human being a newfound hope that life is still worth living. Beginnings help you see that life is more than your troubles. Beginnings help you see that you can start anew, despite a lifetime of mistakes behind you.

If there are a few things I've learned in my 27 years of existence, it's that life is not about having a perfect everything. Problems are ever-present, and adversity is a constant. Yes, a man may have broken through to abundance, but there are still things to deal with, and newer challenges to overcome.

I learned that no brand of clothing can make a girl beautiful. A girl is beautiful when she radiates life from within her. I learned that there is no car that you can buy that will make your heart content: it is the people who matter most to you that will make your heart happy. And if you're the solitary kind, watching the waves lap the shore, or the trees sway in the wind, is far more satisfying than buying something new.

I learned that while promotions and new leases in one's career are encouraging, simple joys last longer and are easier to obtain. I noticed that it is not the man who strives for the position who gets the promotion and is satisfied with it. Rather, it is the man who works excellently who will ultimately be satisfied when promotion comes his way.

I learned that there are no 1-2-3 steps to a perfect existence. But the pursuit of a whole life, seeing adventure in mundane things like sunrises and sunsets, make life an exciting adventure.

And I learned that beginnings do not always have to commence on January 1. Beginnings can happen the moment you decide to close the door on a part of your life that's not working. Beginnings can happen any time of the year. January 1, March 1, June 1, October 1. You set the day when the ground in your life bears new shoots.

For all of us who have needed a fresh start, it should be a comfort to know that there is a God who makes all things new.