Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot

As another year comes to a close, I am looking forward to the next one. An opportunity to make a fresh start... wipe the slate clean... follow the "right" path... discard bad habits and develop good ones.

I am struck by the "circle of life" that has played out in recent weeks: a baby is born; a cancer returns; a friend's father dies; a child celebrates his first Christmas; a group of teens is devastated when their friend dies in a car crash...

A new year and the ever-changing status of life got me thinking of the Switchfoot song "This is Your Life". My mind hangs on the haunting line - Are you who you want to be? - its the question that begs my conscience for an answer.

As we examine our desire (or need) to change our habits, whether as New Year's Resolutions or simply as a different approach to living, perhaps the power of this song will help us stick to them. Yesterday is dead and over. Today is all we'll ever have.