“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” ~~Revelation 21:1-5 (NLT)

Aah, the start of a New Year! Everything truly is new! Everything starts over fresh! So how will you spend 2010? Many of us start out with numerous New Year resolutions. Some of the typical ones are: I will lose weight and exercise more; I will save more money and get out of debt; I will spend more time with family; and there are many, many more.

In the Bible’s last book, Revelation, the writer, John, comes to the end of our world as we know it. It is gone! Nothing remains, and John hears God speak and He says, “Look, I am making everything new!” I really like that statement from almighty God, “I am making everything new!”

So how did your 2009 go? As you look back and reflect on what transpired in your life over the last 12 months, what mark would you give yourself? Would it be an “A” for the many fantastic things that happened to you? Or would it be an “F” for the many failures and frustrations you encountered throughout the year? Or, would it fit somewhere in-between? Some people may have had lots of success in 2009, but others may report it being their “worst year ever.” Yet, we are now in 2010…the old has passed away, and the new has begun.

I like what the writer of Revelation has to say about the new heaven and the new earth. He first states that God, himself, will live with us. Then he goes on to say something that really touches my heart. He says, “He (God) will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever!” If that doesn’t move you, I doubt that anything will. How many of us are saying right now, “That is exactly what I want!” Think about it…no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying, and no more pain…GONE FOREVER!

As a marriage and family therapist, I know that I cannot change what has happened in the past…it has occurred and no matter what I or the clients do cannot change it. Many times we would like to go back in time and make a different, better choice. Alas, we cannot! But, we can move forward and “make things new.” So, no matter if it is your relationship, your spiritual life, your finances, your health, your social life, your family, or anything else, my prayer for you is that God will make everything new for you both now and forevermore.