September always reminds me of new beginnings. It brings back happy memories of starting a new year in school. I loved the new books, supplies, and teachers, the sense of starting fresh with a clean slate.

Although not all of us enjoyed the onset of the new school year to the extent I did, I believe we all would like a chance to start over and experience fresh starts at something new in our lives.

I am not a sports fan, but even I sense the excitement from friends who are involved in sports when the new season is beginning. The coaches and players come in with strong commitment and hope for themselves and their teams. Last year's season is past and the new season is a fresh start, a clean slate. There is much to look forward to!

From sports and New Year's celebrations, to the amazing birth of a baby, we love new beginnings. There is that longing in each of us to start fresh, to leave our mistakes in the past, and move into the future with a clean slate and renewed hope. We want to believe that we are not stuck forever where we are, that there is still hope and change in our future, and that, -as the famous baseball player, Yogi Berra, once said - "It ain't over till it's over."

I believe our desire for new beginnings is really our desire for God in our lives. It is only through a relationship with Him that we truly experience a new beginning and fresh hope.

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

Twenty years ago, I needed that new beginning. I had tried everything but nothing seemed to satisfy for long. Without knowing it, I was yearning for the new life that only God could give me. When I asked Jesus into my life, I was changed forever, truly a new creation! I wrote the following poem to express what He did for me and can do for all who call on Him.

When we confess our sins and ask Him into our lives, we begin a brand new life. We become a new creation, His creation. Regardless of what we have done or how much we have sinned, it is never too late to come to Him. 1 Peter 3:18 says, "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God."

With Him we can look forward to a fresh start, not just once, but every day because, "Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each day."Lamentations 3:23.

Patricia Bryan is the Pastor at His Path Christian Centre.