Harpley, My Life is my Message." Mahatma Gandhi
Joy Smith - Licensed Lay Minister.
SEPTEMBER 2025
Dear Friends
September is at time of new beginnings for some. Children going back to or starting school, for some it may be moving on to university, leaving home to start a new life elsewhere. Perhaps for some starting a new job or retiring.
New beginnings do not just happen at the beginning of a new year. They can occur at any time, our lives are full of new beginnings and new opportunities
I wish we could all have this same sense of excitement and joy over new beginnings. Certainly, some new beginnings are naturally exciting – getting married, having a baby. Other times our joy is more conditional, like being excited about starting a new job or moving. We might look positively at these if it was our idea to move or the new job is something we wanted, but we don’t always see these as positive moments in our lives.
“Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands.” (Isaiah 43:18-19)
What new beginnings are you facing this year? New school year, new job, moving to a new house, taking on a new responsibility at work or in your volunteer life, sending a child off to college or university? Or maybe something more difficult, like facing life with a new diagnosis or revised treatment plan, continuing on after the loss of a loved one?
To be honest – I don’t always face change very well, usually my reaction includes some bit of kicking and screaming, digging in of heels, maybe a few tears. I’m sure I’m not alone here, am I? But sometimes we need change! No matter what new beginning we are facing, we should look at new beginnings by thinking about the possibilities and potential, rather than worrying about what might happen or what might not be the same.
Whatever new beginning you’re facing this year, I want to encourage you to face it with boldness, excitement and anticipation of positive outcomes! Change isn’t always bad. In fact, change can be good.
The stories in scripture show time and time again that God offers people a new beginning, another chance for great things. God frees the oppressed, Jesus heals and restores, and the Holy Spirit gives us new life. We can take heart from Jesus words that he will always be with us walking beside us every step of the way.
Joy Smith
Licensed Lay Minister