Early Romans welcomed the new year in March -- the time of the spring equinox -- as did the ancient Babylonians

The flooding of the Nile, which usually occurred in June, marked the beginning of the new year for ancient Egyptians, who would sing, dance, and feast for a month to welcome the waters that would nourish the crops and bring life to the otherwise dry desert.

Thousands of years ago, the people of Israel observed their first New Year in autumn. Still celebrated in the fall, Rosh Hashanah, reckoned by the lunar calendar, begins 10 days of penitence and prayer that end with Yom Kippur, the most solemn of religious days in the Jewish calendar.

We owe our custom of celebrating New Year's Day on January 1 to Julius Caesar, who, as emperor in the first century B.C., devised the Julian calendar.

One thing they all have in common is that a new year is a time of new beginnings.

A new year can begin with a new you. Call 888 NEED HIM and find out more about a new beginning for you, someone in your family, or a close friend.

May your new beginning in 2008 be blessed, prosperous and full of joy.

Happy New Year from Power Worship 89.7.

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