He had two faces on his head and could look backward and forward simultaneously.

He was the patron of beginnings and endings, and in 46 B.C. Roman emperor, Julius Caesar introduced a new calendar and gave the first month of the year the name of this pagan god, Janus’ month or in latin Juanuarius from which we get our word, “January”

Janus’ month has always been a time of endings and beginnings, when we have the feeling of making a fresh start on a clean slate.

People are obsessed with beginnings and endings.

They hold meaning for us, they fascinate us, we like them because they somehow magically make life seem simpler, not so complex and overwhelming. It helps us place life into small compartments that are easier to deal with.

We mark

• The beginning of a new year.
• The day a person is born.
• The day a person graduates from primary, secondary, or University school.
• The day a person is married.
• The day someone retires.
• The day a church was started.
• Even the day someone dies.

Like the greek mythological figure from which we get the name “January”, we look backward and forward. We reminisce about how things were. But we also look forward to the future!

People are fond of giving away day-timers and calendars at the end of the year.

Last week I was looking over last year’s appointments.

It was nice to be able to look back over the year:

• See the things I accomplished.
• Look at all the appointments.
• Remember the people I had met.
• The events I attended.
• Some of the lessons I learned.
• The things I accomplished.

But there were also regrets:

• The vacation I never took
• Things I wanted to do, but in the hectic pace of life, never found the time.
• The people I wanted to spend more time with, but didn’t.
• Frustrations
• Mistakes
• Missed opportunities

Even so, there was something nice about being able to set it aside, and to say, “That was last year.!” Now I have a clean slate. A new start. New possibilities. I have great expectations looking forward!

Take It to the Next Level

1. What will you record in Day-timer for the New Year’s?
2. What changes do you plan to make?
3. What are some of the things you will make time for?
4. What things do you wish to learn? to do? to become?
5. What opportunities will you make and seize?
6. What accomplishments to do want to achieve?
7. What relationships will you nurture or renew?

Application

Let God guide you to the changes he wants to make in your life! Just remember, God doesn’t love you for what you’ve done or what you will do, but because of what he did on the cross. On the cross he forgave your past and gave you a future!