I would imagine that we might not have half the technology that is a regular part of our lives today, if it weren't for all the inventions and innovations of Thomas Edison more than a hundred years ago. Not only did he invent the incandescent light bulb, he also developed devices in the area of electric power transformation, mass communication, sound recordings and movie-making. However, on December 9, 1914, he had a devastating loss that would have led many people to just give up. Yet it didn't stop him, and in fact motivated him toward even more contributions to modernizing our world. 

On that day, fire swept through the factories that Edison owned in West Orange, New Jersey. The damage totaled millions of dollars. Practically everything of Edison's was destroyed, including journals and records of works in progress.

Edison was not a young man at the time this happened. Many people sent condolences and notes of sympathy, expecting that this tragedy would prompt his retirement. Edison's response? "I am 67, but I'm not too old to make a fresh start."

It's not too late for your fresh start, either. It doesn't matter how old you are. Neither does it matter how much you have lost in the fires of the past. Today is a new day, a fresh start is yours for the taking. The Scriptures are full of references to how "all things are made new" in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), how God's mercies are "new every morning." (Lamentations 3:23) I'm thankful we serve a God who majors in new mercies, second chances and fresh starts.

One of the clichés of our Edison-inspired computer age is the question, when things aren't going so well, "Have you tried turning it off and turning it back on?" It had long been the last-ditch effort of tech support people everywhere, and it's amazing how often that simple plan works for our devices. It also works for our lives sometimes.

And that "rebooting" of our lives is going to be the subject of our upcoming series through the book of Ezra. It's about starting over, and experiencing the renewal and refreshment of a new beginning with the Lord. At the very least, the gospel on which we stand is about fresh starts and do-overs. God is gracious to us, and will not allow our failures and mistakes to be permanent. He has a way of turning our ashes into beauty when we begin again in Him.

My prayer for each of you this week is that you will know the freshness of God's grace in your life. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to serve you--and serve with you--and I look forward to seeing you Sunday.

--Pastor Ken