It’s that time of year again, when the champagne corks pop and the Times Square ball drops, and everyone shouts out, “Happy New Year!” It’s the time of the changing of the year, when Old Man 2015 gives way to the new baby 2016.

The year is changing. The change of the seasons at our High Days is something that we’re all used to and look forward to. We know that time is circular from the Wheel of the Year and that change is a normal and natural part of the year’s progression. But change is also a normal and natural part of living. We welcome in some changes and spurn others, but change will happen. Indeed, the only thing in life that any of us can truly count on is change.

Change can bring joy, but change can also bring grief. We go though many changes in our lives, and change can be scary. Even if our circumstances are not all that wonderful, at least we’re used to them and know how they work. Change means stepping into the unknown, and that can be frightening at even the best of times. But change also brings with it hope and new opportunities. Change simply is, and by maintaining a strong devotional practice while living in the moment we can navigate these uncharted waters, be they big or small.

ADF is strong, very strong. While once we depended on the fortunes of one man, we now rest on the firm foundation maintained by us all. We will change over time but we will survive and thrive.