The calendar may say the year is three-quarters over but September always feels like the beginning, a fresh start. The exercise books are clean and blot free, the erasers have sharp edges and not one of the pencil crayons has been lost from the full set. In September, every September, I resolve to be better organized, to plan ahead, to do all of my assignments well in advance so as to leave enough time for revision. I promise myself I will take good notes, follow through on commitments and keep my desk tidy, my files up-to-date and my phone calls always answered promptly.

It's a long time since I was an elementary school student (okay, okay, a long, long, time.) So I really have to question why I hold on to such pathetic fantasies as promising myself I will stay on top of everything, all the time, in every area of life. In real life, or at least in my real life, piles of files teeter on the edges of my desk desperately trying to catch my attention. The car is always overdue for an oil change, the oven always needs cleaning and a lone earring continually scolds me from the top of the dresser, demanding I make some effort to find its mate.

Fantasizing about fresh starts is no help. It actually makes me feel worse, not better. What I really need is a little grace, a little understanding, a little acceptance, a little forgiveness. From myself, to myself!

If I believe in God's grace, understanding, acceptance and forgiveness poured out on me through Jesus Christ, then I must see that these blessings apply to me personally. I don't need a calendar to offer me a fresh start-I receive this gift every day by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Oftentimes the person in the mirror is the harshest critic we meet all day. When we cannot joyfully receive God's grace we find we are pretty stingy at sharing that grace with others.

This issue is built around the theme of "Loving Relationships," which is one of the important characteristics of healthy Christian communities. Loving relationships grow most effectively when we treat one another with grace, seeking to understand one another, to accept one another, to forgive one another. Giving the Lord the scope to grow those kinds of relationships in our communities of faith requires courage, commitment and a willingness to let God have his transforming way with us. Making one more resolution about fresh starts just won't do it. We have committed ourselves to the God who is, in the heart of the Trinity, a relationship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is the model, and the hope for our relationships with one another.

With our usual columns there is a special farewell to a long-time writer in these pages, the Rev. Dr. Victor Shepherd. It is impossible to fully express our gratitude for Victor's contribution, his erudition and encyclopaedic knowledge but Ed McCaig has attempted to do so on our behalf.

May this issue of Fellowship Magazine bless you as we thank you for blessing us with your prayers, contributions and letters.