On New Year’s Eve about thirty devotees gathered in the Ashram to send away the old year and to welcome the New Year. After the entertaining festivities concluded with a hearty game of Pictionary, in which varying artistic skills were displayed, Swamiji graced us with handy advice for the New Year.

It was decided that for each month, we would practice something that began with the beginning letter of that month. This ranged from ‘F’orgiveness in February, and my personal favorite, ‘J’ogging in July. Others included: ‘J’apa in January, ‘M’arching Forward in March, ‘M’editation in May, ‘J’oy in June and ‘O’bedience in October. Through these practices we would not only be bettering ourselves, but benefiting those around us as well. With this firmly set in our minds, everyone wrote down also two things which they would accomplish during the New Year. Thus having prepared our New Year’s resolution, the last few moments of 2007 were spent chanting away the name of the Lord.