My head is filled with tidbits of wisdom passed down from my dad, and likely passed down to him from his dad. I’ve used many of them in my sermons over the years and most of them in my life.  Business Insider’s recent article by Hilary Breuck, “The most mind-blowing, life-altering scientific discoveries of 2018,” caught my eye.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX company sent his red Tesla Roadster into space on a reusable Falcon Heavy Rocket. There was even a dummy driver, and a note on the dash read, “Don’t panic!” It was a success and the company learned a great deal — more new things. The sports car made it past Mars, two of the reusable boosters landed in Florida, and one missed the landing pad and dove into the ocean at 300 mph.

Last March, NASA released its findings from a study of astronaut Scott Kelly, who’d spent a year in space, and his twin brother Mark Kelly, who’d spent the year on earth. One finding in particular, that 7 percent of Scott’s DNA expression hadn’t returned to normal, might have long-term effects on his life and implications for future space flights. Astronomers discovered a new aurora traveling along different magnetic lines enabling it to appear closer to the equator. It’s only visible for less than an hour, so it’s not easily seen. They’ve named it “Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement,” or STEVE. Eli Lilly created a new drug for migraine headaches, but it costs $575/month — which might bring on another headache?

“Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true (Revelation 21).’”

One of the first things I read after my conversion was about “old things passing away and all things becoming new.” So I tend to look for “new” things — and I’m excited about all the new things the New Year holds for those who look for them.