Now I'm not saying that my church newsletter gives the best advice around, but really, I've never known it to tell a lie!

So -- from Auburn's First United Methodist Church newsletter, here are the instructions proposed so that we all have a great year!

1. Be gentle with the earth.

2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three R's: Respect for self, respect for others and responsibility for all your actions.

4. Don't let a little dispute injure a great relationship.

5. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

6. Spend some time alone every day.

7. Open arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

8. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

9. Live a good honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.

10. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.

11. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.

12. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

May the year 2007 be happy and healthy for all you readers and your families. God bless us, everyone!

Dorothy Nelson lives and writes in Auburn