It has been a little over a month since my last post. I took an extended break from the blog world to enjoy the newest addition to our family. Caden Lee was born on January 6^th @ 8:19 a.m. Miranda and I are extremely excited to have Caden in our lives. Since his birth it has been important to me to spend every waking minute with my son and less time writing or doing some of the other hobbies I enjoy. I’m going to be honest with you… I didn’t miss my hobbies at all. I enjoyed every minute I had with my boy! However, now that  Miranda and I are somewhat adjusted to this new life of ours, I am picking back up my hobbies of writing, reading and running, all the while spending every free moment I have with Caden.

With that being said, let me tell you about some of the things I have been thinking about lately. As 2011 came to a close, I did a lot of thinking and praying. Here are some of the things I prayed for and am continuing to pray for in this New Year.

1. I prayed/pray that I will be the kind of husband Miranda deserves, the kind of husband God desires me to be (Eph. 5:25, 28).
2. I prayed/pray that I will be the kind of Father that God desires me to be to Caden (Eph. 6:4). I want to take my responsibility as a dad to heart and love my son unconditionally and set an example for him of what a relationship with God is suppose to look like.
3. I prayed/pray that God will help me to be more effective in reaching out to those who are hurting, both physically and spiritually (Eph. 4:32), and  also to look for more opportunities to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who are lost and dying in their sins (Matt. 9:37-38).
4. I prayed/pray that I will help, along with their parents, to develop the students God has blessed me the opportunity to work with into true disciples of Jesus (Matt. 28:19-20). I don’t want to have kids who just participate in youth group activities; I want to have students who are whole heartedly devoted to Jesus. If their heart is devoted to Jesus, no matter where they go or what they do, I know the Lord and His church will be in the forefront of their mind and actions.
5. I prayed/pray that I will spend even more time devoted to studying and meditating upon God’s holy and divine word (Psa. 119:97).  I want to know God in a way that I have never known Him before.
6. I prayed/pray that I will make it a point to spend a significant amount of time each day talking to my heavenly Father about my life, my hopes, my dreams, my struggles, my trials, my temptations, etc. (Phil. 4:6-7; I Thess. 5:16-18).
7. I prayed/pray that God will help me make the best use of my time. I’m tired of allowing sports and television to take so much of my time. Time is a commodity that is precious. I want to use it wisely (Eph. 5:15-16).
8. I prayed/pray that God will help me to make better choices when it comes to my overall health. As a student minister, I’m always on the go which means I eat a lot of fast food, especially with the students. It’s so easy to think that because I’m at Burger King I might as well go with the loaded Double Whopper and fries. Our bodies are a temple that are not our own. I want to glorify God in my body (I Cor. 6:19-20).
9. I prayed/pray that I will use this blog to God’s glory (2 Thess. 1:11-12; Col. 3:17). In spite of what some might think, I want my post to help/challenge the readers in their walk with the Lord. I am hopeful that I will do a more efficient job of that this year. Yes, I know…that probably means posting more often than I’m accustom too.
10. I prayed/pray that I will use my life as a living testimony/sacrifice to God (Rom. 12:1-2; Matt. 5:16). When people see my life, my actions, and hear the words I speak, I want them to see Christ living in me.

It is my hope and prayer that 2012 will be the best and most productive year of my life. I know that with God’s help, anything is possible (Mark 10:27).  May all of us use this year to bring glory and honor to our great and awesome God!

Now that’s Something to Think About!