i hope

we are at the approach of a new year.

it is a time of year where it is natural to look back at the past year and see all that we are grateful for and have worked through and have seen progress in.

it is a time where it is natural to look ahead, make promises, create expectations.

as i look to the new year, i will not make resolutions--they are too easily broken.

i will share hopes because there is a God that can do amazing things with our hope when placed in Him.

i hope to know God more day by day this year, where i can honestly say that there is a deeper passion and a deeper love at the end of the year than there was at the start.  i hope that i truly know just a small part of Him so intimately that i will never be the same again.

i hope that my life profoundly affects my children, where they can learn and grow daily despite my imperfections.  i hope that they are life-long learners...always curious, always joyful, always wanting to know just a bit more.  i hope that day by day, they grow to be amazing men of God.

i hope that our family's heart grows for those who are lost, hurting, broken...who can show love in many ways, knowing that we can 'be Jesus' to people everyday at anytime. 

i hope to dream big dreams again, ones that are bigger than me that require a God far bigger than anything that can pop into my mind.  i hope that i can let God heal the hurts that only He can heal and that i can come out stronger in my faith, in my character.

i hope that i take time each day to listen quietly to what God has to say, that i would understand clearly and obey.  i hope to hear Him speak.

i hope that our family continues to bless our Compassion children in brazil.  i hope that they know how loved they are--even if we can only show that by financial means and through prayers, letters and small tokens of our love for them.  i hope that some day soon, we could meet them face to face.

i hope that our family and friends know how grateful we are and what they mean to us each day and that we can bless them in return.

i hope that i find joy in each day, seeing God's hand in things little and big.

i hope that i never take anything for granted.

i hope.