A Prayer for Libby

To God, the creator of life and Lord of purpose. Thank you for the life you have formed--Elizabeth Mae Henson, a child born by Your great love. Her entrance begins a great story, a tale that You are already sure of and one that will most certainly tell of the path she will take. I cannot think of an act of worship this side of Heaven any greater or sincere than the one experienced watching You bring Libby into the world. May my worship continue as I watch her life be woven into the fabric of Your master plan. May my worship intensify as You call me to stewardship; parenting her through the grind of life and loving her as if she were my very own.

To those who surround her, the ones who have direct influence, please give direction as instruction is given, encouragement is offered and example is imitated. Bless Libby with Your jealous love as promised to a thousand generations of those who obey You. Challenge her desire for self-service and place within her heart a spirit of repentance. May she be motivated by the presence and joyful reception of You, the one to whom she belongs. Reveal to Libby that ancient mystery that Christ within her is the hope of glory. May she accept the forgiveness You have granted by Your blood and may she follow You all the days of her life. Inspire Libby to greatness, Lord. Teach her to use the skills and talents You have gifted for Kingdom purpose. May her hopes, dreams and pursuit for achievement reflect Your heart and may her life's work honor You. No matter her success', may the merit of her life be judged not by what she accomplishes but by the reasons she gives for her efforts. I pray that Libby would proclaim Christ as Lord and be prepared to explain to all in her circle of influence about her hope.

Thank you God as these requests are made in the belief and confidence in Christ Himself, the Savior and Coming King. Thank you for orchestrating this new life and allowing me the pleasure to witness Your power and be a part of this great miracle. Amen

Adventure Awaits

Twenty-Ten is here and I have to say that this, for me, is a most excellent time of year. In all honesty, I hate January because of the cold, but there is one feature that January possesses that more than makes up for its shortcomings. That feature being the month that introduces the new year.

I'm all revved up to initiate my 2010 life plan with includes a number of goals.

December is inventory time as I review and respond to the year that was. That process is complete when a new plan of action is written down to help me achieve my goals for the new year coming. When the plan is written I can very easily remember at anytime what my course is because I can look it up, while at the same time, when I feel lazy or lack focus, I am held accountable because what is written isn't going away.

I'm all fired up about this new year. Coming off the last six months, I have new energy and drive to see big things happen. I'm counting on disappointments and failures, but this year I'll be ready to make adjustments along the way. I am motivated beyond any level I can remember but not because I have more raw effort to give but because I think I'm smarter. What I mean is that I know myself better, so the large effort I do have will be contributed in a compound mixed with energy and flexible strategy.

I am inspired by the adventure/epic novels I have enjoyed reading. Books like the Lord of The Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia are addicting. Yes, I know this sounds lame, but I find my taste for risk taking palatable after reading. And how the excitement of these fictional adventures transfer into my life plans I don't know. It feels good though, like the high a runner gets from crossing the finish line.

And so it begins. The feelings of redemption with just the flip of the calendar. What new adventures are you planning to discover in 2010?