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Wow, I can't believe that 2008 is here.  The years seem to get shorter and shorter.  Where did the time go?  I hope you made the best of 2007.  I wish I could say that I did, but I know I could have done more in the areas that really matter. 

I'm in my second year of Men's Fraternity at my church, and we're going through the series titled "Winning at Work and at Home."  Men's Fraternity has helped defined for me what a "real man" is supposed to be, and really challenged me to "step up."  There are so many important things I have let slip because of my busy-ness and distractions, or just plain laziness.  My natural tendency is to be passive, but what my family needs from me is Godly, servant-leadership.  So, looking to 2008, here are the top five things I pray will be my prorities.

1. Read through the Bible. I desparately need the daily discipline of spending more time in God's Word, seeking wisodom, and cultivating a deeper relationship.
2. Quality and quantity time with family.  My #1 responsibilty outside of my relationship with God is to love my wife and to grow my kids in the brief time they've been placed in my care.  For kids, love is spelled T-I-M-E.  I've also learned through Men's Fraternity that the best gift I can give my kids is to love their Mother.
3. Improve my health.  I just finished reading Sugar Busters! and I'm looking forward to making some healthy changes to the way my family and I eat.  I've known for a long time that I'm supposed to be the spiritual leader in my home.  Although my wife does the vast majority of the cooking, I've recently been convicted that the physical health of my family is ultimately my responsibility as well.
4. Improve my friendships.  God has placed some awesome people in my life, and I need to make sure they know how much I appreciate them.  I also need to be a little more "on purpose" with all the relationships in my sphere of influence.
5. Live more with less.  Be smarter with money.  Simplify.  Get rid of the clutter.  I guess it all boils down to being a better steward of the time and resources God has blessed me with.

There are certainly many, many more things I want to accomplish this year.  Honestly, it's been a while since I really worked hard at sharpening my development skills and learning new things.  As long as I "keep first things first," I believe the rest will follow.

What are your top five for 2008?