In celebrating Jude's first year of life, I have thought a good bit recently about who God has created him to be. It has also caused me to think more about how to specifically pray for him.
He is STRONG. He is physically strong, but also strong-willed and independent. My prayer is that God will shape this strength into courage, boldness and zeal for God's kingdom and cause Jude to submit and yield his heart to the Lord, rather than to live for himself in stubborn pride, ambitious pursuit of success or wealth, or a dominance that exerts strength at the expense of others.
He is TENDER AND SENSITIVE. From the time he was a newborn, he has been sensitive to loud or sudden noises - being easily scared to tears by my sneezes, or a door shutting, or lots of people cheering and clapping. He always seems very stoic, quiet and observant in large groups of people - particularly groups of other children. He seems very cautious of other children and will usually sit and play by himself rather than move towards them. When he would get scared or something would upset him, he'd squinch his little mouth and nose together and let out the saddest cry. It is my prayer that rather than causing him to fear or be easily offended, God will use this sensitive side of him to complement his strength by making him compassionate, tender and loving towards others, observant of others needs and concerned about how others feel and desirous of their well-being.
He is such a HAPPY baby. When he was around 6-8 months old, we were often at the beach and he would just smile ear to ear at everyone who walked by - the Wal-mart greeter of the beach. He has such a way of making people feel loved and special by the way he gives out smiles - particularly to the marginalized and "least of these." It is my prayer that God will use this gift in him to make others feel loved and cared for - that Jude would be drawn to "the least of these" and always seek to love and include those who have been left on the outside.
We took a little family trip a half mile down the street to Halibut State Park - one of our favorite little spots where we live. This was Jude's first time in the hiking backpack and he LOVED it - I mean really loved it. So excited that his repeated squeals of delight made him gag himself to the point where he actually vomited! See progression to the right. :)
He is TENDER AND SENSITIVE. From the time he was a newborn, he has been sensitive to loud or sudden noises - being easily scared to tears by my sneezes, or a door shutting, or lots of people cheering and clapping. He always seems very stoic, quiet and observant in large groups of people - particularly groups of other children. He seems very cautious of other children and will usually sit and play by himself rather than move towards them. When he would get scared or something would upset him, he'd squinch his little mouth and nose together and let out the saddest cry. It is my prayer that rather than causing him to fear or be easily offended, God will use this sensitive side of him to complement his strength by making him compassionate, tender and loving towards others, observant of others needs and concerned about how others feel and desirous of their well-being. 
He is such a HAPPY baby. When he was around 6-8 months old, we were often at the beach and he would just smile ear to ear at everyone who walked by - the Wal-mart greeter of the beach. He has such a way of making people feel loved and special by the way he gives out smiles - particularly to the marginalized and "least of these." It is my prayer that God will use this gift in him to make others feel loved and cared for - that Jude would be drawn to "the least of these" and always seek to love and include those who have been left on the outside.
