It’s a brand new year. The lights and excitement of the Christmas season linger in the air, and everyone is enthralled with the excitement a new year brings. Most of us are beyond ready to turn the page on a new year. Just about everyone I talk to has the same word to describe 2016, hard. It was a year smeared with the most tumultuous and interesting presidential election any of us has seen in our lifetimes, and we all feel relatively dirty as a result.

2016 was also a year of immense personal hardships. Friends and family alike have shared stories of loss, pain and disappointment that are too numerous to count. My wife and I are no different. Family members were in and out of the hospital, loved ones passed away, and searing loss darkened our door in the form of a miscarriage. It was simply a difficult year.

We walked through the lowest of lows and lived to tell the tale because of the Lord’s faithfulness. He showed up and showed off in so many ways the last twelve months. The Lord’s goodness, faithfulness and the hope we have in Him have us chomping at the bit to see what 2017 has up its sleeve.

There are so many things to look forward to, but chief among them is seeing the birth of our first baby boy. It’s still sinking in but in a few short months my whole world will change in an instant as I look into the eyes and hold the little guy for the first time. I can’t wait. Who will he look like? What color eyes will he have? What about his hair? What will he enjoy? Who will he become? While some of these questions won’t be answered in 2017, the road to discovering what the Lord is up to in not just Hudson’s life but ours begins in a few short months.

I’ve shared what has me most excited about next year, now it’s your turn. What are you most looking forward to in 2017?