Christmas PRESENT by Pastor Todd Benjamin Lout

Trying to come up with that perfect Christmas gift to give your friends and family? How about a fantastic birthday present for Jesus to celebrate His coming here and rescuing us? Oh, and maybe a little something for you too? I've got just the thing! It's the gift of being present! This is sure to be a winner!

Here, meditate on this: "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

Life is busy, for sure. So many of us have brains that have adapted to thinking of the next thing you'll be doing, the next person you're going to be with, the next day's activities and how to accomplish it, all while you're in a moment that should actually require your presence. Be still! Let's settle down our minds and allow God to have this moment...and the next and the next. There are treasures right in front of us, little surprises from a good Father, that we sometimes miss because we're not being present in the moment.

Often, when we jump ahead, we start leaning on our own understanding. We try to figure out how we're gonna do this or solve that and anxiety comes.

(see Proverbs 3:5 & Philippians 4:6)

When we have a tendency to look back a whole lot, regret tries to creep in....
"I should have said this", "I should have done it that way."

God is our present help. He is right here, right now to help us make the most out of every opportunity. (see Ephesians 5:15 & 16) When we stay present we have more to give and more to receive. Your friends and family will certainly be thankful to have the actual YOU with them, instead of the shell of you while your brain is in tomorrow. Your perfect Father will enjoy having your gaze and you, yourself, will certainly be enriched, more peaceful, more solid as you allow Him to meet you in this moment. You'll even have more ideas, more energy and more love in approaching those "next" things.

Try it today!

Your presence will make even the busy Christmas season a whole lot merrier!