The Present

Every year I look forward to a package from my Aunt Laurel because I know it will contain Christmas ornaments!  For the millenium she sent this Lenox porcelain gift box.  Inside she tucked a note that reads,

"The past is history, the future is a mystery.Today is God's gift, that's why it's called The Present."

I have learned many lessons from my Aunt over the years about commitment, family and love... each time I read this I know just where I should be right now. In the present. In a world of past pain and future uncertainty the comfort of the present really is a gift from God.

This holiday season I hope we can all focus less on the presents and more on His Presence... to do this we must live in the present and be present for our children and loved ones. To me this means we must stop rushing around and spend an evening home with our families. Really being present with them is the biggest gift we can give them.

This week we had a wonderful week of quiet evenings at home. Some evenings involved no television, computers or even Ipods, but a family giving the gift of themselves and their time to eachother. To really be present in our children's lives... to play with them, to teach them, to talk to them and to listen to them is something that can last even after the Christmas decor has been put away.

What does being present really mean to you?