CHRISTmas

Are there a thousand things running through your mind this season? Are you feeling a little stressed? A little overwhelmed? Just a little too busy? Are you frantically searching for peace? Are you just waiting for CHRISTmas to get here already? If so, I'm in the same boat...As school finishes out with finals, my mind is a never-ending maze. I'm constantly going from one thing to the next. I'm trying to find some peace in this hectic place.
What are you most excited about this CHRISTmas? The presents or the presence? Trust me, I know the presents are always something to look forward to...but let's not forget the real reason we celebrate! Why try to glean every present in sight when you can easily and simply have His presence, the greatest gift of all? It doesn't require driving in all of the holiday traffic. It doesn't require a list of gifts. It doesn't require your hard-earned money. All it requires is YOU. He desires us to desire Him. To desire His presence. And I know that you do, whether you will admit it or not.
 You desire to be filled with Him, filled with the pure awe that He brings.
 You want to sit in His lap and simply be.
 You want to look at His face, hear His voice, and be filled with complete love, with complete joy.
So then...
be.
Look.
Listen.
Be.
Let Him be blessed with your presence while you are blessed with His.
Take one moment. One second of the precious life He gave you, and simply give thanks. Simply sit with your Creator. Let Him have all of you -- even if for only a moment. Because, that's all He wants... You.
Don't be Martha (from the Bible, not Martha Stewart). Don't be so busy that it distracts you and keeps you from sitting down and washing feet. 
His feet.
Take a bowl of water, a washcloth. And bow. Humbly bow. Humbly wash. Humbly awe. And be. Be with your Father. Be with the Savior. Just simply be!
And let's not forget to unwrap His gifts. Not the ones visible underneath the tree in your living room. Not the ones that will be delivered. Not the ones handed to you from friends and famliy. Of course, you can unrap those too, but I want you to focus on unrapping unending love. Unwrapping merciful grace. Unrapping joy. Things that only He can provide. Things that you may not really recognize are gifts until you're halfway done ripping the paper off. Until you can see the corner of the gift and your excitement rises and suddenly you unwrap faster and faster until it's all done. And it's open. And it's visible. And you smile.
But those gifts...aren't just given at CHRISTmas...those gifts (lucky us!), are given continuously...ferverently throughout our days...every day....so let's unwrap together -- what do you say? Will you join me in unwrapping His endless gifts to you? In giving thanks for the simply beautiful? Even the utterly ugly? He can turn all things good and beautiful.
I reached 500 blessings tonight...literally two seconds ago I finished writing them down...another blessing...right? ;)
Let's remember to keep CHRIST in our CHRISTmas. Because without Him, it wouldn't exist. And without Him, we wouldn't exist.