THE PRESENT of PRESENT

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

“…the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.” ― Henry Ward Beecher

“The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.” ― Eric Hoffer

Monday is CHRISTMAS.  

A day of incomprehensible blessing.

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

Matthew 1:21 (NIV)

That is incomprehensible blessing my friends.

That alone is cause to pause and be thankful don’t you think?

I pray that you too will pause to count YOUR blessings.

I pray that you too will choose to EXPERIENCE the LIFE granted by the One we celebrate in a few short days!

Yes, it would be easy to complain about the traffic as you make those last-minute purchases or stop by the grocery for the sage or nutmeg you forgot to grab.  It would be easy to grumble.  But in this season of PRESENTS, stay PRESENT.  Set your mind on those "minute by minute" blessings; your "present".

Be grateful for the relationships GOD has blessed you with.  

Be grateful for the opportunity to hear the seemingly endless loop of the same 15 Christmas songs being played on the radio and in the shops and restaurants. 

Be GRATEFUL for the chance to “be” a part of it.

“EXPERIENCE” the BLESSINGS.  Embrace the "PRESENT"

As I was counseling with someone new to recovery yesterday in Lebanon, I shared that for countless Christmases my first move every day including Christmas morning was to my liquor stash.  If I was going to get through the day, I needed to start early and return often.  Hence, I never EXPERIENCED my BLESSINGS.  I was too numb or too preoccupied to care about my "present".

And since Christmas of 2008 I am often reminded of how many times, I would escape the blessings to cater to my curse, my relationship with alcohol.

I missed so much in the process.

So today I am CHOOSING to start like I pretty much start every day, so I don't miss them.

Thanking GOD.

Counting blessings.

Being GRATEFUL that I am not compelled to revisit my relationship with addiction.

Grateful to GOD that I can make the choice to EXPERIENCE life!

Grateful for this Jesus who has saved me from my sins.

Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me.  Psalm 103:2 (NLT)

Can I encourage you to do the same?

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the PRESENT.” ― Bil Keane

I love you all.

Have a BLESSED DAY!!!

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE