In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. —Psalm 16:11

This Christmastime this is particularly meaningful to me. It is not presents we need but his PRESENCE. I believe this His is the spirit that makes Christmastime so special. I remember sitting at home and listening to the sound of the Messiah, shoveling the driveway and coming inside to a cup of hot chocolate and some warm chocolate chip cookies, calling friends and loved ones and greeting them with a Christmas smile. It's not even those specific events or actions... it's the warmth that fills you as you remember the best Christmas gift ever. ODB has a particularly beautiful reflection on the topic this morning... good to remember that it is the Christmas season and NOT Finals season/Shopping season/etc... first things first.

7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son[b] into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for[c] our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Last night I went to the GCF Christmas party, and I was reminded that love comes from God. We sang some beautiful Christmas songs... and I loved it! Great music, great songs... while we didn't quite get "Lo How a Rose," we'll save that for next time. And it was so great to see everyone and to think about other things besides school for a while. The thing is, when I arrived, I was still very much 'not present.' I was still with my work... which has piled up very quickly (especially in light of my due date which appears to be one week early). But, after donning some fairy wings, seeing Lise model plastic bags and having my cat with the radio-active eyes 'stolen,' the laughter had taken that away for a bit. I was finally present with my friends... loving being with them... and feeling that love that comes from God! What a beautiful present!

Side Note: Daniel 1:11-16 has an interesting plea for vegetarianism! (Ok, ok, so it's really about following what the Lord has called you to do and how He helps make things possible for those who are faithful... but it's in there.. Look it up!)