Presence (and I am chatty)

 I am in a chatty mood. Maybe I feel chatty because I've been on vacation from my Outside-Of-The-House job for over a week. Or maybe it is because I've been in the house with two males and they don't talk as much? Whatever the reason, I filled my coffee cup before I sat at the computer and I intend on sipping my coffee and chatting with you.

Speaking of chatting, I drove to Prairie Woman's home on Saturday. She lives in between a corn field and a pig farm waaayyy out in the country. I believe I arrived around 10 a.m. and we sat at the kitchen table chatting. As women are able to do, we chatted while five of her seven children roamed through the room. We chatted while her oldest daughter made lunch for the little kids. We chatted through multiple cups of coffee and while munching on her homemade Pumpkin-Rice Flour-Chocolate Chip-Flaxseed muffins. In our chatting mode, we covered topics from: gluten-free spaghetti sauce, funny Christmas presents, politics, salsa dance classes, God, foster care, crocheting, and I’m sure a whole lot more. When we finally got to the place where we both took a breath and sat back in our chairs, I looked at the clock.  It was close to 3 p.m. and I hadn’t moved out of the chair for five hours! It is true. We could talk that long because we did it.

Over the next few days I’ll be posting a few of the highlights from my Christmas week. I can tell I have been on vacation because I feel so relaxed and peaceful. I’ve done some cleaning, finished a crochet project, and even started reading a book. The Husband and I celebrated the New Year by having dear friends D and B over for supper. They even brought the soup! I made homemade bread and we sat around the table nibbling on warm bread with cheese, and chatting. They left just at 11 pm but The Husband and Kidlet Three and I sat up watching the Times Square Ball drop at midnight.

Time out…I need to go fill my coffee cup again. Do you need a refill? Did I tell you I have a turkey roasting in the oven? The aroma of baking turkey fills the air and I can’t wait for the mashed potato-gravy-stuffing-and-turkey meal I have planned for later.

I’m back. My favorite Max Lucado ‘thoughts for the day’ calendar had this inspiring and challenging message the other day. I want to share it with you because one of my desires this year is to know and acknowledge God wherever I am. Because He lives inside of me (I’ve asked Him to be my Lord and Savior) and because He is omnipresent, He is always with me. But sometimes I forget or I don’t pay attention. Or I allow myself to get focused on ‘things’ and I miss Him.

In my chatty mood this morning, I share this with you to ponder and mull over for your own life:

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“The upright shall dwell in Your presence.” Psalm 140:14

Lazarus was three days dead in a sealed tomb when he heard a voice and…saw Jesus…. God had followed him into death. Peter had denied his Lord and gone back to fishing when he heard his name and…saw Jesus cooking breakfast. God had followed him in spite of his failure.

God is the God who follows. I wonder…have you sensed him following you? We often miss him…. But he comes. Through the kindness of a stranger. The majesty of a sunset. The mystery of romance. Through the question of a child or the commitment of a spouse. Through a word well spoken or a touch well timed, have you sensed his presence?

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His Presence is all around us. Would you like to join me in asking God to help us “see Him” and His Presence more in 2012. If you don’t talk to God much, that is okay. Whisper it right now…God…I want to see You and know You are with me.

You and I are going to be amazed at where we see Him and how we see Him in these next days! Get ready!