Advent Conspiracy, This Year, Give Presence
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVqqj...layer_embedded

http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

Re: Advent Conspiracy, This Year, Give Presence
 

Makes sense!

Re: Advent Conspiracy, This Year, Give Presence
 

Bump

Re: Advent Conspiracy, This Year, Give Presence
 

Good stuff!

Re: Advent Conspiracy, This Year, Give Presence
 

They are playing this every week at our church. We are going to participate.

Re: Advent Conspiracy, This Year, Give Presence
 

That is great.

Re: Advent Conspiracy, This Year, Give Presence
 

WOW!! I am going to send this to my pastor and request that we play it for the rest of the month. Thanks for sharing it with us. This really is something to think about.

Re: Advent Conspiracy, This Year, Give Presence
 

Ahhhh.....

I am reveling in the fact that something I posted got such positive responses. :D

Seriously, I am glad you all got something out of it. It definitely gives me a lot to think about.

Re: Advent Conspiracy, This Year, Give Presence
 

Excellent clip.

Thank you.

Here is a column that was in our church bulletin yesterday that is along a similar line. I found the similarity of thought interesting.

Quote:

Christmas is a season of giving, and the good news is that many of the best gifts that you can give won’t cost you a single red cent. A busted piggy bank is not a reason to be stingy at Christmas if you think with your heart and not your head. Christmas began with God “so loving the world that He gave,” and the gift that He gave didn’t come from a workshop or the market, it came straight from the heart. He did not give a glittering bauble or an “assembly required” toy; He gave us the gift of His presence. The uncontainable God was wrapped in the flesh of Mary’s son and we joyfully call Him, “Emmanuel, God with us.” One of the best gifts that you can give to the special people that are on your list this Christmas is the gift of your presence, not a holiday duty call, but a genuine, settled in, tea drinking, tale swapping, laughter wrapped visit. Jesus elevated the social visit to a sacred opportunity when He told His startled disciples that a visit to a sick friend, an imprisoned neighbour, or a shut in acquaintance is recorded in Heaven as a gift of service to Christ Himself. If you’ve got an hour to spare, a loaf of fruit cake or a cup of hot chocolate to share, and a heart that cares, then you’ve got the beginnings of a splendid Christmas of gift giving.

Re: Advent Conspiracy, This Year, Give Presence
 

Thanks for sharing that.

I think of late I am overcome with a sense of gratitude.

2008 was a tough year. My Mom had triple bypass surgery, and I alone had the responsiblity of caring for her, and nursing her back to health. I got divorced. And my financial situation has gone from bad to worse.

But in many ways this has helped me to see what I really have.

2007 & 2008 were very difficult for me spirituality. I was in a lot of pain, and in a very dark place for a long time. But in the past 6 months, I started to come out of it and to see things in a whole new light.

I think it gives Christmas a special meaning for me this year.