How are your Christmas preparations going? Overwhelmed? Yup. Me too.

I already have multiple checklists of food, gifts and activities and it all kind of takes my breath away. 

This is why Advent is perfect for people like us!

Advent is a time of preparation. We often think of preparing for Christmas as simply an organizational exercise, but really, it is so much more. 

Advent is a time to prepare our hearts. 

God has many good gifts to give us through this season. You see…God is at work all around us, at all times and he asks us to participate in it! Often we miss it because we are so busy “producing Christmas.”

So here is what I am going to do…and I would love for you to join me.

I am going to be present this Christmas. You know what I mean right? Sometimes our bodies can be present somewhere, but our minds and hearts are a million miles away. I don’t want that. I want to be with people. Connected and present to their needs. I want to be hospitable, with a heart that is wide open to people, speaking words of hope into their ear. I want to see God at work around me and how he may be inviting me to join him in his work.

Throughout this advent season our ZOE team will be posting an Advent Calendar on social media. There will be fun little reminders to remind you to slow down and be present to what is going on around you. So follow us here: https://www.facebook.com/ZOEProjects/

Let God speak to you and guide your hearts as you respond to him!

-Leanne McAlister, ZOE Network