Do you ever have days that are so full that they seem to be one nonstop event of going from one situation that needs your attention, to the next---all while performing several other tasks at the same time?  We live in a fast-paced world, but sometimes even the "normal" fast pace is eclipsed by an even more frantic scrambling to get things done.  In the hurried rush that is life as most of us know it, the truly important things can sometimes be missed. 
          Our church is currently doing a series on the presence of God.  We have been reminded that our life can be so full of everything else that there is no room left for God.  People don't have the time to read their Bibles, pray, or to listen to what God wants them to do---and they start to feel distant from God.  How can we expect to "feel" the presence of God if we don't make time for Him?  How many opportunities do we miss out on every day to be what God intends for us to be--His representatives on Earth---all because we are just too busy.  Even those of us in ministry can get too busy with the craziness of the ever-changing and urgent ministry needs to be able to re-center ourselves in God's presence.  
          As we start out this new year, may we learn to take a step back from our hectic schedules, so that we can know God better, and make Him our center and priority.