1.0Heart of the Soulhttps://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/heartofthesoulJodi Chapmanhttps://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/heartofthesoul/author/jchapmanrich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="4DiTNBreEb"><a href="https://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/heartofthesoul/2014/04/the-gift-of-presence-2.html">The Gift of Presence</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/heartofthesoul/2014/04/the-gift-of-presence-2.html/embed#?secret=4DiTNBreEb" width="600" height="338" title="“The Gift of Presence” — Heart of the Soul" data-secret="4DiTNBreEb" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); /* ]]> */ </script> I’ve been feeling more and more that in a world that seems to be speeding up and in a time when gadgets and technology are available (and oftentimes in our hands) at any moment, that presence has become the best present we can offer to ourselves and also to others.  Years ago, when cell phones…http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/heartofthesoul/files/2014/04/matter-copy-300x300.jpg