Paws at the Manger

There are only five days left until Christmas which is definitely my favorite holiday, but it just seemed to come so quickly this year. Christmas is always special, as a Christian we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Without a Birth there would've been no death, and without a death, there would be no Savior, and without a Savior there would be no eternal life, no heaven, no hope, nothing to have faith in, no Joy to be found, no peace, and ultimately no love. Oh!! How terrible that would be.
This Christmas I'm sure will be special, but it was supposed to be a very special Christmas, you see this was supposed to be my first Christmas as a couple united as "one" with God. Looking back I couldn't have been happier with my vision of this Christmas. I thought this time next year, I'll be married, we'll do family things like put up the tree, go to Christmas parties, take the kids to Christmas activities, cuddle up around the fireplace with cocoa and have advent devotions as a family. looking for our new home together, Go to church and praise Jesus thanking Him for the Victory of our "family"
As you can see I had some high but not outrageously impossible expectations of "my Christmas" this year. It couldn't be more opposite, what I live from where I sit this year, I am still not married
, my fiance is in jail, we put up the tree spiratically in three days, I've gone to all Christmas parties alone, taken the kids to their activities and parties, the fireplace hasn't turned on all winter, if you call the 60-70 degree weather we are having winter, but one thing is the same I will go and praise God for the "victory" he has already won, by sending his sweet son(light) to this dark world on Christmas night over 2000 yrs. ago
As this Christmas hasn't been what I expected, I have wanted so much to see Christmas through God's eyes, not completely as we could never under stand it like Him. But just a glimpse of understanding of this perfectly formed sequence orchestrated by God himself.
I feel like there is so much to absorb, and I'm like a tiny sponge that just can't get it all but I want to.
I bought my children the cutest advent count-down calendar Its called "Paws at the Manger"
There are animals around Jesus and they are dressed like the shepherds and wise men. But I'm sure the maker of this calendar saw the twist of "Paw's" and "Pause". I feel like for me, I want to get my paws around the manger, I want to understand it's simplicity in a more complex way. But in order for me to more fully understand "Christmas", I must pause p-a-u-s-e- at the Manger. God has opened up allot to me I believe. I believe everyday God wants to show us something in our commune with Him but because of our hurried life and overly full scheduled days we miss out on that blessing. So I'm trying to learn to "Pause" at the manger.
That must be why Psalms 46;10 says Be still and know that I am God Amen

"God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman"