Counting Down the Days...Picture #19.

Close your eyes, take a deep breath and just take a "moment."

Yes, Christmas is in less than a week. Yes, the shopping must be finished, the wrapping done, the particulars over family get-to-gathers must be finalized. IT IS HERE PEOPLE!!! Ready or not...

That being said, we had our first "family" party of the season tonight. There was soup and chili, I made my chicken dip and there were of course heavenly desserts. There was lots of laughter and old stories being told. There was even a new baby everyone was goo gooing over. It was a nice evening.

Picture#19 is...

Well, actually I took loads of pictures, but I'm too tired to upload tonight. So if you don't mind, I am going to take a little break for tonight. I'm still very on with the countdown and so very excited about Christmas its self, but I think I just want to be "silent" with my camera pictures tonight.

So, instead of me posting a picture, tonight, I want you to imagine a picture of what Christmas really means to you. My hubby is preaching tomorrow. He is also telling the Christmas story to our preschoolers at church. He asked to see my Sunday School literature to see how they approached the story and made it understandable for preschoolers. He begin to laugh. When I asked what was up, he stated that the way the children's literature is written, is the opposite of his message for the morning. He then explained...

You see, since we were small, we sugar coat the birth of Jesus. Mary was pregnant. Fine. She and Joseph went to Bethlehem. Fine. There was no room in the inn. Fine. She had Jesus in a stable and laid him in a manger. OK. Angels told the shepherds about his birth. Wise men visited him later...end of story, right. Like a fairy tale?

The truth is that there was a scared young girl, pregnant and very tired, traveling very far by foot and donkey with her new husband. Then there is the young man, who is trying to get use to his young bride being pregnant and it isn't his and he is trying really hard to provide and protect, yet feels helpless when he can't find a better place for her to lay her weary head than a pile of straw. And then there is a baby that is born, suppose to be the Savior of the world and he is born in a very smelly and dirty place. Doesn't sound much like a fairy tale anymore, does it?

That is because it isn't make believe. It was real. It is truth. Jesus did come and He came to be the Savior. So what is your picture of Christmas? When someone says "paint a picture in your mind" of what Christmas is, what do you see? Is it a man in a red suit? A beautiful tree with hundreds of lights? Wrappings and bows?

Or is it the reality that this world has a Savior, and his name is Jesus.

Happy 19Th everyone! May we all have a beautiful Sunday morning tomorrow worshiping the one true King!

Picture 19 of my countdown is left to you... you fill in the picture.