Okay, I promise I will get back to the session posts VERY soon. Hopefully tomorrow…but I really needed to start posting this so I don’t get so far behind that I just don’t do it. Like so many other things…sigh.
I have to ashamedly admit that there is a little tidbit of information that I left out of the post about our family decorating our picture tree. We were putting the pictures on the tree and Mak was arguing with Collin about something and all of the sudden Mak says something about presents being what Christmas is all about. WHOA. Sorry, but No, Baby Boy. That is NOT what Christmas is all about. Clearly Collin and I have failed somewhere. When we asked Mak to think about that statement one more time he immediately came back with Christmas was about Jesus’ birth. So, he knows…but does he REALLY know? I want to make it REAL for my kids. I want them to know what really is so special about this wonderful time of year. This is when we celebrate the birth of Jesus!!! So, a few days later when my sister-in-law suggested the Jesse Tree I was all for it. What is a Jesse Tree? It is a tree branch decorated with symbols representing the stories of people in Jesus’ family tree. In Isaiah 11:1 we read, “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” Jesse was the father of David, Israel’s greatest king. And it was from David’s lineage that Jesus came. That’s where the idea of using a Jesse Tree to celebrate Advent came from. Before a symbol is hung on the branch, a Bible passage or a story from a story Bible is read. Rebecca told me about this and I think it is the perfect family project to keep our minds and hearts focused on what the season is all about…Jesus.
Last night a group of about 25 women got together to exchange ornaments we made for our Jesse Trees. And tonight we began decorating our Jesse tree! I am so excited about this!
We were in charge of making globes for Day 2 of the Jesse Tree, Creation. It consisted of squirting blue paint in a glass globe and shaking it, then squirting green paint in the globe and shaking it. It was messy. The kids LOVED it. 🙂
I decided to hang a branch from the wall to be our Jesse Tree. The kids and I went out to cut it down and quickly realized we needed Collin for that. So I took pictures of those branches until Collin was able to get out there. I don’t handle a saw well by myself. 🙂
This first one is our tree. Or branch. Whatever.
This child is going to be the end of me. As I am taking pictures of the branches I hear “Mommy, will you come help me tie this rope around me so I can swing from the tree?” I yelled back “Makgill, we do NOT tie ropes around ourselves. EVER.” to which he replies “What??? It’s not around my neck!” That child!!! Little Boys are just a different breed…that I love. 🙂 Everyone should have the blessing of a little boy in their life. It keeps things interesting.
back to the branches…
And here is our Jesse Tree! I can’t wait to hang all of the ornaments from the branches.
Before we could begin, Miss CB wanted to take a picture of me. She posed me, all the way down to the hands. I think it’s Hilarious.
They were so excited to see what was in the special box. We will put one ornament on the tree each night from now until Christmas and have a devotion that relates to the ornament. Tonight was The stump of Jesse.
Clara Beth got to hang the first ornament.
I’m so excited to go through this with the kids. I think all of us will learn so much and I look forward to making it one of our Christmas traditions. Thank you, Rebecca, for putting this together!!!
Aron, you don’t know me but I am a friend of Rebecca’s from Clemson. I occasionally look at your blog because I love the pictures! It is super fun! We are living overseas and Rebecca sent me a message about sending me the stuff for the Jesse Tree to do as a family. I didn’t know much about it but after reading your post I am super excited! Anyways, it will be fun to get the creation ornament and know where it came from. Will be lifting you all up as you spend time as a family remember what this season is all about! Blessings, Sara
I LOVE your branch, such a great idea! as we did our first devotion last night and hung the first ornament we looked through the rest of them and Owen LOVED the globe y’all made! So neat to know where these ornaments came from and that they were made with love and hope of teaching our children the real meaning of Christmas. So glad you’re documenting your days, hope you’ll keep posting 🙂
Sara!!! I am so excited that you are the person we will be sending ornaments to! I didn’t know much about this before Rebecca either and I’m so glad that she organized it. You have some CUTE ornaments coming your way! There were a bunch of creative ladies (not me! :)) involved in this!
And, Gillian, thank you! those ornaments weren’t all the way dry and some of them leaked, though! 🙁 And I agree, I love seeing where they came from!
Aron…I would LOVE to have some information about the Jesse tree. That sounds like a really great idea to get started while the boys are young. I’m sure mine won’t look as nice, but it should be a great year to learn:)
Love the Jesse Tree theology! Your branch is/will be beautifully decorated with the hope and treasure and thoughts and praises of Jesus. Love it.
LOVE this! We started ours this year too. 2 other girls from small group and I got toether to tackle everything. Loved how y’all had so many and that you have handmade ornaments for your tree to use every year. Your idea for the globe was great and VERY creative…we bought ours, wish I had thought of your idea. I love that there are so many families doing this devotion time with their kids. I think we are going to have a fantastic generation of Godly leaders coming up!!!! I love hearing of the devotion to prayer and teaching Christ’s life that young families are sharing with their kids. The idea to use a branch on your wall to hang your ornaments is perfect! Can’t wait to hear how the rest comes along…and to see all your ornaments:) May God bless this time you spend as a family. May the love you share and the reading of His word bury itself deep in Mak and CB’s heart. I pray they will build a strong faith that will carry them wherever they choose to go. May their faith and love for the Lord be used in mighty ways one day! Thank you for building His word into our next generation of leaders in the church and secular world. Praying for you momma! Martha
Aron, Your post has me completely intrigued. Is this something your friend made up or can I find out about it somewhere? I would really love to do it with my kids and friends…
So glad you had such a great Thanksgiving. Loved all the pictures!
Nancy you can google it and come up with a bazillion websites on it! Do it!!! 🙂