Remember (the Jesse Tree Tradition)

Remember. 

This is such an important word. God knows we need it. He encourages us to do it. He taught His people how. There were feasts, altars, traditions, and much more. God knows our tendency to forget. It's more than "Mommy Brain" that seems to follow me after every birth. It's a forgetfulness that runs deeper than the location of my car keys; it's the state of my heart. It's true...every day is new. I need Jesus every day. I need to walk in His Spirit every day. I need His Words every day.

Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, 

so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. (John 6:57)

I need to feed...no, feast on Him every day. He is my bread and He is my living water. I am so very aware of the thirsts and the hungers that can really and truly only be satisfied in Him. It's not cliche, it's reality.  

This awareness is so very important and applicable to the Christmas season. I love gifts. I love giving gifts. I love family times, Christmas lights, and making memories to last a lifetime. I'm all about it. But...wasn't there a way to make sure Jesus is at the center of those memories? Wasn't there a way I could call the Christmas season a time to remember Jesus' birth?  Of course I don't forget He's the "reason for the season"! I understand that, but it wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to set up the nativity set, attend a Christmas service, and live out my daily life with Him as normal. I wanted more. I wanted something different just for this time of the year. So I started searching. 

I'm a teacher at heart. I am also "hands on". I wanted a way to put the "remembering" back in Christmas. I wanted something to teach my children, something that would be near and dear to their hearts, a tradition if you will. Then I discovered it searching the web one day. And funny enough, my dear friend discovered it just about the same day. We were on the same journey and Jesus brought us to the same destination. 

It's so simple... a Jesse Tree. There is nothing magical or super spiritual about a Jesse Tree. It's a tool. It's a tool in my hands to keep Jesus at the center of our Christmas celebration. It's practical, easy, family friendly, and memorable. It was one thing to bring me closer to what I was hoping for in our family Christmas season. 

So what is a Jesse Tree? Quite simply, it's Jesus' family tree. It's a way to remember. 

 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD— 
(Isa 11:1-2)

Jesse was King David's father. Jesus came through this family line. The Jesse Tree tradition centers around this fact. For the 29 days leading up to Christmas (approximately Advent), we read about one person who was significant in Jesus' family line or just significant in the Old Testament to our faith. We read the stories, we remember, we see how they point to the amazing plan that God had to send His Son.  Every day you read a story, do a devotional, decorate an ornament that goes with the story, and hang it on a tree of sorts. It's a way to remember. It's a way to keep Jesus at the center of our traditions. It has really blessed our family. 

As my friend, Kreshelle, and I discovered the blessing of celebrating with a Jesse Tree we also found that the calendars and devotions we came across didn't fit our families perfectly. They are all wonderful! But we responded to God's nudge to write our own plan and devotions. We now have it in a simple format to be able to share it with everyone. For each of the 29 days we focus on a different kind of gift, an eternal one. God reveals His nature through each of the stories and we learn of how many gifts we have all been given. There is the gift of relationship, inheritance, righteousness, covenant, protection, life, provision and many more!

Our hope is to put a tool in the hands of other families who are looking for a way to keep Jesus in the center of their traditions. It's a way to prepare our hearts for Christmas. It's a way to honor Him above the commercialization we see around us. Do we forsake gift giving? Do we throw away the lights and Christmas cookies? No. But we do shift the spotlight to the One who is the greatest Gift of all!

Download Free Jesse Tree Devotional Entitled "29 Gifts"

Download Ornament patterns that correlate with "29 Gifts"

Please enjoy this roughly edited pdf form of our devotional.It is written with an 8/9 year old audience in mind, but can easily be adapted to fit any age group (We plan on having a toddler version for Christmas 2013).  Feel free to pass it around! We want to put an easy tool in the hands of families that helps keep Jesus the center. That is our goal and our hope!  The second document is ornament patterns. They can be printed on cardstock, colored by your children, and hung on your Jesse Tree.

We'd love to hear if you start "29 Gifts" with your family. We also would love to hear suggestions and feedback!
 

Remember. 

This is such an important word. God knows we need it. He encourages us to do it. He taught His people how. There were feasts, altars, traditions, and much more. God knows our tendency to forget. It's more than "Mommy Brain" that seems to follow me after every birth. It's a forgetfulness that runs deeper than the location of my car keys; it's the state of my heart. It's true...every day is new. I need Jesus every day. I need to walk in His Spirit every day. I need His Words every day.

Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, 

so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. (John 6:57)

I need to feed...no, feast on Him every day. He is my bread and He is my living water. I am so very aware of the thirsts and the hungers that can really and truly only be satisfied in Him. It's not cliche, it's reality.  

This awareness is so very important and applicable to the Christmas season. I love gifts. I love giving gifts. I love family times, Christmas lights, and making memories to last a lifetime. I'm all about it. But...wasn't there a way to make sure Jesus is at the center of those memories? Wasn't there a way I could call the Christmas season a time to remember Jesus' birth?  Of course I don't forget He's the "reason for the season"! I understand that, but it wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to set up the nativity set, attend a Christmas service, and live out my daily life with Him as normal. I wanted more. I wanted something different just for this time of the year. So I started searching. 

I'm a teacher at heart. I am also "hands on". I wanted a way to put the "remembering" back in Christmas. I wanted something to teach my children, something that would be near and dear to their hearts, a tradition if you will. Then I discovered it searching the web one day. And funny enough, my dear friend discovered it just about the same day. We were on the same journey and Jesus brought us to the same destination. 

It's so simple... a Jesse Tree. There is nothing magical or super spiritual about a Jesse Tree. It's a tool. It's a tool in my hands to keep Jesus at the center of our Christmas celebration. It's practical, easy, family friendly, and memorable. It was one thing to bring me closer to what I was hoping for in our family Christmas season. 

So what is a Jesse Tree? Quite simply, it's Jesus' family tree. It's a way to remember. 

 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD— 
(Isa 11:1-2)

Jesse was King David's father. Jesus came through this family line. The Jesse Tree tradition centers around this fact. For the 29 days leading up to Christmas (approximately Advent), we read about one person who was significant in Jesus' family line or just significant in the Old Testament to our faith. We read the stories, we remember, we see how they point to the amazing plan that God had to send His Son.  Every day you read a story, do a devotional, decorate an ornament that goes with the story, and hang it on a tree of sorts. It's a way to remember. It's a way to keep Jesus at the center of our traditions. It has really blessed our family. 

As my friend, Kreshelle, and I discovered the blessing of celebrating with a Jesse Tree we also found that the calendars and devotions we came across didn't fit our families perfectly. They are all wonderful! But we responded to God's nudge to write our own plan and devotions. We now have it in a simple format to be able to share it with everyone. For each of the 29 days we focus on a different kind of gift, an eternal one. God reveals His nature through each of the stories and we learn of how many gifts we have all been given. There is the gift of relationship, inheritance, righteousness, covenant, protection, life, provision and many more!

Our hope is to put a tool in the hands of other families who are looking for a way to keep Jesus in the center of their traditions. It's a way to prepare our hearts for Christmas. It's a way to honor Him above the commercialization we see around us. Do we forsake gift giving? Do we throw away the lights and Christmas cookies? No. But we do shift the spotlight to the One who is the greatest Gift of all!

Download Free Jesse Tree Devotional Entitled "29 Gifts"

Download Ornament patterns that correlate with "29 Gifts"

Please enjoy this roughly edited pdf form of our devotional.It is written with an 8/9 year old audience in mind, but can easily be adapted to fit any age group (We plan on having a toddler version for Christmas 2013).  Feel free to pass it around! We want to put an easy tool in the hands of families that helps keep Jesus the center. That is our goal and our hope!  The second document is ornament patterns. They can be printed on cardstock, colored by your children, and hung on your Jesse Tree.

We'd love to hear if you start "29 Gifts" with your family. We also would love to hear suggestions and feedback!