As a teacher, mother, and wife, it is so important to me to be sure my students and family understand what Christmas is all about. It is so easy to get caught up in the commercialism that we see everywhere we turn.
One of the ways I try to accomplish this is by creating an atmosphere rooted in the Bible and the history itself which depict the traditions of Christmas. Last year, I enjoyed Truth in the Tinsel with my class. This was a wonderful way to celebrate the Christmas Story during Advent by creating ornaments depicting each of the key people in Jesus' birth story. Looking at your Christmas Tree, you would be able to tell the Christmas Story through the ornaments.
Since I have some of the same students in my class again this year, I have decided to complete The Jesse Tree Project. While similar in nature, the Jesse Tree symbolizes Jesus' family tree, starting with The Creation itself. It shows the children how all of the Old Testament Bible Stories lead us to Jesus.
I encourage you to ask your child each day about the ornament he/she made and about the Bible story that goes with it. When the ornaments come home on December 19, I also encourage you to look at each one as you hang it on your tree and again, discuss what it means and how it leads to Jesus!
Merry Christmas and God bless!
Isaiah 11:1-10
1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him--
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord--
3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
6 The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling[a] together;
and a little child will lead them.
7 The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
9 They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.
One of the ways I try to accomplish this is by creating an atmosphere rooted in the Bible and the history itself which depict the traditions of Christmas. Last year, I enjoyed Truth in the Tinsel with my class. This was a wonderful way to celebrate the Christmas Story during Advent by creating ornaments depicting each of the key people in Jesus' birth story. Looking at your Christmas Tree, you would be able to tell the Christmas Story through the ornaments.
Since I have some of the same students in my class again this year, I have decided to complete The Jesse Tree Project. While similar in nature, the Jesse Tree symbolizes Jesus' family tree, starting with The Creation itself. It shows the children how all of the Old Testament Bible Stories lead us to Jesus.
I encourage you to ask your child each day about the ornament he/she made and about the Bible story that goes with it. When the ornaments come home on December 19, I also encourage you to look at each one as you hang it on your tree and again, discuss what it means and how it leads to Jesus!
Merry Christmas and God bless!
Isaiah 11:1-10
1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him--
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord--
3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
6 The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling[a] together;
and a little child will lead them.
7 The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
9 They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.