Jesse Tree Project...

Ok, this is really not a crafty blog... but I just thought I'd post this in case it helps anyone. I was trying to find a good project to do with the girls that would incorporate Jesus more into Christmas... and my friend Paula told me about these Jesse Tree things. The idea is that you get a small-ish tree and each day leading up to Christmas you read a scripture and put an ornament on the tree that has to do with that scripture. You start with creation and go up until Jesus is born on Christmas. They are really cool! You can buy really creative kits on Etsy, let kids color ornaments each day, buy your own, whatever. We'll probably buy a few and make the rest. Then over the years (if we like this) we will complete the collection and have a real ornament for each day - and hopefully the kids will remember the ornaments from year to year and create some fun family memories that center around Jesus! All Jesse tree reading plans and ornament and passage choices are different. I couldn't really figure it out... so I just figured I'd make one to go along with our Jesus storybook Bible. And then I went ahead and finished out December and did a couple additional readings from Jesus' life, Paul's journey, and revelations... So, for what it's worth, here's what I came up with. Please feel free to print out and use and pass around. It's nothing special (well, the word of God is WAY special, but you know what I mean... I just typed it out... you're basically reading the whole Jesus storybook Bible minus a few of the stories! Below is the plan, then a supply list, then a bookmark... just in case you want to try it! We're gonna start tomorrow ; ))

Jesse Tree Readings and ornaments from “The Jesus Storybook Bible”

Dec 1 – Get out your little tree. Read “The Story and the Song” – p. 12

Dec 2 – Creation, p. 18, put ornament on tree (world or light)

Dec 3 – The Fall, p. 28, ornament – snake or fruit, also put on a tissue and band-aid, b/c adam and eve were sad… and sadness and pain entered the world

Dec 4 – Noah’s Ark, p. 38, ornament – ark, boat, rainbow, or pair of animals

Dec 5 – Tower of Babel, p. 48, ornament – ladder

Dec 6 – Promise to Abraham, p. 56, ornament – star, night

Dec 7 – catch up day! Or review, ask children what their favorite story has been

Dec 8 – Abraham and Isaac, p. 62, ornament – ram

Dec 9 – Leah, p. 70, add ring

Dec 10 – Jacob and coat, p. 76, ornament - coat

Dec 11 – Moses and burning bush, p. 84, ornament – bush, fire, twig, or leaf

Dec 12 – Red Sea, p. 93, ornament - water

Dec 13 – 10 Commandments, p. 100, ornament - bible, tablets

Dec 14 – catch up day! Or review, ask children what their favorite story has been

Dec 15 – Joshua and Jericho, p. 108, add army man or trumpet

Dec 16 – David and Goliath – p. 122, add stone, shield, or weapon

Dec 17 – David, Good Shepherd, songwriter, p. 130, ornament – drum, harp

Dec 18 – catch up day! Or review, ask children what their favorite story has been

Dec 19 – Isaiah – p. 145, ornament – cross, shepherd, letter

Dec 20 – Daniel, p. 152, add lion

Dec 21 – Jonah, p. 160, add fish

Dec 22 – catch up day! Or review, ask children what their favorite story has been

Dec 23 – Get ready, p. 170, add party streamer or something festive

Dec 24 – Read Christmas Eve – p. 176, add baby Jesus ornament

Dec 25 – Read Shepherds and Kings p. 184 &  p. 192, add kings to tree

Dec 26 – Jesus baptized & prayer, p. 200 & 222, add shell

Dec 27 – Sermon on the Mount & feeding 5,000, p. 228 & 244, add flower, bird or bread

Dec 28 – Crucifixion and Resurection, p. 302 & 310, add cross, take off snake/fruit

Dec 29 – Paul – p. 334, take off the ten commandments, jesus abolished the “rules”

Dec 30 – Revelation – p. 342, take off band-aid, tissue, sprinkle tree with glitter or tinsel

Dec 31 – p. 351, ask what kids learned from God this yr, if they want to say yes to Jesus

Supply List

(any ornaments you don’t have or can’t find, just have your kids color on Christmas gift tags and hang those ; ) … also, when it has two options on a line item, like “snake or fruit,” just get one…

-“The Jesus Storybook Bible” by Sally Lloyd-Jones

-set of mostly blank paper gift tags to hang for any missing ornaments

-tree for ornaments – can be small tree or hang on your larger tree – whatever

-world or light

-snake or fruit, also put on a

-tissue

-band-aid

-boat, rainbow, or pair of animals

-ladder

-star or night

-ram

-ring

-coat

-bush, twig, leaf, fire

-water

-bible, tablets

-army man or trumpet

-stone, shield, or weapon

-drum, harp

-cross, shepherd, letter

-lion

-fish

-party streamer or something festive

-baby Jesus ornament

-kings

-shell

-flower, bird or bread

-cross

-glitter/tinsel

BOOKMARK: (print out and cut ; )

JESSE TREE with

“Jesus Storybook Bible”

Date – pages to read, ornament

Dec 1 – Get out tree. p. 12

Dec 2 – p. 18, world or light

Dec 3 –p. 28,  snake or fruit,

tissue & band-aid (pain enters)

Dec 4 – 38, boat, rainbow, animals

Dec 5 – p. 48, ladder

Dec 6 – p. 56, star, night

Dec 7 – catch up day!

Dec 8 – p. 62, ram

Dec 9 – p. 70, ring

Dec 10 –p. 76, coat

Dec 11 –p. 84, bush, fire, twig

Dec 12 – p. 93, water

Dec 13 –p. 100, bible, tablets

Dec 14 – catch up day!

Dec 15 –p. 108, army man, trumpet

Dec 16 –p. 122, stone, weapon

Dec 17 –p. 130, drum, harp

Dec 18 – catch up day!

Dec 19 – p. 145, cross, shepherd, letter

Dec 20 – p. 152, lion

Dec 21 – p. 160, fish

Dec 22 – catch up day!

Dec 23 – p. 170, party something

Dec 24 –p. 176, baby Jesus

Dec 25 – p. 184 &  p. 192, kings

Dec 26 –p. 200 & 222, shell

Dec 27–p. 228&244, flower,bird,bread

Dec 28–p. 302&310, cross, take off snake

Dec 29 – p. 334, take off 10 commands

Dec 30 – p. 342, take off band-aid, tissue

sprinkle tree with glitter or tinsel

Dec 31 – p. 351, say yes to Jesus?