I love Christmas. As a kid we had an advent calendar for a while, and it seems like a couple years we had those cardboard ones that each day you opened the door and got a piece of chocolate out.

I have wanted to make a advent calendar for a long time, and now that Halleigh is going to start to remember traditions, I thought that it is time to start some.  I like the idea of placing the focus of Christmas more on Jesus and less on presents and Santa. What better way to do that than to celebrate the advent season daily. So that is what we are going to do... with a twist.

So, my friend and fellow blogger, Erin has wanted to make a Jesse Tree, and she suggested that I look into making one as well. I had never even heard of a Jesse Tree, so I did a little research, starting with Wikipedia, and here is what I found...

The Jesse Tree is named from Isaiah 11:1: "A shoot will spring forth from the stump of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots."  It is a vehicle to tell the Story of God in the Old Testament, and to connect the Advent Season with the faithfulness of God across 4,000 years of history. Basically, it ties the Old and New Testaments together. Each day there is an ornament that represents the lineage of Jesus, starting with creation, the fall (Adam), the flood (Noah), followed by Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac, etc. 

I like the idea of the advent calendar, but I LOVE the idea of the Jesse tree. Not enough importance is placed on the Old Testament telling the story of Jesus.  I want my children to understand that the Old Testament speaks to us and is as relevant to us as the New Testament. It isn't just a collection of great children's stories! And what better way to teach that than to combine the Old Testament in the preparation and celebration of Christ's birth? There is none.

Anyway, so Erin and I have started our Jesse Trees. We got the first two done, creation and the fall. Here are the pictures of our finished products...