31 days - the Jesse Tree Tradition

When our son was born 13 years I stumbled onto a tradition that we have done almost every year since his birth - having a Jesse Tree. Neither of us had grown up with it, but searching the internet (on dial-up) all those years back, I found something called The Jesse Tree.

Jesse Tree, a reference from Isaiah 11:1, is a tour through the New Testament Scriptures tracing the family tree and prophecies that all lead up to the birth of Jesus. There are a couple different versions that include different stories and each advent has a different number of days so some years not all the stories are used.

At that time, there were three sites (that's all!) that had information.

• https://www.rca.org/page.aspx?pid=1602
• http://www.domestic-church.com/CONTENT.DCC/19971201/FRIDGE/FRIDGE1.HTM
• and a geocities site with some electronic christmas music and some sort of sparkling Christmas tree. 

(There are SO many more resources online.)

The first year (or two or three?), we did our Jesse Tree on the refrigerator. I would make a Christmas tree shape out of construction paper, and while Marc or I read the Scripture, the kid (or kids eventually) would color in the 'ornament' and then we would tape it to the refrigerator tree.

When I began looking for something more permanent, all that I could find were patterns for cross-plastic canvas or cross-stitch - which I had no real talent for, no desire to get better at, and no time even if I did want to.

What I did have time and enjoyment for was polymer clay. So, I set about making polymer clay ornaments.

This combination of children, time, and the somewhat fragile constitution, a couple ornaments are broken each year. Getting ready for this tradition include repairing or making new ornaments; and getting all of our devotional and Scripture resources gathered together and organized.

(During November and December, I will be sharing more about our Jesse Tree - including pictures of our polymer clay ornaments.)