Jesse Tree

Posted on November 26, 2007
Filed Under Christianity | 8 Comments

 

This year, through advent, we have decided to do a Jesse Tree with the children.  Have any of you done one before? The idea of the Jesse Tree comes from Isaiah 11:1-9, where God promises a discouraged nation that the glory they remember from David’s time will come again. They will have another king from Jesse’s family, in whose reign the whole earth will know God. We have seen that prophecy fulfilled through Jesus. 

The Jesse tree has a symbol for each day, and focuses on the lineage of Christ as well as God’s prophecies, promises and miracles.  For example day one is a dove and we reflect on God making creation and the peace intended.  I am planning on sharing each days devotion on my blog, and shall begin on November 28th through to December 25th, so please read along if you want.

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Remedy

Posted on November 22, 2007
Filed Under music | 2 Comments

 

I’m really loving the David Crowder Band’s recent release, Remedy.  There are a lot of really excellent tracks on it.  I’m also enjoying listening to lots of Christmas Carols at the moment too!  Only 32 days to go ;-)

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Happy Thanksgiving

Posted on November 22, 2007
Filed Under current affairs | 2 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my wonderful friends in the United States.

Parker Palmer

Posted on November 21, 2007
Filed Under blog, book | 2 Comments

I was reading Len’s blog earlier and noticed that he was recommending that people read Parker Palmer’s book “Let Your Life Speak”.  I couldn’t agree more.  Jonathan and I read this book three or four years ago whilst we were in France.  I still have lots of notes in my journal from it, particularly about the seasons of life.  Unfortunately we don’t have the book anymore.  We sent it to Canada for a friend to read, only it got lost in the mail on the way there!  Maybe we should get another copy, it might help with where we are at right now!

Jonathan has a cold right now, which I’m praying I’m immune from catching, as the next few days are quite busy - it’s a shame we don’t get a Thanksgiving break in the UK!  I suggested that he watched the man flu video which Paul posted last week :-)

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A Different Kind Of Christmas

Posted on November 18, 2007
Filed Under blog, thoughts | 5 Comments

I was quite encouraged to read Cindy’s post A Holly Jolly Fair Trade Christmas a couple of days ago, as I have been thinking along the same lines for the past year now. Last Christmas I looked at all of the “stuff” which we have been given as a family and I felt a little sick to the stomach. Now I know these gifts are a way in which our family bless us, for which I am very grateful, but some of it was not really needed, and one particular toy my son made such a fuss about getting he has only played with once. It now sits on a table in his bedroom gathering dust. I felt like last Christmas was our last Christmas like that, and we are doing things quite differently this year.

We can’t afford to spend a lot of money of people, so rather than buy toiletries or other items which might not be either used or wanted, or succumb to the pressure of adding to our present because it doesn’t look “good enough”, we told our family that we were going to give them gifts of hope this year. Our small amount of money is going to bless other people with vital things they need in order to survive. We have purchased gifts through World Vision and Traidcraft. Thus far we have brought a mosquito net, a water irrigation system, water purification tablets, a meal for 70 children, and help for a silk worker to set up their own business. Jonathan’s parents have given us money to buy our Christmas present with, which we have also decided to use on a world vision gift. This will include buying either a herd of goats, pair of breeding Llamas or planting 1/2 an acre of rain forest. Plus two small gifts which we will buy for Ben and Grace - birth certificates for children in Bolivia, so that they can get health care and have access to education.

We have brought Ben and Grace presents, as we don’t want them to miss out on the “magic” of Christmas, but we want them to understand the message behind it, not the consumerism within it. We have a CD of Christmas stories to listen to, that includes “The Cinnamon Bear”, “Miracle on 34th Street”, and “The Nativity.” We’ll be making cookies for family members and some nice keepsakes, such as Ben and Grace’s hand prints. Like Cindy, we are trying to buy fair trade produce the best we can. I’ve spent a lot of time lately thinking about how Christmas has got to the commercialized, materialistic event it is today. It makes me quite saddened.

How will you be celebrating and shopping this year?

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