Jesus and Me Tree

A new holiday tradition for our family this year was an advent tree—a small prelighted, artificial tree to which we added an ornament every evening of the advent season. The idea was inspired by an event hosted the Monday after Thanksgiving by a friend and fellow homeschooling mom, Tamara Dirks. (Click here to see her blog.) She invited friends, friends of friends and even strangers to come hear storyteller Darlene Danninger talk about the idea that inspired her book, Let’s Make a Jesus and Me Tree. (Darlene, also the author of numerous other self-published books, proved to be an energetic, entertaining and engaging speaker. She’s been called “a one-of-a-kind encourager” and serves as a chaplain at one of the municipal police departments in our area. Click here to visit her Web site.)

Darlene explained the significance of various aspects of such a tree in teaching the message of Christ’s birth, life, death and resurrection—and of His desire, expressed throughout the Bible, for a relationship with every human being:
• The tree itself should be an evergreen, she said, to demonstrate that God’s love is not seasonal, but unconditional and everlasting.
• The tree’s triangular shape (narrow at the top and wide at the bottom) represents the Trinity—God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit.
• All of the ornaments are tied onto the tree with red ribbon to symbolize the redeeming blood shed by Jesus on the cross.
Beyond those three symbols, which Darlene described as “essential,” the possibilities for ornaments are limitless. Her book lists 100 ideas—from angels to watches—and includes Bible verses that can be attached to each one to explain its significance. At the end of the evening, Tamara sent each guest home with a complimentary book and a complete set of 25 ornaments to start their own tree.

My kids enjoyed taking turns each evening before bed selecting an ornament to put on our tree. Following are their favorites, along with the Bible verses that accompanied each one:
• Kellen—lamb: “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” —John 1:29
• Kerrick—calendar: “ ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ ”—Jeremiah 29:11
• Kennah—heart: “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”—1 Samuel 16:7
• Keillor—styrofoam snowball: “ ‘Come now and let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be as wool.’ ”—Isaiah 1:18

I waited until our tree was complete to share it here and show its full effect. Next year, we hope to make a few more ornaments to add to our initial collection. Thank you, Tamara and Darlene, for the inspiration!