"Advent Gratitude Tree"

This year we won't be able to decorate for Christmas.  There is no room and all of our decorations have been in storage for 3 1/2 years.  When we were staying with my mom, the kids would help her decorate a little, but not this year.  As I browsed Hobby Lobby looking for some little gifts for my students and went through the Christmas aisles, I could feel myself wading into the pity pool ... So, when I saw the miniature trees I grabbed one and decided to make it an Advent Gratitude Tree!  Each day one of us will write something for which we're thankful on a little metal snowflake ornament and hang it on the tree.  On Christmas day we'll put lights on it because Jesus is the light of the world.  I'm grateful all of the Christmas items were 50% off :).

Here is what we have so far...

The idea of gratitude ornaments was subconsciously inspired by this Touched by Lyme post.  Thank you for sharing:
https://www.lymedisease.org/touched-by-lyme-gratitude-ornaments/

Jesse Tree Booklet

As another Advent/Christmas season is fleeting by I really need a "portable" Jesse Tree devotional.  This way, no matter where we are at any given day throughout the season I can just pull it out and we'll carry on with our devotions.  We just spent a few days at my mom's house and I wish I had already gotten this!

Anyway, what I needed was a self-contained resource with the actual Bible readings included, not just the citations.  I also wanted pictures of ornaments with the symbolic pictures.  It also needed to be in booklet form.  I spent quite some time looking online and didn't find what I needed (for free).  However, this will work perfectly as a Jesse Tree devotional with a young teen (and olders).  It has the Bible story paraphrased but it also has the actual Bible text.  That makes it appropriate for a variety of ages.  It has pictures of Jesse Tree ornaments but it also has a classic work of art to go along with each day.

There were no hard copies available but I bought a Kindle version for less than $5.00.  This will be more than worth it as a resource to continue our Advent devotionals no matter where we are!



Note: This is an affiliate link and if you purchase through the link I may get a tiny commission.

Here are a few old Jesse Tree/Advent posts:

http://eclecticlvng.blogspot.com/2009/12/advent.html

http://eclecticlvng.blogspot.com/2012/12/advent-o-antiphons-jesse-tree-link.html

May you have a blessed Advent!