Advent/Christmas

Such beautiful words and harmonies...

The story of how a new verse for 'Silent Night' has been written by Ben Cantelon and Nick Herbert.

Advent. Christmas. Jesse tree...

Today is Stir Up Sunday.  So next Sunday is the beginning of Advent.

I've been asked to present a Christmas craft/tradition at our church Christmas craft fair. I'll be showing folk the little layered gingerbread Christmas trees I make, but also salt dough ornaments. (recipe: a quarter of a cup of salt, one cup of flour and enough hot water - maybe up to one third of a cup - to make a firm dough, cooked for up to three minutes in the microwave on medium heat, carefully) My daughter and I made these a dozen years ago, representing Jesus's story. Ornaments for a Jesse tree. There is a saying: “The Old Testament conceals what the New Testament reveals.”  The Jesse tree does this beautifully.

This site has a good summary of the Bible verse, a suggested symbol and a child friendly explanation; there are also suggestions for making the tree and ornaments. Ann Voskamp has a Christmas devotional book, with a free set of the ornaments. There is a detailed explanation here.

I came across a beautiful post about making the ornaments with a group of friends and then exchanging them. Ideally with a group of 25 women (24 days in Advent, plus Christmas), each one makes 24 ornaments and 1 for themselves, then all exchange so that each one has a set of 25 different ornaments. I started off a Jesse tree using the children's toy animals and other bits and pieces I had to hand, but this is a lovely idea. I've also, in the past, done it using old Christmas cards, cut up and hung with ribbon, putting the relevant Bible verse on the back of each; we've even made our own Advent calendars in this way.

There is also a simple way of doing it with printed images or even building up a Nativity scene with the relevant Bible verses.

FlameCreativeKids have the best ideas for Advent activities.

Here are the verses, (from a Catholic website) with some suggestions:

JESSE TREE SCRIPTURES (The symbols are only suggestions)

December 1 Creation: Gen. 1:1-31; 2:1-4 Symbols: sun, moon, stars, animals, earth

December 2 Adam and Eve: Gen. 2:7-9, 18-24 Symbols: tree, man, woman

December 3 Fall of Man: Gen. 3:1-7 and 23-24 Symbols: tree, serpent, apple with bite

December 4 Noah: Gen. 6:5-8, 13-22; 7:17, 23, 24; 8:1, 6-22 Symbols: ark, animals, dove, rainbow

December 5 Abraham: Gen. 12:1-3 Symbols: torch, sword, mountain

December 6 Isaac: Gen. 22:1-14 Symbols: bundle of wood, altar, ram in bush

December 7 Jacob: Gen. 25:1-34; 28:10-15 Symbols: kettle, ladder

December 8 Joseph: Gen. 37:23-28; 45:3-15 Symbols: bucket, well, silver coins, tunic

December 9 Moses: Ex. 2:1-10 Symbols: baby in basket, river and rushes

December 10 Samuel: 1 Sam. 3:1-18 Symbols: lamp, temple

December 11 Jesse: 1 Sam. 16:1-13 Symbols: crimson robe, shepherd's staff

December 12 David: 1 Sam. 17:12-51 Symbols: slingshot, 6-pointed star

December 13 Solomon: 1 Kings 3:5-14, 16-28 Symbols: scales of justice, temple, two babies and sword

December 14 Joseph: Matt. 1:18-25 Symbols: hammer, saw, chisel, angle

December 15 Mary: Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38 Symbols: lily, crown of stars, pierced heart

December 16 John the Baptist: Mark 1:1-8 Symbols: shell with water, river

On December 17, the Church begins to intensify the preparation for Christmas with the use of the "O" Antiphons during the Liturgy of the Hours. The symbols for the Jesse Tree from December 17 to 23 are based on the "O" Antiphons.

December 17 Jesus is Wisdom: Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus in old Bibles) 24:2; Wisdom 8:1 Symbols:oil lamp, open book

December 18 Jesus is Lord: Ex. 3:2; 20:1 Symbols: burning bush, stone tablets

December 19 Jesus is Flower of Jesse: Isaiah 11:1-3 Symbols: flower, plant with flower

December 20 Jesus is Key of David: Isaiah 22:22 Symbols: key, broken chains

December 21 Jesus is the Radiant Dawn: Psalm 19:6-7 (in older Bibles this will be Psalm 18)Symbols: sun rising or high in sky

December 22 Jesus is King of the Gentiles: Psalm 2:7-8; Ephesians 2:14-20 Symbols: crown, scepter

December 23 Jesus is Emmanuel: Isaiah 7:14; 33:22 Symbols: tablets of stone, chalice and host

December 24 Jesus is Light of the World: John 1:1-14 Symbols: candle, flame, sun

Activity Source: Jesse Tree Kit, A by Betsy Walter, Pauline Books and Media, Boston, MA, 1983

Also:

Day 1: Earth

Day 2: Apple & Snake

Day 3: Ark & Rainbow

Day 4: Camel & Tent

Day 5: Lamb

Day 6: Ladder

Day 7: Colourful Coat

Day 8: 10 Commandments

Day 9: Grapes

Day 10: Wheat

Day 11: Slingshot

Day 12: Scroll/Bible

Day 13: Stump w/ Leaf

Day 14: Lion & Lamb

Day 15: Dove Crown

Day 16: Lamb & Shepherd. Staff

Day 17: Cross Day 

Day 18: Heart 

Day 19: Bethlehem Silhouette

Day 20: Fiery Furnace

Day 21: Brick Wall

Day 22: Star

Day 23: Candle

Day 24: Angel

Day 25: Baby in Manger/Nativity

And the most straightforward by far, thanks to Confessions of a Homeschooler: 

December 1 Genesis 1:1 - 2:4 Creation - Sun The Jesse Tree
December 2 Genesis 2:7-24;3:1-24 The Garden, The Fall Paradise Garden
December 3 Genesis 6:5-22 The Arc A Boat Full of Animals
December 4 Genesis 12:1-3 Abraham Strange Visitors
December 5 Genesis 22:1-14 Isaac A Test of Love
December 6 Genesis 25:1-34 Jacob Stairway to Heaven
December 7 Genesis 37:23-28 Joseph The Dreamer
December 8 Genesis 41 & 45 Pharaoh Famine & Plenty
December 9 Exodus 2:1-10;14:1-31 Moses Let My People Go!
December 10 Ruth 4:1-17 Ruth The Foreigner
December 11 1 Samuel 3:1-18 Samuel “Speak, Lord, For Your Servant is Listening”
December 12 1 Samuel 16:1-13 David The Shepherd King
December 13 1 Samuel 17:12-51 Jesse Dancing
December 14 1 Kings 3:5-28 Solomon The Wisdom of Solomon
December 15 1 Kings 18:19-39 Elijah The Idol & The Still Small Voice
December 16 Daniel 6:2-29 Daniel
December 17 Isaiah 9:1-7, 11:1-5 Isaiah War and Peace
December 18 Luke 1:5-25 Zechariah Dumbstruck!
December 19 Luke 1:26-55,   Matthew 1:18-25 Mary & Joseph Mary
December 20 Mark 1:1-8 John the Baptist Jumping for Joy
December 21 Luke 2:1-5 Journey to Bethlehem The Worst of all Possible Times
December 22 Luke 2:1-15 Birth of Jesus Wonderful News
December 23 Matthew 2:1-12 Magi Visit the Messiah The Cunning and the Wise, Angels
December 24 John 1:1-18 The Brightest Star The Brightest Star

And these were just adorable:
1.  a globe or picture of the Earth
2.  an apple and a snake wrapped around it
3.  an ark with a rainbow
4.  a camel and a tent
5.  a lamb
6.  a ladder
7.  a colorful coat
8.  a tablet with ten numbers
9.  a cluster of grapes
10. a sheaf of wheat
11. a slingshot
12. a scroll or Bible
13. a stump with fresh shoot or green leaf
14. a lion and a lamb
15. a dove and a crown
16. a lamb and a shepherd’s staff
17. a cross
18. a heart with writing on it
19. a Bethlehem town silhouette with star
20. a fiery furnace
21. a brick wall
22. a star
23. a candle or light
24. an angel
25. a baby in a manger or a nativity scene

And another nice Advent calendar idea, writing verses and activities into red and green envelopes or pockets and creating a tree shape.

A bit of a waffle about happiness...

Listening to a TED talk on happiness, I was reminded of my educational thesis (many many years ago) which explored the development of self as linked to the other - Martin Buber  who suggested that we truly exist when we encounter others (the 'Ich - Du' relationship).  "... the modes of consciousness, interaction, and being through which an individual engages with other individuals, inanimate objects, and all reality in general...expressing the interpersonal nature of human existence....Common English words used to describe the Ich‑Du relationship include encounter, meeting, dialogue, mutuality, and exchange." (Wikipedia)

So as Nancy Etcoff talks about our innate desire for and pursuit of happiness, I found myself thinking about the PSHE syllabus, for which I am responsible at school. And of how, though we encourage giving and generosity and sharing, there are few educational objectives for this. Most of the syllabus is on improving oneself.

Of course, there are myriads of anthropological studies out there on the different ways in which societies function. But, perhaps, happiness really just boils down to one thing: interacting successfully with others, putting others' needs first, being generous and being loving.

Jesus, anyone?

A September Bride

This was another fun read in the Year of Weddings novella series.
Annie Price has recently moved to Red Leaf to take up a job she loves: manager of a second hand bookshop, whose elderly owner, Lorna Kent, she had met online. Unfortunately, barely days into her new job, the police officer who pulls her over for for a fault on her car turns out to be Lorna's son Jesse, who is very suspicious of Annie.

The scene is set for romance, and Kathryn Springer does not disappoint. Neat characterisation and descriptive settings make the reader smile as attraction between Annie and Jesse deepens. Then the local historical society, with which Annie is involved, decides to reenact the wedding of a couple who were instrumental in founding Red Leaf. A relative lends the original wedding dress for the event, and Annie is the only one who can fit into it. Meanwhile, Jesse is then inveigled into taking the part of the groom...

A light bit of escapism in a sweet series: probably one of the best so far. I really enjoyed Springer's writing style and will look for more by this author.

I received this book at no charge from www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

An August Bride by Debra Clopton

Review no 2. I read An August Bride in August, some light relief in the middle of hectic preparations for our own lovely August Wedding.

Right in the opening of the book Kelsey Wilcox, who has escaped a jilting fiance and her ranching background, is rescued from drowning by Brent Corbin. The sparks of attraction fly between them, but the path of love is not at all smooth.

Kelsey has made a new life for herself, surviving the disappointment of losing her cowboy fiance when he jilted her at the altar AND her father's loss of the family ranch when lack of finances made it impossible to continue.

She has vowed never to have anything to do with cowboys again, having built up her own bakery and cafe business on the beach, but Brent farms a cattle ranch nearby and she finds herself going out there to visit.

As the love story unfolds, with the help of Kelsey's aunt and her two friends who are known as the Matchmakin' Posse of Mule Hollow, we walk with Kelsey as she is faced with her own bitterness. She realises that her dislike of weddings and prejudice against cowboys stem from her own sense of betrayal but that she CAN dare to trust again.  And haven't most women felt like this at some time or another? Walking Kelsey's journey with her, as she gets to know a man who loves and respects her, encourages women with the hope of finding love again.

This was an easy-read little romance, which I read through the Booklook Bloggers program, which provides review copies free of charge.

A July Bride: book review

When I signed up for The Year of Weddings novella series, I hadn't quite appreciated that the year would run away with me, despite Booklook Bloggers providing me with free copies at regular monthly intervals.  I'm enjoying the series and am grateful to them for this lovely, light reading. So, here I am, at the end of October, catching up on book reviews.

A July Bride by Beth Wiseman opens with a wedding and finishes with a wedding. Same bride, different bridegrooms. It is a sweet story of Alyssa, jilted AT THE ALTAR by her high school sweetheart, Brendan. Of course, he regrets it straight away but it is too late: Alyssa, understandably, doesn't want any more to do with him.
On to the scene steps the handsome, well-off Dalton, a nice guy who also happens to be a friend of Alyssa's brother Alex.
Everyone lives, happily and not so happily, in the same small town.

Beth Wiseman weaves an interesting story. Dalton has recently broken up with his girlfriend and, while he wants to date Alyssa, is under no illusions that she will get over Brendan quickly. He's ready to be patient. Brendan, meanwhile, is doing everything he can to get Alyssa back. But she just can't trust him any more...

As Brendan and Alyssa untangle their feelings, dodge their way clumsily through misunderstandings and try to get on with their lives, Alyssa and Dalton get engaged.

There are some charming insights woven into the story. Alyssa tells Brendan: "You don't hurt the people you love," Brendan replies: "Of course you do. When the love is real and deep, you have the capacity to hurt someone more than you ever thought. People who love that deeply hurt each other, even though they don't mean to."

"You can forgive," says Alyssa's friend Sherry, "or you can let the hurt wrap around you until it sucks the life out of you."

Not just a little light reading. Wise advice for marriage, for relationships, for life. A light read: we guess the ending, but it still comes as a slight surprise. And on the way, some personal reflection, too. What's not to love about A July Bride?

The God of Second Chances

The weekend has been perfect for some gentle surfing. The sea is seasonably warm, the sunshine unseasonably strong and constant and the waves clean and gentle: just enough for a little run in towards the beach on a longboard or bodyboard.

It has felt good: the sun on my face, the salt water silky on my skin, turquoise depths rolling gently around my body.

I catch the first wave, leaping up as it approaches just in time. The wave rushes me into shore as I shift my balance to make the most of the water's energy.

The wave spits me onto the sand. Like Jonah, I tumble breathless onto the shore, scrambling to my feet. Like Jonah, I head back again to ride the waves a second time. He heads off to Nineveh, carrying God's message, obedient at last. I head back towards the waves, missing the first good one as I am too far in to shore; then there is another: I still miss it. And another, which I catch.

There is always another wave. There is always another chance. Just like God's grace: always, always another chance when we turn back, head out to sea again, looking for opportunities to be obedient. I think of all those in the Bible who had a second chance, who God did not write off: Moses, murderer, coward; David, adulterer; Peter, deserter...

The wave carries me in again. It is like God's love carrying me: the wave urges me forwards, bringing me to the safety of the sand beneath my feet in shallow water. The tide, just off its peak height, is surging out, but I am safe. It will not sweep me out to sea. Our tides here are vast, the range reaching ten metres on the full moon, among the largest in the world.

The sweep of life is vast: joy and sorrow, gain and loss, life and death...God's grace carries us through. We are not overwhelmed.

I go back out, again and again. I  catch a wave, again and again. Sometimes I miss the chance; sometimes what looks promising, is not; sometimes what looks unpromising, is, carrying me further and faster than I anticipate.

I have more than a second chance. I have many. I just need to keep my eyes open, my heart ready and my ears listening for the roar of the surf.

Postscript: I shared this, and then some more - see below:

Second chances

I've been thinking of second chances recently. Jonah: given a second chance to obey God.  Jacob: reconciled with Esau, after tricking Esau out of his inheritance (Genesis 32 - 34). Jacob sent Esau gifts before their meetings, afraid Esau would destroy his family, but was given a second chance at a relationship. Moses: a murderer and an exile whose countrymen turned against him, given a chance as leader. Samson - got revenge on the Philistines, given another chance to defeat the enemies of Israel. Naomi - given another chance, through Ruth, to be a grandmother. Peter - given another chance to be restored in his relationship with Jesus.

Given another chance. Over and over again.

Notice what happened in these lives before God gave them their second chance:

Jonah “I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble,
and he answered me.
I called to you from the land of the dead,
and Lord, you heard me!
You threw me into the ocean depths,
and I sank down to the heart of the sea.
The mighty waters engulfed me;
I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves.
Then I said, ‘O Lord, you have driven me from your presence.
Yet I will look once more toward your holy Temple.’

“I sank beneath the waves,
and the waters closed over me.
Seaweed wrapped itself around my head.
I sank down to the very roots of the mountains.
I was imprisoned in the earth,
whose gates lock shut forever.
But you, O Lord my God,
snatched me from the jaws of death!
As my life was slipping away,
I remembered the Lord.
And my earnest prayer went out to you
in your holy Temple.
Those who worship false gods
turn their backs on all God’s mercies.
But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise,
and I will fulfill all my vows.
For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.”

Then God saved Jonah from PHYSICAL death when he 'ordered the fish to spit Jonah up onto dry land.'

Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.”  (Jonah 3:1 - 2)

And Jonah did. God gave him a second chance.

Moses, too. In more than one way. A murderer, he had fled from Egypt, fearing for his life, but God took him back there again. The fugitive had become a leader who would confront the very man who had power over life and death.  Not only that, even when carrying the stone tablets, "the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets", he lost his temper so badly that he threw the work of God on the ground. The tablets broke. Nevertheless, after the Israelites suffered various punishments and consequences, God gave Moses and the people a second chance. God gave the rules all over again.  "...he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin." Then Moses, at God's direction, wrote down God's commandments. (Genesis 34:1, 28)

God gave Moses - and the people - a second chance. He gives us second chances, too.

These people experienced: all hope gone - desolation; desperation; restoration.

So what do we do, when we regret something we have done, or something we should have done, but didn't?

It's never too late. We have a God who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, loving, forgiving...

We can, like Jonah:

Remember that we have a loving and gracious God and cry out to him, as needily and humbly as small children.

Ask God, like Jacob did, to save us from the consequences of our actions, doing our best to put things right.

Be obedient, as Moses was, listening to God and doing what God tells us to, not knowing where this will take us.

With God, it's never too late. God says in the book of Joel: "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm —
my great army that I sent among you.
You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has worked wonders for you;"