Bringing Peace to our Home - December Plans

I have decided for the month of December our family will be changing our "normal" holiday routine.  We will continue to spread cheer by donating, baking, praying, visiting, giving back and of course our Christmas Pageant at church, however, our home will be much different than in December's past. 

This year, I have decided that we will be ONLY be studying the lineage of Jesus. Using our Jesse tree and Ann Voskamp's newest gift to us all. 

I will admit, I have not read Ann's other books, mostly for a lack of commitment on my part. However, I had the pleasure of listening to Ann speak and having a moment with her in an elevator at a conference. Just her and I praying together - it was a beautiful moment between two moms, daughters in Christ, women who believed. 

The Tree of Jesse is a depiction in art of the ancestors of Christ, shown in a tree which rises from Jesse of Bethlehem, the father of king David and is the original use of the family tree as a schematic representation of a genealogy. It originates in a passage in the biblical Book of Isaiah which describes metaphorically the descent of the Messiah, and is accepted by Christians as referring to Jesus.

Unwrapping The Greatest Gift - A Family Celebration of Christmas

($ 15.59 on Amazon today!  - Hardcover - HUGE book!)

Have you heard of it?  It's more than a book...its a work of art. IF YOU ONLY bought the book for the pictures, you would not be disappointed...however, the meaning behind it is much more than that.  Not only is the book a daily devotion and celebration of Christmas, but Ann has a plethora of free downloads on her site that follow the book...ornaments, sticky notes, scavenger hunts and much more. All following the book!  Activity suggestions...passage readings...ideas...oh I could go on and on.  

WE NEED THIS - our home has been plagued with sibling fighting, yelling and idol worshiping.  We need to recapture the true meaning of the season. Come together and pray as a family. On our knees.  In discipline. 

WE NEED THIS - our home needs to simmer down...get real....come back to the basics. Does it get more basic that Jesus my friends?  No it doesn't.  

We will be putting aside our "normal" school routine and rejoicing in the season.  Eating up the bible as well as the baked goods.  We will be Unwrapping The Greatest Gifts in our home. 

I can't tell you how excited I am to start this on December 1st.

Will you pray for us during this time? 

Pray that we, as a family, come back to the basics...be renewed...understand that there are things bigger than US.     

How about you and your family?  What do you do in our home to bring Jesus into the forefront of the season? I would love to hear from you. 

I encourage you to spend the $ 16 on this book (sale at Amazon - find a blogger who has an affiliate link to Amazon and use it - it helps them!) you will be happy you did. It is a book that can be used over and over each year. Make it a new tradition in your home.  


These are my own thoughts on this book. I was not paid or compensated. I bought the book with my own money and was not asked to write this blog post. I just believe in it!  This post may contain affiliate or sponsor links. You can see our full disclosure policy at the bottom of this blog page.

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