by LOGAN WOLFRAM

Years ago when my firstborn was an itty bitty baby, I received an invitation along with more than 2 dozen other moms, to participate in a Jesse’s Tree ornament swap. The gal organizing was going to be in charge of printing off the daily devotionals spanning the season of Advent and each of us was would provide our own notebook to keep the readings together. Each mama was assigned a particular ornament (I got Joseph’s coat) that corresponded with a Scripture reading. Each day’s ornament and Scripture reading would focus on a different piece of the Biblical journey from Creation to the birth of Christ. We each made 28 of the same ornament and sometime in November had a dessert social to collect all of the different ornaments. The memory of that time itself is special to me, but going through the Jesse Tree ornaments and Advent with my children has become something we all look forward to each year. I’d like to say that each night is sweet and that my children never argue over who gets to hang which ornament each evening, but we all know that wouldn’t be true. What is true though is that each evening leading up to Christmas, we set aside all the other distractions and are able to create a visual reminder of the entire story of the Bible and the way it all points to the redeeming and steadfast love of God.