Thursday, November 19, 2015

Countdown to Christmas; 24 Days of The Jesse Tree Tradition

~ I received no compensation and opinions are 100% my own or my family. 




Synopsis (from Amazon): During the weeks before Christmas, Christian families prepare to remember the birth of Jesus. As they do, family traditions fall into place, and children get very excited about the celebration to come. Countdown to Christmas: 24 Days of the Jesse Tree Tradition allows your family to take time to know the people in the Bible and to see their connection to Jesus. To begin the tradition, set up a small 2' - 3' high tree in your home and read one story every night in the days before Christmas. After each story, hang an ornament to remember the biblical figures, starting with Adam and Eve and ending with Jesus. Night by night, children learn that Jesus had a family just like they do. This beautifully illustrated book will help you establish a cherished holiday tradition with your own family. Countdown to Christmas: 24 Days of the Jesse Tree Tradition includes a complete set of Jesse Tree ornaments on heavy card stock paper. Each ornament features a color illustration to match individual stories in the book. Punch out the corresponding ornament after you read each story, add a ribbon or string, and hang it on a small Christmas tree.


One (or more) Sentence Summary: What a beautiful book.  Most of have Christmas traditions.  Several of mine were pasted down from many generations and others my husband and I have created for our kids.  We love them all.  I am so excited to add a new one this year.  Countdown to Christmas, 24 Days of The Jesse Tree Tradition is a book that will guide us through the new traditions.  

The book allows your family to take time to know the people in the Bible and to see their connection to Jesus.  Set up a small tree, 2 - 3 feet tall.  Before reading each story, sing "O Come, O Come Emmanuel."  Read one story every night, starting on December 1st.  After each story, hang an ornament to remember the biblical figures in the story.  After the last story on December 24th, sing my favorite Christmas song, "Silent Night."


Start a new tradition with your family with Countdown to Christmas, 24 Days of The Jesse Tree Tradition.

Yes - the author of Countdown to Christmas 24 Days of The Jesse Tree Tradition is 10 years old.  All I can say is....Amazing.  
Do you remember when you first had the idea to write
Countdown to Christmas,
what inspired you?
I was 10 yrs old and my Dad kept trying to find kids story books for
Bible Stories that we were using for our
Jesse Tree. I started to write the story for us to use. I would re
ad them in the bible and then write the stories
for my Dad to use when we put the ornaments on the tree. One day we
started talking and thought
hey this
should be a book
Do you remember when you first had the idea to write
Countdown to Christmas,
what inspired you?
I was 10 yrs old and my Dad kept trying to find kids story books for
Bible Stories that we were using for our
Jesse Tree. I started to write the story for us to use. I would re
ad them in the bible and then write the stories
for my Dad to use when we put the ornaments on the tree. One day we
started talking and thought
hey this
should be a book

Do you remember when you first had the idea to write
Countdown to Christmas,
what inspired you?
I was 10 yrs old and my Dad kept trying to find kids story books for
Bible Stories that we were using for our
Jesse Tree. I started to write the story for us to use. I would re
ad them in the bible and then write the stories
for my Dad to use when we put the ornaments on the tree. One day we
started talking and thought
hey this
should be a book
Do you remember when you first had the idea to write
Countdown to Christmas,
what inspired you?
I was 10 yrs old and my Dad kept trying to find kids story books for
Bible Stories that we were using for our
Jesse Tree. I started to write the story for us to use. I would re
ad them in the bible and then write the stories
for my Dad to use when we put the ornaments on the tree. One day we
started talking and thought
hey this
should be a book
Do you remember when you first had the idea to write
Countdown to Christmas,
what inspired you?
I was 10 yrs old and my Dad kept trying to find kids story books for
Bible Stories that we were using for our
Jesse Tree. I started to write the story for us to use. I would re
ad them in the bible and then write the stories
for my Dad to use when we put the ornaments on the tree. One day we
started talking and thought
hey this
should be a book

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

The Midwife of Bethlehem

~ I received no compensation and opinions are 100% my own or my family. ~




Synopsis:  Rebecca, the midwife of Bethlehem, is used to having her days and nights interrupted to help deliver babies.  After all, she's nearly delivered all of the children born in the small town for 14 years.  But, on a clear and starry night, when she receives a knock on her door that a women needs help delivering her baby, Rebecca couldn't know that on that special night, she would share in the birth of the King, the Deliverer, the Messiah and that our world would be forever changed.

One (or more) Sentence Summary:  What a beautiful book.  It is one of those books that my family will read year after year.  We all know the story of the birth of Jesus at Bethlehem, but The Midwife of Bethlehem is told from the perspective of Rebecca.  I really like that the Scriptures referred to in the story are listed in the back of the book.  It just pulls it all together for those that are interested in linking the book to the Bible.


Cover:  The cover is beautiful. The illustrations of the entire book are absolutely gorgeous.  So beautiful and help tell the story. Here is another illustration that I really like.



Shad Driggs is a businessman who lives in Naperville, Illinois. He and his wife, Darla, and their six children dedicate many hours in service to their church and community.