Jesse Tree and Family Devotions

On December 1st, we started our Jesse Tree devotional book. We had put the tree up, and taken the ornaments and book out the day after Thanksgiving and Sage kept asking if she could put the ornaments up. She was so excited. Since this is something we have done for the past 2 years, it's been really exciting to see how Sage has grown. (And we've only done the first 3 days.) This year, she is able to understand the children's devotional and can even answer all the questions so far. I'm am so excited to see how much she learns this Christmas season.

Along the same lines, I've been convicted through my study of "A Mom's After God's Own Heart," to be more consistent in my teaching to the girls. We used to read a Bible story with Sage every night before she went to bed. Most nights she was tired, fussy and didn't get much out of it. So, I decided to move her devotional time to the morning during breakfast. (Molly's in her high chair so she gets to be part of it too.) We've been doing this for about a month now and I've seen a big change in Sage. It's so neat to see her thank God in her prayers for the things we have been learning about. After we are done doing our Jesse Tree devotions in the evening, I might try to move it to dinner time so Tom can be part of it more often. We'll have to try it and see how it goes.

I've also been challenged to talk more about God in our daily life and the routine things we do each day. Deut. 6: 4-9 says, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates."

Believe it or not, Sage has noticed this change in me. This morning during our devotional time at breakfast, she said, "Mommy, you talk about God during the day so that's why I do." Yea!! I'm totally amazed that number one, she noticed me doing this more and number two, she actually commented on it! Never underestimate what a 4 year can understand.