December 14th - Loving Father

A beard to represent St. Joseph, Jesus' dad on earth. 

We don't know much about him, but God must have made him very special to trust him to look after His son. 

December 8th - Never Alone

God had a plan for Joseph. He sank to the pits, but God had a plan to bring him up to the heights.

"And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you." (Genesis 45:5 NIV)

We made a dreamcatcher because Joseph was a dreamer, but also because the belief about dreamcatchers is that they protect, just as God protected him. We watched the film of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat - starring Donny Osmond! - and I was touched by the line in one of the songs: "Children of Israel are never alone." That was the message I wanted us to take away from the story of Joseph.

Jesse Tree 2013: 14th December - Joseph the Carpenter

Our activity today involved wooden pegs, as a tribute to the man who brought up Jesus - the carpenter, Joseph. Pegs were the closest I could get to doing a wood based craft, without requiring dangerous tools!

We decorated the wooden pegs with sequins and glitter glue, and stuck magnets on the back to make useful fridge magnets, perfect for holding art work or recipe cards or my calendar. 

Whilst these magnets are decorative , their main role is a supporting one, a bit like Joseph. We know very little about him, but without him the nativity would be very different. He had such an important job. He may not have been Jesus's natural father, but he was His earthly dad, and a good and loving husband. 

Father God, help us to live our lives without worrying about who notices.