Finding Jesus + Giveaway

 

Title: Finding Jesus: A Fun and Meaningful Countdown to Christmas

Author: Lillian Richey

Illustrator: Lauren Cox

Publisher: Finding Jesus, LLC

Genre: Christian, children

Source: Front Gate Media

My Review:

I wish Finding Jesus existed when my children were little. We love to celebrate the Christmas season with an Advent calendar, picture books, and a Jesse tree where we had ornaments that represented each scripture that was in the Jesse Tree book. For a few years we even did Elf on the Shelf.  I would have much rather my children found Jesus than Elf on the Shelf 😂!

12 Days of Christmas

Last week we learned the true meaning (or so the legend goes) of the 12 days of Christmas...which just so happens to be my kids favorite Christmas song...the Chipmunk version :)

Anyway...this is what we learned last week, apparently for several hundred years it was against the law in England to be a member of the Catholic church...so some concerned parents got together and created the "Christmas code", so the code was to teach the children about the things of God...so here is what the phrases mean:
"My true love" represents God, who gives all the gifts listed in the song.
"A partridge in a pear tree" is Jesus, who gave His life on a tree (the cross).
"Two turtle doves" symbolize the Old and New Testaments.
"Three French hens" are faith, hope, and love.
"Four calling birds" speak of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
"Five golden rings" correspond to the first five books of the bible, also-known as the Pentateuch.
"Six geese a-laying" stand for the six days of creation.
"Seven swans a swimming" are the seven gifts of the Spirit (Romans 12:6-8).
"Eight maids a-milking" point to the eight beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10).
"Nine ladies dancing" signify the nine fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
"Ten lords a-leaping" represent the Ten Commandments.
"Eleven pipers piping" are the eleven faithful disciples.
"Twelve drummers drumming" call to mind the twelve points of the Apostle's Creed."
Taken from the book The Adventure of Christmas by Lisa Whelchel.

Today in Geography, with our Christmas Around the World unit we were studying Australia...did you know they have their own version of the 12 Days of Christmas...let me share it with you!! Hopefully it will tickle you as much as it did Kayla and Elijah!

On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
A kookaburra in a gum tree.
On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Two snakes on skis, and a kookaburra in a gum tree
Three wet galahs....
Four lyrebirds...
Five kangaroos...
Six sharks a-surfing...
Seven emus laying...
Eight dingos dancing...
Nine crocs a-snoozing...
Ten wombats washing...
Eleven lizards leaping...
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Twelve possums playing, Eleven lizards leaping,
Ten wombats washing, nine crocs a-snoozing,
Eight dingos dancing, seven emus laying,
six sharks a-surfing, five kangaroos,
four lyrebirds, three wet galahs,
two snakes on skis and a kookaburra in a gum tree!

Christmas Around the World

I think I've said this before, but I will say it again. This year we are doing a lot to learn about Christmas, not just from the Bible and other books on Christmas, but in Geography we are doing a unit on "Christmas Around the World." For the past 2 weeks (and again this upcoming week) we have been studying different countries and their holiday traditions, as well as learning more about our traditions. It has been very interesting and we have made several pieces of artwork that reflect what we are learning.

I found it very fitting that this morning at IBC Church they did "Christmas Around the World" with singing and scripture readings in different languages (I am not going to list them in case I say something wrong), but it was VERY good for the kids to see. They loved seeing all the flags around the sanctuary and knowing that they have learned something about that country and then seeing and hearing people sing and speak in other languages!! What an amazing experience!

One of the projects we did this week was from Italy. Did you know that the nativity scene. one of the most beloved and enduring symbols of the holiday season originated in Italy? St. Francis of Assisi asked a man named Giovanni Vellita of the village of Greccio to create a manger scene.

Here are the kids attempts to do the nativity scenes, they mixed all the colors in their own pictures, the only thing they had help with was the cutting out of the black pieces and the star for their pictures.

 

 

 

"So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in a manger." Luke 2:16

We did learn some other things and do more artwork this week, but I have not had the time to transfer the pictures to the computer yet. I might do another post later...we'll see...you'll just have to check back later ;)

The Star

On Thursday we learned about the meaning behind the star. This one is pretty easy and most people would be able to figure out the star. I asked the kids why they think we put a star on the top of our Christmas tree. Kayla immediately told about the star in the sky and guiding the Magi. Then, she proceeded to tell me that we don't have a star on the top of our tree, we have an angel...and why we have an angel (the angel came to Mary)...WOW! Thanks Kayla for keeping me in line...

Here are some pictures of us making a star as we apply what we've learned:

 

Then we had a little more fun...we made stars and decorated them with glitter!

When we had finished school for the day, the kids decided to go back and do more glitter...we went through 2 bottles of glue...but the kids had an amazing time!

"Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." Matthew 2:2



Candy Canes

Did you know the first candy canes were used as a pacifier for a baby?

Seriously!!

This is one of the things we learned on Wednesday while learning about some of the symbols that represent Christmas.

It just so happens that I also had coloring books on The Legend of the Candy Cane, left over from something I had bought for my Mops Moms for Christmas several years ago :)

"Look at the candy cane-what do you see?

Stripes that are red like the blood shed for me.

White is for my Savior who's sinless and pure!

"J" is for Jesus, my Lord, that's for sure!

Turn it around and a staff you will see-

Jesus, my shepherd, was born for me!"- Author Unknown

Do you know what you are putting on your tree? And the meaning behind it?

Remember when you are putting the candy canes on your tree, the story behind it and the invitation to "taste and see that the Lord is good." Psalm 34:8