READ Genesis 27-28
And [Jacob] dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:10-22)
REFLECT
What kinds of things do you dream about? Some dreams are usually silly, mixed-up stories, sometimes they’re scary or strange.
Jacob had a pretty strange dream. He dreamed about a ladder that reached from the ground all the way up into the sky, with angels climbing up and down on it. And in his dream, he heard God talking to him. God told Jacob that God was going to give him the land all around him. Jacob’s great-great-grandchildren’s great-great-grandchildren would move far away and would be a blessing to everyone else. God also promised Jacob that God would stay near him wherever he went. What a wonderful promise!
Sometimes, we’re so busy during the day that we don’t notice God. God waited until Jacob had slowed down, gotten quiet, and fallen asleep to talk to him. Nothing distracted Jacob from hearing God’s voice. God’s words were so thrilling that they woke Jacob right up, and he promised to serve God in return.
TALK
PRAY
God, thank you for your promise to Jacob. Will you help me pay attention to you and listen when you have something to tell me and help me to give myself fully to you. Amen.
BLESS & DO
Add the next picture to your tree.
Share with someone else ways that help you get a good nights sleep.
Materials adapted from: https://www.faithward.org/jesse-tree/, http://flamecreativekids.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-jesse-tree-printable-pictures.html
Christmas has arrived! A time when people of all ages, all around the world stop to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
This week, you might like to take the time to read some books, watch some videos, or go to Church to learn more about Jesus. The wonderful thing about Jesus is that he invites everyone to follow him.
Full resources are in the PDF attached, or available in print from Emmanuel Uniting Church
Christmas is getting closer! Everywhere we go we see Christmas. We hear Christmas. We smell Christmas. We might even feel Christmas. What have you been noticing? What brings you joy?
This week, we encourage you to take some time to think about your Christmas traditions. What Christmas traditions have been passed down to you? What new traditions have you started in recent years? Are there any new traditions that you’d like to start this year? As you feel surrounded by Christmas, we pray that you may experience joy – not just moments of joy but a long-lasting joy.
Full resources are in the PDF attached, or available in print from Emmanuel Uniting Church
There are so many wonderful activities and events that people can participate in during the Christmas season – light shows, parades, concerts, carols, face painting, dinners, and MORE. It’s easy to get caught up in doing things, that we sometimes forget to take care of ourselves, OR love others.
This week we encourage you to LOVE all that Christmas offers and think about how you can actively LOVE yourself and others, during this time.
Full resources are in the PDF attached, or available in print from Emmanuel Uniting Church