Jesse Tree Day 15 - Jonah

Christmas is done but our Jesse Tree is not, so we keep plugging away at it. Thankfully God's word knows no season! Tonight was the story of Jonah. Oh Jonah, you can run but you can't hide. Jonah was to go to Nineveh and tell the people to repent or God would be destroying them. Did Jonah listen? NO. To get his attention God made him miserable with a strong storm at sea, thrown over the side of the ship by his ship mates, and then being swallowed by a large fish. Jonah did come to his senses and go to Nineveh to get the people to repent where God showed his greatness with mercy and forgiveness.

We chose to make fish to remind us to listen to God when he talks to us or he will keep nudging us in the right direction, usually by making us miserable. Not by being swallowed in to the stomach of a fish, but in other, individual ways that let us know He is calling us to act. We also want to remember that God wants to forgive sinners and have them change their ways instead of punishing them.

Making the fish was a lot of fun. First, cut a fish shape out of a piece of tag board. We used mosaic papers cut in half to make the scales. Spark glued his on in rows and Dancer made groups of color coordinated papers and glued them on in groups of four. Trim the sides of the fish so that no scales are sticking out over the edge and it is sleek for swimming through the water. Draw on the fins, tail, and a face. Spark drew glasses on his and three rows of teeth. Dancers is a happy fish complete with an eye lash. Dancer's fish, on top, is Groovy Guppy and Spark's, on the bottom, is Funky Fish. These are quite large but the fish that swallowed Jonah was a really big one!