Just Friday night ...

We didn't have an OVERNIGHT Friday night, we just had Friday night! We enjoyed a taco meal right here at the Beach House and ate until we were very full. We had ice cream cones for dessert too.

Our Bible story this week was Esau and Jacob, or Jacob and Esau--those rather confusing twins we meet in Genesis! I wasn't sure I liked either of these fellows, but the story is there for a reason and God is much wiser than we are!

The children painted along as I tried to tell the story as best as I could. We talked about Esau being the firstborn and what that meant, and how the Bible tells us (in other passages) that Esau despised his birthright and gave it away to Jacob (couldn't Jacob have just given his brother that bowl of lintel stew without making him pay for it?!). We learned that Isaac (the dad) favored Esau but mother Rebecca's favorite was Jacob.

We talked about Rebecca and her lack of faith that God would bring about what He had told her when the twins were fighting in her womb. We have been studying the whole issue of FAITH and what a journey of faith looks like. How gracious God is! He rewards those who seek Him and He increases our faith if we ask Him.

The children did a really nice job on their paintings, don't you think? We followed the story of Jacob and Esau all the way to where their dad, Isaac, was deceived into giving THE BLESSING to Jacob instead of Esau and how bitterly Esau wept over missing out on that blessing ...

We learned that Esau married two Egyptian girls and that this was a source of grief to his parents. Why? Probably because these girls worshipped other gods, not the True and Living God. What would that mean for Esau's future children? They would not have a mom who would teach them about God's ways … so sad.

Jacob did receive THE BLESSING, but as a result Esau was so angry he made it known that he would murder Jacob once Isaac was no longer alive. Rebecca, not wanting Jacob to marry one of the local pagan girls, sent Jacob away to her home country to find a wife from her family. Rebecca never saw Jacob again. We talked together about sometimes the choices we make can never be changed and that sad things happen as a result, and we asked God to help us to seek Him and His ways, and to give us "eyes of faith."