Busy as a Bee

July has been filled with weeding, and sowing, harvesting, and canning, and little else. The days are long and the nights are short, and there never seem to be enough hours in the day.

One long day of canning I noticed the temperature was steadily climbing in the house. I called my wonderful neighbor who happens to have a wonderful husband whom installed our air conditioning. The capacitor had blown. It would be morning until it could be fixed. (Yes, I do know how short a time that is! I'm blessed by these people!) That night I thought back to summers years ago when we didn't have central air, but a few room air conditioners. In the heat of the day I would get my children settled playing, and sneak off to the boys' room where I would crawl into one of their twin beds and blissfully sleep while the air blew over me. Thankfully, those days are past.

*Disclosure- CSN asked me if I'd like to review a product for them in exchange for linking back to their company. They're offering me a gift card to use toward the purchase of anything I'd like. I couldn't pass that offer up!

Four Years Apart

When she was born he would hold her hand for hours. He sang to her and brought her Matchbox cars to hold, but never would I have thought that these two would be as close as they are. Yes, they do fight. Daily. But if one of them is gone for a day or an overnight, the other is lost until they return. May it always be so.

Daffodil Yellow

I think that perhaps God gave us daffodils to cheer us on these cold, wet spring days. Sunshine for my heart!

I am Glad

The days are growing longer; the skies, more blue. The sun is shining its warmth through the windows and onto my skin. I'm breathing deeply, and I feel Him walking beside me throughout the hours. He upholds. He sustains. He is, and I am glad.

Frosty Morning

I bolted out of bed as I heard the phone ringing early in the morning. None of us has been feeling well all week, and we hadn't set any alarms hoping for a chance to sleep in. Was it Mac? He's called early before when he hasn't been feeling well.

But it wasn't Mac. As I answered the phone, I heard the voice of my mother in law on the other end, and I knew. She doesn't call early. Especially on a Sunday. My heart sank as I listened to her talk, and I as heard my husband moving in the bed and whisper, " Is everything okay?"

My husband's 95 year old grandfather had passed away in the night. The tile floor was cold under my feet as I stood listening to the details of the last week of his life. He hadn't been opening his eyes, and only sat up for brief periods for a few bites of food here and there.

And now he was gone from this life. Cold, like the morning.

Grandpa would have enjoyed the early morning scene of frost covering the grass, the world looking as if sugar had been spilled out everywhere. He loved to be outside working in his flowers, taking in the beauty.

With the frost comes death. Flowers disappear. Trees become sparse. Winter is on its way.

Early in the morning, after receiving the phone call and wandering around outside, I was reminded by Him that death isn't always ugly. Death can be beautiful.

Work

Free men freely work:

Whoever fears God, fears to sit at ease.

-Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Grace

As a result, we are freed from the trap of beginning with grace and finishing by works. Too many of us are tempted to believe that, while God has saved us and may be pleased with us, he would be even happier if we were missionaries or pastors, if we could do some extraordinary service for him. Then, we mistakenly believe, then God would be satisfied with us. But this perspective fails to understand two important truths. First, we are still, at best, sinners saved by grace. We confess that our best works, which proceed from God's Spirit, "are defiled, and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection, that they cannot endure the severity of God's judgement" (WCF 16.5). Second, God is not satisfied with us because of what we have done or can do. In fact, we can't do anything that would satisfy God. We believe that "we cannot by our best works merit pardon of sin, or eternal life at the hand of God" (WCF 16.5). Rather, God is satisfied with us only because he sees the perfect work of his Son. Because our persons are "accepted through Christ, their good works are also accepted in him; not as though they were in this life wholly unblamable and unreprovable in God's sight; but that he, looking upon them in his Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere, although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections" (WCF 16.6). Even as Christians, our best works are accepted only by virtue of our union with Christ; God continually looks at us in his Son and thereby accepts our works as flawed as they are. We begin by grace and we continue by grace.

--Sean Michael Lucas, On Being Presbyterian

WCF= Westminster Confession of Faith

Be Still

I wake early to the sound of my husband crawling out of bed for his early morning run. It is too early for me, and so I turn to face the window, snuggle deep under the covers and return to sleep. Quickly though, I breathe a prayer of thanks for this wonderful man of mine, for his safety, and I'm gone.

When I do wake, my mind runs over a mental list of things to be accomplished this day. So many- and yet, there never seem to be enough hours to get it all done. Today I must work with Collin in his chemistry book. And geometry. Yes, we'll sit at the table, and go over his lessons. I want to make another batch of soap. And barbecue sauce. The ingredients have been sitting on the counter for over a week. There are loads of laundry, and the floors need swept.

I jump on Facebook to catch a glimpse of Mac, only he isn't there. But God is. I drink in the Scripture verses that several friends have posted for the day. I read slowly, gathering nourishment for the day ahead.

I throw in a load of laundry, and start cutting onions. Eleven of them. I press 22 cloves of garlic. I measure, and I stir, and I pray. Will I accomplish all that I need to?

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10

I get the lye water mixed for the soap. I measure the oils. I prepare the mold, and I pray. So far, so good. I really need to work with Collin.

Be still before the LORD, all mankind, because he has roused himself

from his holy dwelling. Zechariah 2:13

I clean up the kitchen, and talk to my sweet husband on the phone. I realize there are errands that need to be run, and I pray. My list never seems to end. Why can't I accomplish all that I need to?

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Psalm 37:7

I start to sweep the floors, and the phone rings. It is Autumn, and I sit to chat with her. It is good to hear her voice though we saw each other just last night. I realize, this is how my heavenly Father feels about me. No matter how often I come to Him, he enjoys hearing my voice.

Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. Psalm 4:4

I ask Collin and Abigail to get ready to go to town. There are groceries to buy, letters to mail, and gas tanks to be filled. And I pray all the way there. Lord, give me the strength to get everything done. I'm going to miss Mac though he wanted to video chat today. Give me peace.

The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.

Exodus 14:14

My phone rings in the store, and it's Mac. Of course he understands that I had errands. We talk through several aisles, and I find myself smiling. And we agree to talk later in the evening.

And I pray on the way home. Thank you, Lord, for working out the details. Thank you for caring about every little thing. You are marvelous, and I love you! I realize I may not get everything done on my mental list, and it's okay. God doesn't love me any more or less because of what I do or don't do. He loves me because I am His, and that's enough.

And when I returned home I found a sweet email from a dear sister in Christ with all of the above Scripture verses, reminding me of God's love once again.

Photos by Collin

So True...

A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it.

-- George Moore

Disappointments

Grandma says "It's good to get your disappointments in while you're young."

I'm not sure what that means, but it has been a disappointing season.

First, we set a limit on what we wanted to spend for Christmas. It was difficult to stick to, but times are tough. The problem was that Mac wanted a guitar pedal. No problem there, really. He bookmarked the page where I could find it. And I called the company on December 11 to see if it would get here in time for Christmas. They assured me it wouldn't be a problem. So, I ordered.

December 23rd arrived, and I hadn't even received an email that the pedal had shipped. Mac was such a good sport about the whole thing. He opened up a $10 power supply cord. Whoopee! He kept reminding me that Christmas is about Jesus' birthday, and while I truly know that, still it was difficult not having him be included in gift opening.

I was surprised with an iPod, and so he spent the entire afternoon loading songs onto it. He had a great time, really. It was me that was disappointed more than him. By the way... the pedal still hasn't arrived.

Jon went to the bank about the house, and found that they won't be able to get it after all. Autumn is taking it all in stride, and I'm so proud of her, but I feel so disappointed for Jon. I've watched my husband long to give me things that we can't afford, and I know that it breaks his heart. And you know, I don't need anything fancy or expensive. What I need is his love, but I do understand that God made men to want to... , No. To need to provide for their families.

Tomorrow starts a new year. Fresh beginnings. I think we could all use one.

Christmas Past, Christmas Present, Christmas Future

There's a party in progress at my house as I write. Mac and Autumn's 3rd Annual Christmas Bash. They even had an ice cream cake that said just that. And shrimp cocktail, cheese ball and crackers, pepperoni, nachos and salsa. And cookies.

Games have been played, laughter has been heard. A living room full of teens gathered in my home for an innocent night of fun.

I've been in the kitchen all day, baking. Baking Ladylocks. And making peanut brittle, chocolate covered peanuts, and peppermint bark. I've been trying desperately to capture a bit of what Christmas past has been. Trying to stir up memories from my children's Christmases gone by.

Wasn't it just last year that they had their pudgy little hands grabbing Chex mix from the counter? I'm sure that they had to stand on their tippy toes to reach the cake pan. And now? Autumn will be in her own home next Christmas; decorating her own tree, and creating new traditions for her own little family. And Mac will be home on Christmas break.

This is the first year ever, in my 19 years of marriage, that I haven't baked dozens of various kinds of cookies. I picked a select few, and kept it simple. Simple gifts, simple foods. It leaves more time for cherishing. Cherishing. Time is slipping by, and I need to savor every moment.

Changing Seasons

Autumn turns to winter. Winter turns to spring. And on and on. So it is with life.

Wednesday afternoon, I felt like a guest in my own kitchen as I watched Autumn bake rolls and pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving. She cut up celery and onion for her stuffing and cleaned up the kitchen. I did prepare supper that night, but it wasn't the same.


Thanksgiving morning, she set to work preparing her stuffing, and getting the turkey in the oven. I still had a hand in the meal as I made mashed potatoes, gravy, pear salad, another stuffing recipe, and Merry Berry Cheese Bars. But it wasn't the same.

Autumn asked if she could do the rolls, pies, stuffing, and turkey because next year she'll be a married woman. I was happy to allow her this time of practice, and she did a wonderful job. But, it's hitting me hard. This time next year, she'll be a married woman.


She'll no longer be here to help me if I need her. She'll no longer be singing in the kitchen as she works. I'll no longer hear Yo- Yo Ma on the CD player as she does dishes. I'll no longer go to her door in the morning and sit on the edge of her bed talking and laughing as Daisy kisses her face to wake her.


And then, there's Mac. He worked with me in the kitchen yesterday morning as I prepared the second stuffing recipe. He cracked jokes while I worked, and stirred the celery and onion as it cooked on the stove. He thanked me for being a good cook because, "I'm sure that millions of people are eating Stove Top stuffing all across America today." He helped me with the dishes, and whistled and sang the entire time. And then, he got his guitar and sat in the kitchen chair while I wiped the table and such.

This morning as I perused a few blogs, he sat beside and asked, "Do you have a Blissfully Domestic button on your sidebar?"

"No. I'm not blissfully domestic."

"Mom! Yes you are!"

"Oh, I guess I am!"

"I'll take your picture pouring orange marmalade into jars, and we'll make you a button!"

"Um...no thanks."

"C'mon, Mom. It'll be fun!"


He graduates this year and will head off to college in the fall. Sure, he'll be back for Thanksgiving. I'm fairly certain he won't miss a home-cooked holiday meal. He may even be back on random weekends, as I don't think he'll be more than 3 hours from home, but it's the everyday banter that I'll miss. Mac is quick-witted, and he and I have personalities that do very well together. Admittedly, I'm tough on him, but he knows it's because I'm spurring him to be the best he can be. He's funny, and charming, and helpful.

I did well yesterday. Until late in the evening. I looked around the living room, and my emotions took over. As Jon left, I hugged him and told him that I was glad he was here with us. And I meant it with all of my heart. I like counting us as a family of 8 rather than 7. And then he left, and I realized that next year, if he's here for Thanksgiving, Autumn will be leaving with him, too. And then Mac will head back to school. And our family of 8 will be a family of 5, and nothing will ever be the same again.

Saying No

I'm not good at it.

I want to help everyone.

I want to be able to do everything.

I'm a people pleaser.

The truth is, I can't be.

I'm burnt out.

I'm finding myself becoming bitter because people expect too much.



Whose fault is that anyway?

Mine.

All. mine.

I've said yes far too many times when I should have said no.



My wise friend Sheri often says, "Just because something is worthwhile doesn't mean we should be doing it."

She's so right. As usual.



But it's not just about saying no to things that are asked of me.

It's also about allowing myself freedom to do what I want to do in terms of my household no matter what others think.

My dad once told me that he doesn't worry about me, because I have it all together.

Those words have stuck with me for years.

It's hard sitting on a pedestal and I want to get down.

Reading Deeply

Still, a knowledge of the truth is the best defense against error, and that is why, just in terms of reading, our study of the Bible is so important. For it is in the Bible that we find God's perspective on life, his rules of the game, his pattern for our development. So if we read anything deeply at all, we must read the Bible deeply.

James W. Sire, How to Read Slowly

Thorns

The clouds parted this morning, and the sun came out. After three days of rain, the laundry has backed up. I'm trying very hard not to use the clothes dryer after receiving an electric bill of $348 last month. Yikes! So, off went the air conditioner and the clothes dryer. I've washed and hung 4 loads of laundry already today.

Between hanging loads of laundry I took advantage of the moist soil and went to work in my little rose garden. The grass was reaching into the mulch, and the weeds were threatening to take over.

My children are often given weeding assignments. I've learned though to give them specific instructions. Have you ever noticed that when child is given the task of weeding that they tend to pull only what they can see leaving the roots deep in the soil? The weeds seem to grow back stronger than ever, and at an alarming rate!


When I went to the rose garden this morning, several thorny weeds were encroaching my rose bushes, and they overshadowed the beauty. It seems that my little darlings have neglected these weeds for far too long. Why? Because they hurt when you pull them. No matter how tiny these weeds are at first notice, they are sure to leave you with a fist full of pain when you reach for them. Even the tiny roots are covered in bristly hairs.


Sometimes, upon first glance what is really a stinging weed can appear to be lovely. It hides its unpleasant qualities behind ostensible beauty.


As I labored, I couldn't help but think of how our lives are like the garden. We can appear to be something, and be totally different inside. We can appear to be beautiful, and good, but we may be totally unapproachable.


Sin creeps in and takes over if we aren't careful. We must weed, and prune constantly. So many times, like children weeding in the garden, we only worry about the surface. What do people see?

What we need to be concerned with is what is buried deep in our hearts, for that is what God sees. Why don't we? Because it hurts. It hurts our pride to admit that we aren't perfect. It hurts to make lasting changes. It isn't easy.

There is good news! We are like the soil, and the rain is like God's word. The rain made it easier for me to pull those thorns in the garden this morning because the soil was damp and ready to be worked in. The weeds were pulled more readily; not just on the surface, but the entire weed, root and all. In the same way, as we hear God's word preached, and as we read it ourselves, it transforms us and works in us. Slowly, we find it easier to change from our old ways.

1"But now hear, O Jacob my servant,
Israel whom I have chosen!
2Thus says the LORD who made you,
who formed you from the womb and will help you:
Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.
4They shall spring up among the grass
like willows by flowing streams.
5 This one will say, 'I am the LORD’s,'
another will call on the name of Jacob,
and another will write on his hand, 'The LORD’s,'
and name himself by the name of Israel."

Isaiah 44:1-5 ESV

True beauty replaces what was once but a show. We become more like Christ.

10"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

12 "For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the LORD,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."

Isaiah 55:10-13 ESV

It isn't easy or an all at once happening, but it's worth it. Have you worked in your garden today?

Homecoming

Saturday ran high with emotion as we picked Mac up from his Governor's Scholar Program. He was thrilled to see us, but overcome with the fact that he had to say good-bye to the new friends that he had made over the past 5 weeks. Not to mention the fact that he was extremely sleep deprived!

He slept for about an hour on the drive home, and was welcomed by his siblings as he entered the house. We enjoyed a leisurely supper, and then I gave the boys haircuts that were long overdue. Mac was in bed by 8:16. He slept all night.

We've enjoyed hearing what he learned, and seeing how he has changed. He's developed new tastes in music and food. Looks like I'm making hummus soon!

As a parent, these five weeks have been a growing experience for me. My baby is growing up. He still needs me, and yet, I need to start allowing him to make decisions knowing that he'll fall on his face once in awhile. I need to step back, and allow him to become the man that God intends.

Saving Money, and Buyer Beware!

Last week I posted a few frugal tips. In keeping with that theme, I thought I'd provide you with a few great links.

Every Monday for the past month or so, I've visited Amy's site, The Mother Load to learn the day's REDBOX code. You know, the red boxes that are popping up at every McDonald's and Wal*Mart? Well, normally, an overnight rental is $1. That's cheap enough, right? By using the code that Amy gives, you can rent for FREE each Monday! We are in town every Monday afternoon, and so we've taken to getting a movie. Verne returns it the next day. The great thing about the REDBOX is that you can return to a different location than where you rented from. Monday evenings have become a free family movie night at our house.

WOW! As I was searching the internet for a picture of the redbox to include in the post, I came across this site. Apparently you can get codes for MOST days of the week! You should still visit Amy as she has loads of great frugal tips. ;0)

Becky posted about how to save loads of money on your electric bill. Check out her post for some great tips such as cooking in a crockpot that sits in your garage or on your deck to keep from heating up your house.

Now for the buyer beware. I'm all for saving money everywhere that I can, but I find that the public is not too informed when it comes to the new energy efficient light bulbs. I AM NOT saying that you shouldn't use them, I'm just saying that we should be well educated before making a choice. My husband and I spent well over $100 replacing all of the light bulbs in our home. That was before I was informed. Now, I wish I hadn't spent that money.

For one thing, we did not see a change in our electric bill. You'd think with replacing all of the bulbs at once, we would have realized at least a small savings. Second, the bulbs have not lasted like the packaging claims they will. We've had them burn out just as quickly as traditional bulbs. And third, and definitely the most important point, is the safety of these bulbs. These bulbs contain mercury. We're told that they are perfectly safe as long as they are disposed of properly, but sometimes, accidents happen and bulbs break.

Special handling upon breakage is currently not printed on the packaging of household CFL bulbs in many countries. It is important to note that the amount of mercury released by one bulb can exceed U.S. federal guidelines for chronic exposure.

I have a friend that was rearranging her bedroom furniture when she accidentally broke the light in the ceiling fan that hung above her bed. She left the room and called the EPA, asking them how to clean the bulb up. Thankfully, she did. She was told to open the window immediately to let fresh air into the room. She was also told to turn off the central heat/air. Any bedding that was under the light was to be discarded, not washed! (Washing mercury contaminated clothing will contaminate the entire washer!) This meant two down comforters had to be trashed. If the broken bulb had landed on the carpet, she was told to pull that up as well. (While the EPA leaves this decision up to the consumer, it is recommended if you have small children/pets that play on the carpet.) Imagine if she had her bedding off and had to replace the entire mattress. She was told not to use a sweeper or a broom, but sticky tape and wet wipes to clean up any broken glass and mercury residue. Last, but not least, she was told that she should have the air quality in their home tested for several months. Money saving? You decide.

Please be aware that I'm not trying to start a debate, but to inform. Our government is promoting these bulbs, but is not doing a good job of informing people of how to handle them if they break. Check out the recommendations of the EPA found here.

Nurture and Admonition

my dad as a wee one with his mother (far right) and extended family

...For one reason or another the family does not count as it used to do. It is not the center and the unit that it was formerly. The whole idea of family life has somehow been declining; and this, alas, is partly true in Christian circles also. The family's central importance that is found in the Bible and in all the great periods to which we have referred seems to have disappeared. It is no longer being given the attention and the prominence that it once received. That makes it all the more important for us to discover the principles that should govern us in this respect.

First and foremost, the bringing up of children "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" is something that is to be done in the home and by the parents. This is the emphasis throughout the Bible. It is not something that is to be handed over to the school, however good the school may be. It is the duty of the parents- their primary and most essential duty. It is their responsibility, and they are not to hand it over to another. I emphasize this because we are all well aware of what has been happening increasingly during this present century. More and more, parents have been transferring their responsibilities and their duties to the schools.

I regard this as a most serious matter. There is no more important influence in the life of a child than the influence of the home. The home is the fundamental unit of society; and children are born into a home, into a family. There you have the circle that is to be the chief influence in their lives. There is no question about that. It is the biblical teaching everywhere, and it is always in so-called civilizations where ideas concerning the home begin to deteriorate that society ultimately disintegrates...



An excerpt by David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) from Life in the Spirit in Marriage, Home & Work: An Exposition of Ephesians 5:18 to 6:19, published by The Banner of Truth Trust, www.banneroftruth.org

Letting Go

He used to stand in the backyard preaching to the birds. He'd spend countless hours sitting on the steps in the living room giving sermons into a tape recorder, with Autumn as his only audience. Every so often, she'd shout an "Amen!". I wondered for years, 'will he be called into the ministry'? Maybe. Maybe not.

He's talked about being a teacher; a professor to be exact. Right now, and for quite some time, he's interested in law. He wants to be the President. Really. He thinks he can make a difference in the world. I believe he can. He can talk to anyone and make them feel comfortable. And he's comfortable, too. He likes people of all ages.

As Mac's mom, I see his strengths, and I see his weaknesses. Yes, there are plenty of those as well. I see that he has the possibility to be a pastor, a teacher, a lawyer, and yes, even President. I believe that the same strengths are needed for any of those occupations.

He'll be seventeen at the end of this month. This afternoon, we put him on a plane. By himself. And he flew across the country. By himself. He had to go through one of the busiest airports in the nation. By himself. When he called me to let me know that he landed and was making his way to his second flight, he sounded proud of himself.

Where did he go? To a conference for young men who may be interested in the ministry. He'll be back on Saturday. I'll be waiting. And praying. And remembering just Whom it is that he belongs to.

Selling our Birthright?

My husband has recently been in contact with a large company that was interested in hiring him. It seems as though his name precedes him in the work field. His name flows from the lips of people who have never met him. He has integrity. He's a team player. He works hard. Everyone knows it.

After many phone conversations with the president of the aforementioned company, she told him that she wanted to fly him to Minnesota for a meeting. Verne agreed. The next day, this female president called and told Verne that the travel arrangements were made. She would pick him up at the airport to take him back to the office.

Verne and I have a policy that we will never be alone with a member of the opposite sex. He proceeded to tell the company president that he would not ride alone with her. He was kind, and explained himself very well. (I was in the room.) He asked if perhaps a man could pick him up, someone else could ride along, or he could just rent a car. She was silent. She didn't understand. Her exact words to Verne were, "Don't think of me as a woman. Think of me as your boss." Verne politely said, "You are still a woman. I don't have a problem working for a woman. I just have a problem putting myself into a situation where we would be alone." The conversation ended with her saying that she would think about how to handle this.

Later that evening, he received an email saying that his plane ticket had been canceled. She regretted to inform him that she canceled the interview, because if he took the job, there would be many times that he would be required to ride with female salespeople as he would be overseeing them.

Instead of being upset, my heart soared when I realized that God had closed the door to this job before the interviewing process went any further, when it might have been a temptation to bend our scruples. Of course, Verne was upset, but I was so proud of him for standing up for what he believed in, even when it was difficult and awkward to do.

The words spoken by this female company president resounded with us for several days. The next morning, Abigail was taking the dog outside to use the potty. Verne walked up the driveway as he returned from his run. He said that as he looked at Abigail standing there, her skirt gently blowing in the breeze, he hoped and prayed that his daughters never said to anyone,
"Don't think of me as a woman."

God made us women to fulfill a unique role. It's not that women can never work outside the home, but to throw away our femininity to do so is no different than Esau selling his birthright for a bowl of stew.

Genesis 25: 19-34

• 19.
• Now these are the records of the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son : Abraham became the father of Isaac ;

• 20.
• and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife.

• 21.
• Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren ; and the LORD answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived.

• 22.
• But the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it is so, why then am I this way?" So she went to inquire of the LORD.

• 23.
• The LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb ; And two peoples will be separated from your body ; And one people shall be stronger than the other ; And the older shall serve the younger."

• 24.
• When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.

• 25.
• Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment ; and they named him Esau.

• 26.
• Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob ; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.

• 27.
• When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents.

• 28.
• Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

• 29.
• When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished ;

• 30.
• and Esau said to Jacob, "Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished." Therefore his name was called Edom.

• 31.
• But Jacob said, "First sell me your birthright."

• 32.
• Esau said, "Behold, I am about to die ; so of what use then is the birthright to me?"

• 33.
• And Jacob said, "First swear to me"; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.

• 34.
• Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew ; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

image courtesy of Allposters