Fourth, Fifth and Sixth

 Happy Fourth of July! Hopefully, some of our neighbors in the distance will put on a great show of fireworks but sometimes we can see the official firework shows from our front porch. I think from about ninth grade till a little after high school, Westbury Square had a wonderful firework display. Westbury Square holds many good memories for those of us who grew up in southwest Houston. It really was ahead of its time with quaint shops and restaurants. Sharpstown Mall began its downfall. It felt like a European village with winding walkways, not that I had ever been to Europe back then. Candle making shop, bookstore, perfume shops, and Cargo Houston. Large store with international merchandise. Hey in the late 60s and 70s, it was our first experience with international shopping. Kind of leaned to the hippy influence. Being young, the walk from our home to the Square was easy so many a fourth either as a family or with friends walk over to the Patton's home and sit in their front yard for a front row seat of brilliance and flashes of light in the sky. Ooooh, ahhhhhh....could be heard all throughout the neighborhood. One year I wasn't feeling particularly interested in being with others watching the show. I climbed up one of the big trees in the backyard and ooooohed and ahhhhhhed by myself. I remember thinking as I easily climbed up the tree that this might be the last time I would climb a tree cause you know one didn't do that as they got older. Had a perfect view for fireworks near the top of that tree. 

We press onward taking care of These Three. We've had them out sitting on our laps. Uh, I mean climbing up our shirts and digging into our necks. We've been changing out the blankets in the playpen but I found a little cat bed in the garage. I put that in the playpen about an hour ago and they love it. Their appetite and kitten milk consumption is up and that makes them energetic and being a little more playful. We will go out to the front porch again this evening and let them run and wrestle or just investigate this new area in their lives. 

Been working on the lesson today. We get to see this how big picture of a life, Jacob's, and watch his growth and trust in God. His birth, hanging onto his brother to be the first one born. He deceives his brother and father, then shipped off to reform school at Uncle Laban's. There he perfects some of his most deceptive and manipulative maneuvers but Uncle Laban is a little better than him at the beginning. God is with him but he wrestles with Him to get that blessing. Did the family tradition thing and showed favoritism. His other sons were not too happy about that and hated Joseph. Took his coat, threw him in a pit and then sold him to be a slave in Egypt. That's where we lose about twenty years of Jacob's life but we see in between that it has not been a happy twenty years for anyone except maybe Benjamin. We have the details of Joseph and we know he is second in all the land. The seven years of plenty have come and gone and now Egypt and the surrounding countries find themselves in famine and lack of food. Here come the brothers, with empty sacks, money in their pockets, donkeys to carry everything back but they meet a prime minister who accuses them of being spies. Joseph recognizes them but they don't have a clue who they are dealing with now. We are looking at the big reveal and the trip to live with his son in Egypt. We see Jacob's total life, mistakes and all as well as the good and godly. There around chapter 46 we see Jacob reacting in fear, well we see that in-between the lines until verse 3 when God addresses the issue with Jacob. Fear, good fear keeps us safe and healthy but oppressive fear of going, coming, learning or trying something new can stop us dead in our tracks and we find out that we are not experiencing joy or relying on God's strength. 

****************

Our new neighbors as well as our long time neighbors put on great firework displays last night. The one across the street was a short program but dazzling to be so close to the display. For only about fifteen minutes did it sound like a war zone outside. That's what I like great shows compacted into a little bit of time and not all night and then all week. Our area is in a bit of a drought so hopefully everyone was careful and haven't heard of any fires in our area. 

These Three are doing well this morning. Two milk feedings and one soupy solid food. Two of them love it and the other one wants to be biblical...not desiring solid food but wanting the milk. 

 You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. Hebrews 5:12

We added something new to the day, a morning trip to the front porch. While they explored Roy cleaned out their playpen and litter box. Food and fun leads to nap time at this stage of the game and although I would love to take a nap, that SS lesson isn't going to write itself.

The blackberries we are growing this year are huge. Roy took a look at the peaches and they are ripening up. It is the time for free stone peaches and we haven't bought any, yet. Strawberry season is just about done. Apples are ripening and well that means that apple cider donut season is less than a month away. 

*****

Our oak tree toppled in the storm yesterday. If Mike can work it in today, he will at least cut it up. Lots of lightning and hard rain with the storm. We are thankful it fell into the yard and not across the road. Some damage to the raised galvanized metal flowerbed, but think the metal can be popped back into place. We are picking some of the biggest blackberries and Roy's tomatoes are producing well. 

Roy helped me with bath time for the kittens. They all did well and they are fluffy and clean. He took them out on the front porch after we dried them so I could vacuum and change out playpens and bedding. Mike came by and he went out to help get the trunk of the tree off the metal flowerbed. Mike will come back next week and cut it down to manageable pieces. 

Been up since 4:45 and it is now just a bit after 10:00 am. I'm exhausted and need a nap. Oh, I do think one of the orange kittens is a girl now that some swelling has gone down and so I am thinking to call them Buster, Baxter and Betty. Baptist alteration as well as having a kitten named after a friend. 💕