It's a wonderful life

It's a glorious day!  I guess every day is glorious if you have the right perspective, but today just seems extra glorious.  Maybe it's the sunshine and fresh breeze wafting in through the curtains.  Maybe it's the peaceful stillness of the afternoon broken only by children's gentle laughter.  Maybe it's the process of baking fresh bread - so enjoyable, so rewarding.  Or maybe it's the coffee brewing.

Or maybe, just maybe, it's because again I've been struck by how much God loves me.  How much He forgives.  How faithful He is to me.  How much He cares about every moment of every day of my life.  How He showers down blessings that I don't even ask for, don't deserve, and forget to thank Him for.  And I find myself thinking, He's just too awesome - I don't even have words for it.  But I feel like singing!

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This morning I went shopping with Esther and Michelle.  A triple dose of California-ness.  (On second thought, none of us really represent CA girls very well!)  Scenic drive...relaxed pace...good conversations...I mean, seriously, who could ask for more?  It was a most delightful way to spend a Saturday morning.  When I got home, I unloaded my groceries and had a quick lunch.  The roomie had folded my sheets and towels, which was so thoughtful.  Since I didn't have that to take care of, I was free to commence my batch of bread at once.



Getting started


The finished product

Like good journalists, we took pictures to document our excursion.



First shot - trying to get the angle right...Squash! Smile! Snap! Hmm, let's try that again.



Much better.  That's Esther on the left and Michelle in the middle.  Dear sisters.  Aren't they lovely?  I am so blessed to know them!

And for anyone who likes to bake, may I recommend you try this recipe?  It is simply the BEST!!!  After trying it, I vowed I would never again buy bread while I was here in training.  Apologies to Esther...I tweaked it a bit.  But the genius behind the recipe is still hers.

~Whole Wheat Bread~

Mix and allow to sponge for 10-15 minutes:
5 cups warm water
1 cup honey or sucanat
2 tablespoons yeast
1/2 cup cracked wheat (optional but tasty!)

Add:
1 cup gluten
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup (heaping) raw wheat germ
1/4 cup (heaping) wheat bran
1/4 cup (heaping) raw oat bran
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1 cup olive oil (I like to use half olive oil and half coconut oil)

Mix well. Add, slowly:
1 cup oat flour
1 cup rye flour
8-10 cups whole wheat flour (The original recipe uses only the wheat flour...try it both ways!)

Knead.  Divide in four sections and shape into loaves.  (Try using a rolling pin to make a rectangle, then roll up tightly in jelly-roll fashion.  Tuck ends under and place, seam side down, in greased loaf pans.)  Allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour or so.  (For some reason, Esther's seems to rise faster than mine.  Not sure exactly why.  But more important than the time is the size - so just keep an eye on that.)  Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes.  Remove from pans immediately and cool slightly before bagging.  It is my personal belief that at least one slice should be consumed as soon as the bread is cool enough to handle.  Smile and think of Esther.

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Well there you have it, my glorious Saturday.  So tomorrow, the sun might not be shining.  I could suddenly fall ill.  The electricity might decide to quit working or we might have another flood.  But God's grace is sufficient for the day, and I'm content to leave tomorrow for tomorrow.  There's nothing God will bring me to that He can't also bring me through.  And so I wait to see what another week will hold.  It's going to be great.