How much we love you our precious Beloved son!
He
loves splashing in the water.
Hello everyone near and far! :-) How is your new year going so far? Our family is doing well and has a big reason to celebrate today. We received something very special in the mail today...Beloved's finalized adoption papers! He is legally our son now even though he has been our son in our hearts since the day we received him. Wow!! What amazing things God has done in our life this past year. How WONDERFUL to have three blessings...we can't wait to have more! The way has, at times, been the most rugged we have ever had to climb, but He is faithful. I am not just saying that either as a nice little spiritual cliche'...we have watched our God provide for us time and time again during this journey of adoption. No He didn't make it all easy and soft, but He never left us. It is good that God doesn't show us in advance what we will have to walk through. I am afraid I would have quaked in my boots. But, He lovingly gives us strength and provision for each day as we need it. I can look back over this past year and see how God was always gently teaching us more and more to live by faith in Him alone.
When nothing whereon to lean remains,
When strongholds crumble to dust;
When nothing is sure but that God still reigns,
That is just the time to trust.
'Tis better to walk by faith than sight,
In this path of yours and mine;
And the pitch black night, where there's no outer light,
Is the time for faith to shine.
Last week we had another exciting event...Vision's first cello lesson! What a beautiful instrument. How I have loved hearing him run his bow across the low, mellow strings. :-) I am so often proud and in awe of Sunshine and Vision's musical abilities. They both have more talent than I so I just love getting to watch and hear them. They both sing harmony and play to some degree or another 5 different instruments. Anyhow, our whole hearts are to honor our Father with our music and worship. May we never do any of it for the applause of men.
This year I am reading the devotional 'Streams In The Desert' by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman. It is sooooo good! Each day I read one little section along with my Bible reading. I am also reading a book called 'The Children's Storm'. It is a true book that relays the historical happening of the major blizzards in the Dakotas that Laura Ingalls Wilder based her book 'The Long Winter' on. So far it is very interesting though I only get to read a few pages a day. ;-) I am also, very slowly, reading a biography on Adoniram Judson. Christian biographies are my very favorite.
I am soon going to post about making mozzerella cheese, and the most yummy dinner rolls I have come across.
May God bless you all as you live for Him who died, gave His all, for you. We have SO much to be thankful for.
Here I am stirring the curds. Exciting!!
Now for the really fun part, stretching and shaping the cheese. I have to dip the cheese in 200 degree salt water so that I can stretch it. This cheese in my hands is very hot. If I did not stretch the cheese it would not have the right texture. It is at this point that we all eat a big, warm chunk of it. It is sooooo good!
Below are the finished shapes. That is how much cheese comes from four gallons of milk. A couple of days later we made homemade individual pizzas with our homemade cheese on top. Yummmm!! :-)
