“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23.

I know without a shadow of doubt that motherhood is my calling.
I remember as a teen all I wanted to be “when I grew up” was a mother.

Women can be and do so many things.  For me, for now, being a stay at home mom is what makes me feel the most content and satisfied.  For others, a feeling of utter contentment occurs as they perform their own particular gifts.  Although I am open and prayerful to doing more, (librarian?volunteer?photographer?dentist?) for now I have no other yearning or interest for anything else other than mothering these seven children of mine and tending our house and home.  Eventually these years will be over and I trust that God will lead me toward a new way of living.  I look forward to the future.

What was in my heart and soul as I mixed up bread dough with Sarah?
Joy that made me reach for the camera.  Love as I saw how big she was getting and yet she is still small enough to live in the moment.  Peace in the safety and security of knowing all my family was home.  The sun was shining, *all was well* (never taken for granted, because someone could skin a knee at any moment).  Gratitude to God for giving us our daily bread–bread for our stomachs AND our souls.

Making bread is a very humble pursuit.  Our ancestors baked bread daily and it became an endless chore for them.  It’s a treat for me, I bake bread when I want to, not because I need to, but the connection I feel with the ages makes the process satisfying.  Such humble ingredients; yeast, water, milk, butter, salt, and flour.

Whatever has happened before will happen again. Whatever has been done before will be done again. There is nothing new under the sun.  Ecclesiastes 1:9

The Bible says truthfully there is nothing new under the sun.  Motherhood. Baking bread.  These things have always been and always will be, as long as the sun and moon endure.  But these humble acts are our prayer of praise to Him as He opens our hearts and makes them tender toward all our blessings.

“Meaning can be found in relation to Him, thus making life here tolerable, even delightful, and making ultimate existence possible, through Jesus Christ. All those things that make life here so weary and boring can have new meaning, when you understand who God is, what Christ did and you connect yourself to the genuineness of being a child of God.”  ~Warren Berkley

“Crack it a little harder and use BOTH your thumbs to open the egg– like a door!”

She did it with enthusiasm for each time.

We admired the deep yellow of our good eggs.

“That one is a lighter yellow.” she noticed.

She loves the feel of sinking her hand into cool, soft, flour.

Surrounded by smiles and color.

Making homemade bread.

Mainly she wanted, more than anything, to eat the dough.

She absolutely loves bread dough.

I love her.

Letting it rise in a big big bowl.  Learning about patience.

David wandered through to tell me that he found a special way to wash his hair in order to make it grow faster (he wants long hair).  You use eggs.  Rub them in the hair and let it stay in it for an hour.  Then rinse and condition with coconut oil.

This information solved The Mystery of why the coconut oil kept appearing out of the kitchen cupboard.  I enthusiastically felt his hair and it was amazingly soft.

He also said that rubbing your scalp induces faster hair growth.

Motherhood.  Full of gripping facts and experiences.

Goldilocks! said the nineteen year old as he walked by.

Braids!  said the sixteen year old as she walked by.

Art in the kitchen.

Children underfoot.

Teens in the other room laughing, talking, making music.

Gratitude in my heart.

Painting with egg.

It’s finally done, dance!

….slicing, buttering, placing it in their hands, watching them come back for more….

Home is the art of life….Home is where we feel at ease, where we belong, where we create surroundings that reflect our tastes and pleasures…making a home is a form of creativity open to everyone.  ~Terence Conrah

Take steps to practice joy in your daily life, and it will expand naturally.  Let joy fill your heart, and your heart will gladden your health.  Dr. Mao Shing Ni

“I practiced joy that day as I baked bread.  The children were with me, we used up eggs, the smell was wonderful, the braids of dough were fun to form, they baked up large and golden, and the taste was fantastic.  It was a  joy to slice, butter, serve and give to my loved ones.  Feeding others is a gift to the giver.”

Braided Egg Bread from allrecipes.com

2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast (if you buy in bulk this is 4 1/2 tsp of yeast)
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 cups hot milk
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup water
5 eggs
11 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg
2 tablespoons sesame seeds (I didn’t have these)
Proof yeast and 1/2 cup warm water in a large mixing bowl.
Combine hot milk, sugar, butter, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a medium bowl. Cool to 110 degrees.
In small bowl, slightly beat 5 eggs, then add to cooled milk mixture. Add milk mixture to yeast mixture. Add 2 cups flour and beat until smooth. Slowly add remaining flour until it forms a stiff dough. Knead on a floured board for 10 minutes (5 minutes with a bread hook). Place in a large glass or plastic bowl lightly greased. Turn dough over to grease both sides. Cover and let rise in a warm, dark place until doubled in volume, approximately 60 minutes.
Punch down, cover, and let rise again until double, approximately 30 minutes.
Punch again, and form into three parts. Form each part into a 20-inch roll. Braid rolls on a large, greased cookie sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled.
Lightly beat remaining egg and brush loaf. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in preheated 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven for about 55 minutes until nicely browned. May be made into two regular sized loaves. Reduce baking time slightly.

recipe source:  allrecipes.com