Five Perfect Loaves and Brownies Instead of Fishes

Unlike his forefathers before him, Great Papa has chosen a different hobby at 77 yrs old:  BAKING!  Now, mind you, he doesn't just do any old baking from any old recipe.  First, he studies on-line (yes, he's very computer and Internet savy!) and even orders Books so that he'll make a perfect product.

His newly found instructions told him that he needed to weigh his bread dough and surprise! A new digital postal scale is delivered at the front door. Just what was required to weigh those loaves!

Here's a photo of his perfectly weighed and measured bread dough as it's rising:

Just so you know that he's serious, he dons his farmer overalls so that he has access to all of his possible required gadgets and tools.  The next photo shows him hand-washing his whole-wheat grinder and Bosch Bread Dough mixer while his bread is baking:

He wants you to know that he still has perfect vision - except for the close-up things due to the age of his eyes: hence, the All-A-Dollar magnifying glasses so that he can see any missed spots.

Here's Great Papa basting his 5 Perfect Loaves!

OOOOPS! He can't get the bread out!

Aaaaaaah!!!! Perfection!  5 Perfect Loaves AND the Chocolate Chip Brownies that he baked yesterday:

And if you were here, he'd give you some fresh home-made warm Bread and a Chocolate Chip Brownie on the side:

(Great preferred that I not take any pictures of her as she had just washed her hair and it wasn't curled yet.)

Today's baking experience kind of reminds us of the 5 Loaves and 2 Fishes, reminding us that it is ONLY the Bread of Life that can fill us and warm our hearts!

Our INSPIRATIONAL FAMILY focus is from Pres. James E. Faust, 'Five Loaves and Two Fishes': "Some months ago, as Elder Spencer J. Condie and I were in the Salt Lake airport, we unexpectedly met a devoted and faithful couple who have been friends for long years. This couple has spent a lifetime of service, meekly, faithfully, and effectively trying to build up the Church in many places in the world. Elder Condie noted, “Isn’t it remarkable what people with five loaves and two fishes do to build up the kingdom of God.” This kind of quiet, devoted service to me is surely a fulfillment of the word of God “that the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers” (D&C 1:23). Today I would like to speak of those of us who have only talents equal to five loaves and two fishes to offer the Savior to help feed the multitudes.

In our time, we seem to have forgotten the miracle of the five loaves and the two fishes in favor of the miracles wrought by the mind and hand of men....With this great knowledge has come also some skepticism about the simple and profound eternal truths taught in the miracle of the loaves and of the fishes—namely, that God rules in the heavens and the earth through his infinite intelligence and goodness.

We are also to understand and remember that we too, like the lad in the New Testament account, are the spirit children of our Heavenly Father, that Jesus is the Christ, our Savior, and the Redeemer of the world. We believe that in the centuries following the establishment of his kingdom upon the earth, the doctrines and the ordinances were changed, resulting in a falling away and the loss of the keys of priesthood authority from the earth. A miracle even greater than that of the loaves and the fishes was the vision of the Prophet Joseph Smith, who saw the Father and the Son in the Sacred Grove near Palmyra, New York. Subsequently the keys, the priesthood, and the saving ordinances were restored in their fulness, and Christ’s church was reestablished in our time. Thus God has again “fed” us and filled our “baskets” to overflowing.

It has been said that this church does not necessarily attract great people but more often makes ordinary people great. Many nameless people with gifts equal only to five loaves and two small fishes magnify their callings and serve without attention or recognition, feeding literally thousands.

....What is the central characteristic of those having only five loaves and two fishes? What makes it possible, under the Master’s touch, for them to serve, lift, and bless so that they touch for good the lives of hundreds, even thousands? After a lifetime of dealing in the affairs of men and women, I believe it is the ability to overcome personal ego and pride—both are enemies to the full enjoyment of the Spirit of God and walking humbly before him.....

What of those who have talents equal only to two loaves and one fish? They do much of the hard, menial, unchallenging, poorly compensated work of the world. Life may not have been quite fair to them. They struggle to have enough to hold body and soul together. But they are not forgotten. If their talents are used to build the kingdom of God and serve others, they will fully enjoy the promises of the Savior. The great promise of the Savior is that they “shall receive [their] reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” (D&C 59:23). The one who had only two talents was able to say, “Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.” Thus said the Lord, “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter … into the joy of thy lord” (Matt. 25:22–23)."


Oh, how we need today's focus! The snow is really here and the lake is frozen!

Kind of looks like when hell freezes over!  Cold and Winter are NOT good things at the Bevan Resort! It's a good thing we have Warm Bread and Chocolate to comfort us with heavenly thoughts!