Cone to Cooler!!!!!

Well here is another inumerable blessing of a large family... everbody has a job on "butchering day"!!!!! Friday we processed about 62 chickens and today we did about 55 more. On Friday it was just our family and today two other families joined us to learn for themselves plus offering their help. Thank you Gellenbeck and Fleshman families!!!!! Here is how it went... Andrew(11) and Daniel, Joshua (9) too, were the ones that put them in the cone and did the dreaded "act". The bird then went to Caleb who dipped the bird in 140 degree water for one minute, we called him the "big dipper". Micah was the timer man for Caleb. Next Elijah held the bird over the plucker, I would not want to pull all those feathers out by hand!!!! Terry and Bethany are next with the insides being pulled out, we will not post those pictures!!!!!! They went next to cool water vats, where Hosanna, Jeremiah and Josiah gave them a scrubbing and pulled any remaining feathers out, and our sweet Mercy cheered our hearts with her precious smile! After 20 minutes in the water I then took them in the house and gave their final cleaning and Anna weighed them and packaged them. There you have it...from "cone to cooler". We did have 63 pre-sold, so the Lord granted provision in several ways. This was our second time to do this and we have learned alot. Now, the crew says, "let's fry some chicken"!!!!!!

Last year we processed in July and Joel and Josiah played so happily outside in their treehouse. There seems to be hardly an activity that my heart does not feel the pain. I think that I must learn that the pain will never go away, but I just need to pray the Lord be glorified in my life. I miss Joel for Josiah, there are moments that he just sits and plays alone and I can just see Joel there, his buddy. I told Josiah the other day that (as I kissed him) that the left side kisses were for him and the right side kisses were for Balley. He smiled and he turns his head now for our special little time.

Good news on the DVD, it is enroute to our house!!! Lord willing we should be getting them out maybe by the end of the week. This project has been alot of work for many people. We are thankful to you, John-Clay, Caleb and Daniel, Jerry and Tami Clark, and many more. We are praying the Lord will use Joel's life to honor the Lord and allow this DVD to be a blessing to others.

I read a scripture this morning about the woman who had an infirmity for 18 years. I have been blessed not to have had my need for that long. As I read that it spoke to my heart, it said the Lord saw her and called her to himself and said "woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity."
I guess I just want to place myself before the Lord and say "if it be your will touch my need too." We are still praying the Lord would let my body expel this naturally. I don't know if I can wait indefinetely, but right now waiting is the most peaceful.

May the Lord bless your family with a restful Lord's Day and may the Spirit of God teach our hearts as we hear the WORD!!!! Be looking for the DVD, Lord willing!!!!!!!!!

~~~~Cindy