shortbread cookies

Tried this recipe today, from Tastes of Home. So far so good, have kept all the nicer looking ones and chewing down on the burnt ones (a tip for you if you're gonna try it out : don't roll it out too thin, thick is better!) The little heart shaped ones are so cute! Got the cookie cutters from Ikea. Can't wait for Adrian to try it!

I'm starting to really enjoy making food! especially since now i don't have to mess around with a wonky oven that shorts the fuse every time i heat it up, and my stove doesn't burn the tiles below instead of burning upwards anymore. Yummers. This Saturday is my father-in-law's birthday celebration thing, i wonder what interesting dish will come out of my kitchen... maybe some Jamie Oliver.

edit: i'm so sesat. apparently the birthday thing is on sunday, but i didn't know. anyway, i'm making kedgeree!

consistency

now and again i observe people commenting on how relationships are not like they used to be, in the old fashioned days, people actually thought of marriage when it comes to dating, more thought and care used to be put into considering who might be the right person to date and people used to involve others in helping them make a good choice as opposed to a singular, personal (who cares who else likes her, but me!) suka suka i la kinda choice. no particular people, just a whole lot of comments i've been hearing ever since i got engaged.

Hahaha.

It's very funny.

I totally agree with all these comments. God has made marriage as such that when you wish to be married, it should be for God's purposes, not your own. When you choose a right person, it should be in line with God's purposes (is she a Christian? Does he serve his church? Will this person support n help me in ministry?). And when you choose a right person then, it becomes the church's decision, because all these things are for the church Christ died for. Whether you marry a great person who supports you in ministry or make a choice to marry one who doesn't even believe in Jesus, it affects the church, your ministry to Christ's church. It's not about you.

The issue i have is with consistency. When your best friend decides to date someone outside the faith, will you still stand up to it? Or will you decide to say then... oh but he's such a nice guy, he can't be going to hell. God loves him. When one of your church friends gets involved in a relationship with someone whom nobody knows... what will you say?

It's not about you, like i said. It's about the CHURCH of CHRIST. In John ch13-17, Jesus makes sure his disciples know what to do when he's gone back to the Father. A new commandment he gave to the disciples, that they love one another, to be ONE, to be the ONE FLOCK, under ONE SHEPHERD. By this all people will know that they are HIS disciples. What this means for us today, is not some namby pamby "i love you, brother" "i love you, sister" nonsense. It's remaining in each other, by remaining in Christ. It means the church needs to be united around Christ, til he returns. That's why church is so important. This is Jesus's command to HIS CHURCH, whom he is now going to his death for.

This is not some silly sidetrack i've done in my flow of thought. It all counts. Disciples need to make sure they stick to the church. Cos your most important relationship is with Christ and his church. That's what tells all people that you are Jesus's disciple. If you start sticking with someone who's not part of the church, whom the church knows nothing about, whom the church should not approve of, then you're no disciple of Christ. Do you love the church or not? Be consistent with your identity as a Christian. Please... do not shame the name of Christ, by calling yourselves Christian and doing the exact opposite things. We all have our share in repenting from these things. There's never a better time than now.

Holiday

It came and went. A took 3 days off, cos we both needed a short break. A teeny tiny honeymoon if you wish. We went to Genting, Melaka and the last day at home. Chicken rice balls, satay babi, and rollercoasters. Still getting thrilled by the space shot, just from thinking about it. Come to think about it, it wasn't much of a break nor was it relaxing, but it sure was fun =P

I miss the time we had in Penang. But we don't have the luxury of a week off nowadays. Maybe next year.



Striking off number 4 now.

Trust and obey, no other way to be joyful in Jesus

A is studying the bible, preparing for tomorrow's growth group.

The house is in a bit of a mess, cos we're moving some furniture around.

The warming bit of the moving process has got to wait. 

E is sitting here typing away on her blog, thinking about herself. Obedience is joy, joy is obedience. Why is that so hard for my mind and body to grasp? Nothing more apt than 'our bodies are given to laziness and unrighteousness'. Jesus died gloriously. I want to die gloriously. Die to self, preaching the gospel to myself and others til my last breath.

Once we're done with this move, we'll get on with the next big move. Time to search for inspiration again. Dabble my hand at interior deco again.

Christians work/serve forever. Because if worship bores you, you're not ready for heaven - Tozer. 

Dancing hands

still messy

But it's slowly getting there. Home status is not too far away.

sundays are coolest

If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. [19] If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

although when i am in the world, full of sin and hate (including my own), it never fails to make me wish we were already in heaven. But while i still remain here, i'm so glad i spend my saturdays and sundays with the church. no regrets for ever spending too much time in church.

my home

i would like to blog more about my new house, but the internet connection is limited (which means no pictures). Streamyx will only be here next week (i hope)!

I've barely finished unpacking (more like just begun). I have so many books, i could build a whole house made out of books.

The house is mostly complete, minus a proper kitchen worktop, a couple of study tables and more armchairs in the living room. the rest, is not very important (like a wardrobe for me, a new tv for a). It's a step by step, month by month process. Two shelves this month, one table the next, an armchair after that and it goes on and on. Cheap and good furniture is hard to find.

Speaking of hard to find, moving makes things go missing. And then you find it in a random box one day (after you've already bought the replacement). I now have two can openers -.-

and i'm happy to be able to cross off number two on my 24things list.