the other day i was thinking about self-sacrificial love and the Christ-like love we are taught to imitate. Genuine love, self-sacrificial love. Love that is willing to die for another.
"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends" John 15:13
Love is something very great - God is love. Faith, hope, love - the greatest of this is love.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us
1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
In 1 cor 13, we read about how even if we have the biggest faith, the greatest gift, but we have not love - we are nothing. The bible also talks about how if we claim to love God but dont love our brother,then we are liars, because how can we whom cannot love that which we can see, love that whom we cannot see?
So love, is a very great thing. The love that God has for us, is that Christ died even when we were sinners, even when we rejected him. If someone rejected you continuously, spat on you, and sent you to die, will you still be able to love that person? In relationships, we often need a response, we often, as girls, want to be pampered, to be showered with attention - but is that what love is all about? Or is love about - giving your all for someone (even your life) with nothing in return? J once told me that he believes that love is about 100 % giving, and if two people give their 100%, both would also receive 100%. that is of course, in a perfect ideal situation. But, would you still strive to give your 100%, regardless of what the response is, simply because, you love that person?
To me, its a struggle, no one wants to be hurt, to be on the losing end, to have unrequited love, or even to love more than the other loves you. We want to be loved, and we are - by God who showed us how great love is. He loved us even when we were sinners, and because we are secure in this love, we can then go on to love others. It really makes me think about my relationship and how i can be so selfish at times, but im incredibly thankful that God has shown us the way and has first loved us, so that we can be filled with His love and can go on to love others. Times when our actions go unappreciated, turn back to God and remember how He loved us. And remember, perfect love casts out fear.
To love to the point of dying or sacrificing for another without any returns- a fool, or love?
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
stop comparing sam, it never ends.
just a reminder to myself because i do it far too often and its not healthy. because this comparison never ends and each has their own journey. because we all have different priorities, different lives, different experiences, so stop. in terms of monetary expenditures and material wealth, dont.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
tiramisiu cupcakes
i made tiramisiu cupcakes the other day! honestly, i really liked it even though the vanilla cupcakes were quite "normal" as wq said. i was quite skeptical about the recipe because of the high sugar/flour content and low butter content - but i think that was so it would absorb the liquid mixture well without becoming overly soggy. and i must say i really liked the result! its a bit of an effort because you need to cut out the hole, but its really worth it in my opinion! please try!
got the recipe from here:
http://www.redonline.co.uk/food/recipes/the-hummingbird-bakerys-tiramisu-cupcakes
(i double the recipe)
ingredients;
sponge:
170g butter, softened
510g sugar
480g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp baking powder
5 large eggs
480ml whole milk
3 tsp vanilla essence
soaking syrup:
500ml strong coffee
150ml baileys
90g caster sugar (Taste and adjust accordingly)
filling and frosting:
500 g mascarpone cheese
50m baileys
300ml double cream
40g icing sugar
cocoa powder
Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 190deg celsius and line a muffin with muffin cases.
2. Using an electric mixer beat together butter, sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder on a low speed until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. (if you're using all the ingredients above, you might want to add half the sugar first, then half the flour and slowly incorporate the rest otherwise everything might fly out)
3. break the eggs into a jug, add the milk and vanilla essence and mix together by hand. slowly pour 3/4 of the wet ingrediences into the butter mixture. Mix together until incorporated and then add rest of the batter on medium speed until smooth and even.
4. divide the batter between the paper cases, filling them up to 3/4. Place in oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Leave to cool slightly and then remove from tin to cool completely while making the soaking syrup. (I made about 40 cupcakes but they didnt rise that much and were quite small - so probably 30-35 regular sized ones)
5. Pour the coffee and kahlua into a sauce pan and stir in the sugar, place the pan on a hob and bring to a boil, allowing the liquid to reduce by about half, remove from heat and set aside to cool.
6. Frosting: Beat mascarpone and kahlua until smooth, pour cream into separate bowl and add icing sugar - whip into soft peaks. Beat whip cream into mascarpone mixture until firm (i piped it which is why i beat it with an electric mixer, otherwise you can fold it and smear on the icing!)
Assembling:
7. When the cupcakes have cooled, use a knife to cut out a piece of sponge - like cutting out a window from the cupcake! and set aside. Pour about 1 tsp into the hollow and 1 tsp into the sponge. you can pour a bit more into the hollow and around the sides if you want more of it to be soaked into the cupcake.
8. Fill the hollow with a layer of mascarpone cheese, and then top up with the cut out piece of sponge. covering it with frosting ! Dust lightly with coca powder.
There wasnt enough frosting to pipe them all so i smeared on some of it instead (less frosting needed).
perhapas i could try infusing more tiramisiu flavour into the cupcake although i think i was quite happy with how it turned out(: dont expect a full blown tiramisiu obviously!
got the recipe from here:
http://www.redonline.co.uk/food/recipes/the-hummingbird-bakerys-tiramisu-cupcakes
(i double the recipe)
ingredients;
sponge:
170g butter, softened
510g sugar
480g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp baking powder
5 large eggs
480ml whole milk
3 tsp vanilla essence
soaking syrup:
500ml strong coffee
150ml baileys
90g caster sugar (Taste and adjust accordingly)
filling and frosting:
500 g mascarpone cheese
50m baileys
300ml double cream
40g icing sugar
cocoa powder
Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 190deg celsius and line a muffin with muffin cases.
2. Using an electric mixer beat together butter, sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder on a low speed until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. (if you're using all the ingredients above, you might want to add half the sugar first, then half the flour and slowly incorporate the rest otherwise everything might fly out)
3. break the eggs into a jug, add the milk and vanilla essence and mix together by hand. slowly pour 3/4 of the wet ingrediences into the butter mixture. Mix together until incorporated and then add rest of the batter on medium speed until smooth and even.
4. divide the batter between the paper cases, filling them up to 3/4. Place in oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Leave to cool slightly and then remove from tin to cool completely while making the soaking syrup. (I made about 40 cupcakes but they didnt rise that much and were quite small - so probably 30-35 regular sized ones)
5. Pour the coffee and kahlua into a sauce pan and stir in the sugar, place the pan on a hob and bring to a boil, allowing the liquid to reduce by about half, remove from heat and set aside to cool.
6. Frosting: Beat mascarpone and kahlua until smooth, pour cream into separate bowl and add icing sugar - whip into soft peaks. Beat whip cream into mascarpone mixture until firm (i piped it which is why i beat it with an electric mixer, otherwise you can fold it and smear on the icing!)
Assembling:
7. When the cupcakes have cooled, use a knife to cut out a piece of sponge - like cutting out a window from the cupcake! and set aside. Pour about 1 tsp into the hollow and 1 tsp into the sponge. you can pour a bit more into the hollow and around the sides if you want more of it to be soaked into the cupcake.
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| this is how the cutout looks like! i spent half an hour trying to figure out how to cut my cupcake into half because i read the instructions wrongly ): it was actually much simpler! |
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| before frosting! |
perhapas i could try infusing more tiramisiu flavour into the cupcake although i think i was quite happy with how it turned out(: dont expect a full blown tiramisiu obviously!
a week has passed since i came back. feels like ages though! although i said that this doesnt feel like home, it is kind of home i guess. contradicting myself. but i feel at home in my room. its small and cosy and i like the feel of it, compared to my room at home which doesnt feel fully like my room, i guess cos i didnt make the decision as to how it was furnished and there are a lot of things in there where it isnt really mine, so it feels different. so im quite excited to get my own house in the future! hope that happens one day. although this will probably make my parents sad, but i think they will need to learn to release me too and be fully happy for me.
ive never really fit in but ive stayed and its the last semester! its easy to focus on the not so good bits - im different, im not really included, im sometimes invisible, i dont like big groups - but its probably better to focus on how I've been blessed - the friends that i can talk to, the people who care for me, the opportunities ive been blessed with to serve. whatever it is - i know that this has moulded me into who i am today. there are times though i still doubt myself, should i have said that, am i being irritating, what do people think of me - but i guess im still learning and im still growing and im not perfect - and thats something i need to accept. and to take the focus off me but to put the focus on God. dont think about ME all the time. be less self-centred.
anyhow, im so excited to graduate that that is all i think about nowadays. its terrible because i still have a sem to go, 2 placements and a thesis in between and this is no time to be thinking about packing up! i hope its just the adjustment and ill be able to settle into work mode soon. haha
i enjoy the freedom and better timing though of talking to j here. ldr is hard but its even harder when the future is so uncertain. im thankful for the opportunity to learn how to communicate, to use words to show love and grace, to learn to accomodate the differences. although its been really tough! i hope that ive learnt to be gentler, more loving, less controlling over time. im thankful though for those who've talking me through the difficulties and enlightened me on certain issues, i feel more at peace now. taking it one step at a time! the journey has been nothing short of amazing and i do hope we can see it to the end, although, im also learning to trust God with the outcome now.
i realised too how much i like being by myself. i find it hard to get comfortable with people easily but i think ocf has trained me in that aspect and ive def grown in that area. but still, i sometimes feel my room is such a safe haven that its sometimes too comfortable. having a guitar and a piano here really helps :) i think j helped me rediscover the joy of music once again so even though im not good at them, they bring me simple but great joy. attended chinese service this morning and it was quite a battle although it was really interesting! its going to be an interesting experience this semester and i look forward to it(: ill be flying through the chinese scriptures in no time! the topic today was on missions and working while doing missions which hit home for me. it makes sense to be able to support yourself while being on missions so as not to place financial burden on others and not to rely on their support, and if i ever go into the field, i think thats something i hope to be able to do.
4 more weeks to go, jiayouu!(:
ive never really fit in but ive stayed and its the last semester! its easy to focus on the not so good bits - im different, im not really included, im sometimes invisible, i dont like big groups - but its probably better to focus on how I've been blessed - the friends that i can talk to, the people who care for me, the opportunities ive been blessed with to serve. whatever it is - i know that this has moulded me into who i am today. there are times though i still doubt myself, should i have said that, am i being irritating, what do people think of me - but i guess im still learning and im still growing and im not perfect - and thats something i need to accept. and to take the focus off me but to put the focus on God. dont think about ME all the time. be less self-centred.
anyhow, im so excited to graduate that that is all i think about nowadays. its terrible because i still have a sem to go, 2 placements and a thesis in between and this is no time to be thinking about packing up! i hope its just the adjustment and ill be able to settle into work mode soon. haha
i enjoy the freedom and better timing though of talking to j here. ldr is hard but its even harder when the future is so uncertain. im thankful for the opportunity to learn how to communicate, to use words to show love and grace, to learn to accomodate the differences. although its been really tough! i hope that ive learnt to be gentler, more loving, less controlling over time. im thankful though for those who've talking me through the difficulties and enlightened me on certain issues, i feel more at peace now. taking it one step at a time! the journey has been nothing short of amazing and i do hope we can see it to the end, although, im also learning to trust God with the outcome now.
i realised too how much i like being by myself. i find it hard to get comfortable with people easily but i think ocf has trained me in that aspect and ive def grown in that area. but still, i sometimes feel my room is such a safe haven that its sometimes too comfortable. having a guitar and a piano here really helps :) i think j helped me rediscover the joy of music once again so even though im not good at them, they bring me simple but great joy. attended chinese service this morning and it was quite a battle although it was really interesting! its going to be an interesting experience this semester and i look forward to it(: ill be flying through the chinese scriptures in no time! the topic today was on missions and working while doing missions which hit home for me. it makes sense to be able to support yourself while being on missions so as not to place financial burden on others and not to rely on their support, and if i ever go into the field, i think thats something i hope to be able to do.
4 more weeks to go, jiayouu!(:
Monday, July 22, 2013
back
would like to say im back home but no, this doesnt feel like home anymore after spending three weeks in what is truly home to me. with friends leaving as each semester passes, the two homes gets brought closer to each other soon merges into one. its always nice to meet friends you made in brissy back home though, it feels like know this part of your life with some familiarity. which is why i appreciate the friends who were able to come down to visit me, it brings a sense of closeness where they see the life i lead here and they understand how ive grown, and changed.
it was funny how when i woke up on the train and saw a river, the first thought that ran through my head was - oh, we're above kallang river. when it hit me that no, im not in singapore, im in brisbane. but brisbane has its own charm. the quietness, the peacefulness. i realise the cosyness of a smaller room, a room which i have made my own. a room which i have fully furnished and decorated, where each and every cm has footprints of yours truly, and of someone special. of long conversations, of tears and joy. this is the same room that jeannie, carin and zakiyah stayed in and where we poured our hearts to each other. anyhow, it makes me feel safe.
other than that, going about the usuals in life, packing(this is a constant in my life), grocery shopping and stuff brings me great joy. perhaps, i was made to be a housewife. haha just kidding, there are times i feel a little lost about the future, but perhaps as he said, it is time to stop looking at the future constantly and to live in the present. in this season of life where God has placed me.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
hopes, expectations, rights
Came across someone talking about being a servant of God - that following God does not promise any convenience or credit, but often a God-led life is one with tribulations and that often calls for us to inconvenience. It made me think about how very often when we do things, do we do it for the outcome? for the reward, whatever it may be?
We often have our own hopes, expectations and rights. For example, when we pay for a meal, we expect to get a decent meal back, or at least to get whatever we ordered in return - that would be our right. When we do something kind, we expect? a thank you or at least some form of appreciation. When we work, we expect a pay in return. When we follow God, do we expect to be blessed? For people to look at us in a certain way?
When we study for exams, we hope to do well. When we make friends, we expect certain things from "true friends", when our friends get married, we expect to be invited. When we are there for a friend, do we also expect them to be there for us in return?
When the outcome or reward is different from what we expected or hoped for, how do we react? In anger, in hurt? If there was no outcome or reward, will we live differently? If there was no such thing as "pay", or "results", will we still work as hard? No such thing as exams, would we still study? Will we love somebody, if we wont get love in return? what if we do something that we think is right or is a good job, and nobody tells you that you did well - will we then start to doubt what we did? Do we judge how nice a "photo" is based on how many "likes" it gets?
It reminds me of a friend's valedictorian speech - at which she talked about the hope we have in Christ. or what do we put our hope in? do we put our hope in - leading a good life after putting in all this effort to study hard, to get a good resume? Do we put our hope in getting a good job if we learn all the skills that we ought to have? and then whats next?
My thoughts are all jumbled up but perhaps in thinking about an uncertain future, it made me think about whether it is worth it to put in the effort now, and it made me realise that I am thinking this way because I am placing a high priority on the outcome. Or on my own rights - the rights to receive a reward at the end of all this hardwork and pain. Perhaps I need to learn to surrender, and need to learn to trust God - that whatever the outcome is, he is leading me each step of the way. To learn to surrender my rights, my rights to be in control, my rights to know the future, my rights to be rewarded (or what i want to be rewarded with) at the end of the day. For I know that at the end of the day, my greatest hope ought to be placed on Christ, that because of his death on the cross, I can be set free, forgiven from my sins and I can have a right relationship with God that will last forever. And that ought to surpass everything else that we see on earth now, which can fade away any moment. But why? Why is it sometimes so hard to live with my eyes set solely on that vision and hope?
As I was catching up with friends, I can sometimes see how much these worldly needs, desires, expectations, hopes can consume us. What are we really living for? What are we really placing our hope in? Not just what we say we put our hope in, but through our lives, what do we truly put our hope in, because that will definitely change the way we live.
That being said, there's still so many things thats in my head now that needs to be sorted out.
_________________________________________________________________________________
on a side note... this also reminded me about meekness, something jesus talked about in the bible. which is defined as, according to dictionary.com :
In our modern world today, meekness is often associated as a weakness However, Jesus said that blessed are the meek, meekness is also a fruit of the Spirit, Jesus himself displayed meekness. I once heard someone talk about meekness as giving up our rights not because we have to, but because we choose to.
This is a long article talking about meekness
http://www.cgg.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/PERSONAL/k/237/The-Fruit-of-Spirit-Meekness.htm
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/february/20.56.html
have not read both but will come back to read it! Just a reflection
We often have our own hopes, expectations and rights. For example, when we pay for a meal, we expect to get a decent meal back, or at least to get whatever we ordered in return - that would be our right. When we do something kind, we expect? a thank you or at least some form of appreciation. When we work, we expect a pay in return. When we follow God, do we expect to be blessed? For people to look at us in a certain way?
When we study for exams, we hope to do well. When we make friends, we expect certain things from "true friends", when our friends get married, we expect to be invited. When we are there for a friend, do we also expect them to be there for us in return?
When the outcome or reward is different from what we expected or hoped for, how do we react? In anger, in hurt? If there was no outcome or reward, will we live differently? If there was no such thing as "pay", or "results", will we still work as hard? No such thing as exams, would we still study? Will we love somebody, if we wont get love in return? what if we do something that we think is right or is a good job, and nobody tells you that you did well - will we then start to doubt what we did? Do we judge how nice a "photo" is based on how many "likes" it gets?
It reminds me of a friend's valedictorian speech - at which she talked about the hope we have in Christ. or what do we put our hope in? do we put our hope in - leading a good life after putting in all this effort to study hard, to get a good resume? Do we put our hope in getting a good job if we learn all the skills that we ought to have? and then whats next?
My thoughts are all jumbled up but perhaps in thinking about an uncertain future, it made me think about whether it is worth it to put in the effort now, and it made me realise that I am thinking this way because I am placing a high priority on the outcome. Or on my own rights - the rights to receive a reward at the end of all this hardwork and pain. Perhaps I need to learn to surrender, and need to learn to trust God - that whatever the outcome is, he is leading me each step of the way. To learn to surrender my rights, my rights to be in control, my rights to know the future, my rights to be rewarded (or what i want to be rewarded with) at the end of the day. For I know that at the end of the day, my greatest hope ought to be placed on Christ, that because of his death on the cross, I can be set free, forgiven from my sins and I can have a right relationship with God that will last forever. And that ought to surpass everything else that we see on earth now, which can fade away any moment. But why? Why is it sometimes so hard to live with my eyes set solely on that vision and hope?
As I was catching up with friends, I can sometimes see how much these worldly needs, desires, expectations, hopes can consume us. What are we really living for? What are we really placing our hope in? Not just what we say we put our hope in, but through our lives, what do we truly put our hope in, because that will definitely change the way we live.
That being said, there's still so many things thats in my head now that needs to be sorted out.
_________________________________________________________________________________
on a side note... this also reminded me about meekness, something jesus talked about in the bible. which is defined as, according to dictionary.com :
| — adj | |
| 1. | patient, long-suffering, or submissive in disposition or nature; humble |
| 2. | spineless or spiritless; compliant |
| 3. | an obsolete word for gentle |
This is a long article talking about meekness
http://www.cgg.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/PERSONAL/k/237/The-Fruit-of-Spirit-Meekness.htm
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/february/20.56.html
have not read both but will come back to read it! Just a reflection
Monday, July 15, 2013
Graduations!
Graduation to me, is a very happy and joyous ocassion! These were one of the reasons why I flew back to Singapore even though it was only for three weeks. definitely worth every moment to be there to congratulate your friend on their big day! Yes, you can send a text, send flowers from overseas but its nothing like being there! Although if you really cant make it, of course - these other gestures would matter a lot. I'm really really thankful for these friends that I have, these two people are also the same two that flew all the way to Australia to visit me! from Singapore and alone (: haha there's one more, but these two are from JC and they were so okay with my chill hosting - I'm not a very fun-filled, activity hype or crazy kind of girl so when my friends come to visit me its not like the super nosiy, crazy moments but its the quieter, just spend time together moments that I really cherish (: These friends have took the effort to listen to my story, without judging me, and were always there for me and for that, I'm always grateful(: My life in bris was very different from the one I had in Singapore, the steepest learning curve, the challenges, but I really thank God for their support, their encouragement, for their love and friendship, these are people that God put in my life to make life on earth a bit easier before I get called home! (:
Anyway, graduation can sometimes be a mundane formality, but its also a day where we remember the three of four years we've been through, the people we went through it with and all the experiences we've had! I'm sure we all learn something out of each season of our life, and although yes - going on stage to get that same cert that everyone else has, you're just one in a million who has a degree, the ceromony may seem boring - but its not about that piece of paper or degree but about the four years of experiences - the sweat, the laughter, the joy, the tears. its an opportunity to pause and to think, to look back and smile, to celebrate the moments! to remember the growth and lessons, and to be thankful. :D
As I was writing my card to carin, i also realised myself how very often i forget the faithfulness of God through the past twenty-three years of my life, of how often we worry about the outcome, but honestly, everything will be okay because God is in control and even if the outcome is not what we desire or want, it is okay because not everything is about us, or what we want, what makes us happy. Self-centredness creeps in like a thief at night and it robs us of more than we think sometimes. But God is good and His will is perfect and though there are many things that we do not understand now, we will one day see Him and worship Him and share in His glory(:
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| carin and i(: |
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| Flowers for her! I also bought her a bear which I didnt take a photo of. |
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| I like wearing other people's gowns, dont judge! |
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| there! now its as though she came for my graduation too (: |
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| My lunch! at NUS student price no less(: I really love pepper lunch anyway. :D |
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| i took less photos on that day but here's another important friend of mine! haha there were group photos too but another time perhaps. I've also had good friends accompany me to go for these grads so they were very good friends as well!! |
Saturday, July 13, 2013
my week has been a whiz. catching up with precious people, date with daddy, baking for my grandmother, and nursing a headcold. indeed grateful for this opportunity to come home! when i went to NUS, there were so many graduates around me that were so familiar, yet not. once again one of man's biggest flaws to compare, to think of the what ifs. its bound to have been different, the course, the friendships, the environment. i fell, for a moment, thinking of what i was missing out on, but i paused for a moment and thought about what i have learnt, how i have grown through the four years experience and I reminded myself, to be thankful. afterall, half a year more and ill be home. there are always things we can see that could be better on the other side, like the common cliche, the grass is greener on the other side, but to each her own path, her own journey, we learn and we grow on ours.
but i also realised that one's connection to home cannot be cut. no matter how we "seek a better life" out there, home will always be home. very few who have migrated will call themselves belonging to that country, where their parents are, where their friends are, where they grew up, will still be a place close to their hearts. You can just leave and cut ties forever, there will always be some sort of a connection. but few generations down, yes, the connections will be cut.
went out with daddy too to gardens by the bay (: the domes were quite nice to take a quiet stroll! i guess in the past months ive been pondering on my parents way of love, perhaps what ive overlooked is that when their way of loving, of supporting, doesnt seem to be obvious enough for me, or doesnt seem to be in a way that i receive it. but deep in my heart, i know that they do love and support me. of course, im still hoping and praying that one day they will give the green light, but till then, i guess all i can do is wait(:
i hope i can live the simple life, to block out the noise of society and focus on whats important, but along the way, i hope to remind myself often to not be self-righteous, for i see it out there too often. we think we're right. we demand our rights, we expect things of others, we think the world revolves around us, but no.. there is a much bigger picture than that...
but i also realised that one's connection to home cannot be cut. no matter how we "seek a better life" out there, home will always be home. very few who have migrated will call themselves belonging to that country, where their parents are, where their friends are, where they grew up, will still be a place close to their hearts. You can just leave and cut ties forever, there will always be some sort of a connection. but few generations down, yes, the connections will be cut.
went out with daddy too to gardens by the bay (: the domes were quite nice to take a quiet stroll! i guess in the past months ive been pondering on my parents way of love, perhaps what ive overlooked is that when their way of loving, of supporting, doesnt seem to be obvious enough for me, or doesnt seem to be in a way that i receive it. but deep in my heart, i know that they do love and support me. of course, im still hoping and praying that one day they will give the green light, but till then, i guess all i can do is wait(:
i hope i can live the simple life, to block out the noise of society and focus on whats important, but along the way, i hope to remind myself often to not be self-righteous, for i see it out there too often. we think we're right. we demand our rights, we expect things of others, we think the world revolves around us, but no.. there is a much bigger picture than that...
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
home(:
while waiting for my nails to dry, thought i'd blog a bit. its been good being home, its only been a week - it feels like ive done a lot yet it seems like the week really flew by! this time concept is hard to grasp.
thankful for everyone who has taken time off to catch up with me! i knw time is precious esp with growing older all the distractions in life
(continued two days later).
i feel really distracted these days, just lazing around and cant focus on the things at hand! even though i feel stressed about it, but i dont do anything about it. shall start tonight!
on sunday, ps ed talked about the law and its relevance to the gospel. its really interesting how the OT and NT ties together in many ways more than one, and he was talking about how we who have the good news, should really share it with the people around us! its like, if we know of a good sale, we will definitely tell our friends about it. what about jesus? sometimes i think, i actually shy away from talking about Jesus more than I ought to. I'm still learning how to give Him glory in all aspects and to everyone around me i guess, im afraid of the comments people might make, but hey, many people made nasty comment and rejected jesus too. life is not about being miss popular or about gaining approval of men. its hard, but important to remember.
in meeting up with different people, especially since we're entering into the workforce, ive come to realise the different priorities and ideals that each person has. Its amazing how everyone can be so different, im learning to look upon people in love, not to judge or to want to influence, but praying too for the right words to say! words can encourage, but words can also tear down others. I also feel though, that we live in a very self-centred generation where the world revolves around us, we like to think that we're different, we're special, we like to think that we are good people etcetc. I'm guilty of it too, but just like how I learnt in cairns, I still need to consciously lay aside myself, and put others before myself. think of God and not me. we also need to be less critical of others, not that we dont have our own perspective and views, but to accept others for who they are. to be meek, to be gentle.
working can really squeeze someone dry, or pull someone into the working routine. but i hope that people will come to realise that life is not just about going through it or doing what other people tell you to do, but about walking the journey/path thats set out for you, which is different for everyone! i am quite afraid that i will just settle into the worklife, i dont know what i mean by not settling into the "worklife", but everyone always has this face when they talk about "work". and i dont really want to sink into that...
ahwells just a jumbled mess of some of my thoughts triggered by something that made me a tad uncomfortable. bye!
thankful for everyone who has taken time off to catch up with me! i knw time is precious esp with growing older all the distractions in life
(continued two days later).
i feel really distracted these days, just lazing around and cant focus on the things at hand! even though i feel stressed about it, but i dont do anything about it. shall start tonight!
on sunday, ps ed talked about the law and its relevance to the gospel. its really interesting how the OT and NT ties together in many ways more than one, and he was talking about how we who have the good news, should really share it with the people around us! its like, if we know of a good sale, we will definitely tell our friends about it. what about jesus? sometimes i think, i actually shy away from talking about Jesus more than I ought to. I'm still learning how to give Him glory in all aspects and to everyone around me i guess, im afraid of the comments people might make, but hey, many people made nasty comment and rejected jesus too. life is not about being miss popular or about gaining approval of men. its hard, but important to remember.
in meeting up with different people, especially since we're entering into the workforce, ive come to realise the different priorities and ideals that each person has. Its amazing how everyone can be so different, im learning to look upon people in love, not to judge or to want to influence, but praying too for the right words to say! words can encourage, but words can also tear down others. I also feel though, that we live in a very self-centred generation where the world revolves around us, we like to think that we're different, we're special, we like to think that we are good people etcetc. I'm guilty of it too, but just like how I learnt in cairns, I still need to consciously lay aside myself, and put others before myself. think of God and not me. we also need to be less critical of others, not that we dont have our own perspective and views, but to accept others for who they are. to be meek, to be gentle.
working can really squeeze someone dry, or pull someone into the working routine. but i hope that people will come to realise that life is not just about going through it or doing what other people tell you to do, but about walking the journey/path thats set out for you, which is different for everyone! i am quite afraid that i will just settle into the worklife, i dont know what i mean by not settling into the "worklife", but everyone always has this face when they talk about "work". and i dont really want to sink into that...
ahwells just a jumbled mess of some of my thoughts triggered by something that made me a tad uncomfortable. bye!
Monday, July 8, 2013
cream cheese banana bread
baked banana bread today! it was a special recipe so i thought it'd be a bit different. it was really soft and moist which was good! a bit more cakey then banana bread should be, but its definitely light and fluffy(:
i modified the recipe from http://www.bakeorbreak.com/2011/09/cream-cheese-banana-nut-bread/. makes two loaves so there's plenty to share!
Cream Cheese Banana Bread
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Ingredients:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. prepare two loaf pans.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt. set aside
3. Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and cream cheese until creamy. gradually add sugar, mixing until light and fluffy. add eggs, 1 at a time, mix well.
4. gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, folding it in and then beating lightly for just 1 round.
5. Stir in bananas and vanilla extract.
6. divide batter evenly into loaf pans.
7. to make topping, combine all ingredients (Except butter) into small bowl and add butter (has to be straight from the fridge), and cut in or rub in with fingers gently. sprinkle on top of both loaves.
8. bake 1 hr - 1 hr 10 mins until wooden pick comes out clean. if necessary, cover pans loosely with aluminium foil to prevent browning.
9. cool for 15 mins, remove from pans to cool completely.
Cut and serve and bless the people around you!
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i took out the nuts since i dont like nuts in my banana bread and its expensive. if you like nuts go straight to that website! future possible modifications: 3 bananas, 2 eggs, cut sugar to 1.5 cups (healthier!)/use brown sugar
i modified the recipe from http://www.bakeorbreak.com/2011/09/cream-cheese-banana-nut-bread/. makes two loaves so there's plenty to share!
Cream Cheese Banana Bread
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- 3 cups + 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 225g butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups white sugar
- 3 medium eggs (60g)
- 2 cups mashed banana (4 medium bananas)
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
- 4 tbsp flour
- 25 g butter ( remaining from the top)
- 5 tbsp brown sugar
- cinnamon (1-2tsp)
- 2 tbsp oats
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. prepare two loaf pans.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt. set aside
3. Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and cream cheese until creamy. gradually add sugar, mixing until light and fluffy. add eggs, 1 at a time, mix well.
4. gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, folding it in and then beating lightly for just 1 round.
5. Stir in bananas and vanilla extract.
6. divide batter evenly into loaf pans.
7. to make topping, combine all ingredients (Except butter) into small bowl and add butter (has to be straight from the fridge), and cut in or rub in with fingers gently. sprinkle on top of both loaves.
8. bake 1 hr - 1 hr 10 mins until wooden pick comes out clean. if necessary, cover pans loosely with aluminium foil to prevent browning.
9. cool for 15 mins, remove from pans to cool completely.
Cut and serve and bless the people around you!
.JPG)
i took out the nuts since i dont like nuts in my banana bread and its expensive. if you like nuts go straight to that website! future possible modifications: 3 bananas, 2 eggs, cut sugar to 1.5 cups (healthier!)/use brown sugar