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| So I've recently shared about some yummy dishes I've made, here are the recipes. Sung's Roasted Chicken3 lb chicken, thoroughly rinse in and out of chicken, cut off head and neck if you live in Asia2 t salt1 t paprika3/4 t pepper1/2 t onion powder1/2 t thyme or poultry seasoning1/4 t garlic powder1 cup onion, choppedCombine above except the onion and rub on outside of chicken. Place chicken in a plastic bag, refrigerate overnight. Before roasting, stuff the onion in the cavity. Roast uncovered at 250 F for 5 hours. Mine actually cooked in slightly under four. Just keep an eye on it and use a thermometer. Baked Potato Soup(If I didn't share this, I should have. It was amazing!)4 lg baking potatoes2/3 c butter2/3 c flour6 c milk3/4 t salt1/2 t pepper1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled4 green onions, chopped8 oz sour cream or yogurt with a bit of vinegar Wash potatoes, prick with fork. Wrap in foil and bake at 400 F for 1 hour or until done. Cool. Cut potatoes in half, scoop out pulp and discard shells. (I think you could just mash them with the skins, if they are thin. Next time I will do this.) Melt butter in heavy pan over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick and bubbly. Stir in potato, salt, pepper, 1 cup cheese, 1/2 c bacon and about half of green onions. Cook until heated, but not boiling. Stir in sour cream, cook just until heated. Serve with remaining cheese, bacon and green onions. There you go. Really, try them both. I can't imagine you will be disappointed. Note to those who can, pick up a chicken killed that day! It makes a world of difference, at least here. Here are some scenes from our Thanksgiving. A pic of Danny and Daddy first. Danny was kinda mellow that day so he did a lot of snuggling. 
Here is a short video of clips from the day.
And finally a video from this weekend, working on some Christmas crafts. Zoe LOVES her glitter glue. Thanks mom for bringing it in! (Danny falls in the background yes, but as you can see he's fine. =) Actually you can't really see him fall, you can only hear it and see the box move.) | | |
| This post has been a long time in coming. For a couple months now its been rolling around in my head. Sometimes I don't have the time or energy to right it. Other times I just don't feel like it. But as it is right where I am right now, what I am learning, it just keeps hanging around. And that's a good thing because as I think about what I want to write and how, I learn a lot more. I guess I'm a verbal processor after all, just in written word.
So several months ago I can across this in The Prodigal God, by Timothy Keller.
"Some years ago I met a woman who began coming to Redeemer, the church where I am a minister. She said that she had gone to a church growing up and she always heard that God accepts us only if we are sufficiently good and ethical. She had never heard the message she was now hearing, that we can be accepted by God by sheer grace through the work of Christ regardless of anything we do or have done. She said, 'That is a scary idea! Oh, it's good scary, but still scary.'
I was intrigued. I asked her what was so scary about unmerited free grace? She replied something like this, 'If I was saved by my good works--then there would be a limit of what God could ask of me or put me through. I would be like a taxpayer with rights. I would have done my duty and now deserve a certain quality of life. But if its really true that I am a sinner saved by sheer grace--at God's infinite cost--then there is nothing he cannot ask of me.' She could see immediately that wonderful-beyond-belief teaching of salvation by sheer grace had two edges to it. On the one had it cut away slavish fear. God loves us freely, despite our flaws and failures. Yet she also knew that if Jesus had done this for her--she was not her own. She was bought with a price."
It really hit me and has continue to challenge me when I go back to reflect on it. Here was an unbeliever that understood the Gospel in a deeper way, or at least different way that it did. Talking with my friends, they could think of people they knew who had yet to accept Christ for this very reason. They understood that accepting the wonderfully free gift of salvation meant giving up any 'rights' they thought they had.
I still struggle with this daily. Its so hard for me to see and understand, or at least live out, that I don't have any rights. I know that my life is far cushier than many Christians. Yes, we have felt called as a family to live in East Asia and there are many sacrifices we have given up but this becomes normal life just like anyone else. For the most part, except missing family and friends, the difficulties living here are minimal. In fact in many areas I feel more blessed than had we been living in the State. Anyway, my point being I don't even feel like I am daily sacrificing for God and yet I know I put my 'rights' out there all the time.
My 'rights' to several hours each day of me time (internet, blogging, tv watching), my 'rights' to a good night sleep and feeling well rested. My rights to an easy life. In fact many times because we are living overseas I often feel like I should have more 'rights'. Even to the point I often live like, "We moved all the way over here, surely you can't expect much more than that."
I think the more I can get the two sides of this truth into my head not only will my attitude towards daily sacrifices change, but the more I can enjoy God. Which is something I am recently continually amazed at. Yes, God rightly expects and demands every facet of my life be under his control. And giving over the reins seems scary. (Not that I am in control anyway, but that is another topic indeed.) But he doesn't want full control to make us do difficult things, the dirty jobs he doesn't want. He takes control so we can experience the full blessings he has for us. When I squirm to keep control myself, I am only missing out on the best.
When I think about the lady in the book, and so many others, I yearn to understand the gospel like they do. I would love to sit down and chat with them so I could learn from them. At the same time, I am sad that though they understand the gospel perhaps deeper than me, they have yet to accept it. And I hope they can understand that scary as a leap it is, God is the one we can trust the most, even more than ourselves, with control of our lives.
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| My new Flip camera that is! This time I went with the Mino which is smaller than the original and can be charged through the USB port, which I love. The other one just used double A's which was pretty convenient in itself since over here you can buy that at pretty much every corner market but I like the rechargeable option myself. So lookout everybody, now its even more portable so expect lots of random videos!
Speaking of random videos, here are two. First one is taken by me, trying to just test it out while being grabbed by a toddler who thinks it is his new toy.
And one taken by that toddler.
(the videos don't seem to be working, I will check back on it later)
More fun news...my girlfriends are sending me on a trip of a lifetime. Well, at least to a neighboring city. =) It was going to be my gift from Scott until we found that fabulous jacket. I am so excited. I get to visit Carolyn (girl, lets plan some fun!) and have a crazy mom-less weekend. If only I could take my other girlfriends with me. Not to self, don't forget to pack the long underwear though, its a chilly place.
For my birthday Scott and Zoe are making me a cake. I can't wait. I will make the birthday dinner of chicken casserole. One of my favorite new recipes. Usually I would want to enjoy the evening watching a good movie BUT on Friday I am looking forward to watching Pride and Prejudice with the girls. The whole five hours baby! Just the thought of it makes me giddy. Needless to say, I might not want to watch a movie Thursday night. Although you never can tell, I am a bit of a couch potato.
And finally another bit of birthday week fun, last night Scott took me to a really nice Thai place. Its in the Shangrila hotel. The food was great, assorted appetizer, curry crab and Pad Thai, but what really knocked me off my feet was the water. No, not the taste but the price. When we ordered the waitress asked us if we wanted Evian or local water we of course said local. I thought about telling them we didn't need bottled water but here we don't drink tap water so I didn't know how to explain we wanted water from a water cooler, not a bottle. I figured there would be a mark up for it seeing how it was a five star hotel. Still I figured if you can buy it for 1 kuai (12 cents) they could charge 4-5 kuai and it would be okay. Scott guessed 12 and I told him no way! But when the bill came...15 kuai per bottle!!! If you assume a bottled water from a gas station would be about a buck in the states, then it would be like paying $15 for the same bottle, chilled and poured into a wine glass for you. Outrageous!
Oh, and it snowed today. Really just some flurries but some did cause a white dusting. Zoe was pretty excited too. Although the airport was closed because of it and some visiting friends couldn't make it. Bummer. Anyway, I just love snow!
Anyway, if you visit my city I would suggest Siam for some Thai food if you like it and want a splurge. But I would suggest hydrating before you go. =)
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| So on Sunday we were heading into Brad and Abby's building and I saw this guy carrying way too many boxes than he could handle. Without thinking I just kinda picked up two of them and helped him carry them to the elevator. It wasn't out of the way at all and being a mother of two toddlers I know the feeling of having more than you can handle. I didn't think much about it, just felt like anything a thinking person would do but as he exited the elevator he handed one box back explaining it was too much for his family to eat. Well before we could really protest we were heading up in the elevator again. I had seen crabs on the box, and it was quite heavy but I still doubted the contents. But upon arriving at Abby's we discovered that in fact it was a box of live hairy crabs. They were tied up but you could still see other parts moving. Actually I didn't look in myself but I heard the others describing them. I was thinking, cool, I am up for trying it. How hard could it be, right? Oh man, was I wrong. Looking up on line I learned it is better for taste and humane purposes to kill the crabs before boiling but it wasn't an easy process. Here is part of the description: Killing a Crab is very easy, first turn it onto it's back with it's legs upward. Underneath towards the back of the shell you will see a small pointed flap, lift this flap and you will find a small hole in the shell. Using a small screwdriver pierce down through this hole, with a sharp tap on the top of the screwdriver, until you feel it hit the other side of the shell. Move the handle of the screwdriver sharply towards the back of the shell then withdraw it. Finally turn the Crab right side up and allow it to drain.
That still gives me the shivers reading it! Funny how we have come so far from really preparing meat that I forget there are 'other' parts you need to remove. At least I have. I get grossed out enough cutting up the raw meat that sometimes I can understand some reasoning behind becoming vegetarian. (Of course then I eat it and realize its not the lifestyle for me, I like meat!) But removing the 'other' parts was just too much. Even for seafood. Some friends informed us that seeing how they are in season we should be able to bring them to most restaurants and they would prepare them for us. Can you imagine going into the Roadhouse with your own steak? Anyway, I still wasn't that into it. And then I looked into the box for myself and they just creeped me out. It was over! So thankfully our helper who comes once a week was happy to take them. A great solution for all. She gets to enjoy a local delicacy and I don't have to worry about wasting. And yesterday I was reminded that no, my simple act of kindness is not such a thing here. I was pushing a stroller and pulling a bike up a ramp, simultaneously while three men looked on, no one moving a finger. Well, perhaps I can change the norm, one box of crabs at a time. =)  Found this picture on the internet, I just couldn't bring myself to open the box again, even for a picture!
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