Cooking Unexpectedly

June 26, 2014

I'm not sure what just happened earlier. hahaha! But for the fun that I had, I thank God for His 3S' and 1H: His s-overeignty, His s-ense of humor, His s-urprises, and His h-elp. :)

So anyway, in the choir ministry, we are divided into groups and every week, a certain group is assigned for cooking and washing the dishes. In our group, 1 person usually does the cooking (kuya Al), and in normal circumstances, I wash the dishes together with another member (ate Nida).. Today though, kuya Al sent me a text message telling that he doesn't feel well and he was asking if I can cook for tonight's practice!!

I didn't know how to answer that because I know deep within me that my schedule would definitely allow me to. And I know that I can cook somehow (I'm not saying that I'm an expert).. but I'm not sure if I can cook for a big group and it's my first time to cook dinner for them! (Well, with that, I mean during regular practices. So... that excludes my pesto pasta and Chocomarble Renaissance birthday treat for them a couple of years ago. haha!) And can you believe that? I'm a member of the ministry for 8 years already on July! haha. Oh, and going back....

Then... I sent an affirmative message to kuya Al and then I unpacked the OIC Biblical counseling stuff in my bag (I was actually supposed to continue my Projects for Growth in our church building library), and headed to the supermarket to shop for ingredients of a Filipino dish called Pork Sinigang/ Sinigang na Baboy. Either way, I cannot translate "Sinigang" in English. haha.

I got so nervous and sooo excited at the same time, because I know that the circumstance came from the Lord. And I'm just interested in how things will end up.

I'm glad that when I already got started, one of our fellow members, tita Merriam, went to the church center pretty early and volunteered to help out with cooking the rice and cutting the other veggies and the like. If not for her, it would have taken me a longer time to cook! (Just in case you get the chance to read this, thank you tita Yam! ;) )

And everything went as planned. :) For the pork, I learned something from tita Merriam, and that is to marinate the meat with salt and pepper first before boiling it.. If I were the only one cooking there, I wouldn't have done the marinating thing because my mom also doesn't. :p

Then, I also thank God that my plan not to use any seasonings (instant Sinigang mix or any kind of granule or broth or MSG), was implemented. :) We used fresh sampalok (tamarind)! I love cooking Sinigang with tamarinds because then it becomes really sour, just the way I like it. ^___^

I appreciate tita Merriam's kindness when she agreed to my plans of using fresh tamarinds, and using patis (fish sauce) to counter the sour taste of the tamarind. 'Cause she told me earlier that she doesn't usually put fish sauce in her sinigang and she usually also uses Sinigang mix especially if she lacks time. I'm so blessed by her offered help and her flexibility to my "cooking plans" (for lack of a better term), even though she cooks for the choir too often already.. And me? Well.. uhh.. yeah, we know it, don't we? :))

I prayed for it like a child. haha. :) I just told the Lord to please help me enjoy it just like when I do it at home. There's some sort of tendency to do things to please people and when that happens, I usually fail and get frustrated with myself and feel as if I'm not doing anything right anymore. It shows pride and arrogant independence from the Lord though, doesn't it? That's why I'm so grateful because the Lord has been allowing me to trust in Him even for the very little things recently, as little as what happened today.. :)

I thank Him for keeping and guarding my heart.. It's soooooo far from the ideal, it's soooo sinful that I get discouraged by it many times, it's soooo rotten that it brings me back to my need of the cross everyday.. but even with this heart, I thank God for His grace.. I thank Him for showing Himself to me more and more to the smaller and smaller matters of my life. I thank Him for even giving me the privilege to be in a vibrant and living relationship with Him. All of these blessings are possible, only through His sacrifice. He bought my life (all else included) with the shedding of His blood on Calvary.

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
And to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus says the Lord!”

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!--'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus, Hymn

-----UPDATE-----
June 27, 2014

Today, I cooked Pork Sinigang again but for our dinner at home this time since I shopped for ingredients yesterday. :) Here's a snapshot:

Let's eat! ^_^

One Afternoon Walk, Enjoying Creation

I decided to walk going to the jeepney line to my church family's building in a not-so-busy-road in our city last Tuesday (06.24.2014), then I almost went passed the city garden where we can buy various plants and flowers. (I just don't know why this place is called "Orchidarium" since it's not really dedicated for Orchids alone. haha.)

But anyway, I've got time since our choir practice call time is 5:30 and I think it's about more than an hour early (we were to testify at prayer night and we decided to sing after testifying... not to mention our intention to promote the ministry and invite people to serve with us! *wink wink*) :)

Unfortunately in the garden place, I needed to pay to take pictures of the flowers so I just didn't! (At least I didn't think I was in dire need to take pictures. :p) I only closely looked at them and appreciated them with my eyes and heart in worship.. :) So here, I just wanted to share some few things I've seen there. 

I especially liked this view from below. ^___^ (Seriously felt like I'm in a rainforest. haha)

Whoever thought that we have these in the orchidarium? Since it looks so limited from the outside:

Cute pathway:

Felt like entering Narnia through this:

When I was exploring in peace and quiet, I felt how much I missed walking alone with the Lord.. I really love walking, probably not many would understand. But as short as it may seem, it was such a wonderful time.. :)

I was just telling the Lord about how great He is in creating the beautifully patterned prickly cactuses/cacti, fresh pretty flowers, and interesting herbs&plants. It blessed my heart to walk with the Lord and discuss my thoughts with Him. Only through the precious blood of Christ.

"All things came into being through Him [Christ], and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being."
--John 1:3

Simplifying My Life

Some few weeks ago, I sorted out some of my clothes and made a decision to pack even those I still use (just not very often), to give away.. Now, I'm covering all of my treasured books... For the others, sorting them out to either throw, burn or give away.. What's going on with me?

I'm actually simplifying my life... releasing many of my stuff to the Lord... I feel like it's good to be detached with many things I've had for a long time.. I feel like, it's a sort of symbolism for my detachment from this world and from much memories that I look back to when I see traces of them... (Maybe I'll reserve memories in my blogs; then it would be in just one place and more organized, right? :p ) I feel like these are baggages that I have to let go and stop maintaining through material things...

I'm releasing them so that I'll have lesser stuff, lesser things to maintain... lesser things to look back to.. more time to look to the Lord.. grow in faith, pursue Spiritual disciplines.. make more memories... spend time with more people.... serve more! love more! care more! The highest of all, look like my Lord Jesus more everyday..

May I not be too attached to the things/ people in this world, Lord... but to focus in serving You and others with a sustained and increasing passion.

Draw my heart to long for you with an unquenchable thirst -- the thirst of a satisfied soul! <3

"Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word." --Psalm 119:37

Book Cover Project

I started this project last June 19, 2014. I dovetail covering books with teaching during certain lessons which are not busy. As I've heard before, "People are more important than projects," And so this principle applies, teaching is my priority and covering books -- just on the sides. This is the reason why it takes more time as compared to just being focused on covering itself.

So the goal of this personal project is to cover the books that I consider dear to me in an effort to care for these (mostly) Spiritual treasures. As of today, June 23, I've finished covering the following books:

Coming from the same batch, these (already pre-covered) are the only ones remaining and my target date to finish is tomorrow:

After these would be second batch:

Believe me when I say that it took me a loooooooooooong time to finally start with this! And well, it would be funny to include that it took me a painful experience to start this. haha. :)

Lord is a purposeful God. I'd be laughing to say that this is one of His purposes for some few things I'm going through recently. 

Of course that's not primary! The highest purpose will always be for me to be more and more like Christ (Rom. 8:28-29) in my responses to situations, and dealing with my earthly relationships, if this is so, His Name is glorified in me. It's always about His glory! His excellencies we proclaim through these limited lives. <3 

Plus, we can be more effective, more compassionate Biblical counselors to our siblings in the faith who may go through similar situations. We can most surely comfort them with the same comfort that we received directly from the Lord (2 Cor. 1:3-4). We'll be the Lord's vessels of comfort.

No matter how we fail, or how unbiblical our responses might have become at times, or how painful things may get... be assured... that if we are true followers of Christ, nothing is wasted. His purposes are always multidimensional. Lean on that. :)

"So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord--who is the Spirit--makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image."--2 Cor. 3:18