two really cool things happened at work today....

1. i was talking to my co-worker in Germany about some work-related issue, then she told me that she's gonna try to get the report to me before the end of the year because she's leaving the company by the end of the year. i was like... "what?!?!?!!?" since she's been here probably for 10+ years. then she told me she's changing career completely... she's gonna go help out youths in East Germany for a church work. i was like...um... could i ask you a question? are you a Christian? and she said yes. i was so excited and she said, "i take it you're a Christian too?" it was quite awesome. she's a very dedicated worker and very very nice to work with. so she was telling me how God just planned everything to happen for her, and she just felt God's calling her to that mission work.. and really opened doors for her. i really admire youth work so i asked her a few things about it. then i asked her about the spiritual conditions in Europe and she said it's just very blatantly scary. she said it's pretty mild here in USA, but in Europe, you can easily tell who's a Christian and who's not... because evil is so clear to see everywhere. but she said some people's hearts are extremely open to the gospel, while some are just really hard. anyways.... i was just very happy to know a Christian at work... although a little late.

2. one of my co-workers who i invited to come to the gospel night last Saturday told me she couldn't come because her husband came that weekend and he had no interest in going. i was actually happy because she cared enough to tell me afterwards that she didn't go (the other two co-workers didn't even mention anything about it). so i'm just very happy that she's even open to it. so i talked to her a little bit about fellowship and stuff...and she said she's been to it in Michigan before, and doesn't seem opposed to the idea. she rather like the fellowship of ppl who help each other out. so i'm gonna try to invite her to come to our church....

anyways. very cool. i was so excited this morning... haha...

feeling tired and exhausted... feeling pretty low spiritually too... oiy....

urgh. communication is key... but i hate being assertive. at the same time, i hate not being assertive. urgh. i hate standing firm on what i think ought to be done, but doing it in a way that's not overbearing. and i hate having anger in the midst of this. urgh... hate communication.

we were talking to annie z. yesterday... and she was telling us all about how to care for your skin. well, i had a lot of questions so i asked her about skin care.... and she was saying that women will start appearing much older after age 35 if we don't start caring for our health/skin after 25.... this is quite scary. i'm really doing nothing to care for my skin (didn't see a need)... i suppose um... praise God, i haven't passed 25 much yet (oiy! what happened to my englilish today...). anyways... so i suppose i should start doing some skin care work. oiy.

i got this amish bread starter bag from a co-worker.... this is the strangest thing i've ever heard. but, i guess i'll be eating bread every 10 days now:

Directions for Amish Bread

Do NOT refrigerate!!!  Do NOT use any type of metal spoon or bowl for mixing!

If air gets into the  bag, let it out.  It is normal for the batter to rise, bubble, and ferment

(and even smell).

Day 1                     Do nothing (this is the day you receive the batter)

Day 2                     Mush the bag

Day 3                     Mush the bag

Day 4                     Mush the bag

Day 5                     Add the following to the bag:

                                1 Cup Flour

                                1 Cup Sugar

                                1 Cup Milk

                                Then mush the bag

Day 6                     Mush the bag

Day 7                     Mush the bag

Day 8                     Mush the bag

Day 9                     Mush the bag

Day 10                   Mush the bag and do the following:

                                Pour the entire contents of the bag into a non-metal bowl and add:

                                1 ½ Cups of Flour

                                1 ½ Cups of Sugar

                                1 ½ Cups of Milk

                                Stir with a non-metal spoon.  Into 4 one gallon bags, measure 1 cup of batter into each bag.

                                These are starter bags.  Give away 3 with a copy of this recipe and keep 1 bag for yourself.

                                Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  To the remaining batter in the bowl add the following:

                                2 Cups Flour                       3 Eggs                                    ½ Cup Milk

                                1 Cup of Sugar                   2 Tsp Cinnamon                1 Cup of Oil (Or ½ Cup Applesauce)

                                ½ Tsp Salt                            1 ½ Tsp Baking Soda        ½ Tsp Vanilla

                                1 Large box of instant vanilla pudding

-Mix together well.  If you use applesauce, it will be a little lumpy.

-Grease 2 Large bread pans, or 3 small ones.  Mix ½ Cup Sugar and 1 ½ Tsp Cinnamon together. 

Dust the bottom of the pans.  Pour the batter in the pans and sprinkle the remaining sugar/cinnamon mixture

on top of the batter.

-Bake 1 hour (maybe a little longer for firmness).  Cool until the bread loosens from the pans evenly. 

Turn onto serving dishes, or wrap w/ plastic wrap.

**Variations: You may substitute chocolate or banana pudding for the vanilla pudding.  You can also add chopped nuts, raisins or chocolate chips.

***Note: If you keep a starter for yourself, you will be baking every 10 days.  Only the Amish know how to create a “starter” from scratch,

so if you give them all away, you will have to wait to receive another “starter”.

i really like the "bus stop" theme for gmail.... it's really cute! and it changes once in a while too.... pretty creative.

prayer mtg was good... or shall i say, prayer is good. really brings the spirit back to focus.... focus on God. it's like that song ET was playing today...

Oh heart of mine, why must you stray?
From one so fair you run away
And one more time you have to pay
The heaviness of needless shame

Oh heart of mine, come back home
You've been too long out on your own
And He's been there all along
Watching for you down the road

So come home running
His arms are open wide
His name is Jesus
He understands
He is the answer
You are looking for
So come home running
Just as you are

Oh child of God so dearly loved
And ransomed by the Savior's blood
And called by name, daughter and son
Wrapped in the robe of righteousness

need more prayer! a taste of the heavenlies..

darn.... i think i'm getting sick. man... i was so proud of myself too for taking the flu shot and not getting sick while people around me are sneezing, fever, etc etc. can't be too prideful...

so hard to deal w/ grace and love. it seems always easier just to avoid problems. there are things God wants me to learn.... but all i do is deal w/ it w/ impatience and contempt. change me Lord.

this verse kept coming to my mind lately...

1 Timothy 5:8
"If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."
"人若不看顧親屬, 就是背了真道, 比不信的人還不好. 不看顧自己家裡的人更是如此."

oiy..... just reflecting on how i treat my family members lately.... so little patience and love. how could i treat everyone else so well, but treat my family members so horribly? i know it's natural tendency... but it ought not to be, especially if i say i love God. oiy....