Rules that I Broke

Recently I picked up a book Food Rules to read because Oprah said it’s good (Well, it’s not everything that Oprah said were THAT good).  I realized that I broke 99% of these rules according to the book.  For example, rule #4: Avoid food products that contain high-fructose corn syrup.  Even though I know high-fructose corn syrup is bad for you, but I usually ignore it cause I can’t stop eating my cereal.  Rule #6:  Avoid food products that contain more than five ingredients.  Really?  Where on earth I can find any products like that?  Rule #10:  Avoid foods that are pretending to be something they are not; examples such as, margarine and nonfat cream cheese.  I didn’t know nonfat cream cheese is not cream cheese, oops!  Rule #54:  “Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper.”  For real?  My own rule is, “Breakfast like a queen, lunch like a blue whale, dinner like a monster.”

I’m a sucker for all kind of foods and I always eat excessively.  Eating is not a sin but excessive eating that is going to hurt the body that becomes sin.  I’m going to try to eat healthy and try not to overstuffed myself.  Next time if I crave for foods (junk or fried foods), I might go to God in prayer and ask Him to take my hunger away.  Also, I would like to thank Him that He is the bread and water which can satisfy our hunger and quench our thirst FOREVER.  Hopefully, with God’s help that I will develop self-control and finally saying to food, “Enough is enough!”


Now what does God say about food?

Genesis 1:29 - And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit.  You shall have them for food.

Genesis 9:3 - Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you.  And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.

1 Corinthians 10:31 - So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

John 6:55-58 - For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.  As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.

John 4: 13-14 - Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”


 I don't really like cooking but sometimes I would like to create some dishes.  Here is a dish called 'String Beans Onion Fish Cake with Fermented Bean Sauce.'


Clean the string beans, cut both ends and discard them.  Cut the string beans as desire length.  Slice the onion and green onion.  Prepare several cloves of garlic (not shown).

You can find the fish paste in the frozen section in an Asian market.  It usually contains salt so you can just add some black pepper, green onion, or shrimps or anything you can think of to make this fish meat tastes more delicious.  I just added some green onion, black pepper and sesame oil.  Stir to combine all the ingredients.

Next, add oil and flatten the fish meat into the pan, brown both sides until it turns golden color.  Then, transfer the fish cake onto cutting board.  When it cools down a little bit then cut it in bite size.

Next, add oil, garlic, and onion and stirring them a few minutes (season with salt and peppers).  Then add the green beans and small amount of water, cover and steam about five minutes.  Uncover, add the fish meat and two tablespoons of fermented bean sauce.  Stir until the sauce fully coated the whole dish.  Lastly, add the green onion and you are done.

'String Beans Onion Fish Cake with Fermented Bean Sauce.'  Yummy!  Next time I will add some fried tofu.  Any suggestions?
   


Sorry Roy for your marriage proposal went wrong!

UPDATE:  1) The girl returned the ring and the ring is back into our inventory now. 2) Roy left Dallas Cowboys and now he is with the Chicago Bears.  Well, you can stop by us anytime now since we are so close to each other :)

Yes, I have heard the girl didn’t want to send the ring back to you at work since February. I have no idea you sent the ring to her through the mail for marriage proposal. If I would have known this before, I could wrap the box for you in a fancy wrapping paper.  Or, along with a nice card; perhaps she might say ‘Yes!’

Sorry Roy! I hope you will get the ring back soon.

Romans 13:8

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.

Jar of Hearts

Couple of weeks ago, I finally watched the movie ‘Once’ since it was released in 2006. I’m not that crazy about the love story in the movie; but I’m in love with all the music which were sang and written by very talented Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. Besides the excellent song ‘Falling Slowly’, 'Lies’ also is one of my favorite songs from the movie soundtrack. It goes...



“The little cracks they escalated
And before we knew it was too late
For making circles and telling lies

You're moving too fast for me
And I can't keep up with you
Maybe if you slowed down for me
I could see you're only telling
Lies, lies, lies

Breaking us down with your
Lies, lies, lies
When will you learn”


I like break-up songs. I like the fact that the feeling of pain is super real than love. Probably being raise in a dysfunctional family, pain has been playing an important role in the relationship of each member. Love seems to be captured somewhere in a jar and nowhere to be found.

Pain also hovers around the world. Violence, scandals, hungers, natural disasters, or lost of a love’s one; you name it. We can’t escape pain, can we? Does God even feel our hurts and hear our cries? Certainly! When there was a time that I felt hopeless, I cried and He responded. The way He answered was like finding and curing my long lost dying heart and putting it back to me so that my heart could pump again with His love and comfort throughout my entire body endlessly. The pain is still here and may or may not go away in my imperfect home; but my renewed heart gives me strength and helps me to face it each day.

Are you experiencing any hurt right now? Do you feel like no one you can talk to? There is hope and the hope is in the Lord. He is here with us. You can talk to Him anytime; He always listens and finds a way to help you. Keep crying out to Him!

Psalm 34:17

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.


Another break up song which I also like is Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri. It goes…



“And who do you think you are?
Runnin' 'round leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apart

You're gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
Don't come back for me
Don't come back at all”

Do you know...?

Do you know when was the first time ‘pain’ mentioned in the Bible?

The answer is Genesis 3:16 where God gave Eve the punishment because of her disobedience by eating the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God said to Eve, “I will make your pains in childbearing very sever; with painful labor you will give birth to children.” Now you know why women suffer intensive pain during labor.

Warning! Blizzard, Thunder Snow and Jesus Returns

I have never heard of ‘thunder snow’ before until last Tuesday on the weather report when the blizzard came in town. A friend said there was a thunder around 8pm but I totally missed that because I was watching Founder’s week online. I guess God’s voice/message was louder than the thunder.

There were some conversations going in the office before the snowstorm. Some colleagues took the weather warning very seriously and went home earlier than usual (including me). Some colleagues even warned their friends to avoid taking certain routes to go home; especially not to take the Lake Shore Drive (of course, some of their friends ignored their advice). Some colleagues chose not to believe that the snow storm would bring the city 20 or more inches of snow. Some even said, ‘It is not the end of the world! Why do people make such big deal?’

Different people react the weather warning differently. What if the news says, ‘Jesus is coming!’ How would you response? In Matthew 24, Jesus told his disciples that the signs of the end of the age; and how He returns.

Here are some signs that Jesus revealed to His disciples in Matthew 24:

1) Verse 5: For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.

2) Verse 6: You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.

3) Verse 7: Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

4) Verse 21: For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now – and never to be equaled again.

5) Verse 23-24: At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect – if that were possible.

6) Verse 30: At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.

7) Verse 31: And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

After reading all these verses, you might ask when will it happen? Jesus answered, ‘No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.’ Certainly, Jesus is coming back indeed. If you are not a believer, would you please consider Jesus is the Son of God; and invite Him into your heart. Jesus also mentioned, ‘Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.’ Do you think you will be taken by Jesus when He came back? How certain are you? Do you want to be left behind watching your other family members or friends went with Jesus on that day?

In conclusion, Jesus also gave us His weather warning that will happen on the day He returns. I hope you will take this warning seriously. Keep Watch and Be Prepared!

‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

Nearly Perfect Chunky Scarf


Happy New Year!  Almost a year ago I found this beautiful pattern and I have been on and off knitting this scarf for my sister. I used less than three skeins of Vanna’s Choice rose color yarns and US 9 knitting needles for this project. The scarf is about 49 inches long and 9 inches wide, so it’s kind of chunky. Basically, you can use whatever yarn and knit your desire of length. The pattern has some new stitches that I needed some helps from YouTube to learn the stitches. Thanks God for the technology!

You can find the pattern here, and I thought I might include some video tutorials to help us knit.  Just click on the abbreviation for videos!

Stitch Glossary:

K = Knit

K1-B (Knit 1 through back loop) = Insert needle into the back loop of the stitch and knit it.

K2-B (Knit 2 through back loop) = Same as K1-b, except you knit 2 stitches through the back loop (one stitch after the other, not K2Tog through back loop).

K2Tog = Knit 2 Together

M1 (Make One) = Insert needle from behind under running thread between the stitch just worked and the next stitch, and PURL this thread.

M5 (Make Five, a 5 stitch increase in one stitch) = (K1, YO, K1, YO, K1).  Just do the first set from the video but you need to make five stitches instead of three.

P = Purl

P2Tog = Purl 2 stitches together

P3Tog = Purl 3 stitches together.  Same idea like P2Tog, instead of purl two stitches together, you need to purl three stitches together.

SK2P (Slip 1, Knit 2 Together, Pass over) is done as follows:

1. Slip 1 stitch.
2. Knit 2 stitches together.
3. Pass the slipped stitch over.

SSK = Slip, Slip, Knit

Kitchener Stitch (to graft two pieces together)


The scarf was perfectly knitted without any mistake until I was doing the Kitchener Stitch at the end. Did you see an ugly line across the scarf? When you graft two pieces together, the right side should be up facing you and I did the opposite. As a result, the scarf is no longer perfect anymore. This reminds me of one of my non-believer family members always said that she is a good person who has done nothing wrong in her life. In Romans 3 mentions that “There is no one righteous, not even one ...… there is no one who does good, not even one ...… there is no fear of God before their eyes.” Many people think they are good people and they can go to heaven by trying to do good, such as, helping others, giving money to charity or going to church. However, God looks at our hearts first. If our hearts have no place for God, no matter how many good deeds we had done, it won’t guarantee to make us righteous or to earn our tickets to heaven.

How can we be righteous? In Romans 3:22, “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” Once a person who believes in Jesus Christ is his/her Lord and Savior, then his/her sins will be forgiven. Jesus took that sins to exchange His righteousness and put it on him/her; so that when God sees him/her, He sees Jesus. That is the reason why Jesus died on the cross for us, so that whoever believe in Him will have new and eternally life. Isn’t it life would be more meaningful? Also, we are guaranteed to hold first-class tickets to heaven. We don’t need to pay extra luggage fees because we are going to heaven with empty handed, for the Lord prepares everything for us.

I pray for my family member will soon to confess that she is a sinner, and start seeing the Light of God.  God is powerful and He can restore our ugliness in our life as long as we turn to Him and not running away from Him.

My scarf remains the unattractive line that symbolizes my old life is imperfect and powerless to control. But now, my life is still not perfect and powerless to control; however I have Jesus fully in control.

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What reason is this? 這是什麼道理

     About couple months ago, Jade Kwan who is a singer in Hong Kong came here and shared her testimomy with us.  I was touched by one of her songs.  My tears was flowing out of my eyes while I was meditating on the words.  What a beautiful song!


我 如此污穢
我 毫不美麗
像泥中的花朵被踐踏至枯萎
人生彷似沒存在真諦

你 何等尊貴
你 無比壯麗
為何你竟選擇捨尊降世
來尋找我
寧願撇下了一切?

這是什麼的道理
上帝兒子竟親臨世上甘願為我死
就算我曾淌著淚 狠心放棄自己
然而你卻說不會把我遺棄

超越人間的道理
十架代死的恩情使這生重現轉機
在昨天曾覺絕望 今天已全忘記
重新找到生存勇氣

這是無價的福氣
像我如此的卑微終於可拍翼高飛
任雪霜籠罩大地 滔滔狂潮泛起
仍昂首跨千里 跟隨你步履


I    am so filthy
I    am not attractive
Like a flower has been trampled until it died
And just like life without truth meanings

YOU    are so majestic
YOU    are magnificent
Why did you choose to give up your Kingship and come to the earth?
 To seek me;
YOU rather give up everything?

What reason is this?
For the Son of God actually comes down from heaven and wants to die for me
Even though I cried and tried to give up myself
But YOU say, “I will never forsake you.”

Your reason is beyond our understanding
YOU were crucified and your grace gave us second chance to live
Yesterday I felt desperate; and today I forgot my past
I have found courage to live again

Your reason is costly and a blessing
I was a slave but now I have been set free
No matter how much snow cover the ground or water rise above the sea level
My eyes are on YOU and I will follow YOU forever

Downtown Chicago Sunrise to Sunset


Thanks Tom for these beautiful photos/video!  I'm loving it :)

      Which one do you like the most sunrise or sunset?  I personally enjoy watching sunrise because it gives me a new fresh feeling of the day.  Just like having my morning cup of coffee each day.

      I remembered that I used to walk two hours from home to work by the lakefront in the summer.  Along the way, I was thanking God for putting the sun, sky, water, plants and all kind of birds together.  The wind was blowing gently against my face and through my dark long hair.  It seemed like God’s tender hands touching me and saying, “I love you, my child!”  It was a great moment for me to spend quality time with the Lord.

      How do you spend your time with God?  Do you thank God for creating this beautiful earth for you to enjoy?  It took our Lord six days to create it and He rested on the seventh day.  The Lord is truly a genius artist, no one can compare to Him.  I entrust myself to the Lord's hands because everything comes out from His hands would be good.  Lord, please continuous to mold me and shape me to the person that you want me to be.  How about you?  Would you want to give your life in the Lord’s hands?  He can certainly paint bright color in your life and also paint a right path for you the walk and follow.  Don’t you want that?  The choice is yours!

Genesis 1 - Genesis 2: 1-3

      In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.  God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

      And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water."  So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so.  God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

      And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so.  God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good.

      Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so.  The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.  And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

      And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so.  God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.  God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.  And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

      And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky."  So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.  God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth."  And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

      And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so.  God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

      Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."  Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.  And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so.  God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

      Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.  By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.  And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.



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A new Bible study series - the book of Isaiah at BSF

        Well...I should have posted this earlier that BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) is going to start this week.  We will be studying a new series - the book of Isaiah.  To find a BSF near you, please visit: http://www.bsfinternational.org/.  BSF is a great Bible study, so I wish you would consider to join.  BSF will have introduction for this week, so stop by.  No commitment or no purchase necessarily!  If you like it, then sign up :)  This is a great Bible study which I have been attending over ten years and I wish you will join us.

I don't know how am I going to handle BSF while I'm working full-time, going to school and volunteering at the women shelter at the same time.  Definitely, the Lord needs to give me strength and perseverance to get through the rest of this year.  May the Lord gives you peace and perseverance as well.

James 1: 2-5

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Yellow Watermelon


MMM...MMM...Good!

Reasons for me to like my job:
1) work with diamonds
2) met with famous governor, local anchorman and pianist
3) received a pair of diamond earring
4) free watch
5) Christmas party at Fogo de chao
6) bonus
7) ate yummy yellow watermelon
8) and more...

I'm so thankful to have these blessings from work, but my heavenly Father is my real blessing that is greater than anything else.  If I die, I will lose everything but Him.  If I have Him, I have everything.

Psalm 21


O LORD, the king rejoices in your strength.

How great is his joy in the victories you give!

You have granted him the desire of his heart

and have not withheld the request of his lips.

Selah

You welcomed him with rich blessings

and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.

He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—

length of days, for ever and ever.

 Through the victories you gave, his glory is great;

you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.

Surely you have granted him eternal blessings

and made him glad with the joy of your presence.

For the king trusts in the LORD;

through the unfailing love of the Most High

he will not be shaken.

Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies;

your right hand will seize your foes.

At the time of your appearing

you will make them like a fiery furnace.

In his wrath the LORD will swallow them up,

and his fire will consume them.

You will destroy their descendants from the earth,

their posterity from mankind.

Though they plot evil against you

and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed;

for you will make them turn their backs

when you aim at them with drawn bow.

Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength;

we will sing and praise your might.


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Multi-Strand Seed Beads and Larimar Chips Necklace

I can’t remember when I last made a piece of jewelry. I felt like making a necklace today but now I find that I didn’t like the way it looks. What do you think?


Materials:

- Thread, Berkley FireLine Crystal, crystal, 0.13mm diameter, 4-pound test.
- Glass seed beads. Size: 10/0. Color of your choice.
- Larimar chips. Color of your choice.
- 2 bead tips, bottom clamp on, double loop, 3.5mm
- 2 crimp beads, 2mm
- 2 open jump rings, 3.55mm x .03mm
- Lobster claw clasp with loop
- Scotch tapes

Tools:

- Bead crimping plier
- Round nose or flat nose plier
- Scissors



Step 1

Cut a piece of clear thread 21 inches long and thread 5 larimar chips and glass seed beads until 8 inches are filled, then put a piece of tape at the end to secure it. On the other side, thread only the glass seed beads until 8 inches are filled and then put tape at the end also. The total length is 16 inches long.



Repeat step 1 six more times to make a total of seven strands. You can basically add as many larimar chips as you want for each strand. I put 5, 6, 7, 8, 7, 6, 5 larimar chips from the top to bottom strands, so that all the larimar chips will appear slightly off the center of the necklace.

There are two ways I find that are easier and faster to thread all the tiny little seed beads on the clear thread. You can hold a small amount of seed beads between your thumb and index fingers with the original thread on, then insert the clear thread and go through all the beads, then slide the beads over to the clear thread. Or, you can lay seed beads on the table, and use your left index finger to hold the original thread, then insert the clear thread and slide the beads over to the thread. If you are lucky, sometimes you can thread a lot of beads at the same time.


Step 2

After you’re done making seven strands, choose one end of the strands and take off the tapes. Make sure all the strands are line up, then insert a crimp bead, bead tip and seed bead onto the end of the strands.


Step 3

Tie double knots on a seed bead.


Step 4

The end of the thread goes back through the bead tip and the crimp bead. Pull it tight.


Step 5

Use a bead crimping pliers to flatten the crimp bead and use a flat nose plier to tighten the bead tip with a seed bead hidden inside. Cut off the extra strands. Repeat step 2 – 5 on the other end of the strands.


Step 6

Insert two open jump rings on each side of the bead tip. Then put a lobster clasp on one side and a bigger jump ring on the other side.


Now, you can wear the necklace tomorrow at work, school or everywhere you may go.

When I think of jewelry, there is a Bible verse - Exodus 35:22 All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds: brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the LORD.

During this tough economic time, it is very easy (or should I say tempting) for me to not give an offering at church. All the money that I gave, I would rather use on paying my tuition or putting it into my saving account. But I know if I don’t offer my tithe, I will be stealing from Him. I just need to trust Him that He is my provider who always knows what I need.

BeadworkStep By Step Wire JewelryStringing