On Fishing, Fire and Breakfast

There is one thing I want more than other things. It is to be with my family: doing life together, worshiping and serving God together. Now for the third time, I have to leave my family again. I have failed for the umpteenth time to get a residence visa in Russia after working so hard for it. This visa would have allowed me to stay with my family for a longer time and be able to work and serve as a missionary.

We are feeling the rejection and disappointment. It hurts. The uncertainty makes us churlish and we don't like it. There is nothing pleasant about losing and failing.

Uncomplicated

I saw this immaculate row of plates filled with neatly cut vegetables. The table where they were on was tidy and attractive. A promo guy was demonstrating how they came to be-- the neatly cut vegetables and the tidy table. I watched in awe as he 'cut' a whole carrot in just a few minutes, without making any mess. Wow! It was totally out of MY world!

When I work in the kitchen, expect some damage and casualty like you would do during a war. Vegetables fly around while I try to contain my uncontrolled chopping and slicing. Kitchen utensils fall down or jump around like there's zero or double gravity. I am a wild, undomesticated cook. Usually, after the cooking is done, you can imagine the kitchen to be a very off-putting place to dine.

Creating Haven

All around we are encouraged to 'flaunt it', 'show it', and display whatever we've got (and even what we don't have) ostentatiously.

However, one of my favorite passages in the Bible says: "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Fret not about anything; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." (Philippians 4:4-6) We are encouraged to live simple and modest lives, for the reason that God's light within us may shine supreme.

In creating a haven for ourselves, we don't need to waste resources or spend money foolishly just to satisfy whatever takes our fancy. There is an economical and creative way in obtaining that, which we will find out is more satisfactory than just giving in to our whims.

Living modestly doesn't mean that we will renounce quality, beauty and style. Rather, it is a vow to live creatively and unpretentiously with good taste, but without squandering or getting into debt.

That is why I have created a new blog, which is meant to remind me that there is always a better choice. And I hope that in this space you will find that choice more attractive and tasteful than the flamboyant offerings of this world.

Maintenance

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There are some things that women need to do regularly, faithfully. It's what we call maintenance. It takes a huge cut out of our lives and could be painful at times. 

Surprisingly,  in the age in which we don't do most things on our own but instead pay others to do it for us, we could choose to happily spend our whole lives doing it. The better word for this is, pampering. The rich and famous indulge themselves this way and professed that it drives stress away. And we, who are not, could just not help but try it ourselves. When we get into the habit, we become high maintenance. We enjoy it so immensely that we couldn't live without it... or leave the house without all the works.