+ vs. -

a conversation I had while helping a six year old little boy do his homework:

M: "Have you been practicing your subtraction? Do you have any questions before you start?"

S: "Really, I just like addition better than subtraction."

M: "That's ok, but why is that?"

S: "Well when it's like eating cookies and doing addition, you get to eat more. But when you subtract them, you have less cookies."

M: "Totally understandable."

one year ago...

...we were celebrating Thanksgiving Hong Kong style.

{This little Thanksgiving bird squeezed in our convection oven.}

{This little bird was greeting us at the door.}

We laughed a lot. We transported casseroles in a caravan of taxis. We missed our families. We embraced separation from what was familiar. We failed to write down 1,000 things we are thankful for (sorry April). We learned over again that the Lord's goodness is rich and deep.

the weight of still waters

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23

My idea of restoration has been seemingly beset by a new understanding. As I've read through this set of scripture before, there was an overtone of a selfish fog. A picturesque moment of a strong shepherding rod in view, the greenest green pastures, and me sitting still soaking it all in. I'm quite certain, embarassingly, that I've sighed out loud before reading this psalm. But this picture, this idea that I had was lacking a serious insight of restoration. While the visuals of still waters and green pastures most certainly conjure calming notions, verse four has set my mind at a different perspective. "He restores my soul." That truth, is heavy. How does restoration happen? We continue to read on and the psalmist says, "He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." He is restoring by leading me in places where I must trust, where faith must be pure, lest I hope in vain. He restores by fulfilling his promises, making his glory known through reconstructing a life, which was dead to sin, to walk in newness of life. So the weight of those still waters I pass by, is much heavier than before. For when the Lord is our Shepherd, we shall not want. He is the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls.

diy: inspiration

The next addition for my room:

if i had a book club, i'd tell you about the book that

I just finished:

The story of the Zeitoun family, located in the heart of New Orleans immediately before & after Katrina. I found the layers of family dynamics, culture, religion, integrity and justice in perfect intersections as I got lost in the reality of a modern day New Orleans.

I'm working on:

A book that is in much less need of introduction. One afternoon Jason let me borrow his copy of this intricate character's tale. Beautifully penned and undeniably entertaining.

I just broke the binding on:

A book that traveled to Hong Kong and back with me late this summer. A timely complying of truth spoken directly to the ideas and culture that are ingrained in each one of us as Americans. It is not a call to life radically for the sake of living radically. Rather, a call to live truly following Christ, surrendered to the truth laid out in scripture and written across our hearts as believers. Currently bookmarked at page 30, my soul is already refreshed and challenged by God's truth spoken through these pages.

slicing and dicing

Confession #1: Today I was in the kitchen for 4 hours straight.

Confession #2: I really love being in the kitchen. I think it used to be a place that scared me. Yep, scared. Not nightmare, scared for my life scared. Scared in the sense that it was more than likely I was going to burn whatever I was cooking, or myself (which I still frequently do). I find myself lingering in the kitchen wondering what I could bake, or how I could make a meal out of whatever may happen to be in the refrigerator, or trying a new recipe when no one is home just in case it tanks miserably. This recent love affair with trying to be a culinary legend in my own mind has been accompanied by a repeat disorder with an Otis Redding album. Over and over. I'm sure my roommates are sick of it, but the kitchen doesn't seem to function as smoothly without some good music in my book. So, here's to more "Try A Little Tenderness" & olive oil.

Because I know you're just dying to know tonight's menu:

Cowboy Chicken

Fluffy New Potatoes

Steamed Broccoli

Fresh Corn on the Cob

and the finale: chocolate chip doozies (sorry Cat, I know you little less than hate that word)

because i love the snail mail

Seeing the revival of the telegram made my heart happy today. Who wouldn't want to find of of these in their mailbox?

thoughts on rotation from Sunday

"Love costs us the whole concept of self-preservation."

a playlist & a project

A few good tunes.

• "Try A little Tenderness": Otis Redding
• "May Waltz (Acoustic)": Brooke Fraser
• "Our Kind of Love": Lady Antebellum
• "Feeling Good": Nina Simone
• "I Got That Feeling": James Brown

[play all the way through.]

• "Where the Light Is": John Mayer
• "Legends of Soul": Otis Redding

Add in: buttons.

1/3 yard of fabric.

tearing.

folding. tacking. repeating.

again, and again. 38 times, again.

a snap to the side.

a button to cover.

and voila: a swell little anchor pillow sham.

hello, my name is...

I have been asked a lot lately, "How do you feel being back in the states?" There are so many facets of transition that intersect the answer to that question. Of course it has been so fun to see friends and family, to hear the sound of that distinctive slow Southern draw, and to interact without having to translate using hand motions. But if I boil down all the prefaces and the intersecting factors, I feel like the new kid in class. You know the first day of school feeling? It's so wonderfully nerve-racking. Pushing through awkward introductions, getting lost, going the wrong way (down a one-way street: can we talk about embarrassing?), making new friends, and finding a new rhythm of life. I'm still trying to figure out where I fit in this new place. I'm different than I was a year ago, the place is different, the people are different. Different is most certainly OK, and today it just means that life is contrasting what it once was. Really thankful to be in a place where I am still learning each day. Most of the time lessons have revealed themselves so unexpectedly, but then again don't the best ones always come that way? Here's to a deep breath and a fresh start.

'all his work'

For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. Psalm 33:4

2 days

Two days left till I head to HKG and with all the little might it can conjure, my mind is trying to soak up Hong Kong. My heart has been so blessed by the last year.

Certainly more depth of understanding will come in due time.

Certainly I will miss this place.

Certainly the Lord's goodness will continue in it's humbling steadfast fashion.

via maggie

"every one of us is called upon, probably many times, to start a new life. a frightening diagnosis, a marriage, a move, loss of a job...and onward full tilt we go, pitched and wrecked and absurdly resolute, driven in spite of everything to make good on a new shore. to be hopeful, to embrace one possibility after another- that is surely the basic instinct...crying out: high tide! time to move out into the glorious debris. time to take this life for what it is."

-barbara kingsolver, high tide in tucson

noah's here!

The newest addition to the Littlepage family has arrived! He is the cutest and sweetest little guy. Incredibly thrilled for these dear friends. No doubt they are going to be wonderful parents.

redefine

After taking enough time to let silence be a comfortable companion this morning, I was able to think and pray over the last year. All that it's meant, all that it will mean and all that is changing in me because of it. Recent years have been full with a theme of restoration in my life. Isaiah 61 followed me across continents and through so many seasons, meaning a million beautiful things along the way. This morning the Lord was so kind to speak straight to my heart and show me that after restoring much, he is redefining much. He has rebuilt places long devastated and is teaching me what it means to be truly alive in those places, knowing more of him & becoming more like Christ in the process. That means that my old self has to die. Harsh language? It's that critical. It's that important. It is that new. It's new life. Ah, let your soul sit with that for a moment. My heart just turns over on itself in the thought that God is not through with me yet. Some days I feel like such a mess. You know those deep moments that you walk out of full just to find the world looks different. And that is just the thing, the places that are so hard to walk into and through, they shape us. Our experience with the world can't, and shouldn't, be the same. I admit that it's frustrating to me at first. I'm more frustrated with myself than anything, wrestling with this feeling that I can't make sense of it all. But with much grace and love the Father walks me a couple more steps to see that he's teaching me how to live. Each day here is another part of him redefining my understanding so that I know love in the deepest parts of me. He is teaching me what it means to trust, to love and to forgive. All over again. Restoring and redefining.

things along that way that are O.K. & not O.K.

things that are O.K.:

• Listening to the blues and overcast skies. They just belong together.
• Smiling with your teeth. Half smiles (no teeth involved) feel just, half-y.
• The collision of every walk of life that happens on public transportation.
• Noah will be here so soon.
• Ice cream surprises.
• True community. Recognizing more everyday how blessed I am by the people I get to call friends.

things that are not O.K.:

• Jeans in July in Hong Kong. I confess I have rationalized jeans while indoors in air-conditioning which proves to be faulty logic almost every time. You would think that the rain season here would wash away some of the humidity and allow everyone to enjoy walking under the intense-you-are-keenly-aware-that-you-are-closer-to-the-equator-summer sun. But no, here it decides to add another dose of thickness to the air which then likens walking to swimming. This can start to be confusing because you know that you just took a step outside the apartment and not a leap for a cannonball into the pool. In the same thought, I would never go swimming in jeans, so why would I wear them in July in Hong Kong? The answer perhaps is simple wishful thinking.
• The rant I just went on about jeans in HK. Thank you for reading if your eyes have made it this far.

trust

Trust is this theme that the Lord will not relent on threading through my life. Trust is not merely recognizing an opportunity to surrender, it's an all encompassing recognition that God is changing my heart & mind to believe and act in the truth that He is good.

preposterous

So I sat down to read the other morning and realized that one of the short stack of books on my bed side table held a similar characteristic between it's pages, a bookmark. I know it doesn't seem so preposterous that my books are sandwiching bookmarks, isn't that where bookmarks belong? Inside books? Obviously. The preposterous thing is that my bookmarks seem to find residence about 3/4 of the way through and then the binding of a new book is bent back and my interest drifts towards the beginnings of a new book. I think the creative part of me really enjoys new things, new ideas, new experiences and new starts. It's the beauty of creativity I suppose. But I want to be someone who can appreciate something new and enjoy it all the more as it becomes familiar and known. I want to soak in the richness that comes with depth and time. So I'm starting with my books, going back to the one that has been neglected for far too long and moving my little bookmark till it no longer belongs within those pages. Here's to learning something new each day, even in the things that are familiar.

thank you jet lag...

..for waking me up at 4 a.m. and allowing my heart to be saturated with truth before the sunrise. "But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and refuge in the day of my distress. O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love." Psalm 59:16 & 17

snapshots

the harbor.

we all scream for ice cream.

a hong kong classic.

truth for today

Our faith is counted to us as righteousness.

(Romans 4:20-25)

free knowledge for you, you're welcome.

In honor of my fondness for foggy London town: I learned the other day that Big Ben is the name of the bell in the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster. All this time the Clock Tower has been neglected of it's proper name. Although I have to admit that Big Ben seems like a much more interesting label. London keeps inching its way up the list of places I'd love to visit soon, perhaps I'll have a picture of the Clock Tower to show you one day. Until then you have a free fun fact for today.

a couple more reasons

Simple emails like this one from Trace:

"I'm at the Huntsville Starbucks, it made me think of you."

So much of me wanted to blink my eyes and be at Starbucks sitting across the table from her, finding ourselves in the midst of conversation in an all too familiar coffee shop and talking about about all that has gone in the last 9 months. Perhaps you aren't a supporter of the corporate coffee tycoon, but as soon as I tried a white chocolate mocha (which I'm convinced is the healthiest thing on the menu) I knew Starbucks & I had started a relationship I wasn't going to be able to end. I confess that I used to disdain the taste of their brewed coffee, and still do most of the time, but when there's no coffee in the apartment it is usually my quickest remedy. The times I don't mind drinking Starbucks coffee at all is with my dad. Without question he will spend a few minutes at the coffee preparation station, sit down, take a sip of his coffee and shake his head saying "Whewwww, that's strong stuff" and make his way for some more milk or sugar. Dad is pretty particular about how he likes his coffee, but it's one of those endearing things that reminds me of mornings at home. All that to say, I'm excited about the conversations yet to be had at Starbucks this summer & I'm starting to wonder if I could ask Starbucks for a sponsorship in accordance to the amount of time and money I spend at their locations across the globe. I'll keep you updated with their offers.

this morning

The city has greeted me from a different window. The smog and the stacked concrete still welcoming the day in the peculiar constant way they do. This morning I am found thankful for new beginnings, and for all that has come to pass that enables me to appreciate all that is yet to come.

quotation

"A sunset is what our lives should be: quiet, noble, and unhurried." C. L. Rawlins

manic monday

3 little reasons I'm going to miss Hong Kong in June.

happy mum's day

Happy Mother's Day!

Mom, I am so thankful for you.

Thank you for your continuous support, servant spirit, love of laughter, and of course your pancakes.

Zach & I wouldn't be the same without you.

Teresa, thank you for being such an incredible step-mom.

Thanks for being a woman of prayer, quick to listen, and loving us girls so well.

You are such a gift.

[I love you both so much! Can't wait to see you soon. So blessed to call you mom.]

why i was thankful for Saturday

via bullet points:

• A slow morning consumed with reading.
• The sun decided to peak through the clouds for a couple hours.
• An afternoon spent by the harbor.
• Chai Tea Latte & a couple bites of a chocolate doughnut.
• Laughter.
• Grocery shopping without having to buy an extra little plastic bag.
• Homemade salsa.
• Dinner and a movie with J.

friday

My morning did circles around this group of verses:

"No distrust made him (Abraham) waver concerning the promise of God,

but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,

fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness." But the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification."

Romans 4:20-25

Fully convinced.

Fully. Completely. Entirely. To the furthest extent. Fully.

It's powerful isn't it?

In the afternoon I went with Jason around Sha Tin, acting as the official camera bag holder while he took photos for a new project. I love how a camera gives one gumption to do things they wouldn't normally do, like stand on public seating, sit on the ground near the bus stop, climb on part of an elevated abandoned parking deck, set up your tripod in the que for the train, which we may or may not have done. It was a fun afternoon rounded off by time with friends, a great meal, and strawberry cake made by sweet Catherine.

Time for Saturday- it looks like there is going to be sunshine!

thursday

Another day of productivity. Filling out forms, writing emails, and grocery shopping. I'm sure by now you are fully captivated by my activities, but rest assured the best part of the day was family dinner which included friends we've had the joy to know recently and some over the past few months. It's so neat to see how our introductions that started in an English class, have grown into genuine friendships. I'm thankful for the way that we can come together, with all our different experiences and perspectives, and have a greater understanding of one another without judgement or expectation. Thankful for their honesty, for their questions, for their knowledge, and for their patience as we ask questions as well. These dear friends are teaching me so much.

wed nes day

Wednesday I spent almost 10 hours straight looking at my computer screen. I have a whole new respect for people who work with computers for the majority of their day. I think I am just too fidgety to sit still that long. After dinner, I realized that I was being counter productive by trying to press myself to type any longer. So I pulled out a canvas I bought months ago, brushed the dust of my paint brushes, pressed play on You've Got Mail (confession: I watch this movie at least once every 3 months. I have a repeat problems with movies I really enjoy.) and took my time creating something new.

tuesday

Tuesday started out with a to-do list and a cup of coffee. I love a list, as I've mentioned a time or two. This love can get out of hand sometimes, hence the reason for consolidating into one to-do list for the next month that includes all things big and small to be done. All that to say, the morning yielded much more productivity and a sense of calm knowing how to best allocate my time in the weeks ahead. In the early afternoon I headed out into the city placing a couple check marks by requested souvenirs from Hong Kong. And after my scavenger hunt was done, I still had about an hour until I was supposed to meet Jas for dinner at the Turkish restaurant. Considering the crowds were only growing thicker in the midst of the markets, I decided that time would be well spent with a book and a cup of Turkish tea rather than frustrated at being ricocheted in between shoppers in a frenzy. When I reached the restaurant, it was empty apart from one of the brothers that runs the restaurant. He invited me to sit down and a conversation started that left my heart heavy for this friend. In respect to his situation I won't go into detail, but shortly after our conversation started Jason arrived and the conversation continued into a place of real honesty. I was so thankful that no other costumers had arrived and that my bookmark didn't move that afternoon so that conversation was able to happen. Those moments of sharing life with people on a genuine heart level, those are priceless. It was there that my heart was reminded of what I've been reading lately about not only being hearers of the truth but doers. For in the union of those two things, we are not left the same. But to step out in faith seems risky. For it is not always logical, it is definitely not always comfortable. What would it look like to risk loving people well? To risk asking hard questions, to risk going out of your way, to risk feeling misunderstood, to risk not being loved in return, to risk in light of the love that satiates the heart of every believer. In all honesty, I think it's hardly a risk at all. If our hope is secure, our purpose set, our portion enough- the risks I listed above seem to be erased. And in that knowledge, there is such freedom to love well without reservation.

two three.

Welcome to 23 Ash!

I hope your day is wonderful.

Thank you for being such a great sister to me and MC.

Thanks for always laughing with me/at me- we both know how accident prone I am.

Thanks for understanding.

Thanks for loving Christmas time with me (and ALL the ornaments on the tree).

Thanks for trying to teach me how to shoot a basketball.

Thanks for riding skateboards with me down Jane Drive. Sitting down on the skateboard of course.

Thanks for your honesty.

I am so glad you're my sister.

I love you.

Can't wait to see you soon!

a week in my shoes

Somewhere along the way of sharing my thoughts & things, I stunted myself from sharing more often. Perhaps it's been circumstantial, perhaps it's been uncertainty, most likely it's been a combination of the two plus a desire to share something worth reading. Not that my thoughts are more valuable than the next, surely there are thousands of other blogs that spur you towards creativity and a deeper level of thought. But whether I recognize it in the moment or after the moment (sometimes that stubborn resolve causes delay), I'm learning each day and being transformed in the midst of it all to look more like Christ (2 Corinthians 3:17 & 18, Romans 12:2). The seemingly mundane, laughter shared with friends, formative decisions, sleepless nights, and everything in between is part of that process. And that transformation is worth sharing, not because of who I am but because of who Christ is. I know I'm far from having it figured out, but if for some reason you are still clicking over to here read: thank you.

Here's to round 2 of 'a week in my shoes'.

from & for

"For in it (the gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed

from faith for faith,

as it is written, "The righteous should live by faith."

Romans 1:17

tally mark 4

the best batch yet.

reasons

After looking at a calendar of June for the better part of the afternoon, I'm starting to get really excited about being in the states this summer. This lovely little photo embodies 2 reasons why:

• MC: my little sister who can makes laugh harder than almost anyone I know, she's just incredible.
• TCBY: oh how I've missed you. (MC, I've obviously missed you too.)

I have a feeling lists of ''reasons" will be frequently appearing in the upcoming month.

pennies from heaven

Bing Crosby says to make sure your umbrella is upside down when it rains and today my umbrella decided to take initiative and catch my fortune of rain drops as I made my way to the MTR station. The wind acted as a guide as it pushed me through the maze of battling umbrellas and ricocheted between myself and the buildings lining the street. My black satin flats tiptoed around puddles until my depth perception failed me (which happens far too often) and my foot landed completely submerged. At this point rain was blowing under my umbrella and I pulled my purse in close to my torso like it was going to help in some way, still holding my lovely little blue brella over my head as some sort of solace. It was at that moment my umbrella, so poetically, did a back flip as I passed a woman buying an umbrella on the side of the street. With the train station in view, I couldn't help but laugh. Yep, out loud. Thankfully, the train was full of other travelers who were dressed in rain as well.

extra cheese please

"As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.

But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him..."

Psalm 103: 15-17

This morning was spent in conversation with one of my closest friends using the phrases "time keeps passing so quickly", "it seems like just yesterday", "remember when..." and "Oh geez, we are starting to use those phrases that have echoed around us for years". Our realization was met with reflective laughter and an honest joy. This morning I'm found hopeful. I'm found undeserving of this precious life I've been given. I'm found thankful for this short 'bloom'. It's going to be a beautiful day.

divine mercy

"We know Jesus has saved our lives from divine judgement. Think of it, Christ has taken all of your filth and my filth, all of your evil wicked thoughts and my evil wicked thoughts, he has taken every single one of them and he has put them on his son instead of us. Jesus has taken the punishment due every single one of our sins upon himself he has delivered us from divine judgement. And not only that, not only deliverance, he has freed us. We don't have to go back to our sin like we see over and over again in the book of Judges. We are free from sin, free to walk in victory over sin, not to go back to that from which we have been saved from. So what shall we do then? Shall we sit back with that news? Jesus has saved us from divine judgement. Shall we sit back with that news and just soak it in while we turn a deaf ear to millions upon millions of people who have never heard that? Absolutely not. We are not saved to soak it in, we are saved to spend our lives to proclaim divine mercy. That is what we do. We give ourselves, we give our lives, we give our family, we give our time, we give our money, we give everything we have: our very lives, making this mercy known to the ends of the earth. That is the only response to the one true God."

-sermon Depravity & Deliverance, David Platt

bread for today

During my time in the Philippines, I've been waking up with the dawn. Literally. I really enjoy the early morning, but waking up while it is still dark outside is early even for me. Instead of fighting frustration for an hour before breakfast is ready, the Lord has been good to guide me towards greeting the sunrise over the South Sea with a cup of coffee and the Psalms. This morning Psalm 103 poured refreshment and perspective in front of me to walk in today. This Psalm beckons one into praise from the onset, appropriating our affections towards the hope of our souls.

Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

he will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.

But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children- with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.

The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.

Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.

Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you servants who do his will.

Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, O my soul.

snapshots 2

[clockwise: i really like this rice bag, demo vegetables for sustainable living, Values/Health/Livelihood class in the slums, lines, sweet souls]

snapshots

Last week I got to experience Cebu with some of my favorite people. And this week I've had a great opportunity to adventure around the Philippines with some wonderful people from ICM . I've really enjoyed seeing a new part of the Philippines, this place is really fascinating. I only have a few minutes on the internet but I wanted to share a couple pictures along the way. [from left to right: looking out from a Japanese tunnel left from war, typical market collection, the Mayon volcano in Legaspi, church ruins after an eruption by Mayon in 1814]. Hope you enjoy, there's more to come.

pancake muffins

Sounds tasty hm? I thought so too. Hence the reason why I tried to bake them this morning. The process was just fine, everything was going well. The muffins cooked until golden brown and their aroma + a fresh pot of coffee was the perfect scent to welcome in the morning. The muffins turned out A O.K., but the maple syrup glaze (where did I ever get the novel idea I could make a glaze?) acted more like glue than a lovely little glaze. After I was able to separate my teeth again, I tried them sans glaze and they were light and delicious. Here's the recipe if you feel so inclined: click right here. Now it's time to finish my cup of coffee and finish packing for my next adventure.

i love a good question

"What's your favorite sentence?"

-Cecilia Liu

thankful

My apologies for a lack of writing lately. This season of life has been so full. Like other seasons of growth, the learning curve is steep but worth the change and the joy that is exchanged for new depths. One would think, as I am so prone to as well, that in clarity everything will be more simple, more reasonable even. My mind wakes most mornings reeling through what lies ahead on the most daily of tasks and the form of the future. The truth is that clarity in and of itself doesn't hold all the answers in it's grip. I'm drawn back to the satiation for my longing, found only in Christ Himself.

creativity with a cause

one of the blogs i check almost everyday. also, one of those ideas that you just wish you had enough gumption to carry out: the uniform project.

lessons from habakkuk 2:1

Our church family at IECC has been walking through the book of Habakkuk. We're covering the book in just 3 weeks, but it's been refreshing to really understand the context and gain fresh perspective. Last week (sorry about the delay) we worked through Habakkuk 1:12-2:20. My pen began to scribble in overdrive when we began reading in chapter 2. Habakkuk is speaking of the Lord in verses 1 which reads:

I will take my stand at my watchpost and

[ascend to gain fresh perspective]

station myself on the tower,

[be faithful]

and look out to see what He will say to me,

[be teachable]

and what I will answer concerning my complaint.

[respond in humility]

Oh how my heart needed that [fresh perspective]. Far too often I'm tempted to dissect my circumstances until I'm so focused on them that what matters has become part of my blurred peripheral vision. The Lord gently guided me back to my 'watchpost' to gaze at his Sovereignty and rest in truth.

you know you're in hk when...

...you lose your mailbox key, and the technician opens your mailbox with a screwdriver and a hammer. Not to worry, there are two copies of the new key.

it's a process

On Christmas morning Matt & April made these fantastic cinnamon rolls. We're talking about made from scratch, way too much sugar, delicious cinnamon rolls. So I gathered some gumption, the recipe from April, encouragement and help from Jason, and decided I would attempt to make them as well.

Let's pause and go over some basic information:

• Matt & April are amazing cooks
• I am an amateur at best, but I enjoy learning [effort counts for something right?]
• bullet points were probably not necessary, but I am glad you're still reading this.

This past baking session was stroke 3 in my attempt tally box. And it proved to be the best one yet. I'll be the first to tell you that I'm still in the process of learning how to cook, but this

recipe is a process in and of itself.

We're talking about a couple hours of mixing, kneading, waiting , rolling, sprinkling, rolling, sprinkling [I recently learned the art of rolling c-rolls. Yes, I said art, it takes practice people.] and cutting- before there is a plethora of cinnamon rolls across the kitchen. I function best when a recipe includes exact measurements, far too detailed step by step instructions, and pictures just make my day [Hence the reason I can get lost in recipes from TasteSpotting & Pioneer Woman far too often]. Well, this little cinnamon roll recipe leaves room for a little flexibility. So, whether it suits your fancy, or cramps your baking style, I thought I'd share just in case you were in the market for a new recipe. I'll be sure to keep you updated on upcoming tally marks. Hope you enjoy!

Parry Rolls from: twopeasandtheirpod.com

2 packages yeast, dissolved in 1 cup lukewarm water

6 tablespoons shortening

1 cup sugar

7 cups flour or more as needed (it will take more)

2 cups hot water

2 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon salt

Softened butter

Brown sugar

Raisins

Cinnamon

[remember that flexibility thing we talked about: example A]

Add yeast to cup of lukewarm water and sprinkle in a little sugar. Set aside for about 5 minutes. Add shortening, sugar, and salt to hot water ad cool to lukewarm. Stir in 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add yeast and mix again until smooth.

Add beaten eggs.

Stir in remained of flour, a little at a time until no more can be mixed in. Remove the mixer attachment and knead by hand, adding flour until dough does not stick to the bowl. Remove from bowl and knead until dough feels satiny and looks smooth [this is where I need a picture] .

Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Lightly knead and roll out into rectangular shape. Spread with softened butter. Sprinkle on brown sugar, raisins and cinnamon. (Make sure you use lots of brown sugar...you can omit the raisins, and sprinkle on loads of cinnamon [loads: how much is that?]. we never measure but be very generous [never measure: glad I'm following your recipe: example D].)

Roll into one long roll. To cut use a piece of string or floss.

Place on well greased pans and let rise until double in bulk. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to 350 and bake until brown- only about 5-7 more minutes. After cooled frost.

frosting recipe

Butter

Vanilla

Powdered Sugar

Milk

I'm not sure on the amount [yes, the recipe really says this]! Whisk until you get the right consistency and frost the rolls.

FIFTEEN DAYS!

Until my sweet friend Hannah and a team from North Metro Church in Atlanta come to visit us here in Hong Kong. {Han: you better get to packin', you're going to be here tomorrow. maybe not tomorrow, but two weeks will fly by before you know and then it'll be time to come and you won't be packed and you'll be surprised it's time for your trip and be all in a tizzy and we don't want that. so, you better get to packin'.}

kung hei fat choy!

In other words: Happy New Year! Yes, I am fully aware that it is the middle of February. For those of you who may be located in the Western hemisphere, I'm sorry that you were not within ear shot of the fireworks/pots & pans/red pocket/everybody is off work and in the mall extravaganza that flooded this weekend to celebrate Chinese New Year. Despite the rain and chill that rolled in with the festivities, I loved being able to just be a witness as everyone prepared for time with family and the start of a new year. We are still learning new culture lessons every day and enjoying watching them play out before our eyes. Mary, Zach & Micah definitely out celebrated any of us when they purchased inflatable tiger hats to wear during the festivities. Appropriately so, it is the year of the tiger. As soon as I have photo evidence I'll make sure to share. Monday night there was a fireworks display scheduled at the harbor. (Of the few things I do know, I know that people here don't joke around when it comes to fireworks, they invented them-literally.) So we went to the harbor early to ensure some good seats for the show. As the temperature continued to drop and the gray clouds that loomed over the buildings did not dissolve, we decided that the fireworks would probably be delayed and warm dinner sounded much more appealing than letting the rain spit on us for another couple hours. A group of us cozied into a booth in a pizza place, excited to be indoors and in the company of good friends. And just around the time that they bring that good bread and oil to dip it in, the TVs strategically placed around the restaurant put our assumptions to shame. A panoramic shot of the harbor came up and for the following 30 minutes we watched as fireworks lit up the skyline in a wonderful display. Lesson learned: the Chinese don't hesitate when it is time to celebrate. Rain or shine, celebrate we will. Although we missed out on the fireworks, we did catch little glimpses of different people celebrating across the city:

It's a gift to be here. Learning that more each day too.

laissez les bon temps roulez

Half a world away, some one is cutting into the purple/green/gold icing of a king cake, beginning the all too elaborate celebration of Mardi Gras. I have such distinct memories from my childhood of my Papa {my dad's dad} telling us stories about "Nwalens" in with his slow Louisiana draw blending into the laces of French influence he inherited from his parents. For years he would make the trip from Alabama to Louisiana to reconnect with family and reminisce through memories with laughter. We all knew he just had to get back enjoy a real bowl of jambalaya. Although our family doesn't celebrate Mardi Gras extensively by any means, I really love the idea of taking time to thumb through recently inherited photo gems and rekindling an appreciation for my family this time of the year. I'm not sure I'll ever grow weary of hearing stories from years past and learning more about the lives that intertwined themselves to create this wonderful story of our family. {And who doesn't love an extra little occasion to eat cake, I know I'm in.}

deeper places

"What if God chooses to call us to things in our lives, not because of our qualifications and our abilities, but in order to lead us to a place where we are radically dependent on his presence?"

- David Platt

press play

• "Breakdown" : Missy Higgins
• "Love Ain't Gonna Let You Down" : Jamie Cullum
• "Crossroads" : John Mayer
• "All Creatures of Our God & King" : Patty Griffin
• "Three More Days" : Ray LaMontagne
• "A Man of Many Words" : Buddy Guy & Junior Wells
• "That's Life" : Frank Sinatra
• "Hurricane" : Athelete

"hold your incense high"

There are a great number of temples in Hong Kong. Some humble, others presenting themselves much more elaborate. But regardless of it's appearance there is a consistent characteristic that will identify a temple area before the door frames cross your vision: incense. The aroma around the courts is full and distinctive. As the Chinese New Year approaches, temple courts are brimming with visitors coming to hold their incense high. Walking past one of the most frequented temples here in Hong Kong last week, it was very apparent who was there to pay respects. They waved their collection of incense sticks high as the sticks burned, releasing that unique scent. It's identifying and it weaves its way into your clothes, reminding you through the rest of the day where you've been.

The rest of the day unfolded in an ordinary fashion, but 2 Corinthians 2:14 { For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. } set itself on repeat in my heart. This incredible thought accompanied it's repetition: that we, God's children, are set apart for such a worthy purpose. What a blissful thought. I pray that when the world looks in on our lives, they should see truth lifted high and that our longings would reflect a heavenly longing that burns in us.

haiti

because my words fall so short. some pictures from the big picture.

{Lord, rebuild this place and these people with the knowledge of your steadfast love.}

for the birds

william cowper

A dear friend recently shared the lyrics to this hymn and I thought I'd share them with you as well. As I was reading over them I decided to do a little research about the author and learned that ol' William:

• wrote/co-wrote 66+ hymns over his lifetime along with numerous poems
• lived most of his days in Norfolk, England
• studied to be a lawyer but never practiced law
• suffered from manic depression
• used his literary influence to support the anti-slavery movement in England
• he was close friends with John Newton, author of "Amazing Grace"
• "God Moves in a Mysterious Way" is the last hymn he wrote

"God Moves in a Mysterious Way", written by William Cowper in 1774.

God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines Of never failing skill He treasures up His bright designs And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds ye so much dread Are big with mercy and shall break In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust Him for His grace; Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour; The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err And scan His work in vain; God is His own interpreter, And He will make it plain.

mornin'

This morning I got to watch the city come alive as the sun poured over the harbor and the buildings that cut into the skyline. My vision warred between the turning pages of a great book and the stillness of the city fading away. Love moments like these. Good morning Hong Kong.

[Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.] Hosea 6:3