Inspired today.

source

Not that y'all haven't noticed, but I've been getting [back] into the blogging thing lately.

I don't just have my own blog, though. I also follow countless cooking blogs (kitchen inspiration!), friends' blogs (babies, marriage, faith, life. I love.), and random Christian strangers' blogs.

Each is a source of inspiration, encouragement, and challenge. Get into that kitchen and try something new, Esther. Share your faith more often with your friends, Esther. See how God worked through this stranger's difficult times and transformed her faith, Esther. One of the best "wasting time" activities, in my opinion.

Today I was encouraged by this woman's blog. I respect her so much for the difficult things that she went through, because of a deep trust in God that rose up from her suffering. Her faith is so real. Faith that is strengthened and made even more secure by pain - that is the kind of faith that reminds me of how powerful, loving, and REAL our Lord is.

Check out her blog, if you have time. More blog recommendations to come in the future :)

Dating my husband

Today was date day.

We just couldn't waste this Saturday indoors, especially with such perfect end-of-the-summer weather and a ton of [free!] events going on in our city. So I set my virus charts aside, he closed his computer, and we spent our afternoon just dating each other. No grocery shopping, no errands (minus a teeny trip to the bank), no time crunch!

First stop: the front door of our apartment. Gotta document everything we can! :P

Rittenhouse Arts Festival & Farmers' Market

We tried our best to sound artistically cultured. I think we [almost] pulled it off.

No outdoor market/fair is complete without some fresh-squeezed lemonade!

I'm definitely a city girl. I love urban life. Even if the most we can do right now is to window-shop (and window-drool). Yes, we window-drool.

Gorgeous.

I'm a med student and he's a seminarian. Plainly translated, we be bookworms. Do you think we'd pass by a bookstore without poking our heads in? 

Now, for the highlight of our date (at least, for me): I brought home the first of many - I hope! - baby herb plants!! Today's baby was basil. I'm hoping to find some cilantro plants next!

I was so happy to find these at the farmers' market, because I hate buying produce like basil, cilantros, mint, or parsley in fixed quantities. They go bad so easily, and it makes me sad to see those poor little leaves rotting away in the fridge. So of course, the natural solution would be to just keep them as plant babies!

Dear babies, please grow us lots of fragrant basil leaves for many many years, and don't be offended by my lack of plant-nurturing skills. I will try my very best not to kill you. 

My basil looks so satisfied on that windowsill. And my loving husband does our dishes yet again :)

How was your weekend?

Change my heart

We spent this weekend in the Poconos for a church leadership retreat.

My heart felt like stone on our drive up. Hubs and I had been a part of Liberti for a year now, and yet I still felt disconnected from the community, or that no one outside of our homegroup (or small group, Bible study, whatever you call it) knew who I was. So to be heading to a retreat with other leaders, to be involved with setting the vision of our church for the coming year, was an irony - because my heart didn't feel invested in this community.

But I lost that stony heart somewhere between our worship times, discussions of which areas our church must grow in so that we can love God, other people, and Philadelphia better, and sweet conversations with other brothers and sisters.

Somewhere in the midst of hearing the testimonies, the leaders' earnest pursuit of God, and encouragements from the pastors, I began to see just how much Jesus loves our church and has been faithfully guiding us as a community.

I'm thankful to have found a new, softer, functioning heart up in the Poconos. I want to love my church this year, and to pursue deeper relationships with the brothers and sisters there. Blog readers, keep me accountable.

Fluffy Pancakes!

I feel slightly ashamed to be posting this recipe on my blog, because it's not my own. I wish I could give credit where credit is due, but I follow so many blogs and recipe sites... sometimes I lose track of which recipe came from what blogger.

This recipe's been on our fridge door for a few months now. It passed Esther's Cardinal Rules of a tape-onto-the-fridge-worthy recipe:

1. Simple (uses basic ingredients I always have on hand)
2. Quick to make (this is KEY for the busy wife. mmhmm.)
3. Fool-proof (immune to Esther's kitchen mistakes...)
4. Husband approves (he compliments all my dishes, but there's a certain relish with which he devours the meals that he really likes. I like to think of it as his special stamp of approval.)

So be warned, my friends. If you're looking for a mind-blowingly unique pancake experience, you dialed the wrong number (err... typed in the wrong website?). What follows is a simple, duplicatable, delicious batch of fluffy pancakes. Nom. :)

Fluffy Pancakes: The Recipe

You need: 

• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp white vinegar (I tried apple cider vinegar once, and it turned out good too!)
• 1 cup flour
• 2 Tbsp white sugar (or loosely packed brown sugar)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp melted butter

Ready?? 

First, you combine the milk and vinegar and set it aside for 5 minutes. This is crucial to the fluffiness of these pancakes. After 5 minutes, your sour milk will look like this:

Meanwhile, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder & soda, and salt).

Whisk the egg, pour in the melted butter, and combine this egg-butter goo with the sour milk. Sound appetizing so far? ;)

Then pour the wet mixture into the dry mix. Mix away, but you must remember to leave some lumps!! I don't remember exactly why, but my notes say that the blogger explained that it makes or breaks the texture of your pancakes. I don't challenge the expertise of "professional" food bloggers; you shouldn't either.

Leave. Lumps. In.

Now, I wake up way earlier than my husband does on a weekend (6 am versus 9 am). I get hungry in the morning, so sometimes I make this batter at 6, cook myself a few pancakes, and set the remaining batter aside until the man wants breakfast. You can store it in the fridge, too! Just make sure it's back to room temperature before you cook. (Blogger's advice.)

Oil a pan and set it on medium heat. When the pan is hot enough, pour 1/4 cupfuls (I use a ladle) and gently spread. You'll know when to flip it because bubbles will start to appear on the surface. Flip, and cook until the other side is also golden brown.

Easy, right?? I'm sure you can do it too!

See how excited my husband is to dig in?

(OK... In reality, I pulled him out of bed and forced a shirt on him so he could pose for this picture - all in the name of taking an artsy fartsy photo for you blogfans. Don't worry, I rewarded him with an extra huge breakfast of pancakes, eggs, coffee, and assorted fruit!)

Now go enjoy your weekend brunches, and I'm gonna enjoy my first Postexam Weekend of second year!! Woop! 

Once a Day, Smile.

"My daughter, you must cultivate a joyful and peaceful atmosphere at home. Once a day, smile. You smile a lot, but you must especially smile when you are stressed or anxious."

My mother knows me. I'm a smiley and happy girl by nature, but my face and attitude so easily betray me when I'm having a bad day or am stressed.

Tuesday was one of those moments. Med school exams were looming just 3 days away (translation: each millisecond not spent studying felt wasted). Intending to study for a couple hours before class, I woke up early - but somehow, after fixing myself breakfast and packing lunch+snacks for Hubs and lunch+snacks+dinner for myself, my two study hours disappeared! I rushed out the door and ran to the bus stop. 10 minutes passed. No bus. 15... 17... 25 minutes, but still no bus. And late for class.

Did I smile? Why yes, I put on a beautiful, relaxed smile; and when my husband offered to drop me off, I sweetly thanked him for going out of his way for me.

....NOT. That's what I should have done. Instead, I angry-texted my husband and somehow made it seem like his fault. That, dear readers, is something you should never do.

He didn't have to leave home for another half hour, but he graciously ignored the angry undertones of my text and offered to drive me to school as soon as he was ready.

I stood there at the corner, seething and shooting death glares at any poor soul that dared make accidental eye contact. It was not a pretty morning, and I was not a cultivator of joy or peace in the Jeong home.

Why am I writing about this ugly (and petty) morning?
Because this is who I am. My heart is sinful. My motives are selfish. My temper is ugly. If there was anyone on this planet that should deserve to be in heaven... honey, I am not a prime candidate.

But God DID choose this undeserving girl! My husband gave me a small, earthly glimpse of this undeserved love. He chose not to get angry at my irrational temper and telling me to toughen up; he offered to go 30 minutes out of his way to drive me to school; he prayed for my heart, that I would cling to God's promises and find peace in them. He didn't say a word about how apologetic I should be towards him.

My mom told me to smile once a day, and I know what she means now. Even when my heart feels darkened by my own sin and the sins of this world, even when I feel distant from God, smile. "Because I am confident of this: that He who began a good work in me will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6, slightly paraphrased).

I rest secure in God's promises. In the meanwhile, friends, please pray that I will learn to smile in the midst of angst; not a shallow smile to cover up a tempestuous heart, but a smile that starts deep within my soul - from a quiet, trusting heart that finds unshakable peace in the fullness of her Father's love.

**p.s. excuse me if this post rambles a bit. Being 12 hours away from an exam doesn't usually result in eloquence. Also, I apologize for not posting that pancake recipe. I will this weekend, I promise!