Who is the Christian?

Just some thoughts that have been on my mind lately. We are going through the book of Galatians in church now. So much grace in it that it's hard to think of anything else. What are you savouring today?

photography by sara langston

Happy Chinese New Year

1. Oasis Shift Dress with Scallop Pockets 
2. Coral Reef in Mandarin Pillow Cover
3. Upwardly Mobile Satchel in Yellow
4. Mustard Hair Bow
5. No Need to Spree Heel in Tan
6. Fox Earrings by TheTinyFig
7. Wilko Single Stem Pink Blossom

Hope everyone's had a good time eating good food and getting lots of money from married people.

It's the new year again. A time of second chances, even more forgiveness and starting afresh. I'm not sure how 2012 has been treating you. But just as Chinese New Year is a time of receiving unreservedly, I hope the Year of the Dragon teaches us to do just that—to keep receiving God's love and mercy everyday.

Self Esteem? Or Self Centred?

"This is the first time I've heard someone say that the concept of self esteem is self-centred." - my tutor.

It's not very fun being the one dissenting opinion in a class that rates self-esteem highly. "Just believe in yourself." "Have faith in yourself otherwise no one will."

"I guess I just don't want my students to focus on themselves. I want them to look outside of themselves and put others first. I don't want them to give themselves a pat on the back for being special and unique. That's not gonna hold up when they hit a major crisis."

It's not that I want my students to look down on themselves. In fact, I don't want them to be looking at themselves at all. When I look at what's inside of me, I feel like despairing. There's so much that needs work and so much that is desperately far from what it should be. So I don't look in. I look up—at the one who is transforming me to be more like himself. When you can gaze at something so beautiful, why focus on the sin within?

Do people go to the Grand Canyon to increase their self-esteem? Probably not. This is, at least, a hint that the deepest joys in life come not from savoring the self, but from seeing splendor. And in the end even the Grand Canyon will not do. We were made to enjoy God... In the cross of Christ, God rescues us from the house of mirrors and leads us out to the mountains and canyons of his majesty.

John Piper, The Goal of God's Love

A part of me aches for people to see this. You are not the centre of God's plan. God is. Do you know how unbelievably liberating this is? To know that you do not carry the weight of God's plan for your life? God does. And he will bring it to completion, with or without your self motivational speeches. Is his plan good? Maybe not in the eyes of this twisted world. But, beloved, he loves you. Nothing will come to you that he has not first suffered. You may not experience earthly comfort, but you will know his love. Can such a thing be construed as sacrifice? Or undeserved grace?

May the love of Jesus fill me,
As the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing,
This is victory

Fleeing Sin

Quite a lot of people ask me why I don't give private tuition, or rather, why I don't charge. I don't because the government gives me enough to be a teacher, and I don't need more than that. And I'm smart enough to know that if I earned more money it would just go to taxi fares and useless things. So, no. Maybe if I needed more money in the future, I'd consider it. But for now, I've got more than what I need. And the price of discontent/ greed/ covetousness is much higher than what I can charge per hour.

Anyway, Jon and I made brownies today. And I made a fish pie for the family. Om nom nom.



photography by: voluumes
instagram photography by me

There is a Thirst

Been reading through Genesis lately. It is a story about pretty messed up people. The more you read about Abraham, Sarah and their descendants, the less there seems to admire about them. I guess God's chosen people then were no different from God's chosen people today. They're heroes in Hebrews 11 not so that we'll go, "Wow, I want a faith like that" but rather "Wow, I want a God like that." Who took the weak things of this world and justified them and sanctified them and glorified them.

Anyway, as you guys probably noticed, I haven't been around all that much. Here are links to other awesome stuff until my next post...

6 super cute colourful and glittery outfits
Melted chocolate oozing from inside a cookie: who wouldn't want this recipe?
Cute Mormon fashion here and here (who doesn't follow Mormon fashion?)
Sick of colour blocking in interior design? Try some patterns instead.
Two gorgeous beach photoshoots here and here. Too dreamy.
A brilliant video on D&G (No, I meant David and Goliath.) (x-posted on FB)
The story of the Bible in one sentence
The wedding scene from Tangled
All the talks from every Next conference (that Sovereign Grace conference for students)
Best cupcake recipe ever

photography by michael modene