Kimono Red

My first pair of Birkenstocks! Buying them was a risk since I have very wide, pronating, flat feet and I'm not sure if they will get along with "The Gizeh". Jacqui-O (an amateur personal shopper) ordered them on the Internet. Asians love a bargain! I'll miss Jacqui next year. The hangers will be full and Oxford Street labels will go unrecognised and unappreciated at Grapevine.

Big Daddy's Rap

Yo, Big Daddy upstairs,
You be chillin
So be yo hood
You be sayin' it, I be doin' it
In this ere hood and yo's
Gimme some eats
And cut me some slack, Blood
So's I be doin' it to dem dat diss me
Don' be pushin' me into no jive
And keep dem crips away
'Cause you always be da man,
Straight up

(thanks to O.K.)

* sigh *

I loved you – and my love, I think, was stronger
Than to be quite extinct within me yet;
But let it not distress you any longer;
I would not have you feel the least regret.
I loved you bare of hope and of expression,
By turns with jealousy and shyness sore;
I loved you with such purity, such passion
As may God grant you to be loved once more.

---Pushkin

How to make the perfect cup of chai

A good brew of chai is an elusive thing. It’s a gentler but longer-lasting stimulant than coffee, which makes it the perfect afternoon drink for flagging spirits, and (if made with proper [not decaffeinated] tea leaves) can help you stay awake through hours of nighttime study.

For brewing chai, a metal teapot you can use on the stove is ideal – otherwise use a saucepan you can pour out of without making a mess.

(To make 2 cups)

Start by heating 1 heaped dessertspoonful of sugar, 1 heaped dessertspoonful of chai* and 1 cup of milk together in pan on the stove, stirring constantly. (This step is important – the milk and sugar caramelize, which adds to the flavour, but you must be careful not to let it boil over suddenly.) Have 1 cup of cold water on hand and add it when the milk starts to boil. (If you prefer a creamier result, you can omit this step and use twice as much milk from the start.) Stir frequently until it comes to the boil again. Turn the heat to low and simmer for a couple of minutes (or until colour looks strong enough for your liking). Sweeten with honey and strain into cups.

*Pre-mixed bought chai is fine, but if you are making your own chai mix from scratch, here is a rough guide:
good quality tea leaves
cardamom pods
cloves
cinnamon stick
ginger
Throw it all together until the mix looks about right; you can experiment and personalise your own blend to taste!

Birthday Bible Passages

In Christian birthday cards, little gems like this often turn up:

I have been young and now I am old,
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
Or his descendants begging bread.
All day long he is gracious and lends,
And his descendants are a blessing.

~ Ps 37:25-26 (NASB)

Double-edged encounters

At college, visiting missionaries were asked about difficulties of ministering in the Middle East. They told a story about an encounter at a university.

A young Austrian woman, dressed with long sleeves with her head covered, was coming out of a lecture on Sharia law. She saw a Muslim woman making her way towards her, who was covered from head in black with only her eyes showing. She reached the Austrian woman and said, "God showed me in a dream that we would meet here. I know your name and that you a Christian. We will talk about our faiths. After we talk, I will become Christian or you will become Muslim."

So the women met again few days later to talk about their beliefs. Now the Austrian woman was no slouch, she had a masters in Theology and doing a more post-graduate studies. As they talked, the Austrian woman reflected later on how she could feel the strong spiritual forces at work. It's a high stakes encounter.

We live in a post 9 11 world. As the rest of the world investigate the claims of Islam, they will hear the Muslims present their faith. Muslims are articulate, well educated and evangelistic. They work hard at commending Islam to others.

There will more encounters to come, like that of the Austrian woman. How will these encounters turn out? As people engage many will be won over to Islam and to Christianity.

To do mission work in the Middle East, the missionaries said, "we need the soundest minds, the strongest wills and the most courageous of hearts."

Stirring words.

Who will dare pray, "Lord, if it's your will, send me"?

Good Bible Reading

Hints from "Mr Anderson":

- Vary the speed / tone / pitch of voice, slowing down for the important bits

- Emphasise contrasts

The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
but man is tested by the praise he receives.

(Proverbs 27:21 NIV)

Here, you emphasise man, not tested, since man is contrasted with silver and gold. The idea of testing is already there in the "crucible" and "furnace". You can emphasise praise to bring out the other contrast.

- Bring out the force of the passage

In short, the Bible reader needs to understand what's going on in the passage and highlight its meaning. Reading well is not just about having good public speaking skills, but about being a good exegete.