We all look up to the same stars. Even THOSE famous people.

I know, I know, it's the moon not the stars. Forgive me.

The clock says it 9:48, but it feels like midnight.

Hair whipped back in the wind, blissfully ignorant of how I look in the darkness, street lights flying by.

As I stared at the stars out the window, I had a revelation.

As I’m sure you know, there are celebrities, right? And we (sometimes) want their life, right? Right.

The deal is: they don’t get any more sunshine than we do. They don’t automatically get an envelope of happiness delivered straight to their door. They have to brush their teeth same as we do.

They look up to the same stars we do.

They aren’t any more valued in God’s eyes. God doesn’t love them any more than you. God doesn’t just look at the outside, he looks at the inside. They're humans, just like you.

As I gaze at the stars, everything swirls back into its rightful perspective. It’s not really about having lots of money or fame, is it? It’s about God. His purpose.

Sure, follow celebrities, but just admire them, don’t compare. You can’t be happy and compare.

God should be plan A, whether you’re an Oscar winner or not (if you are an Oscar winner then wow I can't believe you're reading this and what the heck).

X

*And please don't think I'm saying being a celebrity is bad. If you are, then congrats. It's just that 99% of the population isn't, so as they say...."take the meat and leave the bones". I tried to make it as meaty as I could. Honest.

Let's bake a chocolate cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is what days off are for, aren’t they?

I tried something different, and captured ‘making a cake’ with pictures, not words. It was most fulfilling to flick through them afterwards and bask in the glorious joy initiated by baking.

Autumn has abruptly arrived, and rang the doorbell quite sharply demanding to be let in. Unwillingly I have accepted that summer has come to an end, but rejoiced in all the winter pleasures to come. Soups, warm cakes, fires, fluffy slippers and cold fresh air, to mention a few.

Sometimes we have to slow down and make something, and autumn seems the perfect season for doing so. I suppose it is with every other season, but autumn and cakes seem to fit like gloves.

Happy Monday!

(Oh, and if you’re confused with why the heck I’m talking about it being autumn, it’s probably because you’re in a different country. If you’re from here, and still confused, then….c’est la vie.)

X

Keep reading if you want to make that deliciously simple chocolate cake*…..

1 ½ cups unsifted plain flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

½ cup vegetable oil

1 cup water

1 tablespoon icing sugar

1.       Preheat the oven to 190c. Grease and flour a 20cm cake tin. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the centre of the mixture, and add the vanilla, vinegar and oil, then gradually stir in the water. Continue stirring until thoroughly blended, but do not overmix.

2.       Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake, uncovered, for 35 – 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Do not overbake; the secret of this cake is moistness. Cool in the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then transfer the cake from the tin to the rack to cool completely. Sift the icing sugar over the top, and serve.

*Credit for the recipe goes to Readers Digest. An old ‘n trusty one!

 

You're never 'too busy' to stop for the small things.

A beautiful sunrise in Paihia, New Zealand. Just because it’s beautiful.

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Matthew 25:37-40

This scripture speaks for itself. I’d like to be able to listen to this and hold my head proud, not hang it in shame.

Sometimes we fall short. It’s just life. But remember that each week, each day, is a fresh start. And believe me, fresh starts are what are we ALL need.

(I'm talking about this scripture in the context of being busy, there are other blocks in the road, but I think this block is a big one for a lot of us.)

You know when a little kid wants you to come and help them color in? And you…cough….sometimes are just too busy?

Maybe we think it doesn't matter, that it's only one kid (and we were having a bad day anyway - not just me?). But God sees everything.

We don't know the hour that Jesus will come, the minute that our days will end. Sorry to say.

Let’s not be too busy to stop for the small things. To cook dinner for someone who’s had a rough day, even though you might be tired and your day probably wasn’t perfect either.

Because when we stop and love that extra person, we love Jesus.

X

Happy Valentine's Day

 

 

 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I hope you all had a great one. I celebrated with my family, nothing major, but as you might know, I love getting all festive on any occasion. It’s the one day where I can really enjoy the colour pink.

Some of you probably had a really romantic day, with that special someone (haha or maybe you had a day like me filled with only a few single moments – like when you see the girls on the sidewalk carrying those red roses home – and then they stare at you like you’re crazy because you are carrying an empty pizza box ALONE). To me, Valentine’s Day is something to do with love, celebrating that, and a hint of romance (dat pizza).

Just as much as you love that special someone (or pizza), your heavenly Papa loves you a trillion times more, a billion times more, a love that us humans don’t even understand. You’re LOVED! You’re BEAUTIFUL! Thinking of you on this LOVEly day.

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have the power, together with all the saints, to graps how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ”

Ephesians 3:17 – 18

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Corinthians 13:13

X

BONUS:

 

You see those sexy milkshakes? They taste so good, and all you do is put these ingredients:

{3 parts vanilla ice cream

1 part milk

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 teaspoon strawberry essence

2 drops red food colouring}

in a blender, and BLEND! It’s very rough, just make it to your taste. And get creative with the topping, I just swirled whipped cream on top and then sprinkled pink jelly powder (the stuff you get in packets to make jelly) on it.