chicken rice talk

i've never talked about a good night at Focus Bible study here in Newcastle Uni before..tonight was exceptionally good..n on several layers..

Michael n i cooked up some chicken rice with some help from a jar of chicken rice ingredients..i will same, however, that this was only half the amount needed for the rice..the other half came from steaming a chicken and several drumsticks for the chicken oil and then using that oil, with sliced ginger, to add to the mix we placed in the rice cooker, with the rice..n we also roasted a chicken separately...so we had white steamed chicken, roast chicken and lots of chicken rice..oh yes, also oyster sauce vegetables with some fish sauce and our own self-made chicken sauce..consisting of light soya sauce, sesame oil and sugar..as authentic as we possibly could do it..i think that everybody had a filling meal..Michael is a great cook who came up with the idea n its really interestin to work with him..

then we had Bible study..tonite was a bit small..only like 16 pple around n mostly regulars..i think it turned out well because we really had a great starting introduction discussion on knowing/meeting famous pple..lots of laughter n i feel that many of this year's first year kids have begun bonding with the older batches of students..inc myself..

we're currently going through Mark and tonite we did Mark 9-10..lots of interesting discussions and i was really challenged myself as a helper in Bible study (which is one reason why i consider tonite great)..that no one has exclusive access to Jesus was really challenging..esp in the context of our discussions about responsibility, office and worth..also that greatness in God's currency is servanthood..that was a gd and humbling reminder..finally the hardest lesson of all, and that is, accepting pple in Jesus' name especially when they add nothing to our worth..because thats the meaning of accepting children.. they are nothing and worthless to a king..yet Jesus says accept these because in doing so, you are accepting God and Christ..i struggle with this because i dun like how this passage has been traditionally used by christians to emotionally blackmail others into not opposing pple who come with impure motives.."no, must accept the guy, even if he is actually very wicked and wants to harm u"..its true in one sense..but dat does not mean we shd b foolish..n i dun like the high moralising, legalistic attitude that Christians twist this passage into..so, you must do good to all the children in the world because Jesus said you must love and accept them and thats the end of the christian message fullstop..n u must accept pple from all backgrounds without telling them that Jesus also commands them to change..its not so shallow man..n lastly, i struggle with this because many pple whom i grew up with n stressed this passage in its most literal meaning were the most prejudiced, bigotted and unkind pple i noe..but i realise that Jesus does want me to accept pple and love them, but not just stay there, but move on to the central theme of Jesus Christ showing this loving acceptance in dying on the cross for sinners..alrite..its not always hard doctrines that i need to affirm..

n thanks Sheeana(codename) for answering "male pride" when asked wat made the disciples ashamed to tell Jesus what they were discussing on the road (it was about who was the greatest incidentally)..that really amused mi..always sobering to hear a healthy dose of feminism..even in Bible study..

n it was good to talk to Cyril about wat i term, the Shaun Foo topic...all u guys who were there last yr end in McDonalds near my place after dinner, esp Kumu shd noe wat this refers to..i wish that the church would not make the topic a sin, or rather, a taboo subject..in understanding, be men..therefore, do the right thing n talk!!

n i found Melissa Loh on facebook last nite..added her n am expecting to b given hell for my trouble..who's Mel Loh..well my frens from the NWO n mayb Richard will understand from this: Sesame Street today is brought to u by the letters N, J and C as well as the numbers 2,0 & 3..figure it out..