the fountainside.

We’ll be away for 3 weeks. See you all on the flip-side!

Love Sam and Soph

I’m pretty good at doing things online, but it seriously took me 15 minutes to work out how to pay for my tickets to engage this morning.

If the KCC webmasters happen to read this post - it’s time for a new online store guys. If a 27 year old Gen Y is battling - imagine how the Baby Boomers find it.

By SamR

Pretty sad huh?

By onlinesoph

How do you go about making life decisions? Sam and I are currently in the process of trying to decide a few things. I find the whole process frustrating because this is what happens in my head:

1. Pray for God’s guidance.

2. Canvas all the options. Think through the pros and cons.

3. Realise that all the “pros” for each option even out all the “cons”, like a perfectly balanced chemical equation.

4. Realise I can’t work out which pros matter most to me.

5. Start entire process again and repeat ad nauseum.

There’s a school of thought that says if the decision you’re trying to make isn’t an issue of right/wrong, then it doesn’t really matter what decision you make, so long as it’s one where you can live a God-honouring life. I can see the logic in that. And I think on a large scale, I like the premise of this thinking, that anything you do, provided it’s not in rebellion to Him, can be an act of worship.

But can God’s guidance be more specific than this, I wonder? If you choose option A, your life will be dramatically different compared to choosing option B. You will exercise different gifts. You will choose to let some areas of your life floruish and close doors to others. Does God have a preference as to which one you choose?

At this point, I go back to prayer for guidance, wisdom, knowledge, obedience and trust. In the past God has always answered my prayers for guidance. Sometimes it has been the imparting of wisdom, the ability to carefully determine the way forward. Sometimes it comes through the advice of others. One time it was a specific answer that came powerfully and unexpectedly. Either way, I trust that when I pray, God hears me and will answer in whatever way He sees fit.

Still, I would like to hear how other people go about making life decisions. Do you struggle with knowing what path to take? How do you decide which way to move forward?

By SamR

Thanks everyone for praying. They went suprisingly ok.

In other news, Soph and I will be taking 3 weeks holiday come Sunday. Can’t wait.

I would. I like what SC do. And if there’s an opportunity for me to give it, I will.

To make up budget for the next year Southern Cross need $180k. Or so this article says. I reckon there are easily 1799 other people who would give $100 too. As well as trying to get more advertising spend, SC should consider asking for some support from the city it serves. I mean we are Christians, and we love to be generous right?

Would you?

By SamR

I’ve used the same mechanic my whole life - and it’s been great. Honest, affordable, quality repairs and friendly to boot. Unfortunately they are in Carlingford, and I’m in Marrickville.

So today I’ve finally made that terrifying leap of faith and opted to get my car serviced somewhere else. I’m using Malcom Motors in Newtown. They certainly have the proximity factor going - being right next door to college. I’ll see how they go on the other factors. I’ve given them very clear instructions about what I do and don’t want them to do to the car - one of the good things about having been so into cars as a teenager and uni student is that you know what’s wrong before you drop it in. Hope I’ve made a good decision.

How have you made the decision to use a new mechanic?

By SamR

I’m slowly honing my ping pong skills at church this year before my much anticipated debut onto the Moore College table-tennis circuit. A benefit of being at an Asian church is that Asians are good at pong.

Today I was able to sneak in a fair few games after church. I even got a lesson from a friend who’s a total pro. He taught me a few different smashes (and gave me a whole lot of gimme’s so that I could practice) and then taught me how to return something with serious topspin. Lookout geoffc.

In return, I’m teaching him how to use his new espresso machine. Gotta love mutual edification…

By onlinesoph

Sam had lots of leftover coffee yesterday after bringing home a fresh batch of Costa Rican, so I decided to make coffee-flavoured muffins. I tweaked this recipe from Taste.com. It turned out great and was so easy to make that I thought I’d post the recipe. It’s great for using up old coffee beans.

Tonight, I’m going to give Reuben’s chocolate mug cake recipe a go.

Espresso choc-chip muffins

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line a 12 hole muffin pan with paper muffin/cupcake cases

2. Sift 2 1/2 cups of self-raising flour into a large bowl. Add 1/2 caster sugar and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre.

3. Melt 90g of butter into a jug. Add 1 lightly beaten egg, 1 1/4 cups of milk and 3 shots of espresso (the original recipe calls for instant coffee. You can do this, but dissolve the coffee in hot water before tipping it in. I added two shots of coffee, but I found the flavour could have been stronger). Mix until combined, then pour mixture into the well.

4. Stir the mixture until combined (don’t over mix or the muffins will be hard), then add chocolate chips to preference (I added about half a cup). Pour the mixture into the muffin holes.

5. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

By onlinesoph

My dad emailed me this prayer last week, which I thought might be encouraging to those who identified with my anxiety post. It’s by Augustine:

Good, all-powerful God, who cares for every one of us, as if you care for us alone; and who cares for us all, as if all were but one! O God, our parent, supremely good, beauty of all beauty, to you we entrust whatever we have received from you, and so shall we lose nothing. You have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.

Amen.