Pizza Part Deux and Genesis 24

Tonight was Pizza Part Deux with old roommates! Same Trader Joe's herb pizza dough, but lots of different toppings! Pizza really is quite versatile... different toppings, different flavors, totally different meal from what Ben and I made on Friday! Of course, the pizza was very delicious... and I'm sure Shu will contribute a photo soon!

Our pizza toppings: thinly sliced onions, yellow and green bell peppers, 'shrooms, and lot and lots of mozzarella cheese! And of course, good food with good friends make for a great meal!

I realize I love our conversations! A selection of the topics we transversed included: Amy Chua's new bestselling book that has people extremely divided on "good" parenting, The Social Network, the sketchy International District, grocery shopping, and the list goes on. Just to show, we have endless (and really diverse) things to talk about! If I didn't have school tomorrow... could've stayed all night! :D


I've been keeping up with the new English group Bible reading schedule recently, PTL! Today's chapter was Genesis 24, on Isaac and Rebekah. I was struck by some of the verses as I was reading the chapter this afternoon (on my way home on the bus):

• Just this past weekend, we had our college group meeting... and one of our topics was on relationships. Yep, I feel like I've been hearing a lot about this recently, at winter retreat, my own life, my friends' lives, at Bible study, and now at the Saturday meeting! However, Uncle Huan brought up a great point that stuck with me. At some point in our lives, we may start feeling like we need our second half (very naturally we get lonely, we feel like we're "ready" for a relationship). And God is the initiator; in other words, just like Abraham in this chapter, He is preparing someone ready for us. Even if our environment may seem bleak and hopeless ("there is absolutely no one available or appropriate I know right now!"), God will bring someone before us in His time. I think the story of Isaac and Rebekkah is quite encouraging. Just like Abraham found and prepared a companion for his son, God is eternally faithful, no matter how our circumstances right now seem. 
• Also, Isaac did not have to go out and search for a bride. God prepared the right person for him! I think it's wonderful to know that our chances in finding someone doesn't rely upon our own effort, our own likability, our own flirting ability, but as a Christian, God is willing to take care of big and small matters in our life. God is willing to bring just the right person to you, if you are willing to wait and pray. 
• I've been impressed recently by what kind of woman Rebekah was. In Gen. 24:19-20, Rebekah draws water for Abraham's servant AND all his camels. Drawing up water from a well to fill up 10 camels is not an easy task! Some math: a camel may drink 10-20 gallons of water, multiply that range by 10 camels = Rebekah may have drawn 100-200 gallons of water! So while the Bible puts it simply as, "So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and draw enough for all his camels." Rebekah definitely went "above and beyond" in such a situation, and she was greatly blessed for it!