Weekly Favorite Links (March 12-18, 2015)

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Guys, I think I’m having a semi-midlife crisis. But I don’t think I’m even old enough to be in a midlife crisis. Except my body may be thinking that I’m older than my actual age ’cause my hair’s been turning a bit more grayish-black lately. So I’ve been told. Or maybe it’s just the sunlight or angle of lighting. It might not even be anything and now I’m just rambling nonsense.

So perhaps it’s not really a so-called midlife crisis then. Just an omgoodness-what-am-I-going-to-do-for-the-rest-of-my-life moment. I spent several days re-thinking my short-term life goals and came up a bit short (pun sort of intended). I realized that I’m not sure what I absolutely want to accomplish over the next couple of years and it kind of stressed me out. It’s not anything new under the sun, and I suppose everyone goes through this once in a while. However, knowing that this was something that I needed to pray and work through didn’t make it all the less daunting and nerve-wracking.

As of now, I think I’ve come to terms with not knowing exactly what I want to do with my life. I kind of already touched upon this last week, but sometimes I just want immediate answers from God without enjoying the process that He puts me through. There is much wisdom in waiting upon the Lord instead of scrambling to find answers. I’m by no means suggesting that planning ahead is a bad thing, or that setting aside time to figure out options and career choices is unwise — on the contrary, I’m thankful that this identity crisis forced me to ask myself those questions. Still, I must remember to embrace God’s sovereignty and learn that it is perfectly fine to not have my life wonderfully mapped out. Because c’mon now, I don’t even know what will happen to me tomorrow, much less the rest of my life.

Christianity:

Living Well in a Digital World – We live in a world full of distractions and I know that I’m constantly being distracted by the virtual world. Self-control is something we must pray and actively strive for. Technology is good, but we should never be enslaved to it.

Fake Love, Fake War – This one’s an older article from Desiring God but still so relevant now.

Five Pieces of Advice for Young Men –  My brief thoughts: Advice number one is a true challenge, for both guys and girls. Accountability and relationships are necessary in the Christian walk. Annnddd finding someone perfect to fulfill you is harmful and never good, even though it seems to magically work out in Hollywood.

Leading with Joy – I’m still learning what it means to lead and to serve others, especially when it comes to ministry.

Overcoming Pornography: Choosing Obedience – Part 1 of Randy Alcorn’s series. This is so great. Addictions are hard to overcome, but by the grace of God, we can be forgiven and set free from any sin. There is nothing that separates us from the love of God.

Should I Attend a Gay Wedding? – Here are 4 various views and responses. Controversial, yes, but something we need to ask ourselves now because we probably will all be asked or invited to a gay wedding one day.

Time Waits for No Woman – “This is what God does with time: He makes it beautiful. Time is God’s masterpiece. He orders our sorrow and joys, our casting away and our gathering. He orders all of our seasons as part of his beautiful plan.”

What if Singleness is My Fairy Tale – A question all singles have to ask ourselves, and a question often avoided. But if we truly believe that knowing Christ is our happy ending, then that kind of fairy tale is guaranteed to be pretty awesome.

Food:

Brown Butter Banana Skillet Cake – Does this happen to you? Every single time I see the word “bananas,” I think of minions. BA-NA-NA. Always could use more brown butter in my life. Can’t stop, won’t stop.

Carrot Cake – Carrots are one of the staple vegetables in our house. Making this!

How to Become a Barista – For my coffee lovin’ friends.

I follow Michelle on her awesome food blog, Hummingbird High, and she recently shared the third final part in her kitchen remake series. I absolutely LOVE the new additions and how she utilized her space. You can probably guess my favorite addition in her kitchen. (Hint: it has to do with baking.) Ugh, and that double oven. One last thing that I love about this post is that Michelle talked about the illusion people may have with seeing photos of how other people live their lives. Yes, it may look Pinterest-worthy, but it’s only an exaggeration, and it may not even be reality in the first place. She goes on to say, “It’s a rotten game to start comparing yourself to such unrealistic standards, and it’s one that is ultimately impossible to win. Because outside the frame of every shiny, sparkling picture, all of us have dirty dishes, shabby furniture and ugly rooms too.” So much truth. You can read part 1 and part 2 here.

Meyer Lemon Blueberry Scones – Yummy!

Montreal Style Bagels with Walnut Cream Cheese – I love bagels and cream cheese!

No Knead Brioche Brown Butter Buns – Woooaaahhh.

Peanut Butter Sticky Rice Balls in Green Tea – O___O <– My face. Tang yuan (sticky rice balls) is probably one of my favorite traditional Chinese desserts to eat.

Pork Cutlet Recipe – One of my guilty pleasures.

Misc:

I have the habit of cracking my knuckles and I’ve always been told that it’s a bad thing. However, what actually happens when we crack it? I learned something new.

Cinderella Trailer – I went to watch Cinderella this past weekend. It was excellent and probably the best live-action fairy tale adaptation I’ve seen from Disney thus far. I loved that the film didn’t take away from the original animation, but only added depth to the story we’ve come to love. If I had more motivation, I’d write a review or something. For now, my recommendation alone will have to do!

Baby says “Charlie” – I like to follow the Jayesslee twins from YouTube. I love their song covers and their singing styles. Lately they haven’t really released much covers, but it’s understandable now that both sisters have entered into motherhood. I’m pretty content at this point to stay updated through their vlogs. Sonia and her husband Andy release weekly videos of their lives through their YouTube channel, Andy Met Sonia, and their vlogs mostly center around their baby, Jordan. Watching their weekly vlogs and seeing Jordan grow up makes me so happy. He’s seriously SO CUTE. I mean… those cheeks!!!

Music:

“Marvels” by Jason Chu – Not bad.