The Best Way To Prepare French Fries

I love French fries. I am just recovering from an illness, but from the first day I was sick, I’ve desired French fries over other foods. The first time I ate them they were a disaster. I almost threw up! So I thought I should make a statement, as a chef, on French fries. 

There are three methods of cooking French fries:

Method 1: The Unacceptable Method:

With this method, all you have to do is hurl the potatoes in hot oil, deep fat fry them for a few minutes and serve. Now I know a few fast-food restaurants that have mastered this method. But it doesn’t change my opinion of it: totally unacceptable!

Method 2: The Acceptable Method

This is the method I was taught at school. The potatoes are first par-boiled. Ok, that’s a scientific term. Let me explain. To par-boil the potatoes, put them in cold water and bring them to the boil. As soon as the water starts boiling, get them from the heat, put them in a colander and refresh them over cold, running water. To add flavour to your fries, add salt and white pepper to the water before boiling.

After par-boiling the potatoes, feel free to dip them in your hot fat, and fry till they reach an appetising golden brown colour.

Method 3: My Method.

I call this my method because I don’t know anyone else who uses it and I came up with it a few years ago while experimenting. All you need to do is immerse the potatoes in a brine solution overnight. To add to the flavour of your fries, you can add white pepper to the brine solution. (I have a thing for white paper, you know)

Of course you don’t have to soak them overnight, although according to my experiment, I soaked the potatoes overnight. With a strong brine solution, you will have to soak for about thirty minutes or an hour. 

So after getting your potatoes out of the brine solution, pat them dry in a kitchen towel and fry.

My method is the best I guess. This is because it gives the fries an extra crunch and flavour.

So, who wants me to taste their fries?

On Pre-Marital Sex And God's Love

I sat at the back of the small Anglican Church. The lady leaning against the lectern was boring me stiff with her discourse on the dangers of premarital sex. Who did not know that you could get pregnant, or could get a girl pregnant if you had sex? And who did not know that AIDS kills? Wasn’t this supposed to be a fun-filled youth conference?

Apparently, she was trying to scare us from having sex. And she was failing miserably at it! Many of my friends are having sex. And it’s not that they have never had a lecture like the one I was having. If I still remember very well, we studied reproduction in primary school, studied it again in O Level, and one more time in A Level. We are experts, at least theoretically, on matters pertaining sex!

It looks to me like she was never successful at scaring us.

What if a cure for AIDS is discovered tomorrow, what will she say? We don’t even need to look forward to tomorrow. Latex condoms are doing a good job already at promoting promiscuity. Most of the adults today will tell you, “If you cannot stop our young people from having sex, at least let them have safe sex.”

The boring, highly moral, lady also told us that condoms could not be trusted as they were not 100% secure. But looking back at it, I think her argument would have held more water if a good number of my friends got pregnant or contracted AIDS while using condoms. I’m yet to see that.

What do you do for a generation that is so bent on destroying themselves that no hurdle is too high for them to jump?

How does telling teenagers of God’s high moral standards help them to attain them?

Is the WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) movement practical?

Does God really care if my friends live a promiscuous life? Will he punish them?

How far can his mercy and love be stretched?

What if God loves us anyway?

Over to you! Feel free to share your ideas about this interesting subject!

Whenever I See You

A thousand sunsets
They look dull
In the light
Of your smile

The sound of waterfalls
Water crushing on stone
Bows at the beauty
Of your voice

Astounding radiance
Makes the sun dim
At the sight
Of your face

When your outer white mask
Is pulled off of you
There beats the softness
Of your heart

All this is to appreciate
and stand in silent awe at
The light of your smile
The beauty of your voice
The sight of your face
The softness of your heart
Whenever I see you

Christ's Song

I wrote these words a few years ago, and I thought today (Good Friday) would be the best day to share them with you. I imagined what Jesus would sing of whenever he remembered that fateful day. I think his song would go something like this:

They brought me into the courtyard
my feet barely touched the ground
tossed onto the cobbled floor
hard and cold
a heel in the jaw, a punch, a kick
pushed and tossed and thrown
in less than a moment i had become a ball
i knew i had to bear the pain
because i had chosen to love

giant nails driven into the hands
a spear wound, blood gushing out
a halo of thorns around my head
thorns grafted into my skin
pity, i couldn't find a better way to express my love for you
no blessing, power or wealth
could match my love for you
blood oozed out drop by cleansing drop
because i had chosen to love

chorus:
all the pain i endured on the cross
gave me joy when i knew you were saved
you're the object of my love
because i had chosen to love

up on a tree i hung
drained of all energy
stripped naked and ashamed
humiliated and distressed
the weight of the world on my shoulders
burdens, cares, curse, sin
tried hard to keep my calm
but oh, they weighed me down
at last i died victoriously
because i had chosen to love.

One thing i know, either my imagination ran wild, or this is an understatement. But one thing always stands out, Jesus loves you. That's why he died on the cross. Have you tasted that inexplicable love?

Holding Me

I sit in your lap
My head rests on your chest
Your arms wrapped around me
And i feel your warmth

Our hearts beat in sync
And no words need be said
A father-and-child moment
Resting in your lap

You whisper sweet nothings
Into my waiting ears
I can feel your breath
Brush over me

And you keep reassuring
You'll never let go
Your arms will never tire
Of always holding me

What is Grace?

below is a story i told last year, illustrating God's grace:

A man walked up to the gate of a beautiful villa sitting on 10 acres of land. It was a few minutes after midnight. He rang the bell.

“Who's there?” a voice buzzed over the intercom.

“My name is Jimmy. I'm a good man in this community. I voted the right mayor. I earn a decent income by working in the city hall and give half of my salary to the poor.”

'”Sorry we don't know you,” came the reply from the intercom.

Four hours later, a drunk guy stumbled onto the gate of the villa and rang the bell almost as an afterthought. He had been at a sexual orgy where he had lost his wallet. He didn't know where he had left his car. And he was wishing his phone had not been stolen. He would have called that first gal he'd had sex with first thing in the morning for a second round.

He rang the bell again before falling into a messy heap in his own vomit and urine.

“Who's there?” the intercom buzzed.

“Paul,” the drunk guy said, his speech slurred.

Suddenly, the gate slid open.

It so happened, Paul was the son of the master of the villa.

How are you acting before God? are you like Jimmy, the good stranger, or Paul, the son, however bad he was? do you know that a stranger, however good, will never get the inheritance of the son, however bad the son is? isn't that the beauty of grace, and grace alone?

Please feel free to leave your thoughts on this very important topic. you can also share it if you think your friends might want to see it.

i love you!

Losing Touch With Reality

Benjamin saw the swaying truck a few seconds late. He rammed on the brakes of his Subaru. The swish-swash of the windshield wipers seemed to slow their wiping off of the large drops of the rain. Benjamin exerted more force on the brakes. The car could not stop in time.

The truck kept coming. It was only ten feet away now. Its driver had lost control of it.

The rain continued to pour down in large torrents.

Benjamin swerved to the left to prevent a head-on collision. His actions were mechanical, his mind gripped with fear.

He slammed on the brakes one more time and the Subaru skidded on the rain-slicked tarmac.

The honking of the truck's horn deafened Benjamin. The truck was now five feet away.

Benjamin panicked.

The Subaru stopped, facing the left side of the road. Benjamin could now see the truck from his side window. Its headlights blinded him.

The truck was four feet away.

Benjamin fumbled with his seatbelt.

Three feet.

"God!" he shouted. His seatbelt was stuck.

Two feet.

"Jesus!"

He yanked his seatbelt free.

Too late.

A gut-wrenching scream erupted from his throat as the truck collided with the Subaru. The last thing Benjamin heard was the crunching of bones and the crushing of metal.

The man woke up to the glare of lights and machines and computer consoles around him. Tubes protruded from his body. Wherever he was, he didn’t know. And now, thinking about it, he didn’t know who he was.

There was a sharp pain in his head. He touched it and felt the bandage wrapped around his head.

He really didn’t know who he was.

A face appeared in his line of vision. A beautiful woman.

“Hello dear,” she said.

Whatever! He didn’t care. What he wanted to do now was to get up and find out who he was — really was — and why he was here.

“Benjamin, dear,” said the beautiful woman, “are you ok?”

Couldn’t she see that there was no way he could be fine? And was that his name?

Benjamin.

Yes, that must be his name.

Have you ever had moments when you really wondered who you really are, why in the world you do what you do, or where you are going? Is your life like a fatal accident that sometimes leaves you a hopeless amnesiac?

You are not alone. There are very many people just like you, who function like normal human beings, go to work or school, eat and sleep, but think like they are amnesiacs. All of them have this one similarity: they have lost touch with reality.

 (exerpt from my upcoming book, What If God Doesn't Really Love You)

What Happened To Justice?

Court was in session. Judge Elohim was presiding.

The evidence had been presented. Both sides had had their chance to plead their case before the Judge.

The accused, a fierce looking giant of a man, looked as guilty as he really was. His heavily tattooed body gave him the look of a seasoned drug dealer and user. His face was contorted in a permanent scowl and his nose was turned up like he always smelt something foul in the air. The flimsy vest he wore couldn’t hide his muscled torso. He was surrounded by an aura of raw, physical energy.

The defence counsel, a thirtyish-looking gentleman of Asian origin, stood beside him, exuding a confidence you wouldn’t expect him to have, since the evidence prosecution had presented was highly incriminating and convincing. There was no way the accused was getting off the hook.

It was now time to wrap up the case. Both sides were to give their last remarks before the ruling was made.

Jeremy Doom, the prosecutor, rose at the prompting of the judge and presented his last remarks. He was a middle-aged, slim man whose slyness made him famous in Judge Elohim’s court. He never lost a case. No one knew where he always got his evidence, but he always had enough evidence to convince the Judge. This case was a piece of pie for him.

“Your honour, the accused before you here has been charged with kidnapping a twelve year old girl, raping her and slicing her throat.”

Doom walked back to his desk and produced a set of photographs and other documents. He waved them over his head for all to see.

“You have seen the photographs that were taken at the crime scene which, conveniently, is the residence of the accused. You have also seen the DNA report which shows that the DNA of the seminal fluids got from the victim matches that of the defendant. Our forensic pathologist never goes wrong, your honour.

“This man standing before you is not a normal human being. He doesn’t deserve to live among us. His conscience is so seared that he can’t even feel any remorse for his deeds. Your honour, our children can never be safe with such a man roaming in our community.

“I rest my case, your honour.”

Doom turned and looked at the people who filled the courtroom. He wanted to make sure that every press camera caught his face as he drilled the last nail into the defendant’s coffin. He then walked slowly and purposefully back to his seat, leaving the courtroom in a deathly silence.

The silence lingered on for a moment. It was uneasy.

Judge Elohim looked at the defence counsel, studying him for any hint of fear or cowardice.

“Mr. Jesus,” he said, “you last remarks.”

The defence counsel stood up. He raised a tome over his head and waved it the same way Doom had waved his evidence. There were a few chuckles from the audience as they took it to be a joke.

“Your honour, in my hand is the Penal Code. I have pored over this book for the last few days. I have read it from cover to cover and I haven’t found one single law that my client has broken.”

Doom was on his feet in a second, also waving his copy of the Penal Code. “That can’t be true! My Penal Code has over five rules that your client has broken! He must be prosecuted!”

“ENOUGH!” Judge Elohim bellowed, glaring at Doom. “I won’t have you hold my court in contempt!”

“I am sorry your honour.”

“Mr. Jesus, proceed.”

Jesus put the book down. “Your honour, this edition of the Penal Code that I have with me is a revision of the old one that Mr. Doom has. Mr. Doom’s version was replaced and rendered obsolete a few years ago. The laws governing this country are now different.

“Your honour, I, Jesus, paid the ultimate sacrifice for all the crimes of my client even before he committed them. My sacrifice was strong enough that there was no more need for a law. That is why there is now no law to convict my client.”

Jesus seemed to have grown taller as his voice took on a more authoritative tone. He picked up the tome again, opened it up and raised it for all to see.

“The pages of this book are blank, your honour. They are not blank because words have never been written on them. No, your honour. They are blank because my blood—my blood!—wiped away the handwriting that was against my client. There is therefore now no condemnation for him because he is in me. My client is not guilty!”

With that, Jesus sat down.

A sigh went out in the audience. People were letting out breaths they had held for so long.

Judge Elohim looked visibly troubled. He gestured for both Jesus and Doom to approach the bench. When they reached, he asked in a low voice, “Doom, did you know about this?”

Doom tilted his head and shrugged.

Judge Elohim turned to Jesus, “Why didn’t you bring up this evidence at the beginning of the trial?”

“I wanted to first see how far Doom could go with his lies, your honour. And I must admit I enjoyed watching him getting deflated after having deceived himself that he had won the case before even hearing your verdict.”

“What makes you think my verdict will be in your favour, Jesus?” Judge Elohim asked.

Jesus smiled. “I guess you don’t have any other option.”

“Gentlemen,” Judge Elohim said, looking from one man to the other, “you may now go and take your seats.”

Judge Elohim waited for them to take their seats before declaring, “Given the evidence before me, court is adjourned for one hour. I’ll come back to make my ruling then.”

Judge Elohim stood up and exited the courtroom.

(Excerpt from my upcoming book, What if God Doesn't Really Love You?)

DOES GOD REALLY LIKE YOU?

There was a guy in the Old Testament who never died. Forget about Elijah. This one was Enoch. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve never heard about him. Reason: nothing much was written about him. He did not cause a revolution or revival. He did not part a sea, river, or milk in his cereal bowl. He did not heal anyone. All that is written about him is his family. He most probably was a stay-at-home dad. Let’s look at the 7 bible verses that talk about Enoch in Genesis:

When Jared was 162 years old, he had Enoch. After he had Enoch, he lived another 800 years, having more sons and daughters. Jared lived a total of 962 years. And he died.

When Enoch was sixty-five years old, he had Methuselah. Enoch walked steadily with God. After he had Methuselah, he lived another 300 years, having more sons and daughters. Enoch lived a total of 365 years.

Enoch walked steadily with God. And then one day he simply was gone: God took him. (Genesis 5:18-24)

Isn’t it interesting that all that the bible recorded about Enoch’s spirituality was that he walked steadily with God?

He did not walk around with his head in the skies, with this glazed look like he was holier than the pope. He did not turn water into wine. He wasn’t praying all the time, since he had time to father some kids. Trust me, if he did anything that was quite spectacular, we would have known about it, since he was not quite normal (a guy who gets taken by God is not normal, is he?)

If he had a secret, it was the fact that he steadily walked with God.

I don’t think I am qualified enough to start debating what walking steadily with God really is. I only have suggestions. Could it be that he always walked around with a perpetual knowledge of how much God loved him? He most probably had a special relationship with God to where God was a buddy (you don’t walk around with a stranger, you know). I don’t think it was his behaviour, good looks or cologne. But it is a fact that Enoch was very pleasing to God. See for yourself:

By an act of faith, Enoch skipped death completely. “They looked all over and couldn’t find him because God had taken him.” We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken “he pleased God.” It’s impossible to please God apart from faith… (Hebrews 11:5-6)

It was that simple! The guy believed that he pleased God! “Oh, come on, Paul,” I can hear you say, “This guy must have done some mighty acts of faith to please God!”

Beats me too! This guy was so pleasing to God that one day God just couldn’t contain his pleasure any more. God got tired of seeing Enoch from down below. “I must have you at once in heaven,” he must have told Enoch. “My only problem is that you have failed to die. So I guess I’ll just steal you from your family”

And lo and behold, there was no funeral for old Enoch.

But still, nothing significant was written about him. You will not find his name in a Sunday school textbook. No. Kids are not allowed to have bible role models who did nothing but ended up leaving no tombstone on earth.

It is also interesting to note that Enoch’s dad, Jared, lived almost three times as old as Enoch. So he must have looked around for his son, only to be told, “Sorry, he got too pleasing to God to live on earth.”

This really tells us of how much God loves us. God couldn’t wait for death to take Enoch before he could have a piece of him. And he really doesn’t have pleasure in killing people just so he can have them in heaven. If you ever get so pleasing to God and you know it, your photo will also be put in the papers under the title: LOST. The story will go somehow like this: “The person in the photo above got lost. He was last seen in the company of God. There is a great reward for whoever finds him, though it is highly unlikely, since he was so pleasing to God. You all know what happened to Enoch…”

I am very sure that is the same with us now. God wants us to be so wrapped up in him, so steadily walking with him, that one day, his front door will be closer than ours and he will say, “Why don’t you spend the night?”

Don’t ask me, but I don’t think I would want to go back home after spending a night in God’s house.

(Excerpt from my upcoming book, What if God Doesn't Really Love You?)

LETTER FROM GOD

Dear child, 

I have been watching you for the past few days and I realised you needed to hear from me. You have been trying to mend your relationship with me, but it's never done that way. 

Have you ever read the scripture that says he who began a good work in you is faithful to bring it to completion? I made the first move by creating you. And when I created you, I saw that what I had made of you was very good. I initiated this relationship long before you were even born. What you need to do is trust me to complete what I began. Trying to find your way to me is not the way stuff is done. 

Most times when you fail, you think I must be disappointed in you. But trust me, I anticipated all the mistakes you would make and all your failures long before you made them. That is why I had to die for the sins of the whole world for all time, not only for your sins up to the time you commit another one. 

I am not surprised when you fail. Rather, I long to hold you in my arms and reassure you of my unending love for you. You hinder me when you try to straighten up so you can deserve me more. So, stop looking at yourself and what you must do to get back in communion with me. I am always longing for you. I delight in you. I rejoice over you with singing at all times. (Zephaniah 3:17). I am madly in love with you. I never leave you even for a second. Would you just stop trying to be good enough for me? 

You are already good enough, because when I see you, I see that you are just like Jesus (1 John 4:17) and proclaim that you are my beloved child in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:17). Can you get any better than that? 

So go buy yourself some ice cream and have a party! You are daddy's beloved daughter. And he delights in you! Very much!! 

And don’t forget I am always looking out for you. 

With an everlasting love, 

God