So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”
“Don’t call me Naomi, ” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”
I was brought up to not be a picky eater. Essentially, within my parent’s household, we had to eat anything that was placed before us. My dad comes from a traditional chinese background. My dad thinks that if it moves… it’s probably edible. (And within the province my dad comes from, Fido is not safe.) Anyway, I’ve eaten more types of fungus and seafood than I can name in English. (I only know the Latin Scientific name.) But one of the most foreign tastes to the western palette would have to be bitterness. Chinese cooking is based upon using the basic flavors: sweet, spicy, sour, and bitter. Sometimes, my dad would bring home some bitter melon (pictured on the upper left) and make either bitter melon soup or beef & bitter melon stirfry. And yes, I would have to eat it. My dad would make sure to put some nice big chunks of melon in my bowl. (He probably thinks it builds character or something.)When I first tasted it, it quickly became one of my most disliked foods. I even had the joy of preparing some bitter melon to be eaten… 
Coincidently, bitter in chinese can be used to refer to hard times. And unlike the joys of eating bitter melon :rolls eyes:, I think that hard times do build our character. When the rubber hits the road, that’s when we find out what we’re really made of, whether we’re mice or men, whether we are standing on solid ground or shifting sand. If you were to ask me how to tell the difference between a good friend and an acquaintance, I’d say you’ll find out when you need help at 4AM or when you ask someone to stick their neck out for you. Sunshine buddies are a dime a dozen. When the rain comes, they are nowhere to be found. When God brings us through the valley, lots of different things can run through our heads. We ask ourselves hard questions like “Was that person really my friend?”, “Was any of this my fault?”, “What kind of God lets things like this happen to me?”, “What’s really important anyway?”, “Can any good come from this?” …, etc.
So you’re probably asking yourself now, “What was the point of me reading all this?” I was getting to that. Hope. When the darkness comes and the storm clouds come rolling in and everything seems lost, what will you cling to? Maybe more importantly, will your hope disappoint you? When you finally reach your goal/destination, will it truly satisfy? Does your hope redeem your hard times? Does it bring meaning to the times where you were struggling? (Does it take your bitter melon… and help you whip up a mean stirfry? or are you left holding uncooked chunks of bitter melon after everything is said and done?)
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”
Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him.
If I have kids, they’re so eating bitter mellon :cheekygrin:
i’m not sure if i’ve grown accustomed to bitter melon, but it’s not a bad vegetable to eat if u can call it that.. i don’t crave for it, but if there’s bitter melon soup on the table, i wouldnt say no.. =)
hahaha on the bitter melon yummy! I love eating it! ;). And I knew exactly what it was…good verses, great book ;)….hehehe it’s an amazing story with amazing lessons, if you read carefully 😉
Very insightful. Very…
Bitter melon soup is my favorite! Love it, you are lucky to get fresh bitter melon at the store in philly, here it is arrives old and expensives ($5.99 each) yikes.
thanks bub for the entry..
kenya has this area called masaii mara, and it too, was desolate & barren. kinda reminded me of the isrealites roaming around that desert. they had to depend on God for every single need. it’s a lesson i’m learning mucho much.
man, i’d wish they’d do an iron chef w/ bitter melon… see what wonderful, delectable dish they whip up with that baby… and the faces on those judges? golden.
I have a guy friend in Shanghai who love bitter melon. He’s always cooking it for care group dinners. 🙂 I hate it but I still eat it because I know it’s good for me. :yum:
Actually, bitter melon isn’t all that bad. It actually brings an interesting taste to black bean sauce on top of steamed jasmine rice. :yum:
http://www.khiewchanta.com/images/stuffed-melon-soup.jpg
Be careful not to cook this soup too long, bitter melon is an aquired taste and the more you cook it the more bitter it gets. We Thais think of it as health food, we think the bitterness is good for you.
Ingredients
100 gms Bitter Melon
50 gms Chicken Breast
30 gms Chopped Carrot
2 Garlic Cloves
1/2 Teaspoon White Pepper
1 Chicken Stock Cube
350 ml Water
Preparation
1. Boil the water with the stock cube.
2. Mix the mince with the garlic, chicken breast and white pepper. Blend to a smooth mixture.
3. Cut the melon in half, take a teaspoon and scoop out the centre seeds.
4. Stuff the hollowed out melon with the chicken breast mixture.
5. Place the halves into the boiling water, with carrot slices and simmer for 10 minutes.
6. When serving, I like to cut the melon into slices for better presentation then put it back into the soup.
Serve With
Thai Fragrant Rice
Here’s another good recipe. I love it when there’s chopped water chestnuts in the pork/beef as a bitter melon filling!
http://www.thaitable.com/Thai/recipes/Stuffed_Bitter_Melon_Soup.htm
nooooo!!! I love your 411 section! 🙁
hahah no. sCrimp.
yes & yes! our church supports a korean missionary couple in kenya. they’re outside of nairobi in the town of limuru. i’ve visited in ’01 & ’02. africa gets under your skin… i loved it. God taught me so much during that time, in missions training & the actual time spent there. you should go!
RYC? you need to send me a Hon-English dictionary. or maybe you should start writing in complete words and sentences. novel idea. so what were you preaching about?
FYI: expect another push for boston road trip email soon. what are you doing the 4th? i’ve got a *good* reason for you to come that weekend…
not that i know of… i think maintaining a website for them would be difficult.
i haven’t traveled much but that’s something i’d like to remedy. learning about new people, places & things are exciting. i wish i could stay overseas for longer periods of time. hopefully one day…
Buddy.. Excellent entry if I am to say so. I can so related to that Bitter Melon thing but you know something I have grow not to mind the bitter melon these days and sometimes even enjoy it (a bit.. very little bit only), especially when I have too much sweet things… hahaa.. My mom puts it in a different way.. “How can you know what is sweet and appreciate it until you tasted the bitter things of life.. blah” 😆
But like stonejewel says, I am going to take my kids eat those bitter melon when I have some. hahaaa.. Later dude..:headbanger:
ahahahhaa =]
1. gomboohjahlae? = are u studying well?/ are you studying?
2. donkkopantee= basically thong but it sounds funny in korean… it literally translates as butthole panties =]
p.s. i like how people respond to your entry with bitter melon recipes. hahah 😛
anyways another well put entry :headbanger: