The fact is, the higher up we find ourselves in terms of power, influence, and wealth – the more people look up to us – the more vulnerable we are to pride and self-deceit, and the more prone we are to be blind to our spiritual needs and deficiencies. Once we are established in a position of influence, we have a reputation to maintain. We have a lot to lose if we get honest about our real spiritual needs. For most of us, the subtle encroachment of pride is more dangerous, and more likely to render us useless to God and others, than any other kind of failure.

Nancy Leigh DeMoss

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Grains	Chinese	Oriental, Main dish	4	Servings

INGREDIENTS

1/2	lb	Flank steak
1	tb	Chinese fermented blk. beans
2		Garlic cloves peeled, chopped
2	sl	Fresh peeled ginger; minced (quarter-sized slices)
1	lb	Fresh rice noodles
3	tb	Peanut oil
1		Onion; cut into 8 wedges
1		Green bell pepper; seeded cut into 1-inch cubes
1	pn	White pepper
1	pn	Sugar
1	tb	Soy sauce
2	ts	Dark soy sauce
2	ts	Rice wine or dry sherry
1/2	ts	Sugar
1	ts	Cornstarch
1	ts	Peanut or sesame oil

INSTRUCTIONS

BEEF MARINADE
CUT THE BEEF into 1/4-inch thick by 1 1/2-inch long by 1/2-inch wide
slices; put into a bowl and toss with the beef marinade. Set aside. Cover
the black beans with water until soft, about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse off
excess salt with water. Place in a small bowl and mash together with garlic
and ginger into a coarse paste; set aside. Separate the strands of rice
noodles. Set aside. Over high heat, preheat the wok until hot. Add half the
oil and swirl it to coat the sides. When the oil is hot, add the beef; toss
until the beef loses its redness, about 30-to-45 seconds.
Remove to a bowl; set aside. Add remaining oil to wok. While the oil is
warming add the black bean mixture; stir-fry until fragrant, about 10
seconds. Over high heat, add the onions and peppers; stir-fry until they
begin to soften but are still crisp, about 1 minute. Add the rice noodles;
stir-fry to coat the strands with seasoned oil, about 30 seconds. Add the
white pepper, sugar and soy sauce; toss until evenly distributed. Return
the beef; toss a few turns to mix in. Transfer to a serving platter. Serve
immediately.
From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

A Message from our Provider:

“We can do nothing, we say sometimes, we can only pray. That, we feel, is a terribly precarious second-best. So long as we can fuss and work and rush about, so long as we can lend a hand, we have some hope; but if we have to fall back upon God — ah, then things must be critical indeed! #A.J. Gossip”