Ten Totally Trivial Tidbits

1. Our renovations are almost complete, and the church building will be open and funcitoning soon! In fact, we are already having our daily prayer meetings in the building and Sunday we'll hold services there for the first time. WOOT WOOT!!
2. Tim Keller wrote a really great little tidbit about "Political Idolatry." If you find yourself using words like "fear" and "evil" when talking about politics or politicians, you might find it helpful. Or convicting. Here's a link: http://dailykeller.com/the-signs-of-political-idolatry/
3. Things I don't like about having an empty nest: I miss my boys, I miss my boys, I miss my boys. And  I have no "excuse" to make cookies. 
4. Things I like about having an empty nest: No junkfood in the house because I can't use the excuse that I'm buying it for the boys (we're actually losing weight!) and total control of the TV (I'm making up for 20 years of no chick flicks).
5. True confession: I'm actually watching Star Trek, Next Generation on Netflix. Which probably 1) doesn't qualify as "chick" TV and 2) goes to show that I'm a lot nerdier without my boys around to keep me cool. 
6. I have a new favorite game. It's called Caveman: The Quest for Fire. Only I don't own it and I can't get it in France. I'm hoping to get it next time I'm in the States. You get to hunt dinosaurs and invent baskets and scout out caves...yeah, well, it's better than it sounds. I promise.
7. Someday I might tell you what David and I got each other for our 24th wedding anniversary. But then again, I might not. Because everybody loves a little mystery.
8. It seems like everything I'm reading these days, both articles and books, is making reference to the Brothers Karamazov. Which I've never read. So, now I'm reading The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky. It might take me the rest of the year.
9. Chandler is missing speaking French, so sometimes when we text each other we do it in French. 
10. I'm totally struggling to come up with number TEN here. Oh! I know! I tried homemade toothpaste this week. It was made from turmeric and coconut oil and peppermint oil--which was a surprisigly pleasant taste! But the turmeric stains a white sink something awful when you spit it out, so I'm not sure I'll keep using the concoction. 

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Ten Totally Trivial Tidbits

1. This week I visited Geneva for the first time. While there I went to the famous Reformation Museum, and I bought this replica of a 15c board game, which is a sort of Calvinist form or "Chutes and Ladders." The instructions crack me up, and include rules such as "If a player landing on square 24  knows the principal quality attributed to King Solomon they can move forward two squares. If not, they must contemplate their ignorance whilst losing a turn." We've played it once. I spent most of the game stuck on square 31 "lamenting with Jeremiah." I never made it to paradise. I'm glad the game does not have the power to predetermine my eternal state!

 2.  I'm working on a baby blanket for Virginia, my assistant. She's due in October with her first baby. It's a great pattern, and I'm sure I'll use it again. No photos for now...but I'll post some once it's completed.

 "Assistant?" you ask. YES! Because sometimes God does even more than we ask or imagine! I've been praying for a few months for an assitant--a bilingual person who could volunteer about 5 hours a week to help me with marketing and communication for Elan, the French association that I am in the process of launching. One day, about two months ago, Virginia came to our church with her husband. They live in the neighborhood and were looking for a local church that they could call home. She is a young French woman with a Masters in English who is currently not employed. When she found out she was pregnant, she put her job search on hold, deciding that she did not want to dive into a new career on the brink of motherhood, At the same time, she felt like she had way too much time on her hands and had been praying about ways she could spend her time that would be beneficial for the Kingdom of God. When I told her that I was looking for an assistant, but that I would not be able to pay her (at least for a year) she said that she would be interested in the position. We sat down and did a semi-formal interview. She was captivated by the idea of helping missionaries to transition to the field and delighted with the possibility of being able to use her language skills.  We clicked, and Virginia agreed to work for me on a volunteer basis for about 5 hours a week. So at least one morning a week, Virginia comes to our home and works alongside me, answering emails, creating contact lists, and doing some translation She will also help create a website and market Elan to missionary sending organizations. Virginia is becoming a dear friend, and I am so thankful for her partnership in ministry.

3. This week I hosted a day-long meeting with French partners and missionary leaders to talk about Elan and officially create the organization. I had twelve participants, an even mix of French and non-French. It was a productive day!

4. It is SO MUCH FUN having Graham aand Chan BOTH in the house for the summer months. Since David and I are still working full time and I am still in classes, we have asked the boys to each plan and prepare two meals per week. They are doing a great job, and we are eating well! Chan has made pork chops with blue cheese and pears, and Graham has made japanese dumplings! 

5. While in Geneva, I had some time to lay down and watch the clouds go by. As I lay, I looked up and saw this lovely sight. It's like God was saying, "Hey there, little one. I love you." 

6. I'm currently taking a class on American Church History. My professor is a Native American of Cherokee descent. Let's just say that the class did not begin with the arrival of the Pilgrims. It is ironic to me that so many settlers, who were fleeing religious persecution, quickly became religious persecutors. The things that were done in the "name of God" are beyond comprehension. And yet, in the end, the Republic that was born offered more religious freedoms and boasted more religious diversity that had ever been found in one place.

7. I now officially wear glasses. Not just reading glasses, all day, every day glasses. My friend who is a Fashion Consultant advised me to go with a neutral color for frames. Which makes a lot of sense. I picked pink. Which kind of goes against the general understanding of the word "neutral." Oh well! I liked the pink ones best. 

8. I've been taking a calligraphy class this year at the local community center. I'm not very good at it. I can spend three hours practicing a single letter, and still not get it just write right. But here is my first attempt at writing out a whole quote. This is a favorite quote from Ijeoma Umebinyuo in "Diaspora Blues" and it resonates with me deeply, as an expat. It says, "So, there you are. Too foreign for here. Too foreign for home. Never enough for both."

9. The weather has finally turned warm here in Lyon. Which makes me want to eat ice cream. A lot. Every single day.

10. The European Cup (or Euros) is currently going on, and France is the host country this year. The Euros is a once every four years Europe-wide soccer tournament. Matches are held in all the major cities of the host country--which means many matches are being played here in Lyon. Fans from all across Europe and flooding into France, and there is a general spirit of excitment in the air. We are watching at least one match a day, and loving every minute of it. So far, France is undefeated! Allez les bleus !

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Ten Totally Trivial Tidbits

1. It's the end of the term, so I am swamped with writing papers. I'm thinking about publishing one of them here on the old blog--but it's like 12 pages long! Would anyone want to read it? It is on an interesting topic. It's about a French village that saved about 800 Jews, mostly children, by hiding them throughout the Nazi occupation.
2. We discovered an amazingly wonderful Thai restaurant in Lyon. I'm SO happy about it!
3. Our church has found a building to rent!!! We have some renovations to do to it, but hope to be able to move in in July. It's just a couple of blocks from the metro station, right in our neighborhood. Hip Hip Hooray!
4. Major bonus about city living: the pets have been completely flea-free since our arrival in Lyon.
5. David has started running with me. He has one rule. I'm not allowed to talk. He can run much faster than I can, but I can go further. So we take turns setting the pace, and in a few months we'll probably both be going further faster. 
6. Graham is going to come HOME for the summer! And we are all four totally excited about it. The downside is he won't be able to work (He doesn't have a visa that allows him to get employment in France). So  we're praying for a great campus job for him for the next school year so that he'll be able to earn his share of his tuition. But getting to be together as a family for three whole months sounds so very super dreamy to me!
7. Chan and David both have birthdays within the next six days, and I don't have a clue what to get them. Any ideas?
8. I just saw that a forty year old gymnast from Uzbekistan qualified for the Olympics. Maybe there's hope for me yet....
9. Spring is in the air, and sadly, in my sinuses. I hate allergies. But I love Spring. Why must they always go together?!?
10. I'm currently accepting suggestions for good FICTION summer reading. Go!

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Ten Totally Trivial Tidbits--Family Holiday Edition

1. On Christmas Day, some dear friends arrived at our apartment in Lyon for three days of fun and festivities. This isn't the first Christmas we've celebrated together--and something tells me it won't be the last.
2. I'm reading fiction for the first time in months--oh the JOY! Truly, I love seminary, but I miss reading "n'importe quoi."
3. We visited the plateau above our neighborhood and took in a lovely view of the city.
   
4. We are hoping to spend a day skiing in the Alps--an easy day trip from Lyon. The problem is a lack of snow. So we're praying for snow and begging Chandler to do his snow dance (which always yields positive results). Maybe next week.
5. This is the first time we've all four been together as a family in 2015. I'm soaking in every minute. We're also making sure that the same thing does not happen in 2016. Which means summer plans are being set in motion.
   
6. My mother-in-law sent me some mint m&ms for Christmas. Oh, the JOY! 
7. We finally visited the beautiful (Free!) Lyon Zoo. The red panda put on quite a show, but these monkeys were my favorites:
   
8. By the way, cotton candy is called La Barbe à Papa or "daddy's beard" in French.
9. We watched all six of the Star Wars movies (one per day) before going to see the new one in the theater yesterday. Such fun! We all loved the new movie.
10. We got a new game for Christmas--new to us, anyway. It's called Carcassonne. We've played it several times already, and I think we're getting the hang of it. 

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Ten Totally Trivial Tidbits

1. We have this new app on our phones called Vivino. All I have to do is photograph the label on a wine bottle, and the app then gives me all of the information on that wine--such as where it's made, how it ranks, any distinguishing characteristics, price, and where I can buy it. It also creates a wine database for me for future reference. This is a very cool app to have when one lives in France.
2. I was in the States for ten days for my classes at George Fox, which was super fun, as always. In my missional leadership class we were asked to look at our hand to see if our ring finger was longer than our index finger. My ring finger is significantly longer than my index finger. And apparently, that's significant. Curious? Here and here are some articles I found on the topic.
   
3. Apparently, all buildings in Old Lyon are susceptible to rat and mice infestations. (Don't tell my mother, or she'll never come visit me!) Yesterday some building manitenence guys came by to place traps in our home. Fortunately, I think Jack and Gemma keep the critters away. So far, I haven't seen any unwelcome rodents. Which means I haven't seen any rodents, because no rodents would be welcome in my home.
4. David flew a plane this week. Hoping to be able to say the same next week.
5. I've been working on creating surveys for missionaries and mision agencies to get some information to help shape the organization that I want to create to help missionaries transition to the field. All I have to say is this: Google Docs Rocks!
6. We still don't have a church building, but that's not keeping us from being the church in our neighborhood. Today some local YWAM students came to our neighborhood to help with our outreach efforts, engaging people with a faith-realted questionaire. We will use the information gathered to shape another outreach event that we are planning for December.
7. I'm thinking of starting a photo collection called "French Men and Their Pants." Because I never cease to be amazed at the various colors of pants that French men wear. Yesterday at the Metro station I saw I guy wearing chartreuse-colored pants. The kicker was that his conservative looking grey blazer had elbow patches of the exact same color. I'm still smiling about it.
8. It's chestnut season! I had a chestnut mousse yesterday afternoon that knocked my socks off !
9. While in the States I was telling my dad about our regular ministry activities, and after telling him about our daily prayer meetings he asked, "Do you do prayer meetings in English or in French?" I thought, "What a weird question. We live in France. We work with French people. Of course we do them in French!" But apparently this is not something that Americans would assume. So just to be clear, we do 100% of our ministry in France in French. We pray in French, we worship in French, we preach in French, we plan in French, we evangelize in French, we teach in French, we train in French, we share meals in French, we encourage in French, we joke in French. We do speak English in our own home--but only when we are home alone as a family. When our French friends and neighbors come over we speak French. This is even more true in Lyon than it was in Loches because in Loches we lived and worked with several anglophones. Here we are the only ones on the team. And we like it that way.
10. Our coffee maker got broken in the move to Lyon, so after doing some research, we finally bit the bullet and bought a Nespresso machine. Oh la la. I now start every day with 20 minutes of silence and a fresh cappuccino. Because spiritual formation and coffee just GO together. 

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Ten Totally Trivial Tidbits

1. Restrooms in Poland are labeled "Toalety." Apparently the Y at the end of a Polish word makes the word plural. Interestingly, when I went to use the toalety at the hotel where I was staying a few weeks ago, I found myself in a conundrum. I don't know the words for "Men" and "Women" in Polish, but even if I did I'd have been at a loss, because the doors did not have words on them. Neither did they have male and female stick figures. One door had a triangle and the other had a circle. If I hadn't read The Divinci Code I'd have been sunk. All that symbol business became instantly relevant to me!
2. I was in Poland for the European Leadership Forum, and one of the speakers was a man named Ajith Fernando. He is the leader of Youth for Christ in Sri Lanka and he taught us each morning from the book of Nehemiah. His teaching was powerful and I am still feeding off of his words. One of the best things he said was this: "Burnout is not caused by hard work. Burn out is caused by insecurity, because insecure people refuse to rest. Sabbath is an act of faith--it is what it means to be secure in Christ."
3. We saw Jurassic World in 3D. I loved the raptor pack. 
4. I have written a bazillion reports this week. Some were annual reports for supporting churches. Some were evaluations for grant makers who have funded various projects in France. Some were for scholarships. Some were for our annual employee review. The administrative tasks in life make me very tired--and yet...it is amazing to look back over the past year and see all that God has done. If they would call annual reports "Glimpses of God's Glory" I'd probably enjoy them a lot more. So that's what I'll call them from now on! 
5. Chandler has one more week of greulling tests and then a couple of greulling weeks waiting for results. This French Baccalauréat is intense business. 
6. We have submitted applications for two different apartments in Lyon. Both are about the same size and about the same price. One has three bedrooms, and that is the one that I would prefer. Please pray that God makes His will and His way known. We trust Him.
7. Graham bought a tiny little amp that will be perfect for a dorm room. Not sure which part of that sentence makes me happier...that Graham bought it himself, or that Graham finally has an amp that he likes in the States. It's orange. And apparently it sounds great. Wish I could hear him play. I miss that guy!
8. I traveled a lot over the past month. Every time I came home, I suffered from horrible allergies. I thought it was environmental. But then we started to notice that the allergies acted up when I was close to David. It turns out I was allergic to a new deoderant that he was using. Weird. He's thrown it away, changed brands, and I haven't sneezed since!
9. My stove--which I love--will not fit in either of the apartments that we like in Lyon. It's a large, five-burner gas stove that brings me much cooking joy. Store it or sell it? That is the question. 
10. So I've almost finished Hobbes 2.0, and I've run out of orange yarn. I went to the yarn store to try to buy more and they didn't have anymore. So a Hobbes head, four Hobbes paws, a Hobbes body and half-finished Hobbes tail are sitting in a basket on the coffee table. It's a sad sight. And I'm not sure what to do about it. I know. First world problem. 

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Ten Totally Trivial Tidbits

1.  It's Spring Break for George Fox students! Which means I get to step back from my studies and focus on some other things for a week. My focus this week? I've been seeking inspiration for the Easter sermon I'll be preaching, working on messages for a women's retreat in May, and catching up on e-mails that had been neglected for almost a month. 
2. But if you think that Miss Jenn is all work and no play, you're sadly mistaken. Play is my middle name! Okay. Not really. My middle name is Ann. Without an E. And contrary to Anne Shirley, I like it like that! But I digress....How am I playing this week you ask? Well, I've crocheted a little poncho for a little girl, I'm reading some delightful mysteries (Masie Dobbs, if you must know), and I'm baking chocolate chip cookies. And eating them. I'm most definitely eating them. 
   
3. Chandler has officially sent off his applications to three medical schools in France. Of course, he still has to pass his Bac, which is no small task! But in the Fench system, one can go directly from High School to medical school; there is no need for a Bachelor's degree. It will still take about 8 years, or the equivalent of a Bachelor's plus an M.D., and even more if Chandler sticks with his plan to become a surgeon. It's just that the studies are focused on medicine right from the start.
4. David is itching to fly, but so far has not had much opportunity. Because he is not employed--just a contract worker, he must be hired directly by people who want to go somewhere using the air-taxi service with which he is associated. Though he is on a list of preferred pilots, without knowing any of the regular customers, it's hard to get chosen for a flight. Please pray for some open doors.
5. I've been sleeping like a champ the past few weeks. Most people would consider that good news. I consider it a sign that my thyroid levels are out of whack. 
6. I have such a hard time dressing myself this time of year. No, no. Not the physical act of donning clothes! That's not a problem! Rather, I don't know what to wear when the calendar says it's spring, but the weather screams winter, winter, winter. 
7. Someone recently asked for a recent family photo. The impossibility of fulfilling that request made me sad. I'm really missing Graham. And as you may have seen on facebook, Graham's really missing half his hair. I figure it's practice for when the balding gene trickles down to him from his grandpa Burris. 
8. Good News! Great News! Over-the-top-exciting News! We finally know the French city to which we will be relocating this summer. And...I'm not gonna tell you! I know. I'm such a tease. We're working on getting a newsletter out in the next few days with all the details. But here's a photographic hint:
   
9. So here's something that happens to me ALL the time these days when I travel. I introduce myself, and people eventually ask if I have children. Then I tell them I have two boys, and I give their ages. Then, all of the people in the room gasp in amazment, saying something like, "That's not possible! You look much too young to have children that old!" And then I smile and say, "Wow. That just made my day!" But then I wonder why it makes me so happy to appear so young. Pretty superficial really. 
10. Daffodils are blooming in my backyard, and as the official flower of the diabetes association, they always make me think of my sister Sharon, who died 18 years ago from complications of diabetes. She loved daffodils.

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Ten Totally Trivial Tidbits

1. We watched the Super Bowl live on Sunday. Well, actually it was Monday here in France. It started at 12:30 am and ended at 4:30 am. And while we were sad by the outcome, truly, it was a game well played. Yes, I'll admit it. American Football is one thing that I still miss from the States. Katie Perry I could do without..., but those dancing beach balls were pretty cute.
2. Chandler had his first major exam for his French Bac today. The subject? It was his oral comprehension exam for English. Before you roll your eyes and say, "Well THAT couldn't have been too difficult!" let me tell you how the test goes down. The students have to listen to something like a news broadcast in English, and then they have to write a summary about it IN FRENCH. So while it was testing the English comprehension skills of most of Chandler's classmates, it was actually a written FRENCH test as far as Chandler was concerned. Still, I'm betting he did just fine!
3.  Our plans for next year are still up the air. We are looking at a couple of different options, but nothing has been decided for sure. Will you please pray for us as we try to discern where the Lord is leading us to go? We will be in France for sure, we just don't know which city!
4. We are still having weekly adventures in cheese. This week we tried a creamy little delight that was covered in bright orange mold. It was DE-Lish! 
5. Speaking of cheese, the cheese lady at market has an unabashed crush on my dear husband. She calls him by name and always engages him in conversation, while batting her eyelashes. When I go to market she barely acknowledges my existence. This week, we went to market together. After overtly flirting with David, she said to me, "Hi to you, David's wife. I don't know your name." And then she turned away, making it clear that she didn't need to know me by any name other than "David's wife." To which I would reply, "Yeah! And don't you forget it!"
6. David has an unabashed crush on me.
7.  I am struck anew by the unabashed love of a savior who was crushed for my iniquities. I have recently become aware of a core sin in my life, one that has skewed many of my motivations and authored many of my desires. When I see how such a sin can permeate so many aspects of my life, wounding me and causing wounds on those around me, I am overwhelmed by my need for redemption. In the wake of this realization I had the pleasure of singing the age old hymn, It Is Well. The third verse brought grateful tears of joy to my eyes. I weep even as I type the words here:  My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
8. Self-awareness is hard. 
9. After carrying the same purse every day of the past 5 years, I have asked David for a new purse for my birthday. I'm going from basic black to hot pink. As if my life weren't exciting enough already!
10. I am reading some amazing books in my seminary classes! My favorites so far are The Social World of Ancient Israel, A General Theory of Love, and A Guidebook to Prayer.

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Ten Totally Trivial Tidbits

1. Friday morning I walked to prayer, as usual, at 7 a.m. After morning prayer, as usual, I remained at church to do Pilates with some friends. As I slipped off my shoes, I noticed something most UNUSUAL. I was wearing two different shoes. I thought I was over my exhaustion, but perhaps I'm still a little bit tired.
2. I am still buying apples as if Graham were living here. Graham is an apple-addict, consuming, on average, two or three apples per day. He has done that since he was like 5 years old. So yesterday I went to the grocery store, loaded up on apples, and when I got home I discovered that the fruit basket was still overflowing with apples from my last shopping trip. Stuff like that makes Graham's absence so very tangible. I miss him. Meanwhile, I better start making pies.
3. Chandler preached his first sermon a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, it was when I was in the States, so I missed it! But it sounds like it went well. Our church is doing a series on the Ten Commandments, so David assigned Chandler the commandment that says "Honor your father and mother." 
4. Jack and Gemma have fleas. Again. Or still. I'm afraid fleas are my new normal.
5. I've been increasing the number of miles that I run--which, you know, seemed like a good thing to do after running the same distance (three miles) for the past seventeen years. I'd hate to get in a rut. But I've somehow injured my hip, and I'm not sure what to do about it. The pain isn't bad--so I keep running. But it has persisted for three weeks now, so I'm also a bit concerned. Any advice?
6. I love seminary, and I love most of the books that I read for my classes, but I am feeling deeply deprived of fiction. I am taking recommendations for FICTION books to read over the Christmas holiday. What delicious, well-written, stories should I read? Go!
7. I forgot to bring corn syrup back from the States--a critical ingredient for the caramel recipe that my family loves this time of year. Bummer!
8. When I was a child, I went to a summer camp in the Texas Hill Country called "His Hill." It was there where I first heard a woman preach the Bible, and I think it was during those summer months that I first began to feel a call to ministry. His Hill was run by Torchbearer's International, which is a Bible Training Ministry. Our camp counselors were all Bible students in the program. Are you still with me? There is a point. I promise. Next week I will be teaching a Leadership Class at a Torchbearer's Bible School in France. How cool is that? 
9. We haven't yet figured out if we will be celebrating Thanksgiving this year, but we need to decide soon because we have to give the Turkey farmer enough time to fatten up a bird for us. And yes, I realize that is a first-world problem.
10. David and I had a great meeting with the president of our denomination this week. We have some direction on our future ministry opportunities. Please pray for wisdom ad direction, as there are three options before us. I'll fill you in on the details soon!

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Ten Totally Trivial Tidbits

1. Remember the BAC exams that Chandler had to take in June? Well, much to no one's surprise, he did great. He passed the French written exam and he virtually aced the French oral exam. Now he's spending his summer doing remedial work in Spanish. Because Spanish is definitely his worst subject. And next year he will have to take Spanish exams (written and oral), along with a  Biology exam, a Chemistry/Physics exam, an Math exam, History exams (written and oral), English exam (written and oral), and yes, even a Physical Fitness exam.
2. Graham is furiously finishing up his High School classes, but since his High School is online, there will be neither pomp nor circumstance. I'm trying to talk him into sporting a homemade square cardboard hat, but he's not having any of it. Still, we're super proud of his A average but even more proud of the person that he is. He is totally ready for university life in the States.
3. Speaking of University life, I just found out that I received a nice scholarship to George Fox Evangelical Seminary, which makes me a tiny bit hopeful that I might be enrolling in online classes soon. Man, I want to go! But even with a scholarship, it will still be expensive. We just can't tell if God is saying, "Step out in faith! I've got you covered!" or "Hold back, this isn't yet my timing!"
4. Since our boys don't seem to have enough on their plates (not!) David offered to teach them homelitics this summer. Actually, both boys are willing, maybe even eager, to start learning to preach. I wonder where they got that.
5. A shout out to all those who have lent me Kindle books! Thanks! My literary cup runneth over!
6. Speaking of books, I just finished Leighton Ford's Transforming Leadership. Best book on leadership that I have read in ages. I've never highlighted as much of a book in my entire life.
7. Gemma's groomer went out of business and I can't figure out what to do with my messy mutt. She needs a serious haircut, and the only other groomer in town won't return my phone calls.
8. Chandler and I have been playing a lot of our new board game, Pandemic. It's a cooperative game, so we either both win or we both lose. We mostly win.
9. In other board game news, Graham has completely dethroned me as the Settler's of Catan Champion. He's won the past two games, but only barely. Of course, I won like a thousand before he won the last two, so maybe I'm not entirely dethroned.
10. In case you were wondering, I've been sleeping like a baby lately. 

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Ten Totally Trivial Tidbits

1. We've had ten people around our table for lunch every day this week. Some super amazing aspiring church planters are in Loches for a week of intensive training, and we've had the privilege of hosting the midday meal. Our dishwasher has been doing its fair share of the work!
2. On Friday I will fly to North Carolina to attend a gathering of the Leighton Ford Mentoring Community. I'm excited for this experience, which will better equip me for my role as a facilitator for the Mentoring Community that was just started by the Federation of French Evangelicals (FFE). Mentoring is a novel concept in France, so the goal of the FFE Mentoring Community is to train and equip mentors for emerging French leaders.
3. David is working on a 3000 piece puzzle. He promises me that he adds at least one piece a day, so by my calculations, I should expect to have a puzzle-in-process in my dining room until Chandler graduates from medical school--in like 9 years.
   
4. Last week I was the "Global Woman Highlight" for Thrive, an on-line magazine for women who work cross-culturally. Really, all it means is that I got to write a blurb about myself so that others can pray for me. But if you care to read what eloquent words I wrote about my eloquent self, feel free to click the link. Oh, the reason I got asked to be the "Global Woman Highlight" is because Thrive has published several articles that I've written--you know, which weren't necessarily, exclusively ALL ABOUT ME, like this little ditty. 
5. My allergies are so bad right now I could claw my eyes out, which would be one way to remove the aforementioned puzzle from my sight. 
   
6. I have been sleeping really well the past week. You might think that is a good thing. I find it slightly irritating. Why? Because I am accustomed to waking up at 3 a.m. and having three lovely hours to think and pray before I get out of bed at 6 a.m. But when the alarm goes off at 6 and actually wakes me up, I seriously resent the fact that I have to get up without having had my think-time. My whole day seems off! Not sure what to do about this problem, but since it rarely lasts, I'm trying to just endure these crazy 8-hours-in-a-row-of-sleep that I am getting. Maybe a little jet lag will throw me back into my regular sleep-deprived (but thought rich) pattern. Here's hoping?
7. I've been photographing food a lot lately because I want to make a cook book of favorite family recipes for Graham for graduation. The problem is I need to get past the "photographing food" phase to the "imputing recipes" phase--which is where the project loses all its allure for me. Perhaps I could recruit David to help, but then that could detract from the time he needs to devote to the puzzle, which might mean that the puzzle-in-progress in my dining room will be there long enough for grandchildren to one day help in its completion.
   
8. I'm reading Dallas Willard's Renovation of the Heart. Challenging, but good.
9. You know that verse that says that God can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine? At this moment in my life, I believe that I am seeing God do immeasurably more than all I've asked or imagined--both in my personal life and in my ministry. It's cool, and it's all HIS work; yet, it hasn't come about easily. For example, leading up to this time I suffered about 4 months of panic attacks. When God takes you to the High Places, you have to walk on some pretty rugged terrain. My panic attacks have stopped for now, and I'm grateful. But if that's what it takes for me to experience a work of God in my life, I'd endure them forever. 
10. Jack is only growing in his belief that he is king of the world. Good thing he is loved, because he knows no modesty!
    

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Ten Totally Trivial Tidbits

1. I have been having some weird dreams. WEIRD! And normally I don't remember my dreams, but these ones have been sticking with me like a stamp to a letter. They include me falling off a dam that was spilling contaminated water, getting overwhelmed in a mini-mart when there were only two things on my shopping list, and taking a shower in a stall so tiny that the shower curtain was clinging to my fully-clothed (but not wet) body. Any dream-analysis-specialists want to tackle those images? The good news? Dreaming = Sleeping.
2. The animals still have fleas, but I think they have fewer fleas than they used to. Either that, or I'm no longer noticing them as much. Should I be happy about that?
3. Chandler just got his grades for the second trimester and he is NUMERO UNO in his class. While he has the highest overall average, his Spanish grade is not so bueno. Fortunately, High School level classes in France are weighted based on one's major. Since Chandler is working towards a Science major, his math and science classes have a coefficient of 6 or 7, while classes like Spanish and PE have a coefficient of 2. Thus, he can basically flunk Spanish and stay in first place for his overall average. On the bright side, he's not only acing Math and Science, but English and PE as well!
4. David invented a recipe that consists of meatballs on a nest of green beans drizzled in a soy-ginger sauce. It's De-Lish! He's been trying to come up with a clever name for it, but so far he is striking out. Any help?
5. In all of my crazy dreams, I do NOT need reading glasses. Which is one thing I really like about my dreams because, sadly, this is no longer my reality. 
6. I'm preaching this week on the book of Judges, talking about the cycle that is repeated at least 8 times in that old testament book: Idolotry-->Slavery-->Cry out to the Lord-->God sends a deliverer (a judge)-->a few years of peace-->Idolotry, and the cycle repeats. It strikes me that idolatry always leads to slavery. Always. So be careful what you worship.
7. When I reviewed my sermon with my language helper she only found 24 errors. I know that sounds like a lot, but there used to be like a million, so 24 is not so bad. UGH! Actually most of the errors were really teeny-tiny mistakes. But still. I'm just sick of making mistakes in French; Sick. Of. It. So I'm spending an hour day studying French right now, expanding my vocabulary, memorizing which prepositions go with which verbs, and brushing up on definitive articles. Fun stuff.
8. I bought Tulips at market last week, and they make me really happy. Tulips are the heralds of Spring!
9. Read the WOOL series by Hugh Howley. It was a fun bit of science fiction, definitely kept my attention. I am now reading a piece of French contemporary fiction called The Elegance of the Hedgehog. Totally different style of fiction and just as compelling. Dark, cynical, yet funny. I'm only a few chapter in, so I can't recommend it, but I'm enjoying it. I'm also in the middle of a book called The Jesus Model which is by Dietrich Schindler, a German church planter. He presents a church planting model based on what Jesus did. Very good read, and lots of great information for anyone involved in discipleship at any level.
10. I think I need a new cell phone. What's the average shelf-life for a mobile phone? I've had mine for three and a half years, and it mostly works fine, I'm just sick of it. Must I wait for it to die? 

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