repartie

Il est 7H.
Jonathan est super gentil.
Je pars pour Montparnasse.
Mon TGV est le 8515.
Il soleil est brillant.
Je laisse notre appartement en ordre.
J'ai fait ma valise pour 3 mois.
Ma guitar est prête... mes doigts- non.
Les étudiants Basques Espagnols partent pour Seattle/Portland/Suzanneville/Redwood City.
Je vais sur la Côte Basque.

the south

noonish here in Paris France. Alaina and I have been chillin' since yesterday evening. I took her to my fav Cuban food joint and we shared a meal and then walked and walked and walked til we reached our intended destination in the 7th. We joined an amazing soirée featuring Provencal food and wine. We talked and I reconnected with Carrie who Michelle introduced me to a month ago, Kelly the server and Charles and Elizabeth. We had a nice evening.

We snuck out the door for a few minutes with our glasses to a bar around the corner to watch the final minutes of France vs. Greece. My heart sunk as I watched the time run out on them down 0-1. Don't worry les Bleus, je vous aime quand même.

So now I have about 3 days to get packed and cleaned up and ready to catch my train for the south. Time is flying and I have quite a bit of work to do. Its good to be a little busy though, it keeps things moving forward.

PFR sings

pour me out,
til there's nothing left of me

pour me out,
so that some day I might see

i want to lose myself in finding You
embracing grace and facing truth
tear down these walls that dim the shape i'm in

pour me out,
from my river to Your sea

pour me out,
let me ride on waves of peace

i want to understand this greater plan
how character can shape a man
Your image surrounding me, pray that will be

brain pain and an unsafe God

I'm having one of those days. Its a moment when you think, "that's all nice in theory, but in practice...?" I don't know why It is crashing down into my head today. I really don't have much space in the brain to think about It but I am. Its the question about 'church'. I've been pretty intrigued by the simple church movement and from what I've seen and heard, it looks like an amazing process but my questions come in regarding multiplication.

Almost 3 weeks ago, I asked Michael Moynagh (author of Changing World, Changing Church) how can the emerging church in all its facets and forms effectively multiply? I keep hearing that it can be done with non-Christian people obviously led by a small team of solid believers. I'm wearying of seeing churches grow and develop at the sake of other's decline. Comfy Christianity seekers. I don't know how much of this goes on in France where the believers are few and the churches are quite small but I imagine it happens. I know of 1 church in Paris that was started exclusively with a group of non believers meeting regularly in a home to discuss faith. Today this home church is still vibrant after 10 years.

I think I'll ask a few people some questions, find out history, correct my preconceived ideas and see if I can relieve the brain pain I have over this topic.

Anyone out there know the name of the home group church movement in Germany - they are 700 and counting.

I'm swimming in all this all the while reading a book by John Eldredge and Brent Curtis called The Sacred Romance. Somewhere all this comfort christianity conflict is tied up in my mind as I wrestle with a Wildly Dangerous Romantic God and desire for the security I know in Him. Lucy asks the Beavers in CS Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, if he, Alsan, is safe. "'Course he's not safe! But he's good."

back

Well, I've safely returned to Paris. I'm plugging in all my electronics, making phone calls, trying to stay awake and thus confused about what I should be doing right now. So I thought I'd blog and tell you all that I'm home. There's too much email to respond to, too much computer organization to do, only one week to do it in, and a fly or bee that is trying desperately to get freed from my room. I think I'll let him go.

saying goodbye in Vancouver with my buddy Tim Spring. 

a week ago he walked

And he wore the mortarboard. Congrats to my brother Zack who's going to Seattle Pacific U in the fall. 

I said goodbye to my niece Abby today up in Seattle. Abby will have a new sister or brother next month. I'll miss them all... but I plan to be back for Abby's third birthday on February 21st next year! 

shortsands lining up 

girlfriends at the beach 

jeanette and britt- you rock! 

Bethany 

Sk8 Church and Andy's bus

in Portland- the city I love 

under the sun

I've been snowed in with emails about the Surfer's Bible here in the Seattle sun. Today I arrived back at my folks from a whirlwind tour of Portland. It was with tears that I drove the minivan back over the I-5 bridge and gazed, rather glanced, at the Columbia river flowing from the foot of Mount Hood. Hood is our winter playground. Short Sands Beach just south of Cannon Beach is the surf spot where I and some girlfriends spent a day basking in the sun and wind. Its been an incredible visit. Tomorrow I begin the challenge of packing up the things I'm taking back to France. I'll also see my sister in Seattle one last time. Sunday morning I board the plane for Paris.

JT

'Bonjour' de mon neveu Jonathan, qui a vécu des miracles en entrant dans ce monde il y a 13 mois. Aujourd'hui il est très mobile et il aime danser, rigoler et manger, bien sûr.  

dans le sunspace

Ma nièce, Anna, découvre l'oeuvre de Dieu. Le papillon est mort dans notre chambre qu'on appelle le 'sunspace'. 

the shoe decision

So I made a decision to buy new tennis in the moment I donned my fav's to mow the lawn this afternoon. I knew that mowing in them would render them green and ugly like "farm shoes" all are. Bummer. Now I need to search for new tennis. I'm thinking some New Balances might be nice.

Tomorrow my little bro slips on the robe and mortar board. We'll be partying all afternoon.

home home

There are certain things I love about being home. There is the lawn to mow, which I always thought resembled a football field; the pool to clean, and the ugly mouse cooking in the sun that the cat caught and left on the cement step on our deck.

So far, I'm feeling great to be home, taking extra vitamins and trying to figure out if the weather will be nice or not. Currently, mild temperatures with partial clouds and slight humidity.

voyage et massage

Dans 24 heures je vais être dans un avion. Je vais aux Etats-Unis. Et puisque c'est de Seattle d'où je viens, je vais me rendre à l'aeroport de SeaTac où mes chèrs parents m'attendront. Le but de ce voyage est de voir ma famille, discuter avec eux et d'autres personnes dans ma vie. Je vais aussi rendre visite à Portland où se trouve mon église Central Bible. Mon amie Jeanette m'attends avec impatience. Je vais profiter de cette visite : Jeanette va avoir bientôt son diplôme en massage. ahhh...

Voilà : il faut que je fasse ma valise. Bonne fête Maman !!

slowly slowly.... supersonique!

Summer it taking shape. Monday I leave for a short trip to Seattle and return the 21st when I'll take my camera on a photo shoot of Les Passagers in concert on the Champs Elysées. It looks like I will have the opportunity to meet some friends before I go down into the south.

This summer is going to be important for me : learning what I desire, what God desires, what I want in life and what I love. It will be challenging and I am asking for reinforced prayer as I learn to deal effectively with different stressful situations. Michelle tells me that God is going to do some amazing stuff this summer in me and for me.

So far, the ride into the unknown has already taken some crazy turns and I'm planning on cinching up the seatbelt and hanging on for dear life! Its like getting on the Indiana Jones rollercoaster here in Paris. You may not be prepared to go upside-down until the sholderpads come crashing down on your sholders. And then you're in for another surprise when it takes off backwards.

a new day, a new view

I put on my fav sweats this morning and took a stroll in the woods behind the village. Everything is so green- you will find every shade of green in those woods.

I talked to God as I went- told him all about what life looks like from my view down here. He reminded me of the many ways I could respond to the 'hiccups' in life and I talked to him about it: life, culture, love, and living for him. I then pleaded with him to hold me upright and calm. I even bargained with him to let me carry his load- which is light and easy- while He carries mine which, to me, seems heavy and awkward.

Next monday I plan to make a short trip to Seattle to see family and talk with a few friends. Then this summer I will venture into the southwest of France to work with kids. I don't know quite where this grand adventure will take me, but God has promised that his ways are higher than mine, his dreams out-do any dream I could ever have, and his plan is more exceptional than I could ever organize.

construire ensemble

Je suis rentrée d'une super weekend passé parmis les jeunes de la France et la Suisse. Nous sommes restés dans un petit village, Ovronnaz, situé dans les Alps Suisses. Pour voir le film qu'on a construit ensemble là-bas, viste le site d'OIKOS où se trouve également un petit clip qui me fait mort de rire.