I found my faith in bleu cheese

Tonight while I was sharing my enthusiasm for starting two potential new Jesus discovery groups with a good friend of mine, she couldn't help laughing as the first image that came to mind was "taste-testing" Jesus.

"J'ai trouvé ma foi dans le Rochefort!"

(I found my faith in bleu cheese!)

This became the quote of the night. And the idea would be revisited in many forms throughout our cinema club outing. "I found my faith in foie-gras!" became a favorite because of the punny play-on-words in french.

The waiter found out Philippe is a fan of whipped cream and when his dessert arrived you couldn't even see what was ordered through the mountain of whipped cream they had heaped on top.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that? I was concentrating on my whipped cream."

We had a good laugh and a great evening.


In preparation for CinéClub this afternoon, I had prayed specifically for, Richard, who came as a guest of Sonia last week. Actually, last week they "accidentally" sat in the CinéClub row and so we chatted and got to know each other. Then, you'll never believe this, CinéClub members found seats together and then in walks Richard about to sit down one row in front of us! It was a bit freaky, I didn't think I would ever see him again (at least not randomly in a big city of Paris, and he doesn't get our CinéClub info) So of course we chatted and stuff, but he didn't stay for the dessert afterwards. I couldn't help thinking it was providential, and I pray that our witness to him, however brief, would present a warm and accepting atmosphere that would draw him to discover Christ.

Umbrellas in Danger

"Umbrellas put their lifes in danger when they move to Paris!"

Yes that's right I said umbrellas. I've never used an umbrella so much in my life, before moving here. And I've never seen umbrellas live such short lives as I have experienced in this city. I killed an umbrella Sunday, and another commited suicide Tuesday. The one I carry today has one spoke broken, but other than that, it's holding it's own.

Praise the Lord for open doors to read the Bible with people. I give credit to the many prayer walks we have done and the participants who have been touched by God and prayed for Paris with all their hearts. Spring is a great season to prayer-walk, not to hot, not to cold. I even got a little sun one afternoon. But spring is still a season of rain, and RAIN it does! It doesn't stop our prayers, humans are relatively water-proof, and so are prayers.

History Class Comes in Handy

Day-dreaming in class two years ago...
My professors were inspiring; history fanatics, with rich histories themselves. I couldn't help sharing their insights with everyone around me. "This bridge was built by the protestant king, Henri IV"For the first time in my life I could interact with history and fall in love with it. Everything I learned about France, from the Romain ruins next door, to the water fountains that we drink from on the streets, everything was coming alive as I returned home after class I would pass by the monuments and historic sites and remember their significance. So with ferver I gathered up all of my notes, interviewed a historian and pastor, Tom Julien, and compiled a nice walking tour.

Last week I responded to a call by an evangelical church in a neighboring town by hosting a Prayer-Walk Sunday the 30th. Today after a spontaneous exchange of e-mails and phone calls, I guided our spiritual family through the same tour. We stopped at many major monuments as well as lesser known landmarks to learn history and pray for France and our friends, and our witness. Here's a note I received from one young lady just hours after the prayer-walk:

Kikoo,

Je voulais encore vous remercier pour cette ballade culturelle et surtout d'avoir inclus des prières pendant le parcours, je trouve que c'est une superbe idée. ça m'a fait énormément de bien de pouvoir prier avec mes frères et soeurs.

Grosses bises

(I wanted to thank you again for the cultural stroll and above all for including the prayers as part of the tour, I found it to be a superbe idea. It was really good for me to be able to pray with my brothers and sisters.)

So my next prayer-walk is scheduled for Tuesday, and I have two more groups asking to schedule an outing for them this spring too. It looks like I'll be busy, but I really enjoy it. And, each time it feels really effective as we pray together about real issues and lift up our hearts before the Lord.

New Eye Glasses

Check out my new specks. Trop Cool !!!
I went to the optomologist Wednesday, stopped by the optician Thursday to pick out my frames, and picked up my new glasses Saturday morning.

...........eye exam = 28€
lenses + frames = 60€
social security
...benefit refund - 30€
________________
...........total due = 58€

And to think I went two years wearing my old cracked lenses! If I had know how easy, and how cheap it was going to be I might have gotten new glasses earlier.

We finally went to the dentist this year too. After three years I was a little scared, and unsure what to expect in a new country. The dentist gave me a discount on my check-up because he said there was, "nothing to clean," so I paid 20€ instead of 28€!