Trains, horses and taking Jesus to Nice

I hope everybody has had a good and blessed weekend. I've had quite an eventful one that I will not forget soon. I was finally able to do something I hadn't done since I moved to France. I took the train to Nice.... alone! I have to go to Nice to get some paper work done at the Dutch embassy. I had hoped that Raphael would be able to go with me to take the train for the first time, as I was really clueless as how to do this, but he works and the embassy is only open in the mornings. Besides that he was sure I would be able to take the train with no problem. I was used to taking trains in Holland and according to him it's the same thing. Well... I wasn't so sure about that... and knowing I had to do this had me feeling very anxious for a long long time. So Friday he reminded me that I had to get this done and how there was nothing to worry about... how it was really quite simple... but somehow his comforting words did not comfort me at all. For some odd reason I had fear that was beyond my understanding. It was unreasonable because why should I be scared? What was I so afraid of?... I couldn't come up with a good reason. My feelings of fear were so strong though that it was even making me cry... then out of the blue a friend calls to say something about the Bible study we are having at home, and in asking me how things were I shared about how I was planning to make this solo trip and it scared me, and what bothered me was that I didn't know why I was so scared... then my friend told me that I actually had good reason to be afraid... in fact, I had three things against me! This was a surprise to me, three things? What could they be? Well... my friend went on to share that first of all: I didn't speak the language well, and even for someone (my friend) that had been living in France before and spoke the language well (translator) it was still difficult. Secondly, France is completely different from Holland. I still cannot situate myself very well anywhere on the coast, things just appear much more complicated when you don't know where you are, things can even be complicated to those who have been living here longer than myself. Thirdly... I have a walking disability. It is not easy to get around, especially when I constantly have to look down to not trip over anything, and that as I have a neurological problem, my legs are very very sensitive to my emotions/feelings. If I'm nervous, my legs also get nervous and they either tremble or just appear to be loosing strength, which makes me even more nervous, which then goes back to my legs... and so on. So, according to my friend I did have good reason to feel as I did, it wouldn't be normal to feel otherwise.... and you know, that made me feel so much better. Why?... well simply because I know Someone who is very very good at handling difficult situations. See, if I have to depend on my own strength to do things, I know I will faint, I will go weary, I will age a hundred years... BUT... you know how I mentioned Deuteronomy 20 before? The chapter I said I like to read with a Scottish accent? Let me just share two verses with you.

¨When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt." Deuteronomy 20:1

When you go out to battle and you see that your enemy is greater than you... don't turn around and run away... no, the LORD your GOD is with you! Do I believe God is with me... yes I do! Why? I believe in Him. I used to have a quote, by Lewis, on a folder back in high-school that said... "I believe in God like I believe the sun has risen. Not because I see it, but because by it I see it all." I believe the Lord has opened my eyes to His truths, and I want to keep tasting and seeing more of Him. See... the world can say to me: "Depend on no-one but yourself. Believe in yourself! Be your own god! If you are nervous, take action! take a pill!" I could have indeed done that... but you see... I believe in this incredible God who has done extraordinary things... I chose to depend on the Lord, because I know that by doing so, He can do extraordinary things... that I could never manage to do in my own strength. Does it make me lose my identity, do I become a no-one... no, not at all... I'm unique, and my story is mine... that's what I also find so beautiful... when I meet other Christians I love to ask them about what the Lord has been doing in their lives, because they have such a unique story! Back to Deuteronomy....

"...Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you." Deut 20:3-4

I don't have to tremble, or faint, or be terrified... because God goes with me and He will fight for me... to save me. Speaking of pills... I don't have anything against some medications... in my case I know that for my anxiety I could have been given some because it was almost unbearable, but... taking them would go against my own personal belief that the Lord IS my strength and I do not have to fear. Please understand that this is the way I chose to walk with the Lord... To win a battle you had to have chariots and horses and weapons... the more the better of course. Even in these days of war it's clear that the bigger and more equipped your army is, the more of a chance you have to win the war. But Psalms 20 says... " Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." Psalm 20:7

There is nothing wrong with horses... with strength. There is nothing wrong with good health, or good foreign language skills... these can be good things to fight a battle with, if you will, but don't depend on them to be your strength, don't think that unless you have them you can win a battle... if you don't have them, like me, it's ok. God is with us :)

So, ok Jimena, that's all nice and all... but how did it go? Well... after praying with my friend, I also shared a bit with my youngest brother, who reminded me of this poem he likes, "Footsteps in the sand"... the one where during the difficult parts there is only one pair of footsteps walking... If you don't know the poem please go here :), if you do know it... then you can understand that I knew it was time to take Jesus on a walk. If I wouldn't be able to walk, He would. And off I went... feeling much better. :)

Bus I took to the train station in Cannes

Waiting in line to get my ticket...

My ticket!

At one of the stops...

Some people waiting for a train...

People walking by ... I like the reflection of the guy in the corner

At Nice! Seeing my train continue to Italy...

"Nice Ville" Station

Outside...

Not sure what this was about, but the man was playing lovely French music :)

There was a free photo exhibition about women right next to the station.

Walking around looking for the embassy...

I ever found a Christian Bookstore.

walking, walking...

Pretty pink building...

Le Mozart...

YAY!!!

Green...

Going back home... on the train :)

"We will shout for joy when you are victorious
and will lift up our banners in the name of our God..." Psalm 20:5

"Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?"

"And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46

Psalm 22

1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

2 O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.

3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.

5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.

10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.

11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.

12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.

13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.

18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.

20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.

21 Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.

24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.

25 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.

26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.

27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

28 For the kingdom is the LORD's: and he is the governor among the nations.

29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.

30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

Not weird, just different....

As I have been tagged three times to say 7 weird things about myself I suppose I should post about it. Problem is I'm having a hard time finding 7 weird things about myself.... I'll do my best though...

1. When I eat I calculate my bites in such a way that my last bite has a little bit of everything... (perfectly acceptable).

2. I like children's books... I borrow some from our public Media-library and then have my husband read them to me at night... (nothing wrong with that... after all, it's a good way to learn a new language)

3. I've been told that my house looks like a museum because of all the artsy stuff around. (a compliment)

4. Ok, I'll admit this is a bit weird... I like to watch my clothes tumble in the washing machine... it's relaxing, no?

5. I can make a satisfactory chicken sound.

6. I like to read passages like Deuteronomy 20 with a Scottish accent... (it somehow helps me live the passage... let me know if you tried it yourself)

7. I... and my husband invited everybody and anybody to our wedding... I met a lot of new people this way... like our school's lunch-lady's husband... he was very happy to have been "invited". Why did we do that?... the Lord invites everybody to His Banquet... He's an everybody kind of Person, His love reaches out to all... knowing this we too wanted to invite everybody to our church service and our reception... this caused some stress to our parents but we felt in our hearts that this was what we should do. We could afford a good meal for 75 people... but over 200 people showed up and all were invited to have a good meal and there were even left-overs! Besides family how could we judge some to be more worthy of an invitation than others? I was sorry not all my friends were able to make it because through the years I had lost track of them and couldn't reach them, but they too would have been invited if I would have been able to reach them... it was a fun day with people from over 27 nationalities who seemed to be happy to be there and share with us... even if I didn't know them all.

Well, those are my 7.... I don't really think any of these is really weird except maybe the washing machine one... call it, different if you will... ;)

Oh my...

I know I have been gone for a long time, and I see that people still stop by and I'm sorry if you have stopped by hoping to see pictures and getting some news from me... I have been busy. In the last few weeks I (or we in some cases) have gotten x-rays, been on a Church Retreat, picked up my brother from Marseille, started a Bible study at home, have been trying to get a bit involved in our little community, finished my French course, watched my plants grow, seen prayers answered, was tagged three times, had people over for dinner or a night, was offered a free French lesson just ten steps away from home (5 steps if you are tall) and another French lesson by phone from my mother-in-law, saw my husband open a facebook account, started giving an English course by phone to a young Polish girl living in Paris, mastered yummy fluffy pancakes for breakfast, got three Wedding invitations, said good-bye to my brother ... and more! For this week besides home-work I have to ready myself to host one of our favourite guests, our youngest and sometimes more demanding guest, but I WILL be ready. I know what to expect now. Even though it has been busy I'm happy with what the Lord is doing in our lives and around us... and if I'm not happy... too bad for me, God is good and I have to learn to trust Him in all things knowing that He works for the best of those who love Him.

My blog has also been awarded twice by two sweet young ladies and this also slows me down a bit, because it really humbles me. One award was a "Blogging with a Purpose" award, and the other one was an "Excellent blog" award, and the reason it's humbling is because before I got these awards I never really thought about what the purpose of this blog was. I think one of my first posts was about a cat that had jumped in my backyard... and another one about having dinner with my mom and brother, and another one about all the chairs in my apartment. But well... after giving it a bit of though I believe this blog is hopefully about bringing glory to the Lord, and I hope that through my posts about my little life people can get a taste of how good and faithful the Lord is to me, that there is no sweeter thing than walking in peace with the Lord, through rain, storms, burning heat or in green pastures under a beautiful rainbow... and about being excellent? Well, if this blog is about Him, then sure... there is nothing more excellent than Him indeed! I want to thank sweet Kaysie and the lovely Courtney for these humbling awards... I think I have to pass them on to others? Hmmm... I think what would be fun is if all those that are linked on this blog could write a post about what the purpose of their blog is (if they haven't done so yet)... not just for me, but for all those who read their blogs. And then about being excellent... they are all excellent because that's why I link to them in the first place... but let me just say something about Kaysie. If you ever find yourself having one of those difficult dry days when all you really want and need is a nice cold glass of water, I would recommend drinking one of her posts... they are so refreshing! Every time I read one of her posts I feel so blessed and encouraged in the Lord. I am very happy to know Kaysie through her blog. She knows it is all about Him and reminds us to turn to Him for all things. Courtney on the other hand is more for those cold days that leave our muscles all tensed! Her blog invites us into a warm cosy home, where they honour God for all their blessings. I love seeing pictures of her family and it blessed me so much to just read about her life, her lovely family and... Christopher!!!! From the time that I have "known" her she has stood strong in her faith and in the last 2 years now I can see how the Lord has blessed her for her faithfulness. It's been a blessing to know these two ladies through their blogs, and it really humbles me that they would consider this blog worthy of a reward.

Well... I'll go see if I can post some pictures of any of the above mentioned activities that have kept me busy for the last couple of weeks. I pray that as you read this post the Lord will touch and comfort your heart.

Blessings...

Mimosa Parade

When I first heard about "Mimosa" I thought it was some kind of food... South African for some reason... then I realized one of my French Soaps was called Mimosa and once I opened it and used it the fragrance was....WOW, nothing like I expected Mimosa to smell like. I couldn't believe a little soap could fill an entire room like that... our bathroom is rather small, but I was just really impressed. Since the end of January I have seen the beautiful Mimosa trees blooming their little yellow suns all over the coast. Everywhere I go I see the bright yellow colour on the fields, in backyards, on the hills... it makes me feel so happy even though yellow has never been one of my favourite colours. I knew people were having Mimosa parades everywhere, but I didn't know they were going to have one right here in our little village. I took a few pictures :)

People waiting at the Plaza

Cool Pink-Red Polka-dotted Horse

I thought this little girl was so cute. Too bad the picture turned was blurry.

Here comes the Turtle! (Picture by Raphaël l)

I liked the Turtle!

Picture Raphael took with his mobile...

Preview

Preview

Little Princesses and Prince

A lady gave me a little bouquet of Mimosas as she danced by...

Could you spot where there was Mimosa in the pictures?

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. Isaiah 40:8

"Thank you Mothers!"

I know it's not Mother's day but I have to write a "Thank You" to all the dedicated mothers that read here. Thank you for taking care of your little ones! (including the not so little ones too) And if you have any 2 to 3-year-olds you will be considered heroes in this post.

My husband and I had the privilege of hosting a little three year old for three days last week. His mother is a single working mother and she asked if we could have him for the weekend as schools would be closed. We have had him before, but it was the first time I had him all day while Raphael worked. Let me tell you... I thought I was quite experienced as I have taught for three years in Holland working with 2.5 to 5 year olds... but this was totally different. First off, I wake up to the sound of a little voice telling me that "It's day! It's day!" Then I feel little hands and feet crawling up to our bed and stepping all over us with joy. So ok, he's right, it's day... and yes, we should be glad. Raphael gets ready for work, I sit and have breakfast with our guest and run him through our daily program. We are going to town, then we will be baking a cake because it's Valentine's day and it's a surprise for Raphael, then we are going to take the bus to the Media Library, then we will wait for Raphael who will pick us up to go back home. Sounded like a good clear plan to me, but first of all we'd have to wash up... Now this is where my questions of admiration for all you mothers (and some fathers too!) come in. These are either things I was wondering or arguing with him about.

1. How do you get a child to take a bath to start with?
3. How do you get him out?
2. How long should playing in the shower last?
4. Who should be dried off first? The child or the toys?
0.5 Who should take a bath first, you or the child?
5. Do you take a bath in the morning?
6. If you take a bath do you have time to think about what you will wear and comb your hair?
7. What does the child do while you take a bath, and is it safe?

I'm guessing that it was just kind of harder for me because I don't have children and I don't know him very well... my French is not perfect either, but I'm guessing that even if it is your child and you know him quite well you will still have struggles, right?

Our cake turned out quite well. He got to put in the yogurt, the baking powder, the salt, the raspberries... I think he really enjoyed it, and he was good enough to wait until after dinner to try it. Our bus trip was another adventure. After 5 minutes in the bus he fell asleep; we were all the way in the back of the bus. I picked him up to hold him... he looked so cute....BUT, when we were close to our stop I couldn't get him to wake up. I moved him about, called his name, shook his head a little bit and nothing. I was a bit anxious because I didn't know how I would get him and our things down if he was asleep. Then for a moment he opened his eyes and I asked him if he was ok, and he said "yes" and fell asleep again! We did manage to get down safely and soon enough he was wide awake! We read books at the Media Library until Raphael came over to pick us up. He ran up to Raphael and first thing he said was "We made a cake for you!"

The next day we just stayed home and played. He loves going to church and singing, so we played church and he was so cute. We pretended that our worship leader was sick so he had to go up and lead us in worship. He took a "make believe" guitar (don't remember what it was) and started to sing and from time to time he would stop to pray. :)

Then on Saturday we went to the mountains to play with some snow :)



I think the greatest blessing though was to be able to read to him at night from his little Bible for children and look at examples of "good listening"... something we had to work on. We talked about Peter letting down his net when Jesus told him to (Luke 5:4), (he did good listening), about the storm quieting down because it obeyed Jesus (Luke 8:24), and how the little children came to Jesus and listened to Him... they looked like they were listening from the picture. It really blessed me that we were able to share about the Lord, and I think it blessed him too.

So, well again a THANK YOU to all you mothers who are working hard day after day to bring up your children as best as you can and in the Lord. If there are any single mothers or fathers at your church or anywhere else that you know, be sure to keep them in your prayers and see how you can bless them. I was blessed with a great mother whom I thought a lot about as I was taking care of Yann. My mother is such a great example of love and dedication to me. She is a hard worker and I just hope that if one day the Lord blesses us with a child/ren, I would be a good mother too.

And what did I get for Valentine's Day?

Home-made bread by Raphael with our initials in the heart!

Mmmmm, it was very good!

Valberg

"For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth..." Job 37:6

Here are some pictures from Valberg!

This is where we stayed.

This was the view from our balcony. The main ski station (on the picture) was just accros, so that was a blessing!

Here I am with the instructor on day 2. Raphael stayed with us to take pictures and to learn how he could also teach me to ski.

Practicing the "chasse-neige" on day 4.

Later he would stand at a distance and I had to make my way to him and stop in front of him.


On day 5 I was so good I was even able to go up hill very fast :P - Actually I think the photographer was about the fall.
That's it folks!

"Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail" Job 38:22

Snow: Yes - Break: No broken bones!

We're back again... and as I mentioned in a comment, my break was not what I expected it would be. You know how sometimes we like to predict what is going to happen? That's kind of what I did before leaving. I predicted that I would have a quiet little retreat because everybody I would go with would be busy skiing or doing some snow sport. Because of TM I have very weak legs and just walking is difficult. I also don't have good balance... I just thought I would have a lot of time to be alone and read and pray and just enjoy nature which I love to do.... I also asked my husband if he could get me one of those little sleighs so I could go up and down the hill... just looked like a lot of fun. But... it seems the Lord had other plans for me. On our first day there my husband, in-laws and I went down to one of the ski villages to rent some skis. I went in the store with them and the lady assumed I was going to ski too so she got me some shoes and skis. My husband told her I had never skiied before so she adviced him on what kind of skis would be good for me, and where to ski... right. I just stood there and thought I would go with the flow... even if it's just to pose for a picture. Then we left and went to the place she suggested... I put my very heavy shoes on, walked a little bit (felt like a Transformer) and when I got on the snow they put on my skis and that was the end and the beginning of it. My mother-in-law, who is very optimistic and kind, stayed with me and taught me how to stand on them; move a little bit to the front and side to side... the rest of the day she spent picking me off the floor. There was almost no one around until this group of militaries came to practise a bit. It was really exhausting for me but after a little lunch break they suggested I try the platter pull which is used to pull you up hill. I'm not very good at saying no, and even when I do say no I'm not very effective somehow, so off I went to the "tire-fesses". It was all planned. My father-in-law went up ahead to wait for me at the top of the hill, my husband would take the one after me to make sure I get there... and my mother in law superviced the operation... So I hold on to this thing and when it pulled me I was succesful for, oh about... 3m!!! I fell, was still hooked to this thing that just kept dragging me, and dragging me. I looked back and both my husband and mother-in-law yelled something... either "Let go!" or "Don't let go!".... So I keep dragging for another while and look back again at them, and again they yell something with the military guys now stretching their necks from behind to not miss the action, and I thought "I don't know what they are saying, but I'm going to try to get this thing off". So after much pulling I got hooked off and my husband took one of the pull things to get to me and help me up. I think the first thing he said was "Wow, you did great for the first 10 meters!" Ofcourse I had been dragged for about 100 meter, but ok. Then he went to get my father-in-law who was still waiting for me. I was so tired and still in shock and I told my mother-in-law that I was tired and that I didn't think it was a sport for disabled people. It was something for normal people and I just cried in frustration... but she looked me straight in the eyes and told me that I was not right, that it was difficult for everybody, and that I was doing very well for my first day. We then went to the car and we talked and she comforted me and told me that they still had to get to know me better and I had to teach them all about how I feel and what I can or cannot do. I was really down and tired and I started to miss my family. When we got back home I went straight to bed and just felt sorry for myself and I missed my family because they know me so well. They were with me every step when I got sick and my dad would have known how to help me, my brother would have known how to encourage me.... but then I thought... "No, you must give thanks and praise God. Look where you are!" And then thoughts of being paralyzed ran through my mind, being told I would not ever walk again, remembering what a miracle it was the day I could move my toes and feet just a little bit, and I got up raised my hands and praised God. Thanks to Him I can walk again; never mind the disabilities, I was on SKIS! Thanks to Him I have a loving family that saw me through my illness; thanks to God I have a great new family that also loves me and they all want to learn all about me. May all I do and all that happens to me be to the glory of God.

Since we had to leave kind of early that morning I didn't have a chance to read all my Bible chapters for the day, so afterwards I took the time to finish reading. The Gospel chapter I was to read for that day was about Jesus walking on the water. Then Peter too wanted to walk to Jesus and he walked on the water until he saw the wind and was afraid... and started to sink... but Jesus reached out his hand and caught him! I thought... I too was kind of walking on water... frozen water, and I got all scared when I was being dragged, but the point is that Jesus is there to reach out to us when we fear... we can always remember that. Even when we are sinking or sliding in my case, there is hope.

That was my first day of this quiet peacefull retreat I thought I was going to have... I skiied every single day after that and thanks to my in-laws, husband and two nice teachers that taught me for two days I got better and better at it... and really enjoyed it, praise God.

I took a few pictures and my husband also took some pictures. I will try to post some soon as I'm not home right now. I don't know if sharing any of this can be an encouragement to anyone. All I know is that I can tell you that I once was indeed paralyzed, I could not move or feel my legs, I could not control my back and all that comes with being paralyzed. I was told I would never walk again but today Thanks to God I can plan to share some pictures with you of me on skis. Glory be to Him who makes all things possible.

My husband told me that he couldn't wait to read my next post, to which I said "But I'm here, you can just talk to me!" But no, he wants to read a post. So let me take the opportunity to thank him too because he was SUPER!

Thank you for your patience, love, hugs and kindness... for wanting to help me ski, encouraging me, believing in me when I didn't believe it was possible, for pushing me but not really pushing me... your big smiles, your bêtises... you are the sweetest man I know.

There is no better remedy to a broken spirit than lifting your hands and praising the Lord for all that He has given us.

Pictures to come!

Snow break

I love snow, I like the way it makes everything look so forgiven. Tomorrow we are planning to go the mountains. They are all covered with snow... today Raphael's family came and we had a pick-nick at the beach where we had a great view of the mountains... :) All this to say that I will be gone for a little time, and to let you know that I will be praying for you as I also plan to do a little spiritual retreat. If there is something I really enjoy doing is spending time in prayer for friends, family, just anyone that comes to mind. I hope you have a blessed weekend/week and I hope to share some new pictures soon.

Blessings

Images de France

I haven't been posting any pictures lately so I thought I would share a few pictures I took last year during a trip to Paris. We took our time (2 days) and enjoyed the good weather and so many beautiful places. To me it's a blessing to live in such a beautiful country. Hope you enjoy them!

Sisteron

Castellanne (Notice the building on top of the rock!)

A bit before Grenoble

St.Pierre-de-Chartreuse

St.Pierre-de-Chartreuse

St.Pierre-de-Chartreuse

Vercors

Vaise de Loup

Champs de Lavande en Provence

"...for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." I Cor 11:26

"Just one more night with the frogs"

Last night Raphael and I were going through Exodus 8... which is when the second plague was just about to befall Egypt. Perhaps you have seen the movie/cartoon "Prince of Egypt". It's a nice cartoon, I have seen it quite a few times, but it's not really really accurate as far as the story goes... at least you have Moses, Pharaoh, the magicians who, by the way, had very impressive dance moves in the movie... the children of Israel, the plagues and the parting and crossing of the red sea. Anyway... so I just wanted to share a bit about something that I was reminded of as he was reading the verses...

Let's go to the part where God is telling Moses what to say to Pharaoh...

"And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs: And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneadingtroughs: And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants. And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt. And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt." Exodus 8:2-7

...wait a minute... back up... what was that? "And the magicians did so with their enchantments"..??? o_0 The frog plague was the second one of the plagues... the first one was about turning water into blood... which Pharaoh's magicians also did with their enchantments... the idea I suppose is to say that their gods could do the same as Moses' God, and as long as they could do the same thing Pharaoh was not going to listen to them... but isn't it actually a foolish thing to do. It's like someone giving you a black eye, and you say "Oh yea? Well, I can do that too!" and you punch yourself in the eye! Sorry for the not so lady like example...I hang out with a guy every day. So, there are frogs everywhere, in the river, on the streets, in your house, in your bed, in your food, and if you accidentally open your mouth while sleeping they would probably jump in too...if that isn't bad enough Pharaoh's magicians go and make even more frogs. Way to go guys. Anyway, that was just a little dumb magician moment, but this is the sad part.

"Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat the LORD, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the LORD. And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only? And he said, To morrow..." Exodus 8:8-10

(Photo by: John Byford... it's a British one, not an Egyptian frog)

Frogs were one of the animal-gods the Egyptians had. I don't know much about this god, I'm sure you can find out more about it... but it kind of makes me think of one of my last posts about stolen gods... gods that can be anything we put before the Lord, and sometimes these gods can be more of a curse to us. What I find sad is how when Moses comes and asks Pharaoh "Great, when do you want to get rid of these frogs, I can ask the Lord and He will destroy them!" And Pharao says "Tomorrow"... We were wondering about why he says this... it could have been his pride... I don't think it was procrastination in this case as I'm sure the frogs were driving everyone crazy... but no, Pharaoh spoke, and he decided that tomorrow would be the day. I have heard teachers in the past explain that the frogs could be seen as sins in our lives... and how many times don't we say Tomorrow to God. "Tomorrow I will stop doing drugs.", "Tomorrow I will stop seeing this person I shouldn't be with.", "Tomorrow I will stop beating my wife.", "Tomorrow I will stop lying.", "Tomorrow I will think about God.", "Tomorrow I will be a better sister.", "Tomorrow I will change my ways.", "Tomorrow my friend could be too late...."

Unfortunately I know people and I myself have been in situations when I have preferred spending one more night with the frogs instead of coming to God. Sometimes because I wanted to maybe gain time and figure another way to have it my way... Sometimes it can be as simple as knowing that you have to forgive that person that hurt you, but no, not today, not tonight... tonight you want to sink in the mud with the frogs croaking about all the bad things this person has done to you, or whatever the issue is.

What's kind of interesting, and this is just my observation so I could be wrong, but it seems to me that God also played Pharaoh's game... the other plagues that followed were announced to happen "Tomorrow" ... as in each time Moses would tell Pharaoh that unless he let the people go a plague would come "Tomorrow".

"People say, eat and drink for tomorrow we die"...but what else does the Bible say about tomorrow?

"Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain.Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that." James 4:13-15

People plan what they will do today, and tomorrow and in a month and in a year... some have very impressive agendas. It's not bad to plan, but know that our lives are really like vapour, we apprear for a little time and then vanish. Not long ago we lost a dear brother at the church. A young student who had his whole life in front of him... A cousin of mine was in a car accident not long ago and as a result two young girls lost their lives. Even some old person could tell you that life goes by much faster than you really think. So, what's the point? Live your lives to the fullest, but live it unto God... honour Him with your life, give it to Him and He will bless you eternally. When should you do that? ;)...

"For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves today to the LORD, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day." Exodus 32:29

Today is the day...

Moses was willing to make things right between Pharaoh and God... my husband pointed out to me last night that today we have Jesus to intercede for us. Sin, the frogs in our lives are what are keeping us from walking in purity with the Lord. Jesus, if you will, is here to make things right, He will wash us from all the sin in our lives. Confess your sins to the Lord, let's come clean... We can come to Him.... when? ;) Glad you asked!

"For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." II Cor 6:2

Let's not be stuborn like Pharaoh... I know I can not sleep in peace when I have frogs in my head... my peace comes from coming to God and asking Him to take them away... Today.

I really say all this from my heart, and with love... I know dear people to me that struggle with drugs/false gods or other frogs that don't let them sleep... and yet they cry, "Just one more night, just one more day." We can't do it alone... but God is here, He can break the chains now, this day...

Peace

Three things... it's a long one, I warn you...

"Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience? For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved."
- I Corinthians 10:29-33

I love this chapter, I don't fully understand it all, but I have been going through it and I have been listening to some studies on it and it's been a great blessing. There are three things here that have stood out to me as I have been studying and listening to studies. It's the parts that I have bolded out, I hope that doesn't offend anyone. (Is bolded a word?)

"For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?"

Good question... but what jumps out to me is the "for which I give thanks"... do I give thanks for all things? We give thanks before we eat... but can I watch a movie tonight and sit there all nice and cosy and say "Thank you Lord for this movie! I'm so happy to be watching this now!" Can I listen to my music and say "Thank you Lord for this music, it's a blessing!"? If I can't give thanks and praise the Lord for a movie... then I probably shouldn't be watching it. When my husband and I were colouring some days ago, I was so happy I would pray and thank the Lord in my heart. We weren't doing anything religious... or spiritual, but I could thank the Lord for it. Now... there are things that we cannot thank God for very easily, things we have to deal with that are not a choice. How do you thank God for a coworker that really gets on your nerves everyday, or... a little beat up car that never wants to start, or you are living in a city, country that you really don't like... you can pray that the Lord would change your heart about it, start thanking the Lord for that person you can't stand and you will see that as you pray for them your heart will begin to change towards them.... maybe not right away, but it will in time, through prayer ;) Thank the Lord for the little beat up car or the almost junk computer you have... at least you have one, and if it's better to get rid of it, then thank the Lord that you can do without... haha. But thank him, it will bless you. Now... what about illness, what if somebody you trusted really did you wrong, what about the death of a dear one... if you believe that God is love, that He is just, that He is all knowing, you can thank Him too... because by faith you can believe in this loving God, just and all knowing that keeps His promises. And when He promises that He will hold you up, that He will work whatever it is for the best of those who love Him... He will do it! Just like Jacob you could be crying "All these things are against me", but be of good cheer, the Lord will see you through. Ask people to pray for you, with you, seek the Lord in all things. When Jacob cried this he didn't know that what would come would be so much more, so much better than he had ever imagined. If you are thinking "Who's Jacob?" I'm talking about the Jacob in the book of Genesis... in the Bible... worth a read. I give thanks to God as I type this post.

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God"

When you wash your dishes tonight, do it to the glory of God... why glorify God while washing dishes? I guess because that might be what He will call you to do tonight, which then must be very important, and we are told to do all to the glory of God. Not to get into home-keeping... but God is organized... In creation you see that things are done in an orderly way. The sun comes up, the sun goes down... winter, spring, summer, autumn...always the same, year after year. Is it boring?... no, it's beautiful. Even the cloth that was used on Jesus at his burial, was found folded at the tomb after his resurrection. Pretty cool eh? (john 20:7) But again, do all to the glory God, all that you do. I used to think that I could only glorify God at church, or while I was doing "good" things... but now I know that I can glorify God by doing that which I should do each day... I know He cares for the little details in my life, and in yours too... so now I can mop for Him if you will, and I'm sure it pleases Him because I chose to bring glory to Him in doing so... yes, it takes faith ;) I hope to bring glory to Him as I type this post.

"Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved."

I think this is also very important. I know what it's like to be around people that always want to have things their way, and it can be very tiring to try to please them, but "that they may be saved." is the part I try to remember. Within the body of Christ there are Christians that drink wine (I have never seen any of them ever get drunk), and there are those who believe that drinking any kind of alcohol is sinful... if you are a Christian that drinks wine, don't offer it to one that considers it a sin. You can offend them by it, or even worse, they might take it to not offend you and if they get drunk because they are not used to drinking then you will really be in trouble because you have caused them to sin. I haven't been in such a situation before, but I'm just saying. - If you are invited to a church where you know that women cover their heads, and only wear long skirts or dresses, don't go with shorts... or pants... not you Doug. "Oh, but I am free to do as I want in Christ... and if they don't like it, it's their problem..." I don't think that this is the attitude we should have. In love, I think we should try to not offend but please especially those whom we call our family in Christ. Yes we have freedom, freedom to judge for ourselves as to what would be a better choice, more pleasing to the Lord. A slave does that which the master commands, but a free-slave who loves his master can chose to follow his masters commandments. Now, if we have certain convictions that we believe are better, more noble, of higher standards than others... may the Lord keep us from judging those others, because only God knows their hearts, and perhaps that which we find lamentable is something that they are thankful and praise God for. Maybe you believe women should stay at home and not work outside the home... and you see a sister coming out of her office job... she has kids too... how easy it can be for some to comment, even out loud, on what a bad mother she must be... you see her, you wave at her with a smile, she smiles back, goes home, and maybe you have just judged her on something she by grace gives thanks to God for. Is she right? Is she doing the right thing.... maybe not, and if you believe she is not, then love her. Show her the way through your love... and not your condemnations. Encourage them to seek the Lord in all things, and read His Word. Trust that God loves them just as much as He loves you, and that He will lead them. I have at times changed the way I do things because of others... not because they have told me to be like them, but because I see their love, their families and I think... "hey, I would like that too!" I hope I offended none with my post, but do let me know if I did so I know I did...

These are just my thoughts now as I have gone through these verses. I know I don't know everything and I don't do things right many many times, so don't take my word for it, find out for yourselves... I have put some links on the side of teachers or places that I think can be helpful in case you want to know more. I also have some blog friends that are great examples to me. If you have a Bible I encourage you to read it... I know it can be scary, it's a big book, maybe you think it's confusing, or boring, maybe you have heard it is a book you should keep away from, or there is this "je ne sais quoi" that just keeps you from reading it... but it is a treasure, I promise you that. The best way to find out is by reading it.

Oh... and before I go... just the cutest of pictures... maybe you have seen it already... it makes me think of a good Shepherd I know. He knows what to do when little lambs like this one get lost.

Lambo

God bless...

Psalm 1

Psalm 1

1Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

3And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

4The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

5Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

....thought is was a great psalm to start the year =)

Happy New Year!

Just felt like I should write something short today. I would like to wish everyone that happens to stop here a Happy New Year. In the past I always had New Years Resolutions... one year I decided not to eat chocolate for the whole year and I almost did! I only had chocolate twice that year, once because someone offered me an ice-cream in the theater... if was dark and I couldn't tell that there were chocolate sprinkles on my vanilla ice-cream... and the second time was when I was visiting a nice old lady that offered me a piece of a chocolate cake she had just baked... I have this rule that I eat whatever is offered to me, especially when it's offered by nice old ladies... and must add very thankfully that since in France no one has offered 'frog legs' or escargot (fancy name for snails) to me yet. It wasn't easy to not eat chocolates as I LOVE chocolates, but I was committed to follow through and I did. I was proud to be good at not eating chocolate simply because I decided that I was not going to...(I know I shouldn't be proud but I admit I was quite impressed with myself...sorry)

I wish I could say, "This New Year, I will rejoice everyday for the Lord is good, I will not bow down to strange gods, I will stand firm in my faith, I will share the gospel with boldness, I will not make the same mistakes I tend to make, I will keep my mind from thinking bad thoughts, and my tongue from saying hurtful things." I say I 'wish' I could say that because just by thinking it I know I have failed already. Yet, I know the Lord doesn't give up on us, He is still encouraging us to finish this race we stated. When I fall, He's right there to help me up and keep walking. I don't have a New Years Resolution, but I do have two things that I would like to keep in mind...

First, I have been following the Lord for some time now but kind of like a fly can follow a cow. I have been there, I have seen Him do things and heard His voice, my life has been changed because of Him, but now I want more... I want to walk like him... use my hands like He used His hands, see people the way He saw people, love the way He showed us how to love... I almost have this picture of a child not only following his dad, but also trying on His shoes. As I picture Jesus walking on water... I can see myself following Him on a little boat, but I am now in a place where I want to get out of the boat and walk with Him. I want to say, Lord if it's You ask me to come to you.

Second thing... as I study and meet many people I realize that things can get a bit confusing and messy at times. A lot of people like to own the truth and wave it like a flag, and when you see many flags of truth waving you can get confused and may not know where to turn... but there is good news. As a friend said the other day... God knew people could get confused trying to figure out what truth was, so He came Himself and said "I am the way, the truth, and the life". That's good news. :) If you want to know the way... follow Him, if you want to know the truth... listen to Him, if you want to have life... give your life to Him... the little life that we try to grasp and hold on to could be gone just like that... it's so much better to put it all in God's loving hands, He loves us more than we can even imagine. So, I want to remember this whenever I get to a point where I don't know where to turn... I'll remember Jesus words and will know to follow Him, and I'll be in His truth, on the way and have a life.

These are my two thoughts as I start this new year... but I know that I could keep them for years to come. I'm so thankful for all He has done in my life this last year, I can only look forward to knowing Him more and more, and longing for His return.

"And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus." - Matthew 14:26-29

Gods that can be stolen...

"And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?" Genesis 31:30

Raphael and I have been going through the book of Genesis, and we are reading about Jacob, his wives, sons, uncle/father-in-law... and stolen gods! If you don't know the story you can go here. It's an interesting story about twin brothers, sisters, love, lies, children, God and much more. Where we are right now in our reading we see in chapter 31 that Jacob left the place where he was living, took his wives, children, animals and... something else. Laban, his uncle/father-in-law/boss, didn't know he had left, so when he realized that Jacob was gone, had taken everyone and everything with him, and that his gods were missing, he was furious and pursued Jacob. When he finally met up with Jacob he told him how angry he was that Jacob had left like this, and in the above verse tells him that even though he knows Jacob wanted to return to his father's house, why would he steal his gods? Jacob didn't steal the gods, it was his wife Rachel... but that's not where I want to go. Isn't it a funny thought that Laban's gods could be stolen? As I was listening to a message this morning the pastor chuckled a bit as he mentions that Labans gods were stolen...but I have been thinking about it all day.

Can you if imagine if someone would tell you that God was stolen? That He was nowhere to be found? What kind of a god is it that it would let itself be stolen? That just implies that the one who stole the god is greater than the god. No? To some of you the concept of bowing to a little statue is foreign and a bit crazy... but to many people this is still a reality. They worship gods that were made by men, gods that don't see or hear and can be stolen. Others may not worship little statues, but they worship Mammon... money...glitter and gold. Or people... singing idols, movie starts. It's easy for me to look at people sometimes and judge them... and when it's easy to do so I know I have to examine my heart because I'm probably doing the same thing. Our jobs, our houses, a boyfriend or girlfriend, our bank account, our little electric gadgets could be our gods... I just had to picture how I would feel if the things/people I treasure were stolen or taken from me... would I feel like I had lost my gods? Would I feel hopeless? Would I pursue them without rest?

I'm happy to say that I too chuckled with the pastor because I know the God I serve can not be moved... but I have to make sure I keep Him as my only God. I can be thankful for the many blessings He has given me... but they are not my gods, they won't save me. Let's remember who holds our lives in His hands.

"...and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:" Daniel 5:23

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before...

“It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags! And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! ‘Maybe Christmas,’ he thought, ‘doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas . . . perhaps . . . means a little bit more!’

"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." -Isaiah 7:14

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." —Isaiah 9:6

"Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying. Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." - Matthew 1:22-24

"Maybe Christmas . . . perhaps . . . means a little bit more!