All the beautiful things...

Brace yourself friends -- this post is full of pictures and more minutiae from our Paris adventures! We woke up to blue skies this morning and the sun was shining on the lovely Eiffel!

Then, while we drinking french press coffee prepared by Jesse and leftover bread, cheese and grapes, some clouds rolled in, which was lovely also…

 (Basically, you can't go wrong with this view!)

We headed out this morning to see Notre Dame, Sainte Chapelle and the Louvre, with a few bonus sights thrown in. It was a big day and surprisingly emotional for me.

Construction began on the Notre Dame Cathedral in 1163, with the dedication mass taking place two centuries later -- in 1345. Just looking at the massive exterior -- the stonework, the sculptures, all rich with meaning…it's hard to imagine the commitment it took for the workers to build a church in hopes that their grandchildren might one day worship there.

(one of the many groups of statues on the facade depicting Biblical characters and early church figures -- including St. Denis, who was beheaded for his faith. Legend has it that Denis picked up his head, tucked it under his arm and walked away, pausing to wash it in a fountain before determining the right spot to "meet his maker." )

When we went inside, I was moved to tears by the beauty of the place. This is holy ground, consecrated to worship over 850 years ago. We paused to light a candle and pray (specifically for my mother-in-law's heart and my father's back, and generally for all of our family). No photos (certainly not any taken with my iPhone!) can capture the beauty or the feeling of the place.

The same is true of the much smaller Sainte Chapelle, apparently regarded as having the finest stained glass in all of Europe. This church was built by King Louis between 1242 and 1248 and is almost entirely composed of huge stained glass windows depicting 1100 different scenes, mostly from the Bible. In the time we were there, the light itself highlighted one window, then another as the sun moved across the sky. 

Again, my camera could not begin to capture the beauty of this cathedral. I think part of what struck me is that in recent years, I've been fond of saying that I'm not as much for "bricks and mortar" spending by the church. I admire some of the newer churches who just meet in schools or storefronts and put their money to use to help people, rather than build buildings. This is a good thing, but being in these magnificent places of worship made me appreciate the fact that this beauty was created as an act of worship and devotion to God. These buildings represent the commitment, creativity, workmanship, brilliant engineering and artisanship of people in the service of God. 

Well, after all of that, it was time for a break -- so we found a little cafe and had an espresso (Jesse's new favorite thing) and a cafe creme (pronounced "krem" - thank you, Elisabeth) along with a lovely trio of tiny desserts. Delicious!

We also took a few pictures on a couple of the wonderful bridges that cross the Seine (including a smoochy one at Loretta's request, but Jesse didn't want me to post it on the blog!)

Another fun stop was Shakespeare and Company -- a bookstore originally opened for the "Lost Generation" who came to Paris after WWI to "find themselves." It's room after funky room crammed with old books, new books, beat-up typewriters, crazy winding staircases, well-worn sofas and chairs…basically a book-lover's heaven! It made me think of Maranda -- she would love it! (All my kids would, actually!) 

We found a little brasserie for lunch in the vicinity of the Louvre where we had some delicious vegetable soup (not like mine -- more of a puree of vegetable soup) and a croque-monsieur -- a traditional French snack of grilled cheese and ham sandwich.

(grilled cheese daddy)

And, in anticipation of taking on the Louvre, we had another espresso. The teeny-tiny cup prompted me to ask "Does this cup make me look fat?"

(Is anybody even still reading this? Sheesh. We haven't even gotten to the Louvre yet! 

I'll try to wrap this thing up!)

Okay - the Louvre. It's enormous and we couldn't begin to see everything but there were a few things I really wanted to see, and other things that were wonderful and striking and others that struck us as humorous because when you've been walking all day and you've had too many espressos, you sometimes get silly.

Here are a few highlights: 

Winged Victory. Breathtaking. From the 2nd Century. B.C. 

Oh, you know, just hanging out with Mona. 

Jesse said, "Are you sure that's the real one?"

I loved this DaVinci painting - The Virgin and Child with St. Anne. The expressions are beautiful.

The Venus de Milo. Ancient, Beautiful.

Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss. How sculptors create these masterpieces is inconceivable to me.

Michelangelo. Yes. Michelangelo. These statues, Slaves, are remarkable. 

And now, on a much lighter note, did you know ancient Romans were fond of selfies? 

 And apparently, ancient ladies were also fond of pedicures...

Last one, I promise -- this guy made us think of Trent Williams…and all the wrecking crew.

Okay, Okay, I'm done. Unless you're just dying to know what we had for supper. No? Okay. See you tomorrow, friends! 

Hello from…PARIS!

Bonjour from the beautiful city of Paris! Jesse and I arrived yesterday in this amazing city and have been trying to balance his practical, responsible side (Seriously, we do not need to announce via social media that we are out of the country!) with my unquenchable desire to communicate every single thing (If I don't share it, it's like it isn't really happening!) I thought I might scribble in a journal and take pictures and put together some sort of album after, but then daughter Jess suggested I blog as I go - just letting close friends and family know where to get the photos and updates about our adventures. So -- here's a quick(ish) post on the trip over and first day's events.

Warning: if you're not into minutiae, these posts probably won't interest you!

We took off from Monroe Saturday afternoon after a whirlwind packing job that actually included me packing for a week in Paris in a small carryon bag. I know! 

(Full disclosure -- I packed most of my "toiletries" in Jesse's canvas carryon bag and brought a backpack for my "personal" carryon -- which included my computer and a Kindle, among other things. So, light, sort of, and we did manage to get on and off of two planes, through customs, a bus, the Metro and the streets of Paris and onto the world's smallest elevator with our bags, so, all in all, not too shabby!)

The Air France flight from Atlanta to Paris was crowded and fun. We were determined to sleep on the overnight flight, but that was easier said than done. We watched a movie (Guardians of the Galaxy) enjoyed a surprisingly delicious onboard meal (soybean and corn salad - delish - roast chicken with mustard sauce, rice and veggies, cheese and bread, fruit and dessert!) then attempted to go to sleep. Jesse ended up watching two more movies and I surfed a few comedy TV offerings. By the time we landed, (I don't know, six, seven hours later? So confused!) we were pretty tired. We wandered around the airport looking for the Air France shuttle to take us to "Etoile" so we could then get on the correct Metro line to take us to the apartment we rented in Paris' 15th Arrondisement. It took some searching (and we almost opted to share a cab with a nice couple we met from Montenegro) but then the right bus pulled up…then circled the airport for what seemed like forever before finally heading toward Paris. The Sacre Cour was the first "sight" I spied as we approached the city. Then suddenly -- rooftops, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower…we were here! We found the right Metro line, bought our tickets, got off at the right stop and found our little apartment building! (This felt like a huge accomplishment!)

And when we got to the top floor (via the world's tiniest elevator) we were rewarded with this view from our new home away from home:

We'd been warned by globetrotting friends (Thanks, Kevin!) NOT to take a nap on the first day, so we were determined to push through the jet lag and headed out to an open market on our street that is only open on Sundays. (Thanks, Elisabeth Grant-Gibson for this and many, many other tips!) Okay, here's the part where I post an obnoxious number of pictures of produce -- completely unedited and unfiltered, right out of my phone. The fruits, vegetables, cheese, bread, meat, seafood…all absolutely beautiful! And fresh flowers! Parisians love their fresh flowers!

We bought some grapes, strawberries, Camembert, pain aux cereals (yummy grainy bread), olives and enjoyed an early-afternoon snack back at the apartment!

Then we decided to get "oriented" to the city by getting on one of the "hop on, hop off" open top buses that circle through, with recorded commentary, for an overview. The problem is, by this time we were both so sleepy that we could barely keep our eyes open! We did get our first glimpse of many of the places we plan to visit this week -- the Louvre, Notre Dame, Musee D'Orsay and more -- but we finally decided we had to get off and get coffee or we wouldn't make it through the rest of the day. We popped in a cute cafe near the apartment and ordered two coffees -- teeny tiny cups of espresso were delivered to us. After the first sip, we both thought "Oh no. Too strong. We'll never be able to drink this." After the third sip, we decided we really liked it and may become espresso converts! We topped off this bit of fuel with a visit to a neighborhood patisserie where we got an eclair au chocolate and a couple of macarons. We gobbled them before I could get a picture -- shocking, right? We returned to the apartment, where I did my nesting thing -- unpacking, getting situated, puttering around -- and Jesse took a super-short catnap. Then we were off in search of an early supper so we could finally give up and go to bed. We wandered around our new neighborhood, perusing menus and peeking in windows. And what did we choose for our first actual meal our first actual night in Paris?

(don't you dare judge us!)

 

To be fair, it was a delicious hamburger - wonderful beef, topped with sharp bleu cheese, a beautiful salad and wonderful frites! (Hey, when in France, eat…French fries?) Don't worry, friends, we promise to be plenty experimental in our dining choices the rest of the trip! This night, we needed comfort food! So we walked back to the apartment, where this lovely nighttime view awaited us:

Ah. Paris is always a good idea…

Ten Scriptures...

Well, due to popular demand…okay, due to the request of like, three people, I'm sharing the content of my "final Sunday School lesson" for my teen girls. After teaching junior high and high school girls at First Wisner for 29 years, it is time to pass the torch. For my last lesson, I shared 10 Bible verses/passages that have shaped, challenged, inspired and influenced me. It was hard to choose only 10, so I tried to also consider which ones might encourage the girls I lead. It's not an exhaustive survey of the Bible -- only one Old Testament scripture is referenced, for example, when there are many (in the book of Isaiah alone!) that I could've included, but here's what I shared:

Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. (Isaiah 26:8 NIV)

“Renown” is defined as the condition of being known or talked about by many people; fame. It’s widely considered to be the chief aim of many in your generation. This verse may not mean much to anyone else, but it has been a “theme” verse of mine since the first year I taught Bible study at Cross Camp. Pride, the desire for approval and admiration – these have been strongholds and things that trip me up, consume me – influence my choices; and I finally came face to face with it and (began) the process of surrendering lowercase “me” and magnifying uppercase HIM. Other translations use the words “glorify you” “remember you” “we desire your fame and reputation to grow…” I also love the picture of desiring His name. Just His name. So powerful. (Even at the ripe old age of 52, it’s still a process – daily, moment-to-moment, but how about we link arms and work to make HIM famous?)

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2 NLT)

I also love the Message translation of these verses:

“Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.”

So simple – so clear – and so profound. “Watch” Him – how? By studying his Word. Then do what He does. Like He does it. The amplified version adds “esteeming and delighting in each other” to “live a life of love.” Putting others first – happily. That only happens from a place of security – of knowing you are beloved. And you are. And of course, there’s a reference to “pleasing aroma” or fragrance, which leads to my next favorite:

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. 

(2 Corinthians 2:14)

Anyone who’s been with me very long knows this is a favorite of mine. I love that it starts with thanks (key to joy!) and highlights our mission – we’re supposed to spread the fragrance of the knowledge of Him! When people are close to us, they should be able to inhale deeply an aroma of grace, love, joy, peace. Y’all. We need to smell like JESUS! Love it! (spritz of Grace, anyone?)

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 

(2 Corinthians 9:8)

If you’ve ever requested prayer in a challenging season, there’s a good chance I’ve sent you this verse and/or prayed it for you. I call it my “go-to” verse for almost every situation. I mean, look at it – what a promise! God is able. We could just sit on that for a few days. He. Is. Able. He is not some weak, lowercase god, wringing his hands, wondering what to do. He knows. And He is able. Then it gets specific – He can make ALL grace abound to you. Look at all the “alls” – all grace…all things…all grace…all times…all you need…and then every good work. That seems to cover it – what can he supply? Just all. And then for any time, any need – every good work. Whether it’s a job, school, sports, relationships, whatever – it’s good work you’re up to and He is willing and able to make grace abound to you! Marinate in that for a while!

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. 

(Colossians 4:6 NIV)

Does this really need much explanation? I am a person of many words…much conversation. Be honest – you are too. I shudder to think of some of the “conversations” I’ve had even this week that were not close to being “full of grace.” Ugh. The Message brings this point: “The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.” Now we’ve enjoyed some sarcasm and joking around in here, but just imagine how relationships; how the very atmosphere around us could change if our conversation was gracious, seasoned just-right? (Notice, it is “seasoned” – we’re not talking boring, bland conversation – flavorful, tasty! I love that we're not called to "bland.")

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 

(Romans 12:9-10 NLT)

How great is this? How real? Anybody who doesn’t think the Word of God is practical just hasn’t read it. Don’t pretend, people. Really love. Don’t fake it, our friend The Message says. Hate the stuff God hates – hang on tight to the good. Love each other – with affection. We’re not just enduring each other! And again – honor each other. How about that for a competition – see who can show the most honor to another – “outdo” one another in showing preference. "You first – no, YOU!" This is a worthy goal!

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” 

(Matthew 11:28-30 MSG)

These are what we call “red letter words” – Jesus the Christ said this while walking around on earth. So pay attention. What He’s saying is – walk along side Me and it will go well with you. I found this so encouraging as it relates to calling and ministry. When I’m doing the work He calls me to, it isn’t burdensome or ill-fitting. That's not to say it's always easy…but it feels right. I can work AND be refreshed and renewed at the same time because He’s called me to it and is actually sharing the load. Unforced rhythms of grace… *sigh.* God’s Word is just gorgeous.

These last three are prayers I’m praying, believing and claiming over the lives of every girl I’ve taught!

For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. 

(Philippians 1:6 NET)

Yes. He began the good work in you. That is real. That is true. And there may be times when you doubt yourself but He doesn’t doubt you. He isn’t wringing His hands wondering how you’re going to turn out. (Unlike us earthly parents!) He started it with every intention of finishing it and He is able. Isn’t that a relief? He’s not letting you go. You might as well cooperate!

I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.

(Philippians 1:9-10 NLT)

Love. Overflowing. That’s kind of the point. As your love of God deepens and increases, it naturally will overflow into every other area of your life. You’ll not only love much, but well. Ah. You’re going to be leaking Jesus all over the place! And along with that, your understanding, discernment – the ability to determine what is right and important and valuable – will increase. Which is good, because your need to know where to focus your life and love and attention – this is increasingly more important with every passing moment!

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,  to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV)

So much to love in these verses…He has glorious riches – He wants to apply them to your life – to strengthen you…with power…through His Spirit…in your inner being! That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith!

From that place of being deeply rooted and established in His love – we have supernatural power to grasp, to understand, His love for us    

• how wide - it covers the all of our own experience and reaches out to the whole world

-  • long - it continues the length of our lives

-  • high - it rises to the heights of our celebration and joy

-  • deep - it reaches to the depths of discouragement, sadness

He loves you. He didn’t have to make you. He didn’t. He wanted to make you. You are his idea. His very good idea. He thought you up, He delights in you – you make Him laugh! He loves you AND He likes you.

So from that place of being rooted in love – we’re free from fear, from the need to compare ourselves to others, free to love others and share God's love with the world!

And then the last part – again – He is ABLE to do…immeasurably more – super-abundantly, above and beyond, beyond-beyond what we can imagine. And His power is at work IN us…to Him be the glory.

And God’s people said: AMEN!

Love Does

Well, I'm not exactly blazing through my book stack so far this year, but I did finish book three in my "Empty Shelf Challenge" -- Love Does by Bob Goff.

This book is…delightful. And whimsical. In fact, whimsy is kind of the aim of the book, a defining characteristic of Bob Goff personally and my new favorite word. 

Bob is an accomplished human being - a successful lawyer, college professor, global activist on behalf of children, a family man. He's also a gigantic goofball who just happens to take the Bible as something more than a book to be "studied." It's a guide to doing. (He even rebelled against his weekly men's "Bible Study" and reinvented the group into a "Bible Doing.") 

His stories are funny, inspiring and wonderful. A lot of what I read tends to be oriented to women, but this is a book for everyone. Yes, amazing things seem to happen to Bob (and he has a gift for telling the stories of his life), but he challenges us to find the amazing all around us -- to take every opportunity to do love -- go big -- take chances. I'd really love to hang out with him sometime -- and I just might. He includes his cell number at the end of the book and encourages readers to give him a call. Can you even? 

So, if you need some inspiration -- and a healthy dose of whimsy -- get this book!

Bread & Wine

It took me a little while, but I finished the second book of my "Empty Shelf Challenge" -- and it was wonderful! Bread & Wine - A Love Letter to Life Around the Table by Shauna Niequist.

And here's the thing -- it won't stay on that shelf long, because it's got recipes! So far, I've made the bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese and -- I don't want to overstate this, but -- they were possibly life-changing! She is so rapturous in her description of risotto that it's on my "must-try" list. Honestly, every time a chapter ended in a recipe, I grabbed my phone to add ingredients to my perpetual grocery list.

This is her third book - I read Cold Tangerines and Bittersweet last year and loved them both. She writes beautiful, essay-like chapters - each one offering an honest glimpse into her life and inspiring the reader to savor, well, food, of course, but more importantly, friendship and family - the people we gather around our tables. She connects tastes and smells to most of her best memories and demonstrates her love for her people by feeding them (and she's not even southern!).

A few choice morsels I'm lingering over:

On perfectionism inhibiting hospitality -- 

"…but it isn't about perfection, and it isn't about performance. You'll miss the richest moments in life -- the sacred moments when we feel God's grace and presence through the actual faces and hands of the people we love -- if you're too scared or too ashamed to open the door…" 

On Christmas - and chaos in general --

"I prayed for new eyes to see, for a way outside myself and my tense, swirling chaos. As I slowed down and listened, three words laid themselves on my worn-out spirit like a blanket: present over perfect…Either I can be here, fully here, my imperfect, messy, tired, but wholly present self, or I can miss it -- this moment, this conversation, this time around the table, whatever it is -- because I'm trying and failing to be perfect…this season I'm not trying for perfect. I'm just trying to show up, every time, with honesty and attentiveness."

Maybe it's the particular season I'm in, but those words were balm to me. To hear someone say that saying "no" can be an act of faith, that I am more than what I "do" and that I'm called to live with intention, hope and love in the present. And it is enough.

Ah. (Now, on to the grocery store! Anyone know where they keep the risotto?)