Sunscreen - Baz Lunhran

Ladies and Gentlemen:
Wear sunscreen. If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis or reliable then my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice....now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind, you won't understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded, but trust me in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.
Don't worry about the future, or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.
The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind: the kind that blindsides you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing.
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts; don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.
Remember compliments you receive; forget the insults. (if you succeed in doing this, tell me how).
Keep your old love letters; throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives; some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of Calcium. Be kind to your knees -- you'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40; maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary.
Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself, either. Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body: use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or what other people think of it; it's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance...even if you have no where to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions (even if you don't follow them).
Do not read beauty magazines; they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents; you never know when they'll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings: they're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but what a precious few should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps and geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.
Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths: prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old; and when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse, but you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you are 40, it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia; dispensing it is a way of wishing the past from the disposal--wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts, and recycling it for more than it's worth.
But trust me, I'm the sunscreen.

In search of who I am...

Eternally in search of purpose and insight.

You're curious and creative with a total sense of wonder.

Totally empathetic, you pick up on other's moods easily.

Just be sure to pamper yourself as well!

(result of a personality test on the net)

How often I find myself taking "personality tests" in magazines and websites, eagerly waiting to read what people who have never met me and categorize me according to unpersonal answers to too broad questions!

How often do I try and compare myself to people I see in the street, to people I see through the eye of the media, to heros and saints I read from in books?

Why do I try to define a blurry shape of who I am by comparing myself to others?

What am I really looking for?

Acceptance?

Words of affirmation?

Love?

A meaning?

A purpose?

What if it all came down to this : the longing to be known, to experience spiritual, emotional intimacy...

I don't know...

WM.LAW

"You perhaps will say that all people fall short of the perfection of the Gospel, and therefore you are content with your failings.

The question is not whether Gospel perfection can be fully attained, but whether you come as near as a sincere intention and careful diligence can carry you; whether you are not in much lower state than you might be if you sincerely intended and carefully laboured to advance yourself in all Christian virtues."



Something to think about.....

Open skies

OPEN SKIES – David Crowder

Praise Him under open skies

Everything breathing praising God

In the company of all who love the King

I will dance, I will sing

It could be heavenly

Turn the music loud, life my voice and shout

From where I am

From where I've been

He's been there with me

He's built a monument

His very people

So let his people

Sing, sing, sing

And it's so wonderful

Just to be here now

Praise Him under open skies

Everything breathing praising God

In the company

Of all who love the King

Praise Him under open skies

Everything breathing praising God

In the company of all who love the King

Let us dance, let us sing

It could be heavenly

Turn the music loud and sing

Lift your voice to heaven

Lift up your head and sing

To the One who gave his love

This is our offering

Lift your voice to heaven

Lift up your head and sing

To the One who gave His son

Here our lives we bring

From wherever you are

Wherever you've been

He's been there

So let his people sing

And it's so wonderful to be here now

Wherever you are

wherever you've been

He's been there

Lump

Today's Nooma video talked about how we sometimes try to hide but eventually get caught up by our junk, and what we do when that happens...

Here are the few questions we asked ourselves in a small group after watching the video together :

• Do you think it's possible to keep something secret and never get busted for it?
• What are the ways you avoid dealing with your junk?
• Do you have people around you who are struggling with something and keeping it to themselves? If so, are you having a hard time figuring out what to do? What are your options?
• Do you have anything in your life you're hiding, something you're ashamed of? Are you ready to deal with it?
• Do you have people around you that could never do anything to make you love them less? Is this really how we should feel aout all other people?
• Do you believe, deep in your heart, that God loves you no matter what you've done or will do?

I do hope these questions will trigger something inside, and help you get closer to God on your journey of life...

NOTHING CAN SEPARATE FROM GOD'S LOVE !

May you stop hiding under the covers. May you let God pull the covers back.

May you embrace him.

May your whole life become a response to the thruth that you've always been loved, you are loved, and you will always be loved.

And may you know, may you know deep in the depths of your soul, that there is nothing you could ever do to make him love you less.

NOTHING you could ever do to make God love you less.

Nothing you could EVER do to make Him love you less.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Nooma

Wow !

I have discovered, three weeks ago, the Nooma videos series.

A serie of modern days video parables told in an incredibly deep and personal way by Rob Bell.

I encourage you to go and check the nooma videos ( Nooma, greek for SPIRIT), it is truly going deep down to where you hide, hold on to stuff, or are still raw with issues, hurts...Leading a path to personal reflexion, to opening up, to healing !


P.S : listening to "Majesty" by Matt Redman

Words...

Decipher, decode, sight-read, unravel ... Decipher : 1. to convert into an intelligible script or language. 2. to determine the meaning of (anything obscure or unclear) Unravel : 1. cause to be no longer ravelled, tangled, intertwined 2. probe and solve 3. undo 4. become disentangled, unknitted

I'm so silly sometimes!

These past two weeks I have been feeling really confused as to what was the best solution regarding my trip to the USA, and the visa issue. At the Some of you have been praying for me about this, thanks a lot ! Well... yesterday some friends and I took some to pray together, with no specific topic in mind. But the Holy Spirit inspired their prayers, and Ah! You know what? I made an apointment at the embassy today.. So I'll go there on monday, 28th, if you feel like praying, please, do !! But I will completely peaceful now, I'm not feeling confused or stressed about it anymore, it's like it's not in my hands anymore... Aren't we silly sometimes to hold on to issues we can't solve, instead of giving them to God to manage? Oh dear me !

fostering my own delusions...

Sometimes I believe I get a glimpse of what's happening in the invisible world... I don't get Tolkienese visions, no. No fairies or devilish monsters. Although I do get pictures now and then, or words for people... But here, I'm talking about the sense that some of the hindrances in my everyday walk, some of the rocks that make me stumble, look behind and seat down for a while feeling hurt and useless, are like seeds planted by the ennemy in my courtyard, and instead of spotting them for what they are, and pulling them out, I water them and look at them grow... I foster my own suffering, in a way... I watch my ennemy trying to kill me, softly (like the DJ in the song, lol, had to mention that one!), through friend's words, or lack of words, personal thoughts, circumstances... But am I not giving him the chance to do so by looking at, thinking of myself too much? I believe we need to find the balance between giving it all out for others, and living for ourselves... And it's probably what I'm going through right now... Looking for the right balance...

Only heartfelt sympathy...

Was listening to a song the other day, and I'm not sure these are the accurate words, but here's what I heard : "Jesus, you are king of my wicked days"... I am not even sure it makes sense in english, yet, it had a big impact on me...I started thinking... Jesus, I asked you to be my Lord and Saviour and I believe that's who you are. Yet, I always think of you as the Lord of my bright and glorious days, when I'm good and behave according to what I assume you ask of me... But today I think (and I hope this is not me being complacent - Oh dear, here is my fear of not doing things right coming back to the surface !) that you are Lord over my unsuccessful days, days when I feel uggly, days when my thoughts wonder into unwanted territories, days when all I want is to live for myself, and not for you, days when I don't spent time with you...Father, please forgive me for not understanding who you are... Help me get closer to you without the feeling of striving Help me not walk away from you when I feel bad but run into your arms of mercy, love, compassion and redemption.... Father... I love you, poorly, but still... After reading a friend's comment, I decided to try and explain what I meant..... What I meant, though, saying God is Lord over my bad days is that these days that I would like to forget, the days when I feel I am messing up (and messed up) and not being the daughter He could be proud of, the days that seem to draw me away from Him, He is Lord over them, He owns them, He covers them with His love, He redeems them, He uses them to make me grow into a woman according to His heart... And I badly need to know that He loves me, to understand how He loves me, like only a Father can love...oh well...I will get there...:-) P.S : please, no patronizing comments on this, only heartfelt sympathy...Thanks !

a night on the Seine River

Did I misunderstand who God really is?

Now and then, (after talking to other christian people, to non christian, or looking at circumstances in my life, in people's life), I end up feeling really confused about who God really is, realising that maybe (...surely) I am forging an image of God that has not much to do with Eloim... I realise that deep down inside I live according to this standard that says I have to do what is RIGHT. So I let fear crawl inside, allowing it to restrain me, always wondering what I am supposed to do, to be... Well, I suppose everybody always want to do what is right. But are we sure we understand what the Bible says, or are we interpreters that twist the Scriptures in order to make people, churches, behave the way we think is right and holy? We are so prompt to make new laws and establich our owns standards of righteousness... What about me? I am becoming a pharisee? Saved by my own righteousness? The thing is that I enjoy very much depending on God most of the time (He awlays comes up with bigger and better plans than I do!) and yet, sometimes I find it utterly frustarting... I remember having this thought one day, that no matter how hard I want something to happen, if God thinks I don't need it, or that it is not the right time, I am powerless to make that thing happen...or I would end up like Abraham, trying to get God's promise accomplished, by my own strength... (I am too aware of the consequences of such a decision!) The aposle Paul says we're slaves of Jesus Christ. I know living my life for God is the best choice, and yet, sometimes I live some aspects of my life in Him like hinderances. Is it because I just completely misunderstood, or did God really intend to have us handle a life of frustration ? (and I'm not even talking about the issue of hearing God's voice, which is another source of frustration) Maybe it's this subconscious feeling that I am almighty that plays a trick on me, making me feel like leading my life the way I want. (it's probably that way that Eve and Adam were tricked...) Well, basicaly, all I can say is that I don't understand God, and His ways. And you're going to tell me it's rather reassuring... I suppose one would say it is rather safer to doubt that way, but it can get rather disturbing, and definitely unsettling...Then again, is the aim of my life to feel settled? I am not sure... Sometimes I get scared I will come before God one day, and He will tell me "Maree, who is this idol you believed in? " (Idol : a. An image used as an object of worship. b. A false god. ) Hum.... Thank you Father for taking care of me the way you do... Help me seek you the best I can, even if it means feeling confused now and then, Make me meet people who will help me ask the good questions, lead me to You, Let me touch You, feel you, know you, Reveal yourself to me Take away the fear I want my life to be a long sweet dance in the arms of You.

"U-turn"

I am starting to count the days till I leave Paris. Not because I absolutely want to leave, no. It's going to be tough spending 6 months without my friends (especially the ones who have become family), I'm going to miss Belleville Church, and the parisian atmosphere in general... I'm counting the days until the U-turn happens...(62 days left until I land in Missouri !) Have you ever thought that each day that starts brings the possibility of a miracle, a visible divine intervention? I think I have shared this idea before, but this is so exhilarating : may all of you who read this be blessed with the ability to wake up to a new day full of hope for God's powerful action.(humph, getting carried away...) Alright. I have cancelled all my subscriptions : telephone, metro, cinema, cell phone, health; unfortunately I couldn't cancel the income tax...Hahaha. I have to give my flat back on August 31st. And I am not even anxious, worried. Actually, I have stopped worrying, which is slightly different. What was I worrying about? Money,of course, and details... What happened that made me stop? God tremendously blessed me through Woodcrest Chapel and through friends : Woodcrest sent me an email last week to tell me they were taking care of my plane ticket... Can you imagine the surprise it was? This church is already welcoming me kind of short-noticed, when I don't seem to fit in any sort of internship program they have, they are going to take care of me when I am there (accomodation and food), and now they're paying for me to get there. That's almost insane : they are paying for me to be blessed by them... ... How big is that ? (I hope I can learn that from them : how to care for people and bless them abundantly !) I told the news to a very close friend, and what she said blew my mind : "Marie, can you see how everyday you're going to spend there has already been thought through by your Father?" It seems pretty obvious, but for me it was a revelation ! My contact staff at Woodcrest is Stacey. She is part of the Creative Arts staff...It looks like I'm going to work with that team quite a lot (brainstorming and putting things together for sunday services) : you understand how excited I am I'm sure ! We have emailed each other and realised we have lots in common. We're already thnking of planning an outting in the fall, to take pictures by the Missouri river, cause she is a photograph amateur, like me... ...How big is that? I'm listening to Jason Upton singing "I'm giving up control over my life, over my destiny, I trust in You." Lord that's what I want, and what I am trying to experience right now... To let go in order to receive directions. Your directions. Father, I am realising that this U-turn I am taking is a YOU-turn.

The One who leads you makes no mistakes. The One who guides you has the right directions. The One who counsels you has the wisest answers. The One who provides for you has the greatest resources. The One who blesses you brings the greatest joys. Roy Lessin