I had an interesting experience shortly after arriving in France. One of the couples here at Le Rucher asked me if I'd like to go with them (on a Sunday afternoon) to Nyon which is located about 20 minutes from us. It's a beautiful little coastal town. As none of us speak French fluently, we were wondering if we had to pay for parking or not. We wandered around the parking lot to see if we saw any 'pay stubs' on the windows, but we still could'nt tell. We then watched a woman get out of her car, wander over to the pay machine, read the instructions and drop some euros into the machine. Even though we saw her do this, we still questioned whether we had to pay or not. For some odd reason, (foreigners often have funny ways of going about things), we thought the longer we stood in front of the instructions, the more clarity we would get :) when all of a suddent, money started to come out of the machine. of course, we laughed and said it must have been God sending 'money from heaven', so we went ahead and paid for the parking stub, still not really knowing if we were suppose to pay or not. But we figured 'hey, it's free'. And of course, we also realized that it was most likely change from the woman ahead of us, but she had long gone, so we couldn't return it to her. We could have looked at it as a 'free' gift from God, but in reality, I recognized that this lady 'paid a price' for our gift...

The holiday season is always a time to reflect on the past year, its many blessings, and things for which we are grateful. It's also a time when some reflect on losses, and the price they or their family have paid for this loss. In coming here to France, I am once again paying the price (even though it's a personal choice) of leaving the US, acclimating to a new country and culture, being so far away from family, etc. What are the costs of your choices? Are they selfish or selfless sacrifices? Who benefits most from the choices we make? I thank Jesus for paying the ultimate price; the price on the cross. He died for me and you - amazing...no greater love than this...I challenge you, during this beautiful Christmas season, to stop and be thankful for the one(s) who have sacrificed and paid a cost for different things in your life whether it's your parents who possibly paid for your education while they worked a second job, or your children who gave you grandchildren, or that friend who gave of their time so you could have someone to lean on...whatever it is, recognize that it had to 'cost' someone something ... thank you to all of you who have 'paid the cost' to help me do what it is I do. Merry Christmas!

I love the architecture around Europe where you look up and you see beautiful flower boxes in the houses. It gives me a 'happy' feeling. But I recognize that in these houses, and in people, things aren't always what they seem. It's easy for us to 'cover up' with flowers, beautiful clothing, nice cars, and a fake smile. That's why I love the scripture that talks about man seeing what's on the outside, but that GOD looks on the heart!! This week, our staff is spread out in various parts of the world - Turkey, Wales, England, Rwanda, Germany and the south of France. Three of us are here holding down the fort, so we made the most of it by throwing open all the windows to the guest rooms to air them out in preparation for those coming to be debriefed next week. Just as these rooms need occasion 'airing out', it is my prayer that each of you reading this has someone with whom it is safe to throw open the curtains to your soul to allow fresh air breathe through your very being. God can do that for you - we all need it on a regular basis! :)  Breathe deep, my friend, and allow God to refresh your soul.

God's Creative Pictures

I was driving through Wyoming, in what seemed the middle of nowhere, I happened upon a beautiful field of sunflowers and I thought to come upon something so beautiful and yet, so unexpected! My sister has sunflowers in her 'English Garden'. She told me that the birds eat the seeds, they then drop them, and you don't know where they've dropped them until the next year when an unexpected sunflower grows in an unexpected spot! 

Since hearing her say that, I've often wondered how many of us drop 'seeds' that get planted, and although we may not get to see the fruits of the planting, someone else will hopefully get to enjoy one of 'God's creations' because of our willingness to plant a seed.

This is a picture I took in the Badlands - South Dakota! I wonder why they call it the Badlands. It's absolutely breathtaking to see all the diverse colors in these rocks that create magnificent craters and amazing mountain peaks! God's creativity never ceases to amaze me. After all, just look at all the people around you. none of us look the same. And even identical twins have a different set of fingerprints, and other things that set them apart. And He keeps creating over and over and over again...much of it for our enjoyment. Makes me excited to get to heaven. I have a hard time believing that some of this creativity won't be a part of heaven - only that much better!

Cessy, France - Here I Come!!

I am, once again, in the midst of transition. I've had such a great time living in Franklin, TN and my time with Hope Force was just what God ordered for me - great people and a great organization. But my heart is to be overseas, so it's overseas I am going ... I am joining the team at Le Rucher Ministries where I will be a part of their Member Care dept. as a debriefer. I will work with other team members in working with missionaries who come from all over the world who want to talk with someone who's 'been there'. I count it a privilege and an honor to be a part of a ministry that invests in the lives of missionaries; those that are out in the field giving of their lives to further the Kingdom of God.

Cessy is located just over the Swiss border about 15 minutes from the Geneva airport, so if you are ever 'passing through', be sure and look me up!

What a Difference a Few Seconds Make

It came fast and furious, or perhaps I should say 'they' as 64 tornadoes converged as they made their way through various states including Tennessee. I have given a lot of thought this week to the soveriengty of God, why some people are affected by disasters and others aren't. All questions we know that we'll never really have an answer for. I spent a day in Lafayette (Macon County), TN talking with people who survived this terrible disaster. Over and over again, I heard people express their thankfulness for being alive. It really puts into perspective what is really important in life - the people in your life who mean so much. Of course, I couldn't also think about people who might feel very much alone in this world. If you know someone who might feel that way - reach out to them. I'm thankful for those folks in my life who, knowing I am a single person, have reached out to me to include me in their daily lives.  You can't even imagine the aftermath of such a disaster. I stood in the midst of it, but I wasn't one of those left to deal with it day in and day out - at least this time. My heart goes out to them.