It’s a FIRST!

This is the first morning of 2017 where I’m sitting, writing today’s post in front of a lit Christmas tree… and it feels wonderful!

I know that many people have been enjoying their tree for weeks already but artificial trees here – while they exist – costs an arm and a leg… (maybe TWO!)  and aren’t as nice as back home generally. What’s more… having a real tree makes us feel just a bit closer to home, though we’re about 5,000 km away.

Let me give you France at a Glance for the past week!

Christmas Prep

As always, the Fab Four are faithful to their post. Their skills continue to improve and they are sensitive to their own worship as well.

We’re getting ready for a “Christmas-Eve-Day” service on the morning of the 24th which will be followed by a potluck.

Please keep that in prayer as church members have mentioned it to a number of friends and here, like home, people are somehow more inclined to attend church during “high holidays”.

Writing Project Prep

I’ve spent a couple of days this week working on a writing project with Melinda Poitras. She has written a great youth discipleship book for which I’ve done the cover art and am formatting for publication on Amazon. That’ll be finished up today and will go live within the next week.

I won’t give away the title or the artwork just yet – it’s really her project to unveil – but suffice it to say that it has ministered to me even as I’ve been working through it. I highly recommend it.

Commercial Christmas Surprise

I spent part of yesterday Christmas shopping for Liz & the kids and was surprised – while in a couple of stores – to hear English Christmas music playing. It wasn’t so much the language that surprised me as it was the lyrics:

“God sent his Son, Jesus… and that’s the reason… for the season.”

Who’d’ve thought you’d hear such awesome lyrics being publicly broadcast in secular France!?  It just goes to show how much store-music is considered “white noise”.

Another Support Stream

Fundraising – it’s no secret – is an integral part of missions and there’s part of me that’s on a never-ending quest to be creative in how we raise funds.

That was the reason behind my two books Paris, 3 Days No Stress and Short-Term Missions Success.

It’s also the reason behind a new Etsy shop I opened this week. We’re selling notecards featuring photographs I’ve taken since coming to France.

Some images are associated with Bible verses (currently just in French) and some are more generic.

This card is perhaps my favorite to-date. It’s a picture I took at our “over and above blessing” farm and features John 8.12 where Jesus refers to himself as light of the world.

I gave a copy to the owners of the farm yesterday and they were  very moved that I’d used their labour of love in such a way… yet one more seed planted.

Here are the basics:

• 5 notecards
• 5 size-matched envelopes
• $5.00 US – Standard postcard size (158 x 105mm – 5.8″ x 4.1″)
  $7.00 US – long format (99 x 210mm – 3.9″ x 8.3″)
  +$2.00 mailing

If you, a family member or someone you know is a note-writer, you’ll receive beautiful notecards and we’d appreciate your support for our work in France….

… it’s a win-win!

Thanks for stopping by and God bless you today. If you still have a couple of minutes… why not head over to Etsy and check out our cards.