If you were to judge solely from the mornings, there would be no doubt that fall is here. This morning at around 9am it was a chilly 11 degrees celcius (52 fahrenheit). That doesn’t mean, though, that the weather is entirely predictable, we’ve had afternoons in the low 30s (mid-high 80s)… try to dress for the day with those variances!

Still though… the cornfields and vineyards don’t lie. It’s harvest-time.

Morning Drives…

Last week I mentioned that just as school had begun for the kids, my teaching had also begun. This means a lot of early morning drives. On Mondays I head to Angers and Thursdays & Fridays… it’s off to Poitiers, with the kids. I drop them off at school before heading over to the university. 

We’re already to the point where we’re leaving the house in darkness, but it’s not long before the sun peeks over the horizon… Just beautiful.

The other nice thing about the drives is that it shoots me past dozens and dozens of quaint French towns… several of which have castles. Some of these make for great picnic stops on my way home at lunchtime, like this one next to the Château de Brissac.

Expensive Wood!

Just a quick note for readers where forests & wood products abound.

I saw these raw-edge oak rounds in a home-decor section this week. They’re 3.5″ thick by 10″ diameter and can be yours for a whopping 14.90€ (roughly $22.50CDN).

Wowzers! Could a lot of people back home make a killing, selling wood at that price!

In as much as it is possible…

Dominic was confronted, this week, by a very aggressive young person in the train, on his way home. The following day, there was another, smaller confrontation with someone else, also in the train station. Like any of us, it would be easy to respond to such people in kind. He didn’t, but clearly, it bothered him.

Our kids’ eyes are being opened a great deal being out in the public school system. They’re coming across things that they’ve never had to face before and it puts them to the test a bit.

The following morning, on our way to Poitiers, he was reading his Bible in the car. When he was finished, I asked what he was reading – it was Romans 12. I asked him if anything jumped out at him and he replied with the words of Rom. 12.18

“If it is possible, as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

How cool is it that God knows what our kids are going through and can, in such a timely manner, speak to our kids through his word, over and above what Mom & Dad may have to say.

Jean-Michel

Remember last week I mentioned that we had a visitor in church? He was back again this past Sunday and brought with him two older gentlemen who had never, in their life, been in a protestant church before.

One of the men, Jean-Michel, was visibly moved during several parts of the service.

It’s beautiful to see someone experience the presence of God and feel him in an entirely new way.

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Your prayer support and financial support made it possible for Jean-Michel to experience God’s presence this week.
THANK YOU!

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If you’re facing pressure in any way this week, I encourage you to look to God’s word, just like Dominic did. God knows what we need to hear and can speak directly to every situation you might be facing.

God bless you this week and thank you for making us part of your day!