Jennie Goutet's Blog: A Lady in France, page 41

Discipleship

As Christians we can sometimes swing too far into works, or too far into grace, depending on what our religious persuasion is. Some churches permit – and even encourage – carrying around a load of guilt as a perverse way of showing our gratitude for being given the gift of holiness and eternal life. Conversely, other churches are so focused on the power of grace, it seems to preclude the necessity for any sort of repentance, because repentance might hint at works – and we are most definitely not saved by works. We are saved by grace (or faith) alone.

I am exaggerating, of course. And rarely would such a thing actively be taught in the pulpit; but I know the flavours exist, both from what I’ve observed, and also from what people have told me of their own experiences.

Jesus is very clear that salvation comes from him, and that we cannot earn it (which is grace), but he also states very clearly how we are supposed to live as his follower – and that is expressed in what we do. Although I often hear an emphasis on the words “we are saved by our faith alone,” the only Scripture where the words “faith” and “alone” appear in the Bible together is in James 2:24

You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

The study of discipleship is one of the basic, equipping studies we do in our church, and this post is based on that study.

First of all, did you know that the word Christian appears in the Bible only 3 times? Christians were more likely to be called “disciples,” “saints,” or “followers of the Way” than they were Christians. In fact, if you look in Acts 11:25-27 -

Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

you see that disciples were only called Christians after the persecution scattered them to cities all over the Middle East and Europe. I remember hearing that it happened about a decade after the resurrection, but I can’t find anything to support that fact. Still, there were a number of years when Christians existed, but the word Christian wasn’t even invented to describe them yet.

Today, we use the word Christian loosely. It can mean “not Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or atheist.” It can be because we were born in a “Christian” nation. It can be because we were baptised as a baby. We attend church on the major holidays. We attend church every Sunday. The definition to describe a Christian is wide.

However, after Jesus’ resurrection, being a Christian often carried a death sentence; and it was not a label easily worn.

So let’s remove the idea that “Christian” carries with it all the privileges of God’s holy nation in the same way an American passport carries with it the privileges (or curse, as some might see it, if I’m being unbiased) of living in America; and let’s look at what Jesus had to say about being his disciple, since we now see that – in order to be a Christian – you need to be a disciple of Jesus. 

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. (Luke 9:23-26)

Jesus expects something of us if we want to follow him. First of all, we do have a choice because he says “whoever wants to be my disciple” and that shows he knows that not everybody will. But those of us who do want to follow him have to, first of all, deny ourselves. That means we can’t allow ourselves to lie, gossip, cheat, swear, eat or drink in excess, involve in sexual impurity – the list goes on. If Jesus wouldn’t do it, we’re not supposed to do it.

Of course we all have our particular weaknesses that are hard to deny. Mine is excessive eating and I’m constantly striving to overcome that area of my life. But we can’t accept the excuses “well I’m not Jesus” or “I’m only human” as a carte blanche to avoid striving daily towards repentance.

Second of all, he says we have to pick up our cross daily. In those days, carrying your cross had a very undesirable implication. It meant you were going to suffer a painful, humiliating death. Jesus equated that with being his follower – a painful (sometimes embarrassing) death to self. And we’re supposed to do this . . . daily. Being a Christian is a daily thing, not a Sunday thing.

In Luke 14:25-33 (although we’re only going to look at 25-27) Jesus repeats the message of carrying our cross.

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

Are you shocked that Jesus would tell you to hate? There is nothing in this world we can love more than him if we want to be his disciple, and that includes our own children. That means that if our family is pulling us away from following him, we have to choose Jesus over our family, even if it seems like we hate our family as a result.

Jesus, himself, went through this. In his early ministry days, his mother and brothers went to take charge of him because they thought he had gone crazy (Mark 3). And he basically left them outdoors and told his followers that his true family were those who did the will of God. This rejection must have felt like hate to his family because their concerns were treated as unimportant.

And yet we know that two of his brothers became disciples (those who wrote the books of James and Jude), and we see that Jesus took care of his mother’s needs even when he was dying on the cross. When his family wasn’t trying to prevent him from following God, they must have felt his intense love in such a way that inspired all of them to become his disciples. We have to hate our family by making their concerns less than that of Jesus. We need to love our family and care for them the way Jesus cared for his.

Here are more of Jesus’ words in Luke 9:57-62 concerning discipleship.

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

He said to another man, “Follow me.”

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”

Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Imagine how untidy and crooked your row would be if you pushed the plow forward while looking backwards. We’re not going to make very successful disciples if we keep longing to return to the world we just left behind. And there is no way Jesus is Lord if the first words to come out of our mouths are, “but first let me.”

The man who wants to bury his father is not asking for the days it would take to perform the ceremony. According to the custom of the time, he’s asking to go back and wait around while his ageing father finishes his life before burying him and deciding to follow Jesus. Jesus’ unequivocal answer is always – if you want to be my disciple, nothing else can come first. There are no excuses.

There are other Scriptures that fit well with this theme study, but I’m just going to include one more. John 13:34-35

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

As Jesus’ disciple we must love one another. There is no room for hatred in the church – gossip, slander, ostracising, lack of forgiveness, lack of mercy, lack of grace, delighting in someone’s downfall, coldness, harshness, exclusion, rejection. No. As Jesus’ disciples we participate in none of these things. We love as Jesus loved us –  by serving us – the way Jesus washed his disciples’ feet – and by dying for us on a cross.

Our salvation always stemmed from the fact that we are loved, and nothing else in heaven or on earth will stand in the way of our redemption. The only thing we can offer Jesus in return is our own love and obedience to him. This is not works; yet without it, Jesus’ grace is impotent because we are not participating in the relationship in a way that honours our Father.

And that’s what discipleship is.

“If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15)

Image credit: varunalight / 123RF Banque d’images

The post Discipleship appeared first on A Lady In France.

The Vulnerability of Being Loved

I wrote this post yesterday. And although I do feel better today (apart from the fact that my husband has a last minute trip to the antarctic (Minnesota) on top of his scheduled trip to Hollywood and I so don’t want him to leave), I thought it was worth it to share how I’ve been feeling because a lot of this is still valid.

I am feeling completely overwhelmed with sadness, and it’s for the oddest of reasons. It’s the lump-in-the-throat, tears stinging at the back of my eyeballs, heavy-hearted kind of sadness. And it’s very real. It feels real, even though it’s over the most ridiculous thing.

I feel sad because people are being so nice to me. And I won’t ever be able to pay them back.

Let me just let that statement stick out there awkwardly for a moment.

Some of my good friends suggested I make a formal schedule for the people who are willing to do a blog review on my book. So I have that pretty well worked out. There will be reviews on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for the next couple of weeks or so. Cool, huh?

And then it was suggested that I link back to them, to their blogs – their words. I think that is such a good idea, so I will be doing that as well. It’s the least I can do for these precious words they gift me with.

But in a weird way, even that is self-serving because it’s kind of like saying, “Hey. Go over there and read about how great my book is.” It sort of always comes back to me, which makes me uncomfortable.

The response to my book has been overwhelming. Maybe not overwhelming in terms of breaking the charts or anything, but overwhelming in terms of the reactions and support I received. Greta started by posting a picture of her (and her cutie) with my book on Facebook. It was this picture -

and that sort of launched the trend. All of a sudden tons of people were sharing pictures  of my book next to their beautiful faces on Facebook and Instagram. And people have been sharing it like mad. I mean, yes – I did ask for it. I did ask for reviews and all that. But I didn’t expect all of the shares on twitter, G+, Facebook. I didn’t expect the feedback, the comments on blog posts, the private messages and e-mails. I didn’t expect to feel so completely

. . . vulnerable . . . because I will never be able to repay everybody for all the kindness.

Please tell me some of you can relate to what I’m talking about, and that I don’t sound quite as pompous as I think I sound.

You know, pain seems easier to bear than this. With pain I can tough it out. I can set my face like flint. I can barrel my way through until I push to the other side. But this vulnerable place – this unbearable vulnerability of being loved and not being able to earn it back by being useful to someone else – is almost more than I can handle. It’s certainly way more than I bargained for.

I know there’s a spiritual lesson in here somewhere, but since it’s not my Monday post on faith, I’ll not pursue it.

I have two reviews to share with you today. Two precious reviews. One was planned and promised, and the other was spontaneous and unexpected. And how she managed to do a glowing review before she even started the book I don’t know, but she did manage it. And yes I’m laughing too.

Katie (of the planned and promised review) blogs at Sluiter Nation and I’ve had the privilege of getting to know her over the past months and then to meet her at BlogHer in Chicago. Katie’s words are all over the place. She will be part of the book “Return to Zero” about pregnancy and infant loss – a book for which my own written submission was rejected. I’m so pleased that she’s been chosen – and not surprised in the least, given her beautiful writing. This will be coming out in the Spring so you can keep an eye out for it.

Her words have also appeared in Baby Talk magazine and the Today Show website. And besides being an amazing, inspiring teacher – the kind that makes me believe that teachers can change the world, the kind that I would want my own children to have – she’s also a passionate advocate for Common Core, and you can read about that here.

And this amazing writer, teacher and friend has written about my book here.

Thank you Katie.

The other review, which is not a review, but actually is almost a review is by Leanne from (From) Chaos Comes Happiness. Leanne is an artist, and the figure she draws to go along with her inspirational sayings reminds me of the comic strip “Cathy” – do you remember that one? Which then reminds me of my mom because she liked (likes? is it still printed?) that comic strip.

Leanne and I have connected for years in the online world and we’ve had a few e-mail exchanges over the deep stuff. And I watched as her dream came true and she was able to visit Italy with the love of her life. Leanne has a beautiful soul, as I’m sure you will see.

And if you’re reading this in time, she has an incredible art supply (or arts and craft supply) giveaway going on until Sunday. There might still be time to win it! The not-quite-a-review-but-is-still-a-review is here. And she even had the sweetness to do a follow-up post with the link to my book on Amazon, which included her assessment of the first four chapters. One day she might even be able to review the book in its entirety! (I’m laughing and joking, but I’m also crying from the love and support).

Thank you Leanne.

So this is where I’m at. I’ve been trying to respond to everyone’s comments, mails, tweets and shares, and I can’t. I’ve been trying to scramble to support everyone else’s writing – who deserves the attention – and read and appreciate and share in the same manner, but it’s not enough. I’ll never be able to do enough. I’ll never be able to earn this love that’s being showered on me. I’ll never be able to pay everyone back to the same measure that I’ve been given.

I just have to remain in this place where ”thank you” doesn’t seem to be enough - sit here uncomfortable, raw, vulnerable . . . and be loved.

The post The Vulnerability of Being Loved appeared first on A Lady In France.

Old School Blogging Style

I started blogging in the fall of 2009. It seems like a long time ago, but some of the big name bloggers have been doing it since 2006. So clearly I’m behind the times. Blogging has changed a lot over these years, both in content and in its marriage to social media. It used to be that blogging memes were all the rage. You know – memes? It’s when you answer a bunch of questions about yourself, and then pass it on for someone else to answer?

Well, Elaine at The Miss Elaine-ous Life has brought back Old School Blogging meme-style. Once a month she hosts a link-up where she posts the questions, and everyone who wants to participate can link up to her blog and then we can all read each others’ answers. And this month I get to co-host it with her! (cheers, confetti)

This month’s meme is a bit long. 27 questions in all (!!) And while I hold no particular illusion that anyone wants to know that much about me (by the way, have you read my 332 page memoir?), I have still endeavoured to answer all the questions faithfully. If you’d like to participate, I’ve included the questions at the bottom in convenient “copy and paste” format. AND the linkup is right there at the bottom too. Ready, Set, GO!

1. What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?

Need I state the obvious? Or I have I not talked about it enough yet? Ahem. I published a book! It’s over there in the sidebar.

When I first started wearing deodorant, I was so proud of it, I carried my new bottle of “Tess” downstairs to where my parents’ guests were, hoping they would notice that I had it. I kind of feel that way about my book. I want to carry it around, hoping people will ask me about it.

And yes, I do realise how insanely dorky it is to want people to notice you’re using deodorant. I never had many points in the “cool” department.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I didn’t make any New Year’s Resolutions last year. But I did have the goal to publish my book -a chapter at a time on my blog at first, and then in print form. I did that. This year I have some vague goal to run more and embrace life. I’m hoping that having a writing studio will help to separate my online life from my family life, sparing my kids who deserves more than I give them.

(I’m currently typing this on the sofa while ignoring my kids).

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Yes! My friend Keely gave birth. She squeaked it in before the new year. No one that lives near me though, which is really sad because I can’t kiss any baby faces. I’m on the cusp of leaving the baby-making years behind and entering the grandparent years. Not me, specifically, but some of my college friends are grandparents already. I’m trying not to cry.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

My grandmother died in Minnesota right before the end of the year. I had not seen her for many years because of the distance, but it’s always hard to lose a grandparent. She was my last grandparent alive and that makes me sad.

5. What countries did you visit?

France and America – nothing out of the ordinary.

6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?

I think I would like to have a serenity I didn’t have in 2013. I would like to be more present in what’s going on around me. I’m usually too anxious and hyper, trying madly to do the next thing and be everywhere at once. I no longer had any time for my yoga class, if that gives you any idea. I would like to be still.

7. What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

December 5th because I published my first book and achieved one of the a life goals I made when I was a teenager. I don’t remember a single other goal other than get married to an amazing man like the one I found, and live in Boston – which I’m not likely to ever do.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

With 27 questions, things are bound to get redundant. See answer just above.

9 What was your biggest failure?

I don’t think I failed at anything. So there! Ha! I might have stumbled or fallen down, but I didn’t stop or run backwards. That means I did not fail.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

No. A huge blessing, right?

11. What was the best thing you bought?

A new Mac. My dog chewed through the cord of my old laptop and my husband tried to splice the two ends together, but he ended up burning the computer. So I got a new one.

12. Where did most of your money go?

This is a great question. Food. We can easily spend 2-300€ a week on groceries if I don’t go to the discount store. That’s up to $400 a week. But the discount store doesn’t have school supplies and computer ink, gluten-free foods, frozen foods or alcohol-free wine. So although I usually try to go to both, I just go to the expensive one if I’m limited on time.

13. What did you get really excited about?

Need I say it again?

14. What song will always remind you of 2013?

I am soo not hip on songs. But I guess it would be Norah Jones, whose CD I listened to all the time. Yes. I still listen to CDs. See what I mean about being behind?

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:

– happier or sadder? Happier . . . I think.

– thinner or fatter? Oh geez. You have to ask this question? I’m not sure actually. I always hover around _ _ (cough)

-  richer or poorer?  I guess poorer? We’re still paying off our trip to the States from this summer. Every single person I talk to in France is having money problems because it’s just so darn expensive here. Grocery coupons don’t even exist – I mean the kind you can cut out of a newspaper.

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Exercise.

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Eat mindlessly without tasting the food.

18. How did you spend Christmas?

In the usual way. We opened Santa’s presents here at home, and then we went to my in-laws for lunch and more presents over there. We Skyped with my family over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

19. What was your favorite TV program?

I don’t watch TV because I don’t want to see my favorite programs in French. I watch American TV series on DVD. We discovered “Castle” this year.

20. What were your favorite books of the year?

The Divergent series, although I’m not crazy about the last book. I will finish it, but I’m having so much trouble getting into it.

21. What was your favorite music from this year?

This is a redundant question, I think. Don’t you?

22. What was your favorite film of the year?

Oh films. We so rarely get out. I was really excited to see Hunger Games on the airplane, so I’m guessing that’s it.

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 44 in November, and I asked to not have to worry about dinner. So my husband did an amazing job of cooking, and the kids gave me such great homemade cards, I laughed and cried at the same time.

24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

I don’t think it could have been more satisfying than it was. Really and truly. Or – maybe a vacation in France with my husband and kids. This just always makes me so happy as we connect and spend quality time and explore my adopted country.

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?

Yoga pants and “making an effort.” I started tutoring at a private school so I had to start “making an effort.” Blouses and make-up. You know the drill.

26. What kept you sane?

My private Facebook group.

27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.

I lived another year – not just survived, but truly lived. And each year in this incredible life with my loved ones is a precious gift I’ve been given.

Okay! Now you’re turn! If you’d like to participate, here are the questions for you to copy:

1. What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

4. Did anyone close to you die?

5. What countries did you visit?

6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?

7. What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

9. What was your biggest failure?

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

11. What was the best thing you bought?

12. Where did most of your money go?

13. What did you get really excited about?

14. What song will always remind you of 2013?

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:

– happier or sadder?

– thinner or fatter?

– richer or poorer?

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?

18. How did you spend Christmas?

19. What was your favorite TV program?

20. What were your favorite books of the year?

21. What was your favorite music from this year?

22. What was your favorite film of the year?

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?

26. What kept you sane?

27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.

And here is the linky-link! Just put the link to your OSB post with all those answers (you can skip a few – we won’t tell). And then be sure to visit a few other bloggers who have linked up. And we promise to come visit yours too!

');
// ]]>

Image credit: yarruta / 123RF Banque d’images

The post Old School Blogging Style appeared first on A Lady In France.

Creamy Potato-Leek Soup

The word “leek” is just not as pretty as its French counterpart, which is “poireau,” and which is pronounced pwah-row. In fact, this staple of a soup is called “Soupe aux Poireaux” in French. Soup oh pwah-row.

Even the leeks themselves seem to be much larger than I remember them being in America. Right? Don’t you think?

Gargantuan. And don’t confuse them with spring onions because they are different. Leeks purportedly reduce cellulite, which might explain their prominent place in French cooking. Apart from having a place in many a soup, its very own “soupe aux poireaux,” there is even a quiche recipe with leeks in it that is served regularly. And kids eat it!

The soup couldn’t be easier to make and can be eaten as an entrée to the main course, or – more likely, when we’re talking about dinner – a main course in and of itself, eaten with baguette and followed by a modest cheese platter.

You’ll need 4 leeks, 3 potatoes, 3 small cloves of garlic, a beef bouillon cube (or vegetable if you want to keep it vegetarian). Peel the potatoes and cut in chunks. Slice and wash the leeks to remove all the sand, which is found in the dark green leaves at top. And . . . speaking of the dark green section, resist the urge to include too much of that in the soup. Although all that green is good for you, it adds a bitterness to the soup and the French generally avoid it.

Cover the leek and potatoes, the garlic and bouillon with 6 cups of water and add a half-tablespoon of sea salt.

Cook it until all the vegetables are tender – 45 minutes to an hour.

Blend it. If you make these purée soups often enough, it might be worth it to invest in an immersion blender. You don’t burn yourself and make a mess while trying to pour the mixture into your standing blender.

And then add the flavouring. 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 2 heaping spoons of sour cream, and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper. Skip the pepper if you’re serving this for kids. Even that small amount adds a bite.

And then enjoy your warm, smooth, virtually guilt-free dinner!

It’s happiness in a bowl!

Creamy Potato-Leek Soup
 

Print


Prep time
10 mins

Cook time
45 mins

Total time
55 mins
 

From: Lady Jennie
Recipe type: Appetiser
Cuisine: French
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

4 large leeks (or more smaller ones)
3 potatoes
3 cloves of garlic
1 bouillon cube. Beef or vegetarian
½ tablespoon large grain sea salt
6 cups water
2 heaping tablespoons of sour cream or crème fraiche
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon white pepper



Instructions

Wash and slice leeks. Remove sand.
Peel and slice potatoes in large chunks.
Peel and add garlic, plus salt, bouillon and water.
Cook 45-60 minutes.
Blend, then add the nutmeg pepper and sour cream.
Serve hot.


3.2.1275

The post Creamy Potato-Leek Soup appeared first on A Lady In France.

Fear

I took my daughter to see Sleeping Beauty at the Opéra Bastille on Saturday night. I had reserved the tickets weeks ago, knowing that it’s a good thing to take your daughter to see the ballet and spend quality time together. It’s a good thing to take advantage of all that Paris has to offer. Plus I have this (very challenging because it means I need to leave my house) section on my blog about France and I need to find things to talk about.

As I suspected would be the case, I was extremely anxious at the thought of going. I would be driving into Paris, would need to find a place to park, and I was the only grown-up on the trip, which meant I was 100% responsible. I took a tiny white pill (prescription) to turn the crippling anxiety into something more normal. It worked, but I was still seized with panic every so often, even when there was nothing to provoke it.

It wasn’t the taxi coming straight at me at breakneck speed in the madhouse that constitutes the roundabout at the Arc de Triomphe that caused my heart to beat wildly. No, it was the thought that I might get stuck in traffic and have to go to the bathroom. That.

My anxiety is not based on logic, and logical reasoning does nothing to alleviate it.

The trip was a success and I’ll write more about it on a “France” posting day. I actually have 2 other French posts on queue because things keep cropping up to push them back. And this Thursday I’ll be co-hosting an Old School Blogging linkup with Elaine, so the French stuff will have to wait until next week.

But the trip into Paris was not the only source of my anxiety. Today everything starts up again. My husband is busy and back at work, my kids are back in school, I start teaching again, the children’s activities start up again . . .  I was really enjoying not having all the extra chaos during the holidays. I’m anxious because I have to start leaving the house again.

And all the good efforts from our fast were sort of wiped away by the holidays. I keep meaning to continue putting some of the good things into practice, but when I get stressed out – and a morning where I have to walk the dog, run errands and bring cupcakes to school for my son’s birthday, plan an English lesson, and get caught up online, all of which constitutes a stressful day for me – I don’t want to be reasonable with food.

I think it’s my own general feelings of sadness and worry – mainly from my habitual lack of discipline and fear of failure – which are projected on to others when they suffer too. It’s like I’m convinced that everything and everyone is under a grey cloud with no hope in sight.

And right now I have quite a few friends who are suffering. Without giving any specifics, they are suffering from blows to their loved ones, to their own lives, to their livelihoods, to their lodgings. There is everything at stake, and it’s so hard to watch and know that there’s nothing I can do.

“God, how can you sit there idly and not lift a finger to help them? Can you not see them suffering?” I demand of God. But the only sounds I hear are my feet crunching on the pavement, the dog rustling in the leaves, birds cooing in the bushes. God is silent, but he can handle my reproach.

And then I remember the Scripture in Matthew 25:24-27

“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?

This Scripture? It rebukes me.

No, my God does not sit idly by while people suffer. He knows what they’re going through and he knows what he’s asking of them. He’s working in ways I cannot even see. Mine is not a hard God, harvesting where he has not sown and gathering where he has not scattered seed.

I stop accusing him. I can handle his reproach as well.

I am afraid all of the time. I will force myself to do things and to conquer things, but I live in a constant state of fear. The only time I’m not afraid is when I have my whole family under my roof and we don’t have to go anywhere – or when we’re all involved in our routine. But the fear? I’m afraid of bad things happening in my own life and in my precious inner circle; and I am afraid of bad things happening to those I love. Suffering in this world is very real, which is why I’m afraid.

But as pain is real, so is God’s love:

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18)

When I’m afraid, it’s because I feel like I deserve to be punished. I deserve to have all the bad things happen. I forget that the punishment was already meted out. It was Jesus who drank the cup of God’s wrath. He was able to handle what I could not, and it’s in strength and complete confidence in a good God that Jesus turns to us and says,

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-31)

I need to hear these words. I am made in such a way that I am deeply sensitive to the hurts in other people’s lives. I am also made in such a way that anxiety, fear and depression can completely cripple me. That’s who I am – who I’ve always been. But I don’t have to live in a state of fear because God has absolutely everything under control. Even the very hairs on my head are numbered, and even the sparrows live until God says otherwise.

And I am worth more than many sparrows.

I recognise the hardships around me. I see what some of my friends are going through. And I see the battles that loom ahead of me in the new year, even if they are easier to bear right now than for some others. They’re still my battles.

I see all these things . . . but I won’t be afraid.

So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

(Isaiah 41:10)

Image credit: gucio_55 / 123RF Banque d’images

The post Fear appeared first on A Lady In France.

My Writing Studio

Some time last Spring I spoke about the writing studio my husband was preparing for me. It involved some pretty extensive work – putting up sheetrock, sanding and painting, electricity. And there was also the matter of removing the excess furniture and putting it in the attic (which has no interior access, of course).

My friend Christelle helped us to attach the furniture, and my husband pulled them up.

Matthieu finished the studio on January 1st.

And yesterday I worked in there for the first time.

At first I found it too cold, too white, too quiet . . .

but then some friends encouraged me to hang my Christmas cards up so I’d be surrounded by all the happy families cheering me on.

And then I bought a desk lamp and Matthieu hooked me up with some music.

And he explained that I actually needed to turn the heater on for it to work. Duh.

The outside still needs a serious paint job,

but inside it’s cozy and I’m happy.

I feel super blessed.

As does the dog, apparently.

Are you signed up with Goodreads? If so, are we friends there? Leave me a comment letting me know if you’d like to be added as a friend. I’m currently running a giveaway of my book – I’m giving 5 copies actually, and it will run until January 26th. Feel free to enter to win one!

Goodreads Book Giveaway


A Lady in France
by Jennie Goutet

Giveaway ends January 25, 2014.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter to win

If you were planning on reading my book, can I ask a favour of you? Could you leave me a review on both Amazon and Goodreads? It’s not a problem if it’s the exact same one in both places.

I believe that reviews on Amazon will push them to recommend my book to people considering buying one in a similar genre, and leaving a review on Goodreads – as well as clicking that you are planning to read it or are currently reading it – will just publicise the fact to people who might not have heard of the book. At least that’s what I understand.

To those who have already left a review, thank you from the bottom of my heart!

One last thing regarding my book. If you are a blogger and would like to host a review or giveaway on your blog, please let me know. I’d be happy to provide the book for you. I’m thankful to have a few friends doing this for me already, but any publicity helps – especially when you are your own marketing person.

Okay. Enough grovelling. I’ve also created a store with zazzle. Because I’m completely frivolous apparently. And also because anyone can do it.

It’s nothing life changing – just a few of my photos turned into mugs with little captions. Feel free to send me ideas if there are things you’d like to see. I plan to update the site on a regular basis.

Zazzle Store

create & buy custom products at Zazzle

Now that the studio is all set up, the only thing I have to worry about is whether I will be able to write another book. What if I’m a one-hit wonder – an author with only one book to my name. That would be so sad wouldn’t it?

I’d have to turn the studio into a greenhouse.

The post My Writing Studio appeared first on A Lady In France.

A Very French New Year

My first experience with a French New Year’s celebration was when I was studying abroad in Avignon my junior year in college. Somehow I had a connection to a bonafide French guy living in a posh area of Paris and I went there for New Year’s Eve. I think his name was Laurent. That seems like it should be his name, doesn’t it?

I have no idea how I knew the guy, but I spent the night at his family’s apartment (no love interest there on either side). And I remember he and his friends wore scarves, drank champagne and ate smoked salmon on toast. I just thought that was the most elegant thing I had ever seen.

I think it’s safe to say that rather standard fare for the New Year’s Eve dinner – or at least appetiser – is smoked salmon toast, along with foie gras (served with fig jam or onion confit) and caviar (or the lesser fish eggs) on blinis (mini pancakes).

This year we decided to stay home as a family and have a calm New Year’s celebration. We saved the smoked salmon for the next day, but this is what we did serve:

Alcohol-free raspberry champagne (which is much better than sparkling apple cider), foie gras with fig jam, plus fish eggs and cream cheese over toast. A feast for kings, right?

These were the reactions.

“Come on William, it’s not that bad.”

“Mais j’aime pas ça!” (But I don’t like this!)

“Is that all?”

There was some interest in Matthieu’s explanation of how champagne should be poured.

Bottle tilted to the side to avoid bubbles.

Kids enraptured.

But that was short-lived.

“Okay kids, so what are your dreams for the coming year? What do you hope will happen? What would you like to do differently?”

“Look I’m a duck.”

“Kids, come on.”

“I like the toast part. See? I ate around the other stuff”

It’s never how you imagine it in your head, is it?

“Quack.”

The post A Very French New Year appeared first on A Lady In France.

Glazed Carrots

In French you would say “carrotes glacées” for glazed carrots, and it would sound a little something like care-ought glah-say. This is a rich side-dish for a vegetable and goes well with a holiday meat such as roast game. In fact, that’s exactly what we ate it with on Christmas.

Take 2 kilos (or just over 4 lbs) of carrots. Except that I only had half that, so that’s what the pictures will show.

Peel them and slice them in large chunks, then cover them with water and add 55 g of butter (2 oz).

Cook them at high heat until the water starts to evaporate, and then turn the heat down.

When there is almost no more water, put another 55 g of butter and 2 tablespoons of sugar, a teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper.

Sauté them until they start to caramelise.

Sauté them until they are almost going to turn brown (this one escaped my efforts to keep them from turning brown).

And then put those babies out with some roast meat and healthier fare – such as boiled green beans.

And you’ve got yourself a festive side dish.

Speaking of festive, Happy New Year!

Glazed Carrots
 

Print


Prep time
10 mins

Cook time
45 mins

Total time
55 mins
 
Sweet buttery carrots

From: Elle Magazine
Recipe type: side dish
Cuisine: French
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

2 kilos carrots (over 4 lbs), peeled and cut in large chunks
110 g butter divided (4 oz)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ t white pepper
water



Instructions

Cover peeled, cut carrots with water and put half the butter.
Cook til water is gone.
Add remaining butter, sugar, salt, pepper and sauté til caramelised and all the carrots are soft.
Eat hot as a side dish.


3.2.1275

* This recipe is translated directly from the French Elle magazine.

The post Glazed Carrots appeared first on A Lady In France.

A New Thing

How was 2013, friends? I know for some it was a good year, and you hope (as I also hope for you) that 2014 will be the same. For others it held sorrows, struggles, and challenges that seemed insurmountable at times. I hope this coming year will be different. Better.

For me, 2013 was a pretty good year. I started teaching more often, but my Wednesdays became easier than they’ve been for the past two years. I was able to do a 40-day fast with my husband – the third one we’ve done together – and this brought us closer to God and to each other. I redesigned my blog and added these weekly faith posts. Oh, and my book came out! Very exciting, but more on that another day.

Last year at this time, my plan was to publish my book a chapter at a time on this blog, which I did. So the new year had some focus for me. But other than that, there wasn’t really anything significant that I was aiming for in 2013.

However, the year before that, I was grieving the baby I lost the day after Christmas. And on that New Year’s Eve, I was both anxious to leave 2011 behind, and also pessimistic about what 2012 would hold.

Regardless of whether the new year sort of slips through in anonymity and mundaneness, whether it is welcomed with relief and hope for something better, or whether we bring it in riding high on a breeze that we hope will continue for years to come, a new year is something new.

A new year is a new thing, just like each new day is a new thing. And we probably need these fresh starts more than we know.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,

    for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

 (Lam 3:22-23)

It’s amazing what a night’s rest can bring. If I’ve eaten too much one day, I always feel better the next day after a good night’s sleep, and I’m relieved to have a fresh start, full of possibilities. If I’ve exhausted myself from moving, cleaning, hosting – or even if I’m tired from illness or jet lag – the next day I feel strengthened. I might still be sore from physical exertion or suffering from some remaining fatigue, but it’s different – better. I feel restored.

My husband once mused that falling asleep each night and waking up again each morning is God’s way of reassuring us of eternal life. It’s his way of reassuring us that when we fall into the big sleep, we will wake up again.

We need newness on a regular basis. As one suffering from depression, there are times when I can’t possibly dig myself into a deeper hole with my thoughts. I’m wading through the mental muck, and it’s so bad, it just can’t get any worse.  This is the time when I need something new. It’s then that I remember this:

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  (Ezekial 36:26)

God can give me something new, even when I’ve already tried to mentally attack my situation from different angles, only to fail each time. He has a perspective I just don’t have, and he’s willing to give it to me.

When I’ve been in a state of anguish for so long my heart has only grown hard, he replaces it with one that can feel things again. And weeping brings relief – and change.

There are other times when it’s not my thoughts that bind me like heavy chains, but circumstances, difficulties . . . life. Sometimes there is nothing I can do to change my situation, simply because I can’t figure out how to extricate myself from the problem. I look all around me for the solution, but I’m still back at sqaure one. And it’s then that I remember this:

“Forget the former things;

do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

(Isaiah 43:18-19)

God knows how he’s going to free you from your problem before you even enter the tricky situation. He’s got you covered.

How are you today? Are you heavy-hearted or feeling shiny and bright? Are your thoughts strangling you or lifting you up? Is your life flowing smoothly, or is it a barren wasteland of desolation? No matter what, it’s a new year. A new day.

And new things are coming your way.

* * * * *

Image credit: shaman1006 / 123RF Banque d’images

The post A New Thing appeared first on A Lady In France.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Let your heart be light

From now on

our troubles will be out of sight.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Make the Yule-tide gay

From now on

our troubles will be miles away.

Here we are as in olden days

happy golden days of yore

Faithful friends who are dear to us

gather near to us once more.

Through the years we all will be together

If the Fates allow

Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.

And have yourself

a merry little Christmas

 now.

With all my love!

Jennie

The post Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas appeared first on A Lady In France.