This year’s staff conference was the best yet!  There were lots and lots of reasons for it being my favorite.  Here are a couple reasons why: 1. We had two AMAZING speakers!  Alan and Deb Hirsch (he wrote The Shaping of Things to Come) inspired and challenged me in so many ways!  I am more excited than ever to serve here in Paris and see what God is maybe calling us to in new and different ways within the city.  Their talks really confirmed in mine and Justin’s hearts that we need to be in a different part of the city and so we will begin that search once we get back from the states.  Here is a picture of Justin and me with Alan and Deb.  LOVE THEM! 2.  I got to see my Mary from the south of France!  She is always SUPER encouraging!  On the way to…

I have been wanting to try pregnancy yoga for a LONG TIME now!  Well, only about four months (since I knew I was pregnant).  Today, I was finally able to try it out because we now have a VHS/DVD player.  YAY!  I was so excited to do it!  When the video started I began to laugh a bit and had Justin come in to see the woman with her hair wrapped in a turban type thing and talking so smoothly and calmly.  I have other yoga dvd’s that aren’t quite so "spiritual" so I wasn’t too worried.  I sat in my little crossed legs position ready for the exercise to begin.  The lady began with rubbing our hands together and then repeating different chant type things.  I got scared!  I really did get scared.  Maybe this is me being naive, or maybe it was something evil.  The first chant had…

I never thought the words would come out of my mouth, but I have to admit it.  I wish it were cooler.  I think I may actually be looking forward to winter.  YIKES!  I know in January I will think back to when these thoughts crossed my mind and think I was crazy for saying them, but for now, it is true.  It is so hot here!  I talk to my friends and family in the states and they are dealing with weather over 100 degrees and here I am at nearly 100 degrees, complaining.  But let me tell you a little difference between heat in Europe and heat in the States.  Two words… air conditioning.  There is none here.  Well, of course there is in the grocery store!  Believe me, I find reason to go there, if of course I can pull my melted body off the chair and…

A few of us here in Paris have started a new thing called Street Lunch.  We get together and make really yummy sandwiches and then pass them out (along with a water) to our homeless neighbors.  We do it on Sunday morning, when most Christians in the States would be in a church service.  I have found that this has been one of my most favorite ways to worship God on a Sunday morning.  It is such a simple way to really love and serve someone that I may normally pass by on a daily basis.  Life is so good right now.  Today we hung out with our friend Bjorn.  He just hung out at our flat with us, watched a bit of the Tour de France, took a nap on the leather chair, then we all went to dinner at the delicious Mexican restaurant.  Bjorn is one of my…

I have reached my highest weight ever, by one pound.  The last time I weighed anywhere close to what I weigh now is about a year after Justin and I got married.  We were poor and eating Papa Johns pizza every Monday night because they had a great deal for a five dollar one topping pizza!  Yum.  Anyways, needless to say, I gained a bit of weight from that year of unhealthy eating.  Now my weight has exceeded that weight gain by one pound.  It is strange.  I am right where I should be with the weight gain (well, more on the upper side of where I should be).  FIFTEEN POUNDS!  I know you all want to know just how much I have gained and it is fifteen marvelous pounds!  I have been gaining about a pound a week for sometime now.  I don’t think the lucky charms cereal that…