Crazy Disciple

Pressing In

Since returning from the States, I feel like I have been lacking in identity here in Paris.  It is amazing to experience the contrast of being amongst my home church, family, and friends compared with being in a culture in which I hardly fit.   I am reminded, DAILY, of the struggles that come with language here, and communication.  They aren't unique struggles to me, they are common to anyone who has found them selves uprooted and moved to a new location and culture.   While I could spend a lot of time writing about all the things that I have been reawakened to missing and not knowing, the real purpose of this post is moreover the answer, the response to those feelings that I am deciding to pursue.

I have chosen to press-in, to dig in to both the word of God, but also my relationship with God.  It seems that this is the area of my life that I am spending the least amount of time with.  Ironic isn't it?   It's amazing how quickly it becomes normal to NOT read the bible, or to NOT pray, and the result is a complete feeling of disconnect from direction and mission.  

It's funny, I keep thinking that this is an area of my life that will just take care of itself.  It's not a conscious thought, but moreover an instinctual thought.  I even shared last night that I feel like a car with bad wheel alignment.   I *want* to drive straight, and in my mind I think that if I let go of the wheel, that I will continue straight, but the truth is that when I don't deliberately steer TOWARDS God, then I find myself on a road far from Him.  

The methods of pressing in, at least for me, are simple... reading more, praying more, thinking more, and being more with God.   And I don't want to mistake any of that with legalism, instead I am realizing that the nourishment I need is not coming in...  unless I eat.   So I am going back to the well, back to the buffet line, and pulling up a chair.   I want EVERYTHING that God has for me here, and I want to be fully invested in everything that God has for Paris.   It seems like a no-brainer, but it is amazing to me how much deliberate thought it actually requires. 

Stay tuned... some cool things are already happening as a result of these decisions and these tactics...   it will be fun top unveil them as they become more clear. 

We have lift off!

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls... FINALLY, we have lift off.  An Internet connection has been established in the new flat, and WOO HOO, I am CONNECTED!  Typing out blog posts and emails on my iPhone was really getting old.   I am even typing this post from the balcony of my flat, late at night... and this is the view of Paris from the 15th.  Looks peaceful eh?   It is. 

Just to explain what you are seeing, this is actually a courtyard.  It is the area in the middle of all of the buildings in this little spot.   It's actually a good-sized courtyard, but the only way into it is though the buildings surrounding it.   Ok it's so hard to explain, so let me give you a shot from Google earth with the perspective outlined.  If you can see the yellow star, that is where I am taking the picture from.  The area shaded in red is the actual picture point of view. 

Things are good here in Paris though, it's felt a bit like starting all over, moving to the other side of the city.  I find myself getting turned around in so many metro stations, as I am coming into them from a different direction now...   it's a strange phenomenon.  I also have no real friends over here yet, and I feel so very removed from the rumble of the city.  Consequently I am sorting through some feelings of loneliness as well as struggling with being away from home again.  It's tough to be in a city that isn't  "mine."  Of course the feelings are all compounded by my recent voyage back home to see family and friends.  I kind of suspected that would happen. 

Good news though, my Mom is coming to visit NEXT WEEK!   In fact, in one week's time, we will be having the time of our lives, checking out Paris and I will get to show it to her, as I have come to know it.  It will be a real treat to have someone from home come and visit me here, and especially having that person be my family.   So flippin cool.  

Another beautiful day in Paris

Riding metro line 6 to meet some friends for dinner, I couldn't help
but grab this pic from my phone of the Eiffel Tower. It is stunningly
gorgeous weather in Paris today, maybe 75F or 24C, it's just awesome.

Tonight, I am meeting with a couple of friends who have become quite
dear to me. Nikolaj is from Amsterdam and his girlfriend Bea is from
France. They are absolutely stellar people, and over the last 7
months or so, Nikolaj and I have been enjoying the acclimation to all
things French at nearly the dame rate. Truth be told, he is a month
or two ahead of me, but with us both being expats, and having
experienced leaving our home countries, we share so many common
emotions and trials. This is just another person that God has put in
my path for undoubtedly some amazing reasons. I feel blessed to know
him.

Life in the 15th

Paris is broken into 20 adjoining districts, known as Arrondismonts.
The arrondismonts spiral out from the center of Paris in the shape of
a snail shell. For the first seven months of my time here, I lived in
the 3rd, which is on the right bank, or the right side of the Seine
river, and now I live in the 15th, which is on the left bank. It's
already quite an adjustment.

The difference between the two areas is incredible; even as I tap this
out on my iPhone, I am sitting in near silence on the balcony of my
flat for the summer. The light of the Eiffel tower scans overhead,
and serves as the only reminder that I am in Paris. I'm much closer
to the tower now, and can see it fairly well from the street, but not
from this flat. There are many more children around this area, and
families, and laundromats... Lots of laundromats. Living in the 3rd
was louder, and with a lot more hustle and bustle... I think this
will serve as a fantastic home for the next few months. I do miss the
right bank though, it just feels very different. After I get fully
acclimated, it will be interesting to see if that still holds true.

Settling in

It's Monday afternoon, and I finally feel as if I have shaken this
horrid Jet lag. Over the weekend, I traveled to Alsace, the portion
of France that shares borders with Switzerland and Germany to attend
the marriage ceremony of some dear friends from our church. It was a
sincere honor to be invited and included, as a French wedding is quite
a big deal. I'll write more about it when I can upload some pictures
to accompany the story. It as a great time, but with the shortage of
sleep and rest that I was already experiencing, the push of this
wedding and then the return to Paris for church on Sunday just wiped
me out. I crashed hard and slept for most of the day and night, and
finally woke up to sunlight and refreshment this morning.

So now, I sit here eating lunch, and I just had to share the joy. Not
to mention that I had so many questions about French food when I was
back in Tulsa. Consequently, I'm going to try and share more about
our meals here. This picture is of my 10 euro lunch... A salad
Italianne. It's a little bit more expensive than a McDonalds lunch,
but SOOO much healthier. The nest part is how it tastes... Oh man,
it's awesome!

So tonight there will be a bible study in the middle of Paris and
before then, I am going to try and get an Internet solution figured
out for the new flat. I am really an Internet addict... Man, I feel
so cut off from the world without it! Thankfully, this iPhone fills
in the gaps until it's all worked out. Happy Monday!

Moving day

Wow, the time has finally come for me to move to a different apartment (or flat) in Paris.  It's a day that I had begun to think would never come.  I'm moving to the other side of town, currently I am on the right bank (the right side of the Seine river), in a very busy area of Paris called the Place de la Republique.  It's a giant place (plaza) and it where most of the manifestations (demonstrations, or strikes) start, or end up.  I would imagine that it feels quite similar to New York over here, although I have never been to New York. 

Anyway, I am moving to the Left Bank, or the Left side of the Seine river.  It is considered the more artsy side of the river, and it seems to cater a lot more to tourists and younger people.   You may have heard of the Latin Quarter, or St. Germain...  both of those are on the left bank.  Thankfully however, I am headed a bit more into the residential side of the left bank, in the 15th arrondesmont near Rue de Commerce.  It's a cool area, much quieter and has a much different feel. 

So, moving in Paris (at least for me) means walking and taking metros back and forth across town with whatever I can carry on my back and in my hands.  It's kind of funny, if you think about it.  Not to mention that when I get off the metro at my new metro stop, I have a pretty decent walk to get to the new flat.   So I am getting my exercise today...  The craziest thing to me is to see how much stuff I have accumulated.  I came here with two suitcases and a backpack.  I think my thi9ngs have at least doubled.   Man, it's crazy how easy that can happen. 

I'll try to get some pictures up as soon as I can get an Internet connection at the new place.  I'm only going to be living there about four months, so it will be interesting to see how that all plays out.  Oh, the adventure of living in Paris...