Guest Blogger Lori: Chamonix

I don't think I have ever seen a place as pristine as this small town nestled in the Alps. Tucked away in a valley next to Mont Blanc, Chamonix is the definition of pristine. There was not a single cloud in the breathtakingly blue sky, the mountains were covered in perfect, blinding snow and the town itself looked like a gingerbread village dusted with powdered sugar.

The small ski town was flooded with people, skiers, snowboarders, paragliders, tourists and locals. The town was full of energy and had a very, for lack of a better word, "chill" vibe. We walked around the town for a while before stopping for a hearty, real alps style lunch, full of cheese and bread and warmth. We then decided to see the bottom of a ski slope. We started trudging up the hill that looked like it led to the base of one of the surrounding mountains.

We had fun along the way, throwing snow at each other, slipping around on ice and thinking of all the ways the absolutely massive icicles could fall and kill you. We ended up not being able to find the actual base, but kept on walking. We found a huge field that we all frolicked around in for a while.

 Then, we suddenly heard a strange "whoosh" sound. To our surprise and amazement, one of the many paragliders landed extremely close to us, just over a small ridge that lead to another field. We realized we were right next to the landing zone, and spent a good while watching paraglider after paraglider land.  Now, for those of you who don't know what paragliding is, you basically go to the top of a mountain, you get harnessed into a parachute (with a guide unless you are very experienced) then you run.. off the mountain. You don't fall, it's not like skydiving, you really just float around in the sky. I have wanted to do it for a very long time, and I almost had my chance. We heard a paraglider speaking english to his friend after he landed, so mom and I decided to go say hello. I expressed my interest in it and told him I had always wanted to try it. "I could take you right now if you want! I don't think I've ever seen such perfect conditions to fly." the man said. I started to become excited. It was a relatively cheap price and it looked like I was going to be able to cross something off my bucket list, until he said I needed a ski pass to get to the top of the mountain. Which I didn't have. Which was stupidly expensive. Goodbye hopes and dreams I had of running off a mountain that day. I told him I couldn't swing it that day, but would definitely come back.

 After that wonderful experience and very interesting conversation we had with him, we decided to walk back into town. We went to a small bar for drinks and coffees, sitting outside and people watching. After a nearly perfect day, we hit the road back to Lyon, taking in all the views driving through the Alps had to offer. So if you're ever in France, skip the cities and beaches, go to the mountains, especially Chamonix.

3 things I do every day

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit. - Aristotle

From early childhood I was encouraged to set goals and work towards them by my type-A high achieving Dad. As an adult I've drifted away from setting specific, measurable goals and moved more towards forming habits that (hopefully) shape my character in a positive way. Here are three character-molding things I do (almost) every day -- and one not-so-good-for-you habit just to keep it real.

1) Time with God. For some reason I balk at the term "quiet time" -- it just sounds so churchy. Nonetheless I do make a habit of spending the earliest part of my day with the Lord. I call it my "BPPR" time: Bible, Pray, Plan, and Reflect. There's nothing scripted, and I don't do all four things every day. It's simply a chance to spend some time alone with my thoughts and with God through His Word and in prayer, and hopefully hitting the "spiritual reset" button. Some days I pick a chapter or two and read. Or I work through my women's Bible study lesson (currently a powerful study on Forgiveness). I need to focus more on prayer, the most difficult of disciplines for me. After praying and reading I ask God what He wants me to accomplish, and plan out my day. On a good day I spend some time reflecting on the last 24 hours: what do I need to confess? How can I make things right with someone I've hurt? What happened yesterday that I am thankful for? 

2) Exercise. This is a huge priority for me, and gives me a much-needed energy boost. I used to exercise to look good, but now that I'm in my mid-40s it's all about health: feeling good, flexibility, strength, posture and balance. I like to mix it up: jogging, walking up the steps to the Fourvière basilica, and even sometimes doing an insane cardio workout like P90X or the aptly named Insanity But my favorite exercises are bodyweight-only mat exercises like pilates or Power Yoga. I know what you're thinking: Christians don't do yoga! But the only praying I do during these exercises are cries of "help me, Jesus!" as I struggle to keep up with Sean Vigue's crazy YouTube workouts.

3) Learn Something New. Usually my learning comes from books. I'm old-school; I like to hold a book made of real paper in my hands, I like to underline key points and dog-ear the pages. Currently I'm reading a couple of great books for my assignments with LifeSprings women's ministry. I also read books together with Lori - we read a chapter each week and then discuss what we've learned. Here are some other ways besides book-learning that I use to stretch my brain: Ted talks, online magazine articles, documentaries, studying French...there are unlimited opportunities to learn something new every day.

After all the positive benefits of renewing my mind, body and spirit, it's time for a break. So here's the not-so-good thing I do every day: veg in front of the TV. I look forward to snuggling up on the couch with my honey and my sweet girls, laughing at silly comedies like Arrested Development or Scrubs, and turning off the brain for a bit. Like I said, just keeping it real!  

And what about you? What life habits do you try to cultivate? Share yours in the comments section!

Little Things: Grocery shopping in France

When adjusting to a new country, it's often the little things that make a big difference. Early on, there were a lot of "little things" to learn about and get used to. Now that we've been in France for 18 months, these differences seem so normal that I don't even think about them. But for the sake of other readers who may be new to France, let me share a few of the small contrasts that originally caught me off guard. I'll start with the grocery store.

• Bags - In the US I always cringed at the amount of plastic bags I was given at Wal-mart. Sometimes the cashier would put just one or two items inside each bag. They're free for the customer, so nobody seemed to care about the financial -- let alone the environmental -- cost. In France, the customers are responsible for bagging their own groceries and they also must pay for the bags. A tiny "sac plastique" costs 2 or 3 centimes, which is fine when you're just running into a store unprepared. But almost everyone here brings their own large, sturdy grocery bags for big shopping trips, or even better: a grocery caddy on wheels. 
  

• Milk - Giant gallon-sized containers don't exist here. Milk comes in 1-liter opaque jugs, which can be bought in singles or in a 6-pack. Also, most of the milk is UHT processed (ultra high temperature), so it has a long shelf life and there's no need to refrigerate it until it's opened. Personally, I think it smells funny and tastes quite different from refrigerated milk, so I only use it with cereal. We usually buy low-fat (demi-écrémé), easily recognized by blue caps no matter what the brand. Lait entier (whole milk) comes in bottles with red caps, while écrémé (fat-free) comes with green lids. 

• Eggs - Americans seem to prefer white eggs, which come from white chickens (or perhaps are bleached -- conspiracy theories abound on the internet). In the US, eggs are washed and sanitized before being sold in the supermarket. That's why they must be refrigerated -- the processing removes the natural protective coating that keeps eggs from becoming contaminated. In France, eggs are sold on the shelf at room temperature, and the same carton can include a variety of colors: brown, speckled, beige, you name it. Since they aren't pre-washed, I always wash the outside of the eggs before cracking them just in case. From time to time I find a feather (or worse) sticking to the outside of the egg -- yuck. 

• Butter - Butter comes in bricks, not sticks. A brick of butter in France is 250 grams, while a stick of American butter is 1/2 cup (113.4 grams). Converting recipes for baked goods that call for a "stick" of butter can be challenging. I usually guesstimate by using slightly less than half a brick, and the results have been just fine. Speaking of baking, recipes using the metric system use weight in grams for solid foods like flour and sugar. I still don't have a food scale; I just use my volume measuring cups and handy conversion charts I've found on the internet.

There you have it, four everyday "little" things that are different in France than America. Perhaps I'll do a part 2 another day (followed by part 3, 4, 5....) Until then remember that the little differences aren't a big deal: one is not "better" and the other "worse", they're just "different." 

And what about you? What little differences have you noticed between your home country and France? Leave a comment below!

Epic FAIL!

When it comes to language learning, I've uncovered some universal truths:

• You're going to make a million mistakes
• Mistakes won't kill you
• The ability to laugh at yourself really helps
• One step forward, two steps back
• Pride comes before a fall

You see where this is going.

This week I was feeling pretty good about my French progress. In 18 months, I've learned a lot. I have a solid base of grammar and vocabulary. I can read French fairly well. My "ear" has improved dramatically. Speaking is the most difficult, but there are days that I can string a few coherent sentences together. I progress petit à petit. 

This week, everything was put to the test when our downstairs neighbor knocked on our door in a panic, because water was pouring out of the light fixture in her kitchen ceiling. It wasn't hard to understand what she was saying, especially when accompanied with a dramatic charades-like pantomime. Sure enough, we discovered a leak underneath our bathtub. This required a call to our landlord. A phone call! Nothing strikes terror into the language-learner's heart quite like having to talk on the telephone. But I was successful: the plumber was summoned, he understood our need, fixed the leak, and all was well. I felt invincible!

Until part two. After the plumber left, I turned on the tap to run a shower, and lo and behold -- no hot water. I tried the kitchen sink. No hot water there either. And the water pressure was really low. I looked up a few words and grabbed the phone once again. This time, the gas company came to our rescue. I was hosting a friend for coffee when the technician arrived, so I was admittedly a bit preoccupied, but I explained the situation and left him to his work. A mere five minutes later, he showed me a part that he'd replaced and presented me with a paper to sign, speaking in rapid-fire French the entire time. I nodded and smiled and "d'accord-ed" heartily. "C'était très rapide!" I praised, "Merci beaucoup!" In time, my guest left, and I went to test the hot water, relishing in the anticipation of a steamy shower. 

You guessed it....still no hot water. 

3rd phone call. Lots of waiting on hold ("ne quittez pas!"), and then once again some rapid-fire French, of which I only understood the important "He'll call you back." He did call back, and this time Greg answered the phone. The mechanic actually spoke English much better than we speak French, and he told Greg "I already explained to your wife that I couldn't fix the heater because I have to order a part and get clearance from your landlord to proceed with the repair." Ohhhhh. So when he was showing me the part that I thought he'd replaced so efficiently, he was actually telling me he needed to replace it. Looking back on it, all of his quizzical looks at my smiles and praise suddenly made sense! I had to laugh.

That's the most important lesson I've learned in this language journey. How to laugh at myself.

And how to take cold showers.

Un Accueil Chaleureux (A Warm Welcome)

The girls enjoyed a "goûter" (snack) at the home of one of the host families 

Being asked to organize a project outside of your comfort zone can be challenging, to say the least, but ultimately rewarding. I was recently stretched in this way when I was asked to find French host families for a group of American high school students who were visiting Lyon. It took some time and networking, but in the end I was able to successfully pair the five students and their teacher with familles d'accueil for their week-long French immersion experience.

Visiting a French school

Shopping at the marché

The word "accueil" in French means "welcome." You'll see this difficult-to-pronounce word at information kiosks and reception desks at hotels, museums, and other such locations throughout France. The expression un accueil chaleureux is similar to "a warm welcome," and that's exactly what the American girls received when they met their French families for the first time. Their initial jitters swiftly disappeared when they were immediately included as temporary members of the family. The girls each had different opportunities to immerse themselves into family life: some shopped and cooked with their host moms; others went to school and hip-hop classes with their new French "sisters." At the end of the week, one girl told me that her preconceived stereotype of the French being "cold and distant" was transformed into the complete opposite impression as a result of staying with her French family.

One of the girls with her host "maman"

The experience was enriching on the French side, too. Upon debriefing with the host families, they all gushed about what a wonderful experience it was to spend time with a young person from a different culture. The French teenagers especially enjoyed meeting "real Americans" and found that they had many activities and interests in common. Thanks to modern technology, I expect that these new relationships will continue to thrive across the miles.


I believe that this sort of cross-cultural experience is so beneficial to anyone who has the opportunity to experience it. When you visit another country as a tourist, you typically only get a small glimpse of reality. It takes an immersion experience to get to know the true culture and perspective of the people that call the country "home." A good compromise for tourists is to try to find a way to spend at least part of their trip interacting with the natives. That might mean choosing a B&B or host family situation over a hotel, or going off the beaten path, eating and shopping with the locals rather than visiting museums and tourist attractions. In the end it will be worth the extra effort, and you may even make a new friend in the process. It also doesn't hurt to extend un accueil chaleureux to a tourist visiting your own country!

Kids are kids, no matter where they're from!

Je Suis Charlie

I see it in the somber yet proud faces of those I pass on the street. I see it in the increased police presence around Lyon. I see it in my own soul, as I struggle to comprehend the events of the past few days. And I see it plastered on posters and signs around town: Je Suis Charlie.

This phrase is nonsense outside of the context of the horrific tragedy which unfolded last week in Paris, and I doubt that even western foreigners can fully understand the impact of this slogan -- myself included. But the three simple words brilliantly capture the national sentiment in France after the senseless murders which occurred January 7th through 9th.

Americans believe in freedom of speech, yet we often seem to shy away from controversial topics in the name of tolerance and political correctness. For the French, although the cartoons at Charlie Hebdo were clearly offensive and provocative, it's truly important to defend the national French values expressed in its motto Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité....despite the controversial messages portrayed in the cartoons. The ideal of free speech, regardless of the content, is at stake in the minds of the citizens of this nation which has a long and complicated history of war, revolution, and uprising. The French come together today in solidarity, as one people, to march for their freedom rights. One million plus are gathering in Paris as I write, and there is also a huge march in Lyon going on at the same time. So what will these marches accomplish? Where will we go from here?

Above all, I believe that we all need to continue the march. We need to stand together, regardless of nationality, religion, political viewpoint, color, or any other mask that divides us. We need to come together against terrorism of any kind. I'm encouraged when I read about imams who are not remaining silent, but are speaking out against these evil practices. Muslim imams, Christian pastors, and Jewish rabbis alike need to band together in peace to condemn the actions of extremists who killed in the name of Allah or any other God. I think the brother of the slain Muslim police officer Ahmed Merabet said it so well, and I'll quote his words directly from the Guardian:

“My brother was Muslim and he was killed by two terrorists, by two false Muslims,” he said. “Islam is a religion of peace and love. As far as my brother’s death is concerned it was a waste. He was very proud of the name Ahmed Merabet, proud to represent the police and of defending the values of the Republic – liberty, equality, fraternity.”

Malek reminded France that the country faced a battle against extremism, not against its Muslim citizens. “I address myself now to all the racists, Islamophobes and antisemites. One must not confuse extremists with Muslims. Mad people have neither colour or religion,” he said.

“I want to make another point: don’t tar everybody with the same brush, don’t burn mosques – or synagogues. You are attacking people. It won’t bring our dead back and it won’t appease the families.”

I pray today that we will always remember these wise words from a heartbroken brother. I pray that we would wake up and treat one another with love and respect. Believers, may we show people today that we love God by loving the people He created.

“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.” - Jesus 

According to Le Progres, no less than 300,000 people marched in the streets of Lyon today.
Here's the scene in Place Bellecour. Wow!

Christmas in Lyon - part 2

Last week I wrote about the secular side of Christmas in France, but Christmas is really about Christ! In France, many Catholics honor the birth of Jesus by attending mass on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day. Some churches still honor the tradition of midnight mass, but many these days are opting to hold worship services earlier in the evening. I looked up a few of the prominent Catholic churches in Lyon to find out their plans. Many of them have multiple Christmas services. I counted a total of eight services in a 24-hour period at The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, including a midnight mass on Christmas Eve and a 7:30 am mass on the 25th. (Greg is so happy not to be the priest on duty for that rotation!)

Protestant believers also typically head to church on Christmas Eve. Very few Protestant churches hold a service on Christmas morning, unless Christmas happens to fall on a Sunday. One exception is our friends at Lyon Anglican church; they will have a Christmas day family Communion.  Our church, the International Christian Community of Lyon, is holding a family-friendly Candlelight service at 6 pm (so if you find yourself in Lyon this Christmas, you are welcome to join us!)

After church, French families often gather for a VERY late night feast called the réveillon (stemming from the word for "waking" because the guests stay awake well past midnight). Foods you might find at the réveillon table include rich delicacies such as foie gras and escargot. Our own family's Christmas Eve meal is much less ambitious. For some reason, several years ago we got in the habit of making red and green enchiladas for our Christmas Eve dinner. We plan to do the same this year. Hopefully none of our French neighbors will catch a whiff of the Mexican spices wafting from our apartment - they would think our menu of choice incredibly strange! After dinner we'll get in our PJ's (new pyjamas for the girls are an annual tradition) and turn on "It's a Wonderful Life." We'll probably be heading to bed when the neighbor's réveillons are just getting started.

More than anything this Christmas, I'm looking forward to singing traditional Christmas hymns and listening to the familiar but always fresh story of Jesus' humble birth. I especially look forward to time at the end of our Christmas Eve service where we turn out the electric lights and ignite a candle, then we pass the flame from person to person, watching the light glow brighter as each successive candle is lit. We end our time of worship by singing "Silent Night" by candlelight. It's a contemplative moment, solemn and sacred, as all the stress of the holiday season seems to fall away and the love of God glows in our hearts.