Sunday, 9 February 2014

2 little happy moments

i'd like to share them with you

 1) i'm so blessed to call this man my husband - he led us in worship this morning



2) this is speedy the kitty - she is my favorite fur ball in Nice, and she lives just next door - when i come through the doors to the courtyard and see her, i'm in happy-lindsey-bliss-land for at least 10 minutes - Tonio walks up the stairs and leaves me in my happy place... oh the little things in life

Love Linz

Nathalie's bday

Joyeux Anniversaire Nathalie !





So, after I got home from Anna's birthday shindig, I dried my wet clothes and umbrella to head out for another birthday bash at a traditional Ethiopian restaurant in town (eating with our hands...mmmmyummy).  All the while, Tonio had a soccer game this same day and then a bachelor party for a friend who will be married in 2 weeks... busy, fun day... with - you guessed it - PEOPLE!!!

Our lives are so rich because of those around us.

"Around us" takes on many meanings, but I think you get my gist.  Yes, I miss my family dearly.  I miss my friends dearly.  But I guess I've just been really challenged lately to be intentional with those right in my path.

So, here's to all those in your path too !

Love Linz

Anna's bday

Joyeux Anniversaire Anna !
SURPRISE !!!









{Gaëlle, me, Diana, Anna, Salomé}

Continuing with the "people" theme from my last post, here's more people in our life...  Anna is wearing the funny hat that I made her wear she voluntarily put on =)  Her husband wrote some of us a few weeks ago and though it would be fun to send her on a train (20 minutes away) to arrive in Nice not knowing what to expect.

We greeted her with posters and balloons and noise makers, making sure everyone knew she was turning 30.

Cheers to 30 years Anna !
Je t'aime mon amie.
Bisous,

Love Linz


people

we love the people around us

 we love making them silly birthday videos because we miss them
you can see it HERE if you'd like


we love having them over for dinner in the midst of difficult times and giving them a place to just laugh and enjoy a few moments without stress


Thank You Jesus for the people in our life !
And thanks for loving us.  Help us love others like You do.

Love Linz (and Tonio)



Wednesday, 5 February 2014

a voice

a voice that can be still and small
and also this powerful
makes me want to listen


The voice of the LORD echoes above the sea.
The God of glory thunders.
The LORD thunders over the mighty sea.

 
The voice of the LORD is powerful;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.


The voice of the LORD splits the mighty cedars;
the LORD shatters the cedars of Lebanon.


The voice of the LORD strikes
with bolts of lightning.


The voice of the LORD makes the barren wilderness quake;


The voice of the LORD twists mighty oaks
and strips the forests bare.
In his Temple everyone shouts, “Glory!”


The LORD rules over the flood waters.
The LORD reigns as king forever.


The LORD gives his people strength.
The LORD blesses them with peace.


I think I've written this verse in my journal every 5th of February for the past 7 years, and I'll tell you why.  I read through a one-year Bible, which I absolutely love.  Bought it in 2006 on a whim, and it was one of my BEST purchases.  This verse has always been something special to me, because I'm a big fan of imagery.  It helps me understand and SEE and HEAR God better.  Since Psalm 29 is part of "today's" reading, I once again wrote this verse in my journal this morning {with fancy paint pens given to me by my incredible brother-in-law, thanks S.}.

I don't know about you, but the power and strength of God is strangely comforting to me.  I know He's big, but I also know that I'm His little girl (1 John 5:1).  The voice that He used to speak the world into existence is the same voice with which He speaks to me.  No, I don't hear Him audibly, but I hear Him by reading His Word, by listening to others, by standing in absolute awe of His Creation.  I really like the first picture in this post - that's me today WOW'd by God and His beauty and by His powerful voice.

If you're interested in reading through the Bible in a year, you don't need a special "one-year" Bible, you can use these sites as a guide : here, here or here.

I hope you hear God's voice today.

Love Linz

All these pictures are taken from unsplash.

Sunday, 2 February 2014

groupe d'adolescent

junior high group from church (+ extras)

 we had a fun group come over to our house last night for games and pizza


i don't know who had more fun, the junior highers or the "old" people
(Steven blindfolded, Esther, Melissa)


yes, they explained to us that anyone over 20 years of age is OLD - ha
(Pablo blindfolded, Olivia, Steven, Kathleen)


this game was funny - the team members had to coach the blind how to build a lego house just like the model : we were timed...if the most time won, the team that took 13 minutes would have been stoked - the winners made it in 3 minutes, 40 seconds
(Tonio blindfolded, Ryan, Axel, Deyvid)


i got to play too - we got 4 minutes and some change
(me blindfolded, Birte, Steven again, Axel, Nathanael)


 nothing like a good old-fashioned game of spoons to keep everyone on their toes


even the videogame-oholics were super into it : i know tonio and his sidekick Nathanael were really encouraged by how the night went


 some of our spoons were bent in battle, but it was for a good cause


here we had names of famous people on our heads and had to ask questions to guess who we were, i was George Clooney, what else? we also played mafia which is called Werewolf here in France : "Lou-garou" in French - I'd say Lou-garou was the biggest hit, next to spoons...


...actually, i think this was the biggest hit =)


a fun night - Tonio and i are so thankful to share our home - i love when laughter spills out the windows into the courtyard =)

and a little rowdy spoons action for ya - Ryan almost had that last spoon



Love Linz


organized

some people buy gifts for people's birthdays, others do this...

happy birthday Pierre ! we cleaned the cave !


i love my man with power tools !


 reclaimed wood and shelving parts


imagine this little storage room stacked to the brim with junk stuff... and lots of it
there used to be just enough space to open the door and peer in... now... DANCE PARTY !

well done Tonio (and Nancy - she helped with sorting) - Pierre, we hope you like LOVE it

Love Linz
ps - Daddy, you definitely inspired the shelving ;)