Something completely out of the ordinary today! The supernatural. Do you believe in it or not? I like to think I am a very grounded, down to earth sort of person, I don’t watch Sci-Fi movies and I rarely fantasise about things, well except perhaps about a holiday in Bora Bora or some such thing! […]
In France there are unspoken ways of doing things, particularly when it comes to mealtimes and just about anything to do with food. Break these generally unspoken rules and the chances are that although no one may say anything, there might be a discreetly raised eyebrow here and there; not in an unkind way, but merely as a gentle nod of […]
Searching through some old papers recently I found a letter. I sat there wondering if anyone wrote letters anymore apart from ‘thank-you’ notes, or is it a dying art? As I pondered this question the next day on my daily school-run with the children, I realised that as little as 20 years ago we would have […]
Some things fit neatly into perfect stereotypes. A vision of France, for example, might include the Eiffel Tower, the gardens of Versailles, or the Arc de Triomphe. For many people it would also include typical scenes from French towns and villages, views of pretty houses, and the quiet streets that those houses are on. France has […]
Rummaging through someone else’s possessions or scouring makeshift tables for illusive treasure may seem like an odd way to spend a perfect hour, but I’m a bit of an addict. Sometimes I’m on the lookout for something specific, and sometimes I’m merely browsing, looking for items which I can repurpose; searching for relics of the past, for vintage bric-a-brac or genuine antiques. More […]
via Brocantes, Treasure Hunting and Your Advice Please. — Our French Oasis
One evening last week we decided to go out for dinner. Hustling all the children into the car in a reasonably timely fashion we headed fifteen minutes down the road to the enchanting village of Mornac Sur Seudre. Listed as one of the prettiest villages in France it is something of a magnet to tourists. […]
via Summer Evenings, Ancient Traditions and Moules! — Our French Oasis
I am rarely the first person up in our family, I leave that badge to Roddy or the youngest girls. I prefer to remain in bed a few minutes longer where I like to lie and gather my thoughts; often Gigi will come in for a snuggle and I will plan my day, but yesterday […]
A visit to the weekly French market is the best way to buy food. But don’t be fooled into thinking it is just about fish and meat, fruit and vegetables. Because it’s also most certainly about the people and their passion for the produce they are selling. It is an experience not to be missed and it […]
Our minds have a way of forgetting so that our hearts can begin healing. We sometimes set adrift in our daily lives, going through the motions, smiling with insincerity behind it in place of happiness. The pain of witnessing the trials of someone you love, who is addicted to heroin, is almost unbearable because you know you cannot save him. You pray for him, counsel him, and cry for him but none of it changes his life…. or your home life.
When I look back over my life, I realize that one of the most important things I have done for myself was to forgive my brother for overdosing on drugs. He was charismatic, loving, intelligent, and was extremely handsome. If you judged this book by its cover, he looked like the least likely guy to die from a drug overdose. He was my hero as his younger sister. I idolized and adored him. Then he became someone I did not recognize, turning into someone who filled me with dread and disappointment. Ultimately, he became overwrought with shame in spite of doing so many good things with his life and helping so many people get off of drugs.
When you forgive, you open yourself up to endless possibilities, more vast than the ocean. Your mind becomes free to explore, to live, and to love. Love begins in the mind before it spreads to the heart. Addiction can numb your body to love. You have to survive addiction to find love again. Looking to God will bring you the solace you desire. His love for us is as vast as the sea!
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, the sinful world
As it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make things right
If I surrender to His Will;
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life
And supremely happy with Him
Forever and ever in the next.
Amen.
Written by Reinhold Niebuhr
