un californien à paris

C'est mon choix

Malgré mon choix de m'exprimer dans ma langue maternelle, ma belle-sœur (un pur produit de la banlieue parisienne) lit fidèlement ce blogue. Enfin, elle regarde les photos.  L’autre jour, à l’heure du café, elle m'a gracieusement fait comprendre qu'il serait agréable parfois d'y trouver un peu de contenu en français.  Elle est plutôt mignonne quand elle me parle comme ça.  En plus, son argument s’appuie sur ce que j'avais moi-même écrit tout au début de mes aventures dans le blogosphère.  Me voilà donc presque convaincu de m’y remettre. 

Aux gardiens de la belle langue, j’aimerais d'avance vous présenter mes excuses.  Je confirme que la possession d’un passeport français n’exige en aucun cas une maîtrise de la langue.   (nota : le mot « blogue » n’a pas encore été reconnu par l’Académie Française … sans blague.   ;-)

Si vous comprenez ce que je viens d’écrire, alors laissez-moi un mot sous la rubrique « comments ».  Peut-être vos encouragements me convaincront-ils de continuer à me débrouiller comme je peux. 

HE IS RISEN !

HE IS RISEN, INDEED !

Without beauty

Here is the web version of a Good Friday reading of Isaiah 53 given at the Claye Church.  While you're waiting for the video to load, you'll want to look up the text in your langauge.   The titles used in the video are from La Bible du Semeur, Esaie 53.1-5.

subpop rocks my pod

a few people have asked about where i find the albums i stuff into my i-pod.  the newest ones are featured towards the bottom of the right hand column.  but don't be confused. i don't think i have ever actually purchased an album from Amazon.com. 

my most faithful and reliable source of musical bliss is as it ever has been my brother, David, who just hooked me up with two new "fin mixes" while we were together in Calif. Both were jammed with tunes I'd never heard and artists I'd never heard of.  David doesn't do illegal mp3 downloads.  a good thing.  but happily for you, there are places where you can download (freely and legally) some of the same stuff he gives to me... or every once in a while that i give to him first.

Subpop's media page is an mp3 goldmine open to all prospectors.  Here's a shiny little list of nuggets I'd scoop up first :

Iron and Wine

• Naked As We Came, from Our Endless Numbered Days
• Woman King, from Woman King

Low

• California, from The Great Destroyer

The Constantines

• Arizona, from The Constantines

The Shins

• Kissing The Lipless, from Chutes Too Narrow

Rogue Wave

• Every Moment, from Out of the Shadow

Subpop also has some great RSS feeds to keep you informed.  If you have other similar sources of free n legal mp3, then please leave info in the comments on this post.  Thanks!

not talkin' 'bout the work

i've purposely not been blogging about my work, not because i've lost interest in what i do.  it's more like i'm fasting from work-talk to find a new balance between doing and being.  i'm waiting for the pedulum to swing back a little (i know that some of you are saying to yourselves that I haven't blogged about work since last year).   it seems to me that christian workers (men especially) tend to limit our self perception and sense of personal value to what we do... to what we produce, as though we could add something to our unspeakable worth that was revealed in the Easter Event.

of course, since we've been back from vacation, i haven't had much to say 'cause all i've been doing is working, catching up...uh for Easter.   it's not easy for me to NOT talk about work... and i will again, but i'm holding off for a little longer.   for now, all i have to say is what really counts:  jesus loves me.  that is good news, THE good news.

this months issue of christianity today talked about our work or at least what showed up on their radar, the general context of our work.  i have something to say, both good and bad, about THIS ARTICLE and I would say it but that would be to break my fast.  if you're at all interested in the french evangelical world, it's worth the read.   I may still comment  on it after Easter.

  Just so you don't get me wrong.  I do still think it's good, useful and important to talk about The Work and even more so to DO THE WORK.  I like how Todd Burkes talks about his work.  Go check out his blog.   
 

One last Sunset

This is our last time to see the sun set over the Pacific... at least until next year.

This weekend in Newport Beach, Grandpa and Grandma Finley celebrated 39 years of marriage with all of their children and grandchldren...even the Finley's from France.  Mom and Dad, thank you for the blessing your love for each other is to us all!

Here are some more clichés Californiens from our February family trip.  We've got a plane to catch !

UPDATE:  My sister, Sara, has added her pictures from our weekend in Newport.  She got some great ones of the cousins building sand castles on the beach.  Fun stuff !