New Year Blessing

May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships,
So that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression and exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war,
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them
And turn their pain into joy.
And may God bless you with enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the world,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.
Amen”

I read this a couple of weeks ago on another blog and it's been on my mind ever since. Not many people could read this and accept it but I think there is something very valid and... different about this blessing. I pray that this opens our eyes to the problems there are and that we will all be foolish enough to think we can make a difference.

New Year, New Blog

Hey! Look at me, actually writing a blog. It's only been... over a month?

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Holiday season! John and I have been enjoying his time off. Unfortunately, that is all over now!
Well, first I will bring everyone up to speed on what has been happening over here! The hubby and I had a great Christmas which began with a tasty breakfast and ended with a tasty dinner. In between all of the eating, we opened presents, played with the dog, and went for a walk along the Sea. Wonderful. Even though we couldn't be with our families, it was still a really great day.

For New Year's we had a great dinner with new friends. (French friends) It is always fun to hang out with the french- just because you learn so much about their culture. These two are no exception and are just a lot of fun to be around.

On new year's day, we headed into the mountains. (The plan was to do this the day after Christmas. Unfortunately, the french post is just not that quick and John's GPS Christmas gift didn't arrive until 3 days after Christmas. Hurray for the lack of speed in this country!) With Sadie in tow, we drove for about an hour into the alps behind Nice. I am always amazed at the diversity of our area- right on the Sea, but an hour away there is 3 feet of snow. Playing in the snow was so fun and Sadie really loved it. She is such a snow dog. When we first arrived, John and I hopped out of the car just to take a few pictures. I didn't close my door because I was planning on going right back and letting Sadie out of the car. Sadie didn't want to wait- she saw the snow and bounced into the front seat and then outside. Can't really blame her- it was really beautiful.

Oh, and for anyone who doesn't know, John and I are coming home in March, just for a couple of weeks, but we are looking forward to it! Should be nice to see friends and family, eat at restaurants, shop cheaply, and stock up on peanut butter!