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Welcome back to Day 2 of 31 Days to Living on Purpose!
I love all things Paris. I studied French for five years. I like to decorate with French things. I want to eat French food. So, when Sarah Mae, whom I already admired, came out with Longing for Paris, I knew I had to read it. And I did…in two days.
So what does this have to do with Living on Purpose? The official title of the book is Longing for Paris: One Woman’s Search for Joy, Beauty, and Adventure-Right Where She Is. Discontent can be the enemy of purpose because it causes us to focus on the negative rather than recognizing the incredible that is already around us. I want to share with you what I have learned from this book.
1. God created us with longings and will help us discern their intent.
“The reality is, some dreams are woven into our souls from our Creator, and some are the result of our sinfulness.”
We have to search our hearts and ask God to help us discern the difference, but God cares deeply about our dreams because He created us to be a people with these deep-rooted longings. The longings God has instilled in us will draw us closer to Him.
2. We must be willing to give our dreams to God.
Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us:
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
We can easily get in the way of our own dreams, but when we give them over to God and seek His guidance, we can take those dreams and accomplish His purpose while also finding our own. God can take our dreams and make them far greater thane we could ever imagine because His ways and His thoughts are that much greater than ours.
3. We will always have longings for better things.
We were created for heaven, and will never be truly content until we are in that home. We also must realize that some longings may never be fulfilled, and that’s ok. Our desire for beauty, goodness, love, color, wonder, community – all is fulfilled in eternal life, when we are finally at home with God in heaven. We can find joy in where we are now, because one day we will get to experience the perfected reality God has promised us.
There is so much more I could say about this book. Sarah Mae is an honest storyteller, sharing her failures, her adventures, and her triumphs in an open dialogue with readers. She tells of her hunt for the best croissant and shares times when marriage was hard. She shares adventurous tales from her early 20s and how she continues to find adventure as a stay-at-home mom of three. For those who feel stuck and want to come alive to the purpose for their lives, this is a must read. I want you to read it so much, that I’m giving a copy away! The giveaway is open until October 8, 2015 at 11:59pm. Each entry option is available once, except tweeting about the giveaway, which you can do each day until it closes.
Also, during my two-day binge read, I felt the need for a little French cuisine, so I made Quiche Lorraine. This recipe is special to me because my mom fixed it every year on Christmas morning for as long as I can remember. I hope you’re able to enjoy it and bring a touch of Paris to your home!
- ½ lb. bacon
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 small can chopped mushrooms
- 1 - 1½ cups grated Swiss or cheddar cheese
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ c milk
- 5 oz. evaporate milk
- ½ tsp seasoning salt
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 9 in. deep dish pie crust
- Fry bacon until crisp. Set aside.
- Saute onions and mushrooms.
- Mix together eggs, evaporated milk, milk, seasoning salt, and Worchestershire sauce.
- Crumble bacon and add to onions and mushrooms.
- Sprinkle half of the cheese in bottom of the pie crust.
- Spread meat mixture over cheese.
- Pour egg mixture on top.
- Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
- Bake on 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
Laura M. says
With 3 soon to be 4 kiddos I have moments where I daydream of another life. For some reason I’m not content with washing bottles, changing diapers, laundry and so on. I imagine what life would be like somewhere else on my own. Love your 3 lessons you got from the book. Thanks for hosting the giveaway. Looking forward to the rest of your 31 day series!
Stephanie Adele says
You need to read this book! That’s exactly how Sarah Mae describes herself, living one life in reality and another in her dreams.