a book on pleasing people

what got me thinking about my tendency to seek to please people was an excerpt a friend shared with me today. somehow it has been on my mind on and off most of the evening, my desire for people to like me and approve me as a person, a fear of man instead of a fear of God. ironically, or providentially, i borrowed this book from another friend because the title intrigued me. but now i'm going to actually start reading it, because it seems applicable, more than i wish it were. hmmm... so, i'll let you know what i think once i get into it.

here's a little excerpt:

"Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. - Proverbs 29:25

If needing or fearing people is as universal a problem as it seems, then we would expect Scripture to be filled with rich descriptions and in-depth teaching about it. And that is exactly what you find. One of the Bible's dominant questions is, Whom will you fear (need, be controlled by)? Will you fear God or people? Scripture gives three basic reasons why we fear other people...

1. We fear people because they can expose and humiliate us.
2. We fear people because they can reject, ridicule, or despise us.
3. We fear people because they can attack, oppress, or threaten us.

These three reasons have one thing in common: they see people as "bigger" (that is, more powerful and significant) than God, and, out of the fear that creates in us, we give other people the power and right to tell us what to feel, think, and do."

je t'aime, paris

Let me just say that I love Paris. I just arrived last night and have enjoyed an absolutely fabulous day of divine food (crepes, smoked herring on a bed of lettuce, espresso, raisin bread, incredible wine & cider, duck, dark chocolate,...), people, and an amazing hotel (thanks to a generous friend). Our room is tucked away in an upscale neighborhood, but from our window you can see the eiffel tower down the road. It is amazing!

While I'm adding little tidbits, I must say that the parisians we've encountered have been some of the kindest, friendliest, most helpful people we could find. And, while I attempt to communicate as much as I can in french, my french is fairly pathetic and rarely comes out quite the way i wish it would. But Paris is enchanting, amazingly majestic and beautiful, and I wish I had more than 2 and a half days here. I guess that just means that I'll have to come back. I'll write more when I'm a bit more awake.