Does prayer really work?

Tonight I went to the Christian Student Associacion, or youth group as I like to call it. The speaker was a lady called Þorbjörg who is a nurse. She told us about a research she'd done on the importance of faith when people get life threatening disease like cancer. It was really interesting.

What I found even more interesting was another research she told us about. It was a research done in the US somewhere, in a hospital. It is just too interesting not to tell you about it! It was on the effectiveness of prayer! I've never heard of anyone doing a research like that, have you?

This Christian researcher (don't remember if he was a doctor or not) had over a period of 10 months around 395 patients divided into two different groups,- done randomly by a computer. I think it was patients with serious cardiac problems. In one group there were 192 while there were 203 in the other one. One of the groups he had people praying for. People got a few first names and a short medical history with them to pray for. The other group didn't have any organised prayer for them. After the 10 months the results were gathered and it turned out that the group of patients that were prayed for were:

5 times less likely to need antibiotics - that would mean for example 3 people here against 15 people in the other group! Just to give you the idea ;) (in case math isn't your strongest side, haha)

3 times less likely of getting fluid in their lungs (very common after serious cardiac surgery)

12 people died in this group while 15 died in the other one

If this had been a research on some new medicine it would be concidered as a breakthrough! What does this tell you? Cool, huh?! I think so!!!

Enjoying life!

Today is a beautiful day! The sun is shining and it's gorgeous outside. Looks like the winter might be over :) I'm all for that! The days are getting brighter and longer. It's funny how it affects people,- at least me. It makes things seem easier, I feel good and I'm more positive.

So, what I wanted to say is this: Life is beautiful! Enjoy every moment of it - don't take it for granted. Every day is a gift from God and it is ours to choose how we spend it! ;)

What a loooooooooong day!

This has really been a long day! It's been non stop since I got out of bed. Not a bad thing, just a bit tiring.

This morning (meaning Tuesday morning) I went to school at 9 and I had classes until 17 o'clock! Man! That's a bit too much in one day! I just got home when I had to leave for practice... I almost could have stayed at home this time cause my mind was just somewhere else. I kept messing up :( When I got home from practice I jumped into the shower and got ready to meet Berglind. We went out for dinner and then a movie. It was fun! I haven't spent time with her in a long time.

Now I'm back home and I'm about to get ready to go to bed. Just need to get some reading done first ;)

Well, have a good night, y'all!

Ummm...

I should be going to bed, but I don't feel like it... I'll sleep when I get old!

Today has been nice. The day started with Sunday school where I got to be a clown and do some silly stuff. Something I like a lot - being silly! =oP The kids laughed and had fun, but to tell you the truth I think I had the most fun... haha!

The rest of the day was very relaxed. I wanted to take a nap, but couldn't fall asleep. At 5 o'clock I went to KFUM & K (YMCA & YWCA) for service. It was nice. The childrens' work was in charge of this one and did a great job. The kids were just adorable! They had prepared skits, songs, readings and prayers.

This evening I spent watching movies: "Wimbleton" and "Spy Game". Great entertainment. Spy Game is really good! Wimbleton is the typical girly movie - romantic, cheezy and all that! Can actually turn your brain off while watching that one ;) So I had a good day.

Feels great to be a winner!

Yeah! This feels great! Last night Þróttur Reykjavík (the team I play with) had a game against KA and we won 3 sets to 1. Wohooo! And today we had another game against the same team and we won again! This time 3 sets to 0! Really fun. Both games were really exciting cause the teames played really well... but we played a little better ;oP hehe

So yesterday and today have been pretty much all about volleyball :) The rest of the weekend I am going to relax and do whatever I want! It feels great to be able to do that without having to think about studying. We've started new subjects at school, but it's ok to ease into it ;) The teachers haven't really started teaching anyway... just had introductions and stuff like that.

Evolution... theory or truth?!

School today was all about evolution... The teachers don't really talk about it as a theory, they talk about it as truth.

"Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution." (Dobzhansky)

That might be right, but I don't believe that everything just evolved from a soup of some kind! There are big gaps in the theory of evolution but still people manage to overlook them. How about the fact that life can't appear just in and out of itself. How in the world did life come around then? First there was no life then suddenly there was life? That does not make sense... People that believe that must have stronger faith than I do. I believe that there is a God who created this wonderful world we live in and gave life to all living creatures. Without Him there would be no life.

Anyways... I just find it a little hard sitting in lectures where evolution is the subject. Maybe because a lot of people think that Christians just believe in the creation blindly... without asking questions. In my case at least that's not true. I often ask questions. But I don't think I will get the answers,- simply because I don't think we are meant to understand everything. God is God and He is almighty... we can't possibly understand how He created this world. Did it happen in exaclty 7 days like it says in the Bible or is that more of an alligory/poem? I don't know. I think the main point is that "In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1)

These are just some thoughts that have been twirling round in my head today...

Take care!

I feel good, darararararara!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! What a relief! THE test is over! Feels great! I didn't do as well as I wanted to, but that's ok. The test was really tough and long. But I'm sure I didn't flunk and that's the important part!

Now I don't know what to do with myself! Suddenly I can do something else than study for the rest of the day. I guess I'll start by putting away the books I don't need anymore :)

Later today I have volleyball practice. I love volleyball!!! Can't wait to hit the ball as hard as I can. After practice, if I'm not too exhausted, I'll go to a party with my classmates to celebrate that this test is over. So today is going to be fun!

I hope everyone has a great day! God bless!

The nerves are getting to me...

I don't really have time to write now, but I am going to anyway... I need to calm down because the nerves are getting to me. Luckily the solution to this problem is quite simple,- and it works every time! I just need to take a little break and talk to God,- He never fails me. It is really great to be able to rest in Him. Even in little things like this, where I worry about some test.



Ahh! Now I feel better! I can do this! However it goes I just need to remember that this test is not a matter of life and death! ;) Hehe

It's time for a short break

Thought I'd take a short break and write something... Not that I have so much interesting to say, unless you are interested in the arteries and nerves of the face :oP Nono, you can relax. I'm not going to tell you about that.

Studying is going ok, but yesterday I realised that I forgot to put the arteries and veins into my "studyplan"! Whoops... so I had to replan.

What else is new? Hmmmm... Oh, yes! We ARE going to the Canari Islands! Guess who's excited now!! I can't wait! Especially now that it's been snowing for a few days,- and it doesn't look like it's going to stop either! Everything is covered in snow. Beautiful - yes, but it's really cold! I just want the winter to be over already! I'm a big fan of the sun! (Guess I live in the wrong country.)

Ok, short break is over now... see ya!

First test of the year is over :o)

Yup! My first test of the year is over! Feels good! It wasn't a big test or anything, but it's always nice when a test is over... if I do ok. Now I have to start preparing for my final exam in this subject (neurology and anatomy of the head and neck). It's going to be lots of studying little of anything else... wohooo!

I better get started. Have a nice day!

Something to look forward to!

The next week I won't do much other than studying... kinda dull, I know. That's why I'm not going to talk more about that! In stead I'm giong to tell you what I'm looking forward to! Today my family is deciding on a place to go on vacation this summer,- something we haven't done the last 7 years. One of the destinations we've looked at is Lanzarote, one of the Canari Islands! I'd like to go there!


They have some cool hotels...


... and beautiful white beaches.

Lot's of places to go and things to do. Sounds perfect to me!

We'll see if that's what we decide on. What's for sure is that we're going somewhere warm and sunny with a beach. I'm excited!

Life...

I had a great night. I saw a good friend of mine that I haven't seen in a looooong time. We went out for pizzas and icecream. Ahhhhh, it was wonderful! It was good to get away from the books for a while and live a little ;)

At times like these, when I have tests coming up and need to study a lot, I feel like life is happening all around me while I'm stuck with my books... But that's only for a while,- then I can participate in life again :) That's school life!

Life is funny! I still feel like I'm such a kid... I like goofing off and doing silly things (I don't think I'll ever stop that, hehe). Then I take a look around me and friends of mine, my age, are getting married, others having kids in a few months, yet others buying their own appartments and settling down. I guess I'm not kid anymore... Life really happens fast! I feel like only a short while ago I was this little girl:



This just made me think of how precious life is. It really is too short not to enjoy or live for God!