Curse marks, Paul's back and broken hearts...

Nothing is so cursed that God can't turn it into a blessing!

Did you know that the cross mark was the ultimate curse mark in the first century? I didn't know that until last night. The cross was the worst tool of torture and capital punishment so it's not hard to imagine why it would have been the number one curse mark... But to think that the early Christian church would take that curse mark and use it as a mark of blessing?! Wow, that is profound. But the truth is: "Nothing is so cursed that God can't turn it into a blessing!" Great words, don't you think?

This is just a tiny little bit of what the guest speaker from the US talked about yesterday evening and I'd like to share more, so read on ;)

Paul's back

"Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers."
2 Corinthians 11:24-26

"Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city."
Acts 14:19-20

After all those beatings, lashes and the stoning, can you imagine what Paul's back looked like? The fact that he survived all those things is a miracle in it self. A lot of people didn't live through those things, especially not stoning. The point of stoning was to kill. It was capital punishment. Still, after Paul recovered "he got up and went back into the city"!!!

Could you tell Paul, or any other person for that matter, that being in the center of God's will is a safe place to be?

Just keep the picture of Paul's back in your mind.

Broken hearts

The speaker told us that every time he goes on a trip he brings home a heart to give to his 9 year old daughter, to show her that he loves her and that she has his heart. One time when he came home and gave her the hearts from the trip he'd been on she said to him: "Dad, I have something for you too! Close your eyes..." When she was ready she told him to open his eyes. What he saw was a picture she had painted of a big pinkish heart, - a heart that was breaking in two. There was a big crack down the middle. This brought tears to his eyes... He knew he was away on trips sometimes but was it really that bad? That's when he noticed something. In the crack, out of the broken heart a little red heart was emerging, - a whole heart! What a beautiful picture! What better way to describe what God did and still does for us?

God's heart broke when Christ died on the cross, it broke because of you and me. But from Christ's death came new life, a new heart. That's the heart God wants to give to you and me.

The gospel doesn't promise that your heart won't break!

But it promises you a new one when your heart breaks... If you don't want your heart to break, don't love! If you love you can be sure your heart will break - more than once. But God gives you a new heart every time your heart breaks - he gives you His heart. Does your heart break for the things that God's heart breaks? Do you love the world so much that your heart breaks for it, for the needs of those who don't have, who don't know about this amazing God we have?

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16

Do you still have the picture of Paul's back in you mind? How is your back, - is it smooth and nice or does it have scars? Are you ready to suffer for God - to have your heart broken - so that more people can experience true Love?

What has happened the last few days?

I haven't said much this week - obviously... so I thought it was about time I did. This has been a good week for the most part.

On Tuesday and Wednesday we were at a hospital learning all about what to do if accidents happen. We learned quite a lot about what to do, and in what order, if big accidents happen and many people get hurt. It was very interesting and definitely something everybody should learn. It's not complicated at all and anybody can learn it. I just think it's important, because you never know if you'll be the first person at the scene of an accident... big or small.

From Thursday on I've been preparing for the exams I have this week... Man, it's hard to get into gear again! I have one tomorrow and one on Friday, then I'm done! Wohooooo! I can't wait!

Yesterday I watched Eurovision. Fun to watch even though Iceland didn't get to the finals. There were good songs, ok songs and bad songs... that's Eurovision. Always fun to watch though! I guess we here in Iceland are somewhat of Eurovision fans or something, cause most people watch it. It's kinda like a social even. Parties all over town where people watch Eurovision together, fun - don't you think?

Well, that's it for now! I need to finish reviewing.

Gospel concert

Last night I went to a gospel concert where the Gospel Choior of Reykjavik sang. It was just great!! I guess you could say they had a theme for the concert - Kirk Franklin. His songs are amazing! Wow! So yea, I loved the concert and if anyone didn't go last night you should go tonight! There are still a few tickets left I think... at least that's what I was told. It's held in Filadelfia at 8 o'clock.

I really love one of the songs they sang. Just to give you the idea of how great Kirk Franklin is I'm gonna write the lyrics to that song here. It's from the CD "The Nu Nation Project":

Hold Me Now

The spring of April is gone
The leaves have all turned brown
The children have all grown up
And there's no one around
I'm looking over my life and all the mistakes I made
And I'm afraid
Afraid

Somebody told me that You would wash all my sins
And cleanse me from the scars that are so deep within
So I'm calling to You
If you can hear me
I don't know how
I was wondering can you hold me now

You are the only one that's patient when I fall
Your angels come to save me every time I call
You don't laugh at me when I make mistakes and cry
You're not like man
You understand me
See people change one day
They don't like you the next they do
I wish that everyone could love me just like You

So here I am this sinful man peace won't allow
I was wondering can you hold me now
I was wondering can you hold me now
To every broken person that may hear this song
To every boy or girl that feels their smile is gone
I know exactly how it feels to lay in the bed at night
And cry
And cry

Don't you worry God is patient and He cares
About the tears you drop and the pain you feel
He's there When you are weak that's when he's strong
Even though you don't know how
God can and he will hold you now
God can and he will hold you now
God can and he will hold you now
Don't you worry he can hold you now

Kirk Franklin has a very interesting background. If you want to know a little bit about Kirk you can read what's below or you can click here (that's where I got what's below):

Born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, Kirk, as a child and adolescent, was no stranger to both pain and the comfort of the Lord. Never knowing his father, and abandoned in infancy by his mother, he was raised by a devoted aunt. A strict, church-going Baptist, she saw to it that her charge was well-versed in the Christian faith from his earliest years. The youngster not only thrived spiritually in the church environment, he displayed early on prodigious musical gifts. Recognizing Kirk's artistic anointing, his aunt collected and resold aluminum cans to raise money for her nephew to take piano lessons when he was only four.

The funding for that instruction was money well-spent, for Franklin was a natural musician who could sight read and play by ear with equal facility, and at the tender age of 11, was leading the Mt. Rose Baptist Church adult choir in Fort Worth. Despite his strong background in the church, Franklin turned rebellious in his teens, trading in the values and morals on which he'd been weaned for a life of violence, intimidation and larceny. It took the shooting death of a close friend to jolt Kirk, then 15, into a realization of the error of his ways, and back into the safe fold of the church where he began composing songs and recording demo tapes with a passion.

Nurtured on a steady diet of traditional gospel music, Kirk had also kept an ear open to the secular R&B, rock and pop music of the early and mid-'80s, and he absorbed the best of both musical worlds. Along with the power and passion of innumerable classic gospel artists, he was impacted by the sounds of an eclectic, far-reaching mix of R&B/funk and rock icons, from Cameo, George Clinton and Rick James to rockers U2, INXS and Depeche Mode, among others. Little did he know at the time how mightily the Lord was preparing to use him, and all his talents and influences, to accomplish great things in His service.

In the early '90s he formed a 17-member vocal ensemble of neighborhood friends and associates, dubbed "The Family". His life took a dramatic turn in 1992 when Vicki Mack-Lataillade, President and CEO of the then-fledgling Gospo Centric Records, listened to one of his tapes and, amazed by what she heard, quickly signed him to a recording contract. Since then, a decade of the greatest commercial successes and brilliant, groundbreaking artistry and inventiveness ever seen and heard in gospel music has followed.

"It's taken me these 10 years, and longer to fully realize that keeping everything we do focused on the love of God is what music, and life, is all about," Kirk concludes. "And it's kind of ironic to be this many years into the pilgrimage only to realize that's the way it was at the start, still is, and always will be."

http://www.nunation.com/bio.html

Hmmm...

Ok, so what I wanted to post didn't work... sorry! Not that it was anything special anyway! I was just reading different blogs and noticed that everyone is crazy about quizzes. I decided to join the club and did one on my name, but when I wanted to post it it just wouldn't work... I guess I'll just tell you the outcome then ;o)

KATRIN:

K = Kind

A = Alert

T = Tough

R = Refined

I = Industrious

N = Nerdy

So does that describe me well? Am I a kind, alert, tough, refined and industrious nerd? I especially liked the nerdy part! Haha! I know I am bit of a nerd ;o) Anyways! Quizzes are silly but they can be fun.

A good laugh!

So, I guess I should tell you how it went yesterday! Tanks to all of you who encouraged me ;o)

At 1 pm my group of 11 people showed up at a health center to do this project. We were divided into groups of 2-3 people. Each group went into a doctor's office and there we did our little "dramas". I thought we were supposed to do the doctor-patient communication type thing, but that was just some misunderstanding. We don't know enough to do a proper conversation on that I guess. So I was glad. Instead we had to act out two different situations.

Situation 1: Two friends take a test to get into medical school. One of them makes it the other one doesn't. I was the one who got in and had to try to comfort my friend and show active listening.

Situation 2: Someone new has just started working at your work place. It turnes out this person was the one who bullied you at school when you were kids. In the cafeteria you overhear this person talking about you and everybody laughs. You get really angry and go into her office to make sure this doesn't happen again.

This time I had to do the angry part. That was kinda hard! I started out pretty well, slamming the door and shouting at the other girl, but I guess I'm not good at staying mad for a long time... hehe. It didn't take her long to sit me down and try to figure stuff out.

All in all, it was really fun to do this! Nervewracking but fun! Strange to watch myself on tape, but I learned a lot and we all had a good laugh! It's easier to see what I do wrong or badly and what I do well. So I guess I changed my mind about the whole thing. It is actually a great teaching method! Who would have tought I would come to this conclusion?!

If only I could skip tomorrow...

Ugh! I wish I could skip a day and have Saturday tomorrow! Why? Because tomorrow we have to do interviews, pretending to be doctors and patients... That part is totally fine and good practice. What I dread is having to tape it and watch it afterwards and then the others and the teachers critique it! Oh, man! I hate watching myself on tape... Not so thrilled about the whole idea.

Knowing that the whole thing is being taped is going to make me so nervous and even harder to do the "acting" properly. Oh, well! I shouldn't worry on beforehand, right? I mean what's the worst thing that could happen? I could make a complete fool of myself! It's not like it's a matter of life and death... haha!

Another great day!

The second day at the health center is over. It was just as great as yesterday, maybe even better! I even got to do some stuff! I got to use the stethoscope a few times - listened to the heart and the lungs. I got to check blood pressure, look into the ear of one patient, feel the tonsils of another... simple stuff like that. It was really fun! Being a doctor is going to be really great. Ofcourse it won't be easy all the time - far from that. It will be hard and challenging but I think I will like it. I'm pretty sure this is what God made me to be! Feels so good to be able to say that :o)

At the health center

Heilsugæslan Efstaleiti

Today was my first day at "Heilsugæslan Efstaleiti" (a health center). My class has been divided into groups of 3-4 people and we are all at different health centers for 3 days. It is really great! The idea is that we learn a little bit about team work in health care, and ofcourse to give us a taste or a small introduction to the doctor's work. We get to see how the doctors, nurses and the people in the reception work together.

Today we got to sit in with the doctors and nurses while they saw patients. It was really fun and interesting. I can't wait until we go there tomorrow! Too bad it's only 2 more days.

Feel overloaded?

I just had to share this picture with you! I think it is so funny!!

Check this out!

Check out the verse of the day at BibleGateway!! Cool, don't you think?! I do not thinki it is a coincidense... God works in mysterous ways, you know ;o)

If it is not Thursday anymore when you read this let me tell you which verse was the verse of the day... it was Philippians 4:6-7.

Great words just when I need them ;)

Last night I had a lot on my mind... I was just thinking about different things... things that frustrate me, things or situations that are difficult and things I don't understand in life.

Before I went to bed I picked up my Bible. I have this box with small pieces of paper in it. Each piece has a different passage written on it. I picked a few pieces and the second one I looked up was Philippians 4:4-7. It says:

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

It was really powerful. Just the words I needed to hear. I'm not saying that I'm not frustrated or worried anymore. It's just so good to know that I don't have to carry my frustrations and worries all by myslef - I can bring everything to God.

One down, three to go!

Hey there! A few days since I gave a sign of life... well there hasn't been any "life" to report about here so maybe that's just as well ;)

I had my first exam today! Ahhhhhhhh! Feels so good to be done with this one. Now I just have to start studying for my next one... you can imagine how HAPPY I am about that - or not! But hey this too shall pass ;) As if this is so horrible. It's not, really. I like what I study so I shouldn't complain at all, I'm just tired and can't wait for the summer - that's all.

It's kinda funny how small things can seem so big to us sometimes. Like now all I do is study for these tests and I worry about how I'm going to do and wether I will remember what I read and so on and so forth... Last night I couldn't sleep because I was so worried and so stressed out - not because I thought I would flunk the test. No, I knew that wouldn't happen but I worried anyway... maybe about not doing as well as I wanted to. So, I thought it would be good for me to remind myself and you guys about these words:

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? ...do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

(Matthew 6:27,34)

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

(1 Peter 5:7)

So all I can say is: