The sunset of a life...

So unexpectedly the sun sets in someone's life. The day has come to an end. With Jesus in our life the sunset is full of glory and a gate into eternity with God.

Today my great-aunt, Didda, passed away. She was walking to church with my Grandmother when suddenly she was out of breath. They turned to go back home but she didn't have much endurance. Grandmother heard her say: "My God please help me." She passed out moments later. The ambulance arrived and brought her to the hospital where she died.

I went along with my family to see my Grandmother. We talked about Didda, what kind of woman she was. She always had fun stories to tell about my uncles and aunts from their childhood. She was a caring woman, always knew what was going on with us kids in the family and kept asking how we were doing. I know she was a woman of prayer and I am eternally greatful for the prayers she's said for me.

I'd like to end this post with the words my Grandmother said by Didda's bed at the hospital (plus a third verse).

Watch, blessed Jesus, over me
And let my spirit watch with Thee.
Oh, may my soul its vigil keep
Though body rest in guileless sleep.
...
Because He thus was treated-
God's own Eternal Son-
Salvation was completed,
My way to heaven won-
Eternal life begun.
My sins are all forgiven,
The veil between is riven-
What wonders Thou hast done!
...
Henceforth my path the Saviour
Has paved with love and grace.
The sunshine of His favour
Shines ever from His face.
Then, when is run the race,
My earthly tenure ending,
My soul, released, ascending,
In Heaven finds a place.

These are verses from The Hymns of the Passion by Hallgrímur Pétursson. I wish you could read Icelandic cause the seckond verse here is just so much greater in Icelandic... For those of you that understand Icelandic here it is:

En með því út var leiddur
alsærður Lausnarinn,
gjörðist mér vegur greiddur
í Guðs náðarríki inn
og eilíft líf annað sinn.
Blóðskuld og bölvan mína
burt tók Guðs sonar pína.
Dýrð sé þér, Drottinn minn.

I thank God for Didda and all the memories I have of her. She was a loving woman of God. Although it is sad for those of us who are left behind, we can find rest and comfort in the knowledge that she is with her Saviour.

Watch your tongue!

How easy is it to hurt someone with poorly chosen words... I have experienced that many times and I know that other's have been hurt by my words as well. We can use the tongue to rip each other apart or to build each other up in kindness. Which choice is better? I think we all agree that the latter is better. Why then do we so often cause others pain and sadness because we don't watch our tongues? What can we learn about the tongue from the Bible? A whole buch! Let's take a look...

From the book of Proverbs:

"When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise." -10:19

"Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." -12:18

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly... The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit" -15:1-2,4

"A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble." -17:20

"Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue."-17:28

"The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." -18:21

"He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity."-21:23

"Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell... With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be." - James 3:5-6,9-10

"Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it..."" -1 Peter 3:8-11

Great words of wisdom if you ask me! So watch your tongues! May your words be sweet, cause you might have to eat them ;oP

I wonder...

I often wonder where I'll be in the future... The last few weeks I've thought about that a lot. What does my future hold... Will I get married and have a family of my own? Where am I called to work? Where does God need me in this world?

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

- Jeremiah 29:11-13

That's really all I need to know right now! I know God holds my future in His hands. I just need to pray and ask for guidance. He'll lead me to where He wants me - ONE step at a time. I often want to know the next 50 steps... not just the next one. I like planning and knowing what's ahead. But hey, that's just not always how it works. God wants me to trust in Him every day!

I'm like a child learning to walk. I have to trust in the leading hand of God in every step - that way I'll learn to take steps of faith ;)

Sad news... please pray!

Emil, the little boy I asked you to pray for has passed away. He was his parent's first child. Could you please pray for his family and their friends? This happened very quickly and everyone is in shock.

Thank you!

"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Psalm 34:18

Wow, it's great!

Last Sunday I learned more about the eagle and how it relates to our life in Christ. Let me just tell you!

Choosing a place for the nest. The american bald eagle looks for a tree near a river, lake or water of some sort. It also needs to be near to a cliff or a rock that's wet and has a oily kind of wetness. Where there is water there is life so that makes total sense... but why be near a wet cliff or a rock? When the eagle is fully grown and is getting older it's feathers become dry and "crisp". The eagle uses it to refresh itself when it feels tired and weary. It brushes up against the rock and softens it's feathers and gathers strength. Jesus is our Rock. We can always return to the cliff where we find rest and are built up again - also when we feel like giving up and we are just ready to leave this place and go to our Father. Jesus gives us living water. The Holy Spirit will renew us and keep working in us as long as we turn to the Rock.

When building the nest the eagle first uses thick, strong branches. The nest can hold two grown eagles very easily. The nest is then covered with WHITE bark, not just bark from the next tree. People have been trying to find an explanation to this. The indians think it is because that makes the nest easy to see. If a storm comes in or it gets dark the eagle can easily find it's nest because it's white. Jesus' blood has washed away our sins and cleansed us so that we are whiter than snow, He is our Salvation. No matter what happens in life, how often we fail or how hard things get nothing can take that away or cover it. When everything else seems dark we can look to Him because Jesus is our Saviour- He is the "white" in our life.

The final touch to the nest is covering the inside with mink fur. The american bald eagle hunts for mink, flaws off the skin and uses it for the nest. God sure is not stingy! ;) He wants to bless our lives with His gifts too. I'm not saying we can just pray and then we become rich or something. God's gifts are of so many different kinds, not just material.

When the female is lying on the eggs the male is right there brushing his beek agains her neck letting her feel that he's near - that he'll protect her. We may not always feel it, but God is always right by our side. He never leaves us!

When the little eagle chicks come out of the eggs they are more mouth than body. All they do is scream for food. The young in faith are just like the chicks. They keep wanting more, need to know more. We as a church need to nurture the young, sharing the Word of God, building each other up in faith so that the big open mouths can turn into other grown eagles - grown Christians.

The eagle's talons are very sharp and can rip open a prey when they grabb it. With the same talons the eagle grabbs the little chick that's falling from the nest and carefully brings it back. Our toungue can be like the eagle's talons - both destructive and loving. We are often so busy ripping others apart when we should be building each other up.

Ok, wow! This was a really long post. Hope someone has the endurance to read thorugh it all!

Trust...

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Please pray!

Could you please pray for Emil with me? He is a one year old little boy who's now in intensive care at the hospital. He has meningitis and his condition is very serious. Please keep him in your prayers.

Thank you!

Discouragement

A note from Max Lucado (from He Still Moves Stones):

"Is there anything more frail than a bruised reed? Look at the bruised reed at the water's edge. A once slender and tall stalk of sturdy river grass, it is now bowed and bent.

Are you a bruised reed? Was it so long a go that you stood so tall, so proud?...

Then something happened. You were bruised...

by harsh words

by a friend's anger

by a spouces betrayal

by your own failure

by religion's rigidity.

...Painted on canvas after canvas is the tender touch of a Creator who has a special place for the bruised and weary of the world."

"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Psalm 34:18

"Do not lose the courage you had in the past, which has a great reward. You must hold on, so you can do what God wants and receive what he has promised."

Hebrews 10:35-36

"LORD, even when I have trouple all around me, you will keep me alive. When my enemies are angry, you will reach down and save me by your power."

Psalm 138:7

On wings like eagles...

Isaiah 40: 29-31
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

The eagle is mentioned many times in the Bible. Why the eagle? Just read this, I thought it was very interesting! We can learn a lot from this bird!

The american bald eagle has been studied very much and is a very majestic bird to say the least. I think it's a very extraordinary bird.

The Bald eaglenever eats something that's started to rot, it eats only FRESH meat. That's what keeps it strong and healthy. If we use that as a metaphore to our faith... we need fresh food every day too - from the Word of God. We don't live on the word from last week or yesterday. If we want to keep growing and become strong in our faith we need to feed every day :)

From the time the birds come out of the egg they are eagles and they destined for one thing - to fly. The grown eagle that soars high in the skies is no more an eagle than the little chick that just came out of the eagle egg. The difference is the young one still has a lot to learn. Once people are born again they all have the same destiny... a life with God for all eternity. The young Christian is not more of a Christian than the old Christian. We are all destined to fly. God wants to lift us up on wings like eagles by giving us faith and teaching us different things throughout our life. God is the one who lifts us up just like the upstream winds lift the eagle up. We just have to seek the wind, find it and stay in it. God will bring us up to hights we never imagined!

When threatened by other birds the bald eagle's response is not to fight. If a group of vultures approaches it to steal it's prey what do you think the eagle does? It flies straight towards the sun! The american bald eagle has a thin eyelid or filmlike eyelid that it closes so that it will not be blinded by the sun. The vultures that follow... they'll be blinded and have to turn away. What do we do when we face temptation, when the enemy is threatening us. Do we attempt to fight or fly towards the sun, towards the Light - Jesus Christ.

In the storm when most other animals seek shelter the eagle does the opposite. It doesn't hide down on the ground, it flies up, high up towards where it last saw the sun until it sees the sun again. It soars over the stormy weather where the sun dries it's feathers again. In the storms of life we can do the same in God, we can soar over the storm knowing that God is our shelter. God wants to lift us up in hard times, he want's to carry us up through the storm to a place where we can find rest in Him - the perspective from up above is a lot better than from the ground where all you can see is the raging storm. We should not hide or let the storm smother us. God is our hope and strength.

Once paired, bald eagles remain together until one dies. A very cool thing they do once they find a mate is this: they fly way up into the sky where they lock their claws togeter and the male wraps his wings around the female and they fall in free fall. The female doesn't do anything until the male stretches out its wings again and they let go of each others claws. Then they do it a seckond time and this time she wraps her wings around him and they do the same thing. This is entirely about trust. We can rest in our Fathers arms, under His wings the same way the eagles do with each other. We can trus Him completely with our lives, even when we feel like we're in free fall.

A story from my childhood

This story just came to my mind today. It is something I'll never forget. See those two little babies? This story is their story, I was just a spectator for a few moments...

I was about 7 years old. My family and Elsa, a Norwegian missionary, lived in Woito in South West Ethiopia close to a little village called Gisma. Elsa is a midwife and my mom is a nurse so they worked at the little health station we'd put up in a hut.

One day Elsa was called out to a delivery. An unmarried lady was giving birth and that meant only one thing... the baby was not allowed to live. She hurried along with a translator to where the woman was. While she was away we learned that another unmarried lady was delivering a baby. My mom left to where she was. At home we waited with anticipation. Would they get there in time?

Later that day two little babies were brought to the healt station. My little sis and I got to hold them and feed them. I sat there watching those perfect little human beings who were not welcome in this world.

The Tsemai people believe that if an unmarried girl becomes pregnant it is a sign of something bad from the forefathers. If that baby is brought up in the family it will cause a curse to fall upon the whole family or even the whole village. The fear of what would happen was so great that it drove them to ending the life of the newborn.

The only solution we found was to give the babies up for adoption. There was one condition: They were never allowed to return. The babies who were saved from a death at birth were adopted by Christian families in a village farther away (an hour or so by car).

Thinking about this makes me realise how much I have to be greatful for. I know there is a God who is more powerful than anything evil in this world. I know He watches over His children. Some people in Woito have gotten to experience that. Families have come to faith and are no longer in bondage of fear. They have brought up children, who according to their old beliefs and tradition, should not live. Being able to see the transformation from a life of fear to a life of freedom in Christ is something I'll always treasure.

Only by grace...

Only by grace can we enter
only by grace can we stand
Not by our human endeavour
But by the blood of the Lamb

Into Your presence You call us
You call us to come
Into Your presence You draw us
And now by Your grace we come
Now by Your grace we come

Lord, if You marked our transgressions
Who would stand
Thanks to Your grace we are cleansed
by the blood of the Lamb

Lord, if You marked our transgressions
Who would stand
Thanks to Your grace we are cleansed
by the blood of the Lamb

Written by:
Gerrit Gustafson

Grace

That's a topic I want to explore... God's Grace... Just as I sit here thinking about it a song starts playing on my iPod "Grace keeps giving me things I don't deserve, Mercy keeps witholding things I do..." Pretty cool! :)

This is God's Grace:

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.

He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer...

... he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.

(Verses from Isaiah 53)



For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-
(Eph 2:8)

It works now!!!

I am sorry for the inconvenience. I am obviously not so great when it comes to computers and publishing stuff on the internet :oP haha... but it works now! I did it! Yay for me! So now you can click the link at the end of this post or the link in my last post (I fixed that one too).

But before you do read through this:

Psalm 8:

O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.

From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.

When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings [c]
and crowned him with glory and honor.

You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:

all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,

the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.

O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!


Now...
Take a look and enjoy!

Just wanted to share this with you :)

Tonight I'm going to the youthgroup (14-20 year olds) to share with them what Psalm 8 means to me. I am going to use a song that expresses exactly how I feel and what I think when I read that psalm. It is one that I've posted before on here. It's called "Who am I" by Point of Grace. I made a ppt show to play along with the song - Take a look and enjoy! If you have a chance to get a hold of the song you can listen to it while you view the ppt show ;o)

I love Africa!

So, I found some priceless picks from Africa... Things you will only see in Africa ;o) Be creative and use what you've got! I love it! These picks remind me of Ethiopia... I miss it so much... Ok, here you go - the picks:

Means of transportation:

Be original and use what you've got ;)

Be sure to read the signs:

Where can I find a doctor?

Anybody hungry?

This month's special:

Ahhhhhhhh! Priceless!