Our Little SECRET....

He's home!!

2011-03-28T16:46:00.000-07:00

Not my man, but hers, and we are SO SO happy for her!!! (heart-and-home.net)

and happy we are too =) me and Ben....

Mama!!

2011-03-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

Her er traileren vaar,

Paa grensa til Kanada Og her er jeg,

Klem fra aaslaug

Happily happily.... and almost Christmas!

2010-12-20T15:51:00.000-08:00

Very very random pictures from our firs 73 days of Happily Ever After.

We are well, we've had some colds, flu and stomach bugs, but we're allright. And we're looking forward to celebrating Christmas on our little hill,

in our cozy little perfect dream-house

(that, for anyone wondering is staying TOASTY in the cold weather =)

We wear Reindeerboots (both of us) and they keep our feet warm, yes toasty..
This is our "Christmassy" little house last night
All four candles now lit in the Advent wreath

Just about the nicest bedroom ever

Our bookshelf, which yes, fits all our books =)

My little kitchen, with my great-grandmother's salt, rice and spice jars.

What we do... trucking

The one day I was a housewife =) well, I always am,

I'm just out "there" with my husband most of the time.

Our puppydog, Sadie
Second picture on my camera, which was a wedding gift from my friends in Norway.

Thankyou!

Thanksgiving, Joseph joins in in the picture

What I travelled half across the world for,

and left all I knew and loved behind for:
the best-budship and love and only-oneliness I share with my Ben.

I am beyond happy. Ben is too.

Merry Christmas.

This blog has been on hold

2010-10-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

due to a certain

above and beyond deliriously happy

married couple...

after 17 days we're still married, still above and beyond happy,

life could not be better,

and... I just wanted to let you all know:

I HAVE THE SWEETEST, MOST WONDERFUL HUSBAND IN THE WORLD!!!

åslaug abigail

So, I left...

2010-10-05T11:24:00.000-07:00

.....Norway last Wednesday

... and travelled all the way to America. in three days (October 9) I'll be getting married

to that handsome guy running up the hill towards me,

in the very spot I'm standing

(if the weather is nice that is)

Right now we (which is me, my wonderful Pigletish sister, ***** and *****)

are sewing the wedding dress,

Ben (and ***** and ******)

are working on our perfect, cozy little *secret* (to me), now I know it's a house.

Thank you all for praying me through this,

it's been the hardest year in my (very short) life.

I'm still getting over it,

but I'm getting better every day.

Thanks again.

åslaug abigail

I did it =)

2010-09-24T06:21:00.000-07:00

I packed three suitcases

full of all my stuff

(well, a tenth or so of my original pile of stuff,

but my Piglet&I managed to shrink it!)

For the first time in 10 months "packing my suitcases" is not

on my to-do-list.

And now I'm all done.

Leaving my parents' home Sunday night,

staying with friends 8 hours away the last few days

before leaving,

STILL WAITING for a call, for the visa to get ready

In less than two weeks (God willing) I'll say yes again, to my Ben,

368 days after my first yes.

I can't wait to walk every step of the way with him,

share all joy, share all sorrow.

The Lord is so *so* good.

I love Him so.

åslaug abigail

Of Cake and Lovebirds...

2010-09-09T05:31:00.000-07:00

Just a teeny weeny update here to tell you all that:

* big fat letter arrived

* all required documents are obtained

* and sent.

*we're now waiting for an interview date,

and I'm leaving by train on Monday to go to the capital.

When I come home, I'll be waving that visa in my hand

for real.

(though, I have no idea WHEN I'll be back..)

"My heart rejoices in the LORD;

in the LORD my horn[strength] is lifted high.

My mouth boasts over my enemies[not the Embassy],

for I delight in your deliverance."

1. Sam 2:1

* Cutting the cake at our engagement party...

I love this picture =)The on-lookers...

don't you just LOVE on-lookers??Smiling at the camera
We sure CUT that cake, didn't we??

åslaug abigail

My brother...

2010-09-08T06:45:00.000-07:00

* *

..recently moved to Finland.

Before he moved there, we spent precious days together here.

We talked, he talked.

I made him breakfast, every morning, supper everynight.

He even had cookies and cake every night with his coffee after supper.

My brother, being the oldest, calls himself the First Child,
he insists ((lovingly)) that I (the oldest daughter) is "second-rate" =)

My brother, has a sweet side, which he's not able to hide, even when he tries to act snobbish...

He really likes my husband-to-be.

Which means a lot to me.

He sends me nice cards where he writes about how I (in the process of becoming a farmer's wife)chose the dung fork over a diamond ring, and a barn over a castle.

He consequently addresses me as "Mrs. my-new-last-name" in those cards

(which I love too).

*
*

My brother is that tall, serious looking, handsome guy on the couch there, in between my granny and my cousin.

Sometimes he's not serious at all.

My brother and I were... um... like cats and dogs when we we're younger.

We would quarrel about who was to clean the bathroom (we both WANTED to),

we'd have competitions who could wrap a packed lunch the best

.... but we don't do those kind of things anymore.

He sent me flowers for my birthday...

I love my brother.

åslaug abigail

Guess What!!!!??

2010-08-20T10:11:00.000-07:00

No, we didn't have a baby,

(this is my adorable little cousin, about ten days old in this photo)

*
*

Yes, WE GOT THE VISA!!!

*
*
*

DID ANYONE MISS THAT??

We Got The Visa!!!
*
*
*

Not that this means the waiting is over. We still have to wait for it to be sent to the NVC

and for them to send it to the Embassy

and for the Embassy to send me a big heavy letter with information

I'll have to get appointments and tests done,

I have to contact the Embassy,

they have to schedule an interview,

I have to go to the interview,

and THEN, we're ALMOST THERE....

But who cares about all that? I'm SO SO SO EXCITED at the thought of being there *soon*.

The LORD is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusted in him, and I am helped:

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth;

and with my song

will I

praise

him.

Psalm 28:7

*
*

It came through on August 17, six months to the day from the application was accepted. However, I wasn't aware of it till last night...

Wow, thank you all of you for your prayers, for your sweet, kind notes. I am so very thankful.

I'll keep you updated,

and Raquel, I WILL tell that story, soon, stay tuned =) =)

*
*

åslaug abigail

I Promised Not to Cry...

2010-07-07T14:13:00.000-07:00

....and so I won't.

He left today, but he just called: and he is almost home now, and WELL,

and I am HAPPY, thankful beyond words that he is.

As for God, his way is perfect:

the word of the LORD is tried:
he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

Psalm 18:30

He's here...

2010-06-28T06:41:00.000-07:00

...And the world is right again.

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

pS! the visa didn't come yet

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PIGLIT!!

2010-06-23T00:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to you,
you live in a zoo,
you look like a monkey,
and you smell like one too!
*
(sung with nothing but feelings of love and adoration
on the occasion of my most beloved Piggy-Piggy-Piglit's nineteenth birthday!!)
* She is THE SWEETEST,
MOST WONDERFUL,
FANTASTIC
sister you could EVER dream of. *
I always said I wouldn't marry until I found the male version of her.
She's THAT wonderful =)
(and I did find a man that matched her wonderfulness and only-oneliness)
* She's always been my bestest friend, my favourite play mate,
she acts the big sister when I don't,
she's the baby sister I get to comfort.
*I've been IN LOVE with her since the first time I saw her,
square-faced, pink n' pretty,
laying in that tiny hospital bed, with her little pink teddy bear beside her
(rightfully named "Rosa", meaning PINK),
I was two years old and touched her very carefully, just as instructed.
*
She was the CUTEST.
She IS the cutest.
*
I was a little mad, I'll admit, when I showed her my beautiful ballerina paper dolls I had cut out myself, and she grabbed them (like three year olds can) and banged them on the table, attempting to make them dance like I could.
But, hey, that's a long time ago now...
*
She tells me my house will be filled up with paper when I have little children,
because I can't bring myself to throw away the tiniest piece of paper that SHE has written on,
HER sweet little drawings of princesses or beagels with hats.
HER little yellow chickens.
*

She is so precious to me. So beautiful when she's asleep.
And she's growing into a hardworking,
diligent,
accomplished little homemaker,
and I can't wait to see who that lucky guy will be!!!
*
*
Happy birthday, Ingvild! I'm so glad God made you.

Aller Käraste Syster!!
*

åslaug abigail

Ramblings of a Rainy Day

2010-06-10T13:42:00.000-07:00

my most beloved sister and I

I DID go off on an unexpected,

short notice,
special,

wonderful,

much needed-holiday.

So I'm in the south of Norway,
visiting my sister at the boarding school I graduated from two years ago

(she's graduating this summer).

I left home two weeks ago, I'll be staying for one more.

We're having lots of fun.

I get plenty of rest.

We've had so much sunny weather,

today it's raining, but it is still beyond wonderful here.

No news of the visa, other than that we'll more than likely hear *something*

(not a final decision, but some kind of progress) from the Visa-office in 60 days.

Thank you everybody for your prayers.

It's very overwhelming that so many are praying =)

I'll post an update as soon as I've got one =)
*

(I'm off to making banana bread and eat it warm from the oven, while I snuggle up in warm blankets on my sister's bed, WITH my sister, to watch a movie. Perfect rainy day =)

*
åslaug abigail

Happiness

2010-05-14T01:30:00.000-07:00

Mm, so I never felt this good before.

And the strange thing about that? There's no visa in sight...

It could be that I went copletely OFF refined sugar, and majorly reduced my gluten intake...

It could be the spring, with it's bright, sunny, beautiful mornings...

It could be the sweet blessing of just *being* at home, with my family, resting my knee...

It could be that I am blessed beyond measure (and I mean that with all my heart)

*
I LOVE waking up to a wall of clouds with several holes where the golden sunshine tumbles out in it's bright, beautiful glory

I LOVE apples with peanut butter and cheese

I LOVE hugging. My mama, my dad, hearing someone say: do you want a hug?

I LOVE getting dressed up and looking pretty *just* for my family, even if nobody else will see me all day (you know, you'd do that for people you work with)

I LOVE being off sugar, and almost off gluten

I LOVE feeling WONDERFUL, physically, emotionally, spiritually

I LOVE the this beautiful ring on my right ring finger.

I LOVE writing notes and letters to my best friend
*
*
What do you LOVE??

*
*

Oh, and the "cow" in the labels is my Mindy, because I LOVED milking her.

Five Reasons to LOVE spring..

2010-05-10T08:53:00.000-07:00

You wake up, and feel well.
The sun is shining, and you do your best (not very hard today) to shine too...
*
And then you go about your day,
writing letters that are so long
(and because of it, so heavy)that they cost twice as much to send out,
and you eat your mama's homemade yellow pea soup,
and you realise that even if you don't love peas,
you LOVE this soup (licking the bowl just to make a point)
and you certainly love your mama.
*
And then you play the piano and sing.
And you sing more, just because the echo in the tiled bathroom is so pretty to listen to,
*
and you come up with five reasons to love spring,
and you love spring just because it's spring,
but especially because of:

Short sleeves

Bare feet

Wild flowers

And the fact that THIS is the garden, and it's GREEN!

And your friend came over yesterday, and you made cards and sent letters and had fun =)
*
*
*

åSlAuG aBiGaIl

My Dad is too =) =) =)

2010-05-10T02:27:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, my knee was hurt

(out of the blue, without any warning),

my dad drove me to the doctor, and later when he was in the pharmacy getting my medication, he bought me pink Hello Kitty band aids =)

He put one on my knee,

*blowed on it*

and said it would be okay now that he had "bandaged" it...

And it's getting better every day.

I'm not sure if that's the sign of a *bandaged-knee-healing*,

or if it's simply a *bandaged-heart-issue*.

But I am loved, and feeling well.

And HE is

SWEET =) =) =)

My Mom is the Sweetest!!

2010-05-09T13:18:00.001-07:00

Look what she got us!

Lovely Salvation Army Find =)

They've been sitting with baking soda water all night to get the smell out, And I made sure to disinfect them in Vinegar and water

And I scrubbed them with half a lemon sprinkled with baking sodaAnd now they're nice and clean and good smelling,

ready to jump into my suitcase at the first chance they get.

Don't they look so cute??

The two big ones say: "sukker" (sugar) and "salt"

And the little one says: "Kanel" (cinnamon)

Thanks for every prayer,

every sweet comment!!

åslaug abigail

Just posting,

2010-04-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

to prove that I'm still alive, and doing WELL:.

that my days are spent working at church,

sitting outside on the balcony with my head on my mom's shoulder, half asleep most of the time, and when not, we talk. And compare our hands

(she tells me hers are so old now),

but they look much the same, with almost the same ring

(inscriptions on the inside and minor details the difference)

.
We have dinner together, sometimes with my dad, sometimes just the two of us.....

.
Today I came home with my arms full of flowers,

lots and lots of wonderful smelling red roses,

white lillies,

MORE white, pretty flowers which I don't know the name of..

And being driven home from work

by this old, caring man that I work with,

away from church,

with all I could see and smell was the flowers in my arms, I think I realised

I am getting married (so now, these last 88 days, I'll know for sure)

And the weather has been so pretty, so beautiful.

Just sunny, with a clear blue sky and warm enough not to wear a jacket.

I wish there were words to describe, let you know,

just HOW wonderfully perfect my life is right now.

I suppose you won't get it if I just let out a big sigh of contentment...? No?

Well, anyways,

*BIG sigh of contentment*

.
.

åslaug abigail

SO... How may I show thankfulness??

2010-03-09T14:03:00.000-08:00

Trying to come up with a list here,

and tomorrow I'll live my list =)

*Thanking God each morning for another day of this wonderful life...

*Saying "thank you" to my mama for making me breakfast each and every morning, even going out of her way to make the food I like best!

*Smiling and being happy eating supper

*Thanking my family for the little ways they serve me

(especially now when I need it so much because of my hands)

as often and as lovingly as I would a stranger

*Say out loud what I'm thankful for whenever I'm not around people

*Mentally thank God for every person I meet with during the day

*Making up a song about all my blessings, and sing it, adding new blessings along the way =)

I like my list, I'll practice it tomorrow!!

Can't wait =) =)

åslaug abigail

Good Morning =)

2010-03-09T01:40:00.000-08:00

Hello there everyone,

I'm just popping in here to prove that I am still alive and kicking =)

I will be posting in not too long, sharing with you GOOD news,

in the meantime this is the update:

I've been blessed with tendonitis lately,
which (though not allowing me to type much/write letters/do housework/go to work etc.)

gives me the opportunity to:
.
*stay home (and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!)

.
*read the mountain high stacks of books I've longed to be able to read for so long,

but not have had/felt free to take the time to read

(I'm an extremely slow reader)

*learn to trust the LORD

Last night I read about an inspiring text about

being joyful/

have a merry heart/

smiling/

being cheerful.

And I made up my mind to find three habits to work towards

(three being such a nice number and all)

I found these:

*Smiling BEFORE I open my eyes in the morning,

this way, whatever might meet me when I open them, I'll already be smiling, and I'll just have to maintain my expression instead of creating it =)

if you smile first, your emotions tend to follow

and a smile is just as contagious as a grumpy expression

(not to mention, a way more pleasant way to start the day).

*Smiling to my family when I see them,

a very dear friend of mine recently brought to my attention the brilliant smile on my face when I talked to a sales clerk, asking for directions to another store.

I have realised lately that this smile seems to be reserved only for sales clerks, colleagues and strangers. When I say hi to one of my family members entering the room I'm in, my face has the gravest expression and I mutter a short hi,

erm, not a greeting fit for my nearest-and-dearest...

*Singing a joyful-thankful-praise-song while doing the tasks I don't like,

Being joyful is a matter of choice,

I am sure I will not feel very joyful when at my next unpleasant task,

I am forced (by my own resolve) to sing a song of praise

instead of wearing a comfy sour expression.

The other thing I'm sure of is that I will cheer up from singing that song,

and that I will feel

more thankful

and joyful

when I start on the third verse... =)

If you happen to be one of those who plan to comment,

may I ask if you will share any joyful-habits you might have??

(if you don't have any you could make one today, couldn't you?)

To the rest of you,

thanks for reading =)

Love,

åslaug abigail

A couple of feet off the ground, in a school playground at 6.30 in the morning...

2010-01-23T04:29:00.000-08:00

In THIS climbing pyramide,THIS wonderful man asked me to marry him, and I said yes.And he held my hand for the first time,
and slipped a golden wedding band onto my right ring finger,

It's been there ever since...

.
There's of course more to the story than this, but you'll get the rest later...
.

Blessed be the LORD God,

the God of Israel,

who only doeth

wondrous

things.

Psalm 72:18
.

åslaug abigail

PS. This was written Saturday, January 23 - 2010

2009-12-23T09:37:00.000-08:00

...M

........E

..............R
....................R

...........................Y

.................C

.....................H

..............R

................................I

....................................S

......................................T

.........................................M

..............................................A

..................................................S

TO ONE AND ALL!!

Have fun, enjoy life, family, music, candles, Christmas lights, good food, fellowship, prayer, love, stories read aloud, chocolate, kisses, hugs, news, and whatever makes your Christmas special...

åslaug abigail

Knitting and Praying...

2009-12-17T11:59:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, I'll be spending my day on a train.

All day.

Or, you know,

seven hours.

It's a long time.

On a train.

But I'll be knitting.
And praying.

My favourite activities (among others).

I'll be praying for a bride to be (getting married while I'm on the train).

I'll be praying for a school girl with tears on her face.

I'll be praying for a fairy grandmother and all her little treasures (and the big ones)

I'll be praying for sisters and for brothers.

And a girl my own age, in prison in Pakistan.

I'll be praying for things to come, things that have been, things that are.

Knitting and praying.

Seven hours seems a little too short, doesn't it?

LOVE is...

2009-12-17T11:45:00.000-08:00

LOVE is... Picking up the hall.
LOVE is... Wiping off the bathroom counter.
LOVE is... Cleaning the kitchen.
LOVE is... long phone calls.
LOVE is... keeping your mouth shut when you're mad and about to say something regretable.
LOVE is... Helping with a smile, even when you'd rather be lazy.
LOVE is... Smiling to a person you don't know.
LOVE is... buying them hot chocolate.
LOVE is... The High King of Heaven born as a baby on Christmas Eve.
LOVE is... His pierced wrists and feet.
LOVE is... Snuggling up close to Him.
LOVE is... Praying
LOVE is... very very much.

Where do you see LOVE?
What do you do out of LOVE?
What is LOVE, to you?

When Christmas HURTS.

2009-12-17T10:52:00.001-08:00

What is True,

yet so hard to remember,

just because it isn't really what happens to me?

When Christmas HURTS.

A lot of people are HURTING at the thought of Christmas.

A lot of people have lost someone they love,

and thinking of Christmas without them HURTS.

Christmas is a lot about family,

and some families HURT.

People who are HURTING

HURT others.

And When there is a lot of HURT in your family.

Christmas HURTS a lot.

Maybe you have no family.

Being alone could HURT too.

A lot of people,

might have been you one year in the past,

it might be you some year in the future.

A lot of people,

may be that lady in the store that looked grieved,

or who acted like she was in a bad mood.

It may be a child walking home from school,

with that sad look on her face.

So why should we remember?

There's nothing we can do, is there?

Well, we can PRAY.

We can SMILE FRIENDLY to the grumpy lady in the store.

We can HUG hurting/sad/even happy people we know.

We can TELL THEM WE LOVE THEM,

and we can be THANKFUL that Christmas doesn't HURT to us.

We can LOOK UP from our own little world and see the HURT in the eyes of others

(though you've got to look them in the eye to see it)

and LOVE them.

Welcome them,

care for them.

And maybe Christmas won't hurt quite as much this year.

Mental Journal of Joy

2009-12-15T03:51:00.000-08:00

Thankful All Year

Found this very neat post at ylcf, it's worth taking a look at.
The introduction made me want to read it all. What about you?

"It's been years now
since I started keeping a mental joy journal
-a running list on the things in life that made me happy,
that made my cup overflow,
that brought my heart joy and made me thankful to be alive."

So I decided that one's worth trying.
So what, right now,
makes me happy?
makes my cup overflow?
brings my heart joy?
and makes me thankful to be alive?

*a letter I received lately, that made me laugh and cry from joy
*holding a baby
*the voices of dear friends
*the thought of seeing them again
*earøy mornings up in the field
*night under the stars, with friends nearby
*the sun rising
*a little girl falling asleep next to her big brother, safe
*knitting by the fireplace, praying
*the beauty of nature, all year round
*the beauty of God's love, His blessings
*waiting in anticipation to see what wonderful things He's going to do next
*making good food, eating it together with someone
*discovering ginger and lemon tea
*making yoghurt
*reading wise words
*writing this list
*being God's

What makes you happy?

åslaug

And... All is Well... =)

2009-12-08T06:14:00.000-08:00

Mm, thanks a lot for

every prayer,

every *hug*,

and

every comment.

You all made me feel so much better.

But here's what happens:

Monday morning, I suddenly out of nowhere got a call from my mom,
she knew someone,
who knew someone
who needed help four days this week.
.
And I called up and got the job.
And I worked a little on Monday,
quite a bit on Tuesday,
and I have work on Wednesday
and Thursday,
and Friday.
And they might need help a couple of days in the future (as in"after Friday")
And that other work agency wanted to interview me after work on tomorrow!
Wow.
.
I guess they're very small things,
not like food for 5000 people or a hurricane calmed down.
But they feel big.
And I was waiting.
And I was confused,
and I was worried,
my heart was troubled.
.

But He had not left me.

He had not forsaken me.

He answered.

.
Even if my prayer wasn't for world peace =)
Such a great God to care for my tiny problems!

Wow, I'm loved!

åslaug abigail

'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

2009-12-01T08:46:00.000-08:00

So, well here's the news.

I came back from America,
I quit my job while I was there (to be able to take off time during Christmas/January which I needed to). I made a deal to work for one more month.

Now, Friday, that one month was over.
Monday I called an agency to be able to work in different kindergardens (they just call when they need you to work). I'm still working on it, and the process is way bigger than I thought. I applied for a police certificate today, but it won't be here until next week, and then we need to set a date for an interview.

Which means:
no job this week, no job next week, perhaps not the week after either.
And in the end of that week I'm already at the dates where I needed time off work.

I gave this over to God a very long time ago.
Ever since I started thinking about quitting.
And He has promised He'll guide me in the way I should go.

And well, this looks like God closing doors.
I'm starting to realise that God might not be planning on me working until the middle of January...
Um, I didn't think of that.

So here's my case.
I need money. And I need a job to get that money.
And God knows it.
I'm going to be given a hard time by people I know
about my irresponsible act of not having a job when I need money.
But God knows this.

And I am going to trust Him.
Even if, right now, I don't see where that path in front of me is heading.
But I'm going to trust Him.
His promise, that He won't leave and not forsake me.
That He loves me.
That He knows what He's doing.

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,

just to take Him at His word.

Just to rest upon His promise,

just to know: thus saith the Lord.

Jesus Jesus, how I trust Him,

how I've proved Him o'er and o'er.

Jesus Jesus, precious Jesus,

oh for grace to trust Him more!

I'm singing as loud as I can,
not to hear all the voices of worry shouting to be heard around me, in me.
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

åslaug abigail

Yoghurt!!

2009-11-26T12:54:00.000-08:00

Guess who woke up this morning, carefully lifted one end of a dish towel hiding a bowl of milk, just to dip her finger in it to see whether it had the consistence of thick yoghurt or thin milk? And guess who was more than a little bit excited (and the proudest gal in the world) when she discovered it was YOGHURT!!!

Then she made scones for breakfast (but that's another story..)

So here's what she did with that yoghurt...
Last night, around 6 pm she heated 1 liter (4 quarts) to 40C and 140F

(you know when it's about bathing temperature =)

Then she added 2-3 tablespoons of store bought yoghurt (not the diet type) to it and stirred till it dissolved. Then she wrapped a bath towel around the container and put the dishtowel over the top, so that the mixture could get enough air without bugs or dust. And she went to bed.

And at 6 am this morning. She had YOGHURT!! =) =) =) =)

It looked perfect,

the consistence was perfect,

the taste was perfect.

It was PERFECT YOGHURT

(it's beyond me how it could develop from me doing practically nothing, though)

I'm thankful for yoghurt.

And for the Lord being good and working through everything perfectly,
despite me acting like a whiny kid...

åslaug abigail

Oh, and I used no metal utensils (except for heating the milk), but I don't know if that matters at all, just thought I should mention it... And the other thing, that I do know for a fact, if you want to use your own yoghurt as starter the next time, put a few tablespoons away before you stir it up. My starter is in the photo above. You might want to use a little more as starter of your own, than you do of the store bought yoghurt.

News From Sleeping Beauty

2009-11-11T10:41:00.000-08:00

I'm back in my old kindergarden/day care center. The children seems to have been concerned about the way of sleeping arrangements "over there".

We were sitting by the table, drawing the other morning. The three little girls were drawing magic stairways and beds, so I was drawing a wooden bed with a quilt on.

A co-worker of mine (to the children):

Oh, åslaug is probably drawing the bed she was sleeping in in America.

A little blonde haired girl leans over to look at my drawing, her eyes big:

Woow, could you sleep over there???

ØØØØØØØØØØØ

And then yesterday one of the boys approached me, crawling all over a stack of mattresses:

On the farm (they know I stayed on a farm in America), did you sleep with the animals?

-No.

-Why not?

-Well, they had beds in the house...

-Oh.

Short pause while his little brain was processing this new information.

-Not even with the cow?

-No, the cow slept outside.

-Oh. And not with the dog?

I wonder what they've been told about farmgirls?

Working all the time, no time for sleep,

and if such a thing as a nap should ever occur it has got to be next to the cow?

I have fun talking to them though, they are SO CUTE... and, seriously concerned!

Well,

I'm going to bed,

I'm back to the life where it's all about

the battle for getting enough of this wonderful thing: sleep!

zzzz,

åslaug abigail

The Swine Flu and Other Fancy Stuff...

2009-10-31T06:22:00.000-07:00

The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;

my God, my strength, in whom I will trust;

my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

Psalm 18:2

For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God?

2. Samuel 22:32
.
.
.
.

Yes, dear PomPom, I am going to blog when I do come home:

I'm home!
And I have the swine flu.

But apart from that I'm doing super good!!!

I had a wonderful trip! I don't have any pictures, because I don't have a camera, but I'll try to post some next week (my sister, Ingvild, visited me for ten days while I was in America, and she took a bunch of pictures) when Ingvild comes home for a visit.

So, the pictures are from my walk in the woods last February. That was a nice walk.

.
The past three months I've:

~milked the cow, by hand

~felt a calf kick in her big huge belly

~made good friends

~dug up potatoes

~seen the Lord at work in my life

~and in others (hard to say which have been more exciting)

~written letters

~moved horse fencings

~ moved cow fencings

~held my favourite baby

~again and again

~and again

~had lots of long, nice talks

~early mornings in the quiet with God

~had root beer floats

~went for (actually just one) buggy ride

~had wonderful meat loaf

~learned a whole lot of new hymns

~been SO INCREDIBLY BLESSED!

The Lord is doing wonderful confidential stuff in my life,

please pray that everything will work out.

åslaug abigail

Thanks for all your sweet sweet comments!!

2009-08-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

I wasn't able to publish them until today, but I read them around the time they came in and I was so blessed!

I'm having a wonderful time here, I just don't spend any of it on the computer... I'll try to come up with at least one post before the end of October, but I won't promise anything.

Every day here is so beautiful,

it's like all those months of work and stress and trouble just melts off.

It's a wonderful feeling, though I'm not yet there that I can say with all my heart it was worth it,

cause I know I'm going back to that life in two months, and I feel the weight of it.

I shouldn't worry about what might hurt in two months time, I know,

but I have a hard time changing me, so I'll leave it to Him.

He's the only one able to work in our hearts, to change us from the inside out.

God will take care of every situation as it comes around (and He's probably already at work). I don't need to worry.

I can shrug off that awful feeling that I carry the heavy weight of my life's greater decitions

and final direction on my shoulders.

Cause really, I don't have to.

God will not only carry our troubles if we ask Him,

He'll carry us.

Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

It's a choice what we allow our hearts to focus on.

I will focus on this:

That whatever happens in November, December or January, God is already there.

He's at work, I needn't worry.

abigail

A Last Note...

2009-07-30T13:53:00.000-07:00

Hey,

I just want to tell all of you that I'm leaving Norway for three months (which probably isn't as long as it may sound).

My flight is Saturday morning, and after writing this I'll shut down my computer and put it in the bag.

So this is the last I write before leaving.

Thanks for reading my blog,

I won't promise anything but I hope I'll be able to post something during before I'll be back in November.

*
*
*

Hei,

dette er altså det siste lille innlegget før eg reiser til Amerika og blir der (ei lita stund),

takk for at dåke les bloggen min.

Eg kan ikkje lova å legga ut noko, men eg håper å legga ut LITT i alle fall, før november kjem og eg er heime att.

Snart er det jul.

Eg er stort sett svært tilgjengeleg på epost, så du kan berre skriva, Marianne.

åslaug abigail

Today it's Saturday all over the world...

2009-07-26T01:42:00.000-07:00

In the middle of a hug

(except that I wasn't able to post it until now, which is Sunday afternoon)
My sister, Ingvild, and I was standing in the kitchen today, a batch of cookies baking in the oven, sunshine outside the window, when she suddenly says:
.

Have you ever thought about... right now it's Saturday all over the world?

.

I had not. Imagine what a huge thought, an amazing reality:

other girls and sisters cooking Saturday's batch of cookies,

people writing Saturday's entry in their journals,

some going to bed a late Saturday evening,

others just greeting the early Saturday morning.

Some've got a rainy Saturday,

others have got a sunny one, like ours.

Some have got a carefree one like we have,

other's Saturday will be cloudy in despair and mourning.

.

So many Saturdays all in one, so many people,

such a great God watching over,

caring for,

loving,

providing for: all of them.
.
Oh, I'm glad I'm not the one in charge, and while we left that part to our King and Creator, we
shopped,
made and ate cookies
finished a scutch (meaning the-first-copy-(in-cheap-fabric-)of-a-dress-I'm-going-to-sew)
cooked chicken for tomorrow's Tithing Chicken Salad
made daddy's home made pizza (we have two kinds in our family, mum's and dad's)
watched "Becoming Jane Austen" (which I don't recommend)
listened to country music
read and reread articles from Young Ladies Christian Fellowship
laughed
hugged
had fun
had more fun
had a jolly good time =) =)

I hope your Saturday was as sweet, beautiful and happy as ours

(I could wish you nothing better)'

åslaug

A Walk in the Forest....

2009-07-22T23:06:00.000-07:00

... with a very good friend.

Why I kissed my telly today...

2009-07-15T04:34:00.001-07:00

I was sitting on the couch earlier today. Taking a break after finishing a major-cleaning-and-decluttering of the bedroom I share with my sister.

While thankfully chewing away at banana, peanut butter and chocolate chips, I watched my telly. No, I didn't watch a program. We don't even get signals, we don't have television. I was simply watching the blue screen.

In the upper left corner of the screen there was a delightful image. A distant blue hill with light clouds, sprinkled with sunshine, and above it, clear blue sky. When I then turned my head to look out the real sitting room window I only saw the grey, cloudy sky, which explained the dripdrops coming down every now and then. Where did the image in my telly's screen come from? It was certainly not on my telly. Rather, it had to be in front of it.

I crossed the sitting room and sat down beside my telly. I wanted to see what my telly saw. Beside my telly I could clearly see the image on it's screen, but this time I saw it firsthand. Imagine what it must be like to be there, like, on that hill, underneath those clouds and blue sky, in that sunlight.

It dawned on me what a beautiful parable this was to the Christian life. If my telly was the Christian, it would be fixing it's eyes on Heaven.
If I then was the non-Christian, I would not be watching Heaven at all, but simply, watching my Christian telly.
Then, seeing the reflection of Heaven on my telly's face, I would want to see it firsthand, and I start walking (or rather sitting) in the same direction as my Christian telly. I would become a Christian. With the same longing as my Christian telly friend; to be in Heaven, and experience what I could now only watch from afar.

Of course, the Christian life is way to complex (in it's simplicity) to cover in the mere parable of my imagination and my telly. But I think it has got some good points.

So, well.... this is why my telly got a kiss today
(on the cheek, mind you!)

åslaug

It's Six O' Clock in the Morning...

2009-06-14T21:08:00.000-07:00

And it's so far been a beautiful day!

For all of you that's been waiting for a new post since April 24:

I have not ONE good exuse to my defence. I hope you still check on this blog from time to time.

For all of you that's been waiting for a new Norwegian post:

Unnskyld, beklager, sorry, eg skal gjer mitt beste, veldig snart!

What is exciting right now:

-God has got a plan for exactly THIS day.

-It's OKAY to be EXCITED!!

-My brother is visiting.

-This is my tenth day of making the Amish Friendship Bread (which means that today, it's gonna be put in the oven. How exciting! )

-I'm wearing my favourite hoodie.

-I have recently got 400 bags of Lyon's Irish Tea in a parcel from Nadia =) =) =)

-I'm having tea today!!

-22 days left of working, then I'll be going to A-M-E-R-I-C-A.

-I'm A LITTLE BIT excited!!!!!

Thanks for your attention, ladies and gentlemen,

I will be back, in not too long.

åslaug

I am so....

2009-04-24T12:04:00.000-07:00

*Absent from this blog world, that I'm almost ashamed of it. Yet my highest vocation is not blogging, and so I cannot prioritize it as if it was either. I am here now, doing my very best to make up to you for my absence.

*Thankful for being God's beloved child, resting in His loving arms each night, Him watching over me, providing each and every thing that I could ever need or ask for. I can live the concernless life of a child, a child of the household of Heaven!

*Determined to go to bed soon, so that I may get up early and spend forever (here meant as a time description, as in "more than just the average 30 minutes") with the Lord.

*In love with this beautiful Maker of mine, pursuing me in a sweeter way than any man ever could, sweeping me totally off my feet with His lovingkind ways.

*Tired some days, of going to work each and every day, using all my life, all my energy, all that I am, being there, serving.

* Glad that I can rest, despite my tiredness, in that this is His plan for me right now, His will.

*Excited that I am going to be with dearly-beloved-ones-far-far-away in almost no time (four months)

*Loved by He who bore my sins and slavery up on that cross, and totally freed me from it by doing so.

THE END

*the picture is my window view while I lived in Ireland.

Sorrow in the midst of JOY!!

2009-04-12T05:48:00.000-07:00

Christ has risen, just as He promised He would.

This is a day of celebration, a day of joy and worship. The day all our hopes were fulfilled!

The carpenter who said He was God, who two days ago were turned in and crucified. The disciples' leader, whom they had put all their trust in, left everything for.... crucified? How forsaken they must have felt.

But He truly was the Son of God, His resurrection proves it.

He is Christ the Lord.

Still, this doesn't prevent sorrowful things to happen around Easter. Sometimes they do.

God is not too busy, celebrating the resurrection,

to care for those whose world comes crashing down.

God is not like me in the kitchen. He doesn't turn around for a moment busy with other things, to suddenly realise, as He comes back, that the soup is boiling over.

Not even on a busy day.

Our God is in control.

ALWAYS.

It is not like if He had too much to do with the earthquake in Italy to realise that

while He was gone

something went terribly wrong in the lives of our friends,

in the middle of losing their beloved daughter these days.

It is not like He does not care. It is not like He does not know.

He knows, and He cares.

Christ died, while we were still sinners, so that we (and our old lives) could be buried with Him, and today, He rose, that we may also rise with Him with our new lives.

Lillian is risen with Him.

We know that and we believe that.

In all our grief and tears and sorrow, He is there.

Saving us, today and all days.

He is our steadfast rock, the One we cling to in our heartache,

in our compassion,

in our pain.

For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?

Psalm 18:31 (KJV)

(it is verse 32 in the Norwegian version)

There is a reason for that the cross around my neck is empty....

Christ has risen!

Praise Him!!

Spend some time on your knees in prayer for those who struggle this Easter,

if and as the Lord brings it to mind,

"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Psalm 34:18

(19 in Norway)

Image from: community.seattleu.edu/.../default.aspx

Behold the Lord's Maidservant....

2009-03-22T06:23:00.000-07:00

Sunday was Annunciation Day

The birth of Jesus announced.

To a young unmarried girl from Galilee. Her name was Mary.

This is what happened:

.
NOW IN THE SIXTH MONTH the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

And having come in, the angel said to her,

“Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.

Then the angel said to her,

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

Then Mary said to the angel,

“How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

And the angel answered and said to her,

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.”

Then Mary said,

“Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.”

And the angel departed from her.

(Luke 1:26-38 KJV)

Mary, the mother of Jesus, have always been special to me as God's plan for her life have always given me much to ponder. I've often been reminded of her courage, her obedience, her yes, whenever I myself had to face "possibly life altering" choices in my own life.

.
Mary gave up everything. I'm sure she had dreams for her future until that day the angel Gabriel appeared,

I even think that in her dreams, future looked quite different.

I don't believe that Mary fully grasped what she really agreed to when she answered the angel

"Behold the maidservant of the Lord..."

But her yes was

a yes to God,

a yes to laying down her own dreams,

comforts, plans and purposes,

her very life,

for the sake of His will being carried out.

She might have known or not known what

Hannah Whitall Smith knew when she wrote*:

"-His lovable, lovely will, which only means loving-kindnesses

and tender mercies and blessings unspeakable to their souls. [...]

better and sweeter than health or friends or money or fame or ease or prosperity

is the adorable will of our God."

*The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life, 1875, page 45,47

Whatever Mary's thoughts on the subject, she heard His calling.

And she answered

Yes, Lord,

Thy Will be done.

When He asks me...

What will I say?

What I have learned today...

2009-02-20T14:36:00.000-08:00

(I'd love to illustrate this with updated pictures, but unfortuneately and by accident I broke my mother's camera beyond repair (sorry, mum) and this is not the appointed time to buy a new one.)

* When you joke about a passing cat to be a tiger, you might suddenly realise it was really a lynx.

* When you get very excited (from like seing a live lynx ten meters away from your breakfast table), people (here I refer to my one and only beloved brother) grow tired of it and start teasing you (like referring to a small black lynx called "kitty").

* Dishes should be done before people see them, at least before they've finished dinner. If you haven't done the dishes, people won't get that you love them. No matter what you say or do.

* The word "defile" means spot, stain or pollute and is in use in Markus 7:20-23 (in KJV and NKJV that is)

* My mother likes to teach me things (and is the only one who jumps up from a comfortable chair and a good book to find an English grammar to tell me how I use "whom" in English)

* This is a funny video

*Sewing a broom skirt may very well take three days or more (especially when you just pull yourself together enough to sew one part a day and you have four of them)

* A letter doesn't write itself.

*Even if you do something fun (like tidying/unpacking/organizing your room) you will eventually get tired after a few hours of work

*Chocolate-chip-cookie-sandwiches-with-ice-cream-in-the-middle DOES taste heavenly when you're up in the middle of the night having fun and writing a blog post.

*Base your decitions on facts and not feelings

*God is so beautiful

*God is good

*Abide with me is a hymn with much meaning.

*There is a time for everything, and THIS is the time for going to bed

(and get up early in the morning to make your precious mommy pancakes for breakfast)

Sleep tight people,

much love,

åslaug abi

In Honor of **, * and *****

2009-02-11T05:47:00.000-08:00

-Because I love those girls so much =)

I didn't have a diaper pin (since none in my household wears diapers), but we do wear clothes, so I used a clothes pin instead.... =)

This morning the landscape was still covered in snow (this is the view from the kitchen window).

Flowers on the table. When you have no flowers in the backyard, you'll simply have to do with potted ones... They're still beautiful, though (even if they in real life are purple, not blue)

A clean kitchen =) such a pretty sight, isn't it?

.

And after cleaning the kitchen, it's time to be ambitious about everything that should be done today (should probably have been done yesterday as well, but was never completed).
.

It's time to be brave and jump right into sewing a blouse from a pattern (when you've hardly used a pattern before, and never by yourself). And after falling asleep on the couch (accidentially), ending up sewing both sleeve pieces together to one big sleeve (in stead of two normal sized ones) and having a good laugh (and lots of stiches to take out in the evening), it's time to make dinner (guess who...).
.
.
.
Well, you take a leek...

And start sharing the recipe for

OVEN BAKED TOMATO FISH

.

300-400 g fish filet (cod, coalfish etc.)
1/4 teaspoon (american teaspoon) salt

1/4 teaspoon (still american) pepper

2 tomatoes (I didn't know this, I always use 3-5), sliced anyway

1/2 leek (it's sort of obvious that you'll have to cut this one, isn't it?)

1/2 teaspoon basil

some grated cheese

15 ml whipping cream (I use milk)
.

.

Well, you actually start with the fish (not the leek). Cut it in pieces the size you'd like to get on your plate, put in greased pan and sprinkle salt and pepper over it (I never ever measure salt or pepper or basil, just so you know...). It should now look about like this:

Slice tomatoes, as many as you want...Put on top of the fish and sprinkle with basil

Cut leek and make a second layer of vegetables upon that poor fish (it doesn't mind, it's dead). See how small my family is? I can hardly fill half the pan (and that's a small pan). Little pretend to be-housewife-and-homemaker-and-other-things-she's-not putting this lovely fish-dish in the oven, and realising that the family is perfect in size (she truly couldn't manage another one!) But she does love her family, not despite, but even because of the small size and quiet ways. God has blessed her with something He knew would be perfect for her, only for her. Who is she to complain?

.
.

Fish dish (not family) is baked in a 200 celcius and 392 fahrenheit oven, for about 35 minutes

Meanwhile, use that beautiful, super-convenient apron sewn you by beautiful, super-convenient, dearly beloved and so missed friends far far away to carry some potatoes out to in the kitchen. Cut them, put them in a frying pan on the oven, put a lump of butter in the pan, sprinkle onion powder, salt and pepper over them, stir once, cover and leave (now, do remember to turn the heat on).
Get back in a few minutes later and stir again. Repeat this till potatoes are cooked (soft in the middle).
.
.
Set the table and give thanks to a lovingkind God who provide you with food, love, family, snow, laughter, friends (though far away) joy, peace and happiness, every single day =)
.

.

He is the Saviour.

The Messiah, the Lord.

Praise Him!
.

.

åslaug

Sweet February Morning

2009-02-10T01:27:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning from my alarm clock,
after turning it off about six times, in between dreaming of being around beloved people in far-away-places, I opened my eyes.

Six o'clock.

The view outside was simply beautiful. Snow fell yesterday, and in the dark of morning and glimps of lights from the shopping centre the hills were shining. Such a pretty gift to receive when you just woke up =)

What you see if you look out the sitting room window

I put on my apron (yes, of course I got dressed first)
sneaked upstairs and made a batch of muffins. I cut oranges, pears and apples, I made coffee, my father made bread (in the bread-baker, so it was just to pop it out). In other words, I made breakfast. I lit the candle and listened to "Fairest Lord Jesus" while working away by myself.

I did the dishes. By hand.

Tasting the first muffin, yes, it was quite nice, never mind my expression =)

Breakfast....

The kitchen this morning, my mother is hiding (or reading)

After walking my mother to work, I stood for what felt like an eternity in the snow enjoying the sight of beautiful snow covered hills, drizzeled with morning rays giving them a slightly blushing pink color.

I thanked God, for the beauty, for all my beloved ones, praying for them and for me, singing to Him, smiling, silently conversing with Him. Knowing that I don't have the answers, thanking Him that He has.

I walked home, trying to be frugal by not buying colored paper for a birthday card-to-be, and again when the yarn store (I was planning to knit a few dish cloths) was closed till ten o'clock.

Now, I've been alone in my house a few hours.

I am the only person here, the only living thing (except for plants, which there are plenty of).

I might be the most noisy person of my house

(which says more of the rest of the household than of me),

but in myself, I've discovered I make very little noise at all. So it's quiet.

Me and my father's Yucca palm

Who's doing the dishes?? Mmm, excactly...

But she's doing a good job =)

Dishes go quickly. But I do them alone.

Talking is non-excistent. Who should I talk to?

I read aloud, I pray out loud, I play music. I sing.

Loneliness is lonely. I miss beloved noisy people, in beautiful noisy far-away places.

But I would rather miss them for the rest of my life, than never meeting them... And I will see them again.... soon.

God is so good, so loving, such an expert at removing the all-consuming feeling of loneliness. Such a perfect friend. So good at removing worries, anxiousness, troubles and hurt from my heart and instead fill it up (to overflowing) with peace. Perfect peace.

He is so precious. I love Him so much.

He is where you are, as you read this,

watching over you,

kissing the top of your head.

Whispering I love you,

and I thank Him for that.

lovingly,

åslaug

Oioioi, språket som vart vekke...

2009-01-23T04:48:00.000-08:00

I dag har eg prøvd å setta English-label på alle dei engelske innlegga mine,

og eg fant ut at det var 56 av dei, og dei siste norske fant eg først etter 20 engelske.

Når eg då har kun 100 innlegg på bloggen min
er det klart at eg har neglisjert morsmålet mitt her. Unnskyld =(

Her er eit norsk innlegg =)

Ein oppdatering? Skal me ta det? Jaja, viss dåke insistere så...

*Eg er 19 år, 8 månader og 3 dagar gammal.

*Eg bur i Bergen heime hos mor&far.

*Eg jobbar (på ein måte, akkurat no har eg ferie) i barnehage.

*I går hadde me besøk av farmor

*I dag får eg besøk av Ingrid (hu superskjønne som e så flink te å tegna og sova i timen)

*I går bakte eg brød

*I dag er eg lat (eller berre overstadig lukkeleg fordi eg endeleg har fått strømkabel på dataen min og kan skriva vidare på "bøkene" mine)

*Eg skal snart ut og handla mat til Ingrid og meg

*I går var eg på Fretex og handla kle

*Dei hadde ingen kjolar

*Eg har lyst på kjole

*Kanskje eg må sy ein kjole??

*Korleis gjer ein det? Dette må eg finna ut.

*Snart skal eg til USA og besøka ei god venninne =)

*Så får eg besøk av nokon som kallar seg "3mx", huh? Veit ikkje kva det betyr.... kan det være eit sprengstoff?

*I går snakka eg med den irske vertsfaren min i telefonen.

*Eg begynte å grina etter at eg la på. Eg trur eg saknar Irland litt.

*Eg skal baka med Ingrid i helga.

*Jesus blei født i ein skitten stall i Betlehem, Judea, berre for å leva blant menneska i trettitre år, berre for å bli drept, berre for mine synder, berre for at eg skulle ha samfunn med Gud, berre for at døden ikkje lenger skulle ha makt over meg, berre for at synda ikkje skulle ha makt over meg lenger, berre for at det same skulle vera ei gåve til deg.

Var eg flink nå?

Gud velsigne dåke!!!

Blessings of a First-Day

2009-01-19T16:02:00.000-08:00

Today I'm up. I'm back in the living world.

A world with people, shops, dogs and little roads to nowhere-in-particular. I'm back to everything that can't be found on my bedside table or under my duvet. Or on my pillow.

After three weeks staying in bed I have worked up an appetite for working. For living. For do anything and everything (knowing that I won't even try to accomplish that literally). I ready. Bring it on.

And so I was showered with blessings, again =)

******************

**********

****

The blessings of listening to the wind howling outside, when you're safe and snug wrapped up in duvets and woollen blankets.

The blessings of holding a precious little cousin, just six months old.

The blessing of all his lovely faces, of his two little teeth already able to mark your fists with red scrapes as he bites and gnawes them.

The blessings of another little cousin, almost two, so alike your own little sister when she was that age that you want to cry.

The blessing of his small hands trying to squeeze the pencil into your own hand so that you can draw him crabs and mice and other wonderful creatures on the paper on the floor.

The blessings of being able to walk on your own two legs to the shop and buy flour and sweets.

And the blessing of those wonderfully, tasty sweets.

The blessing of making two rye-breads with your own hands. And to taste them in the evening fresh from the oven and realize that God made something supremely tasty from the work of your hands.

The blessing of seeing the delight on your parents face as they eat and clearly enjoy.

The blessing of giving something back for all the years of nursing, feeding, cleaning up, tidying, explaining, loving, caring for and providing that they gave to you, receiving little but ungrateful behaviour for all their work.

The blessing of worshiping the Lord with music, and song, even from a very hoarse morning voice.

The blessing to know that Yahweh is good and long to give me good gifts.

That His plans for me are of a future and of hope. His thoughts towards me filled with peace and not anger for my failures.

The blessing of His love.

That the King of Kings has taken interest in me, a sinner.

The blessing of an unprovoked and long-lasting joy throughout the day, and in the afternoon to learn that so many blessings are in store.

The blessing of a long, warm shower, and a head massage

from a servant-hearted mother.

The blessing of many short but bonding conversations throughout the day with one of the people you love the most.

The blessing of having been bought at a price, and paid, to always and forever belong to Him, the Prince of Peace.

The blessing of an unexpected call and soon-coming visit of an old and dear friend.

The blessing of being able to work out, for real.

The blessing of , when a tiredness so demanding that your head falls down on the page you're reading comes, being able to, taking time to go to bed for a short nap.

And they are so many, many more.

*********

*****

***

May He, who has blessed me so, bless you likewise

and open your eyes to see His good gifts to you,

so that you may thank Him

and give Him glory,

as He deserves.

åslaug

2009 - A Year of Organizing

2009-01-15T10:59:00.000-08:00

I think I started off well with the title.

*It might give people who know me a good laugh

*It might give me the small but well-placed kick I need to get organized.

I am a messy person.

I can add very without getting extreme,

I can even add extremely without exaggerating.

I am a very, extremely messy

(disorganized, ineffective,

messmaker) person.

And I'm ready for change.

I find myself in a new year,

with a clean slate and new chokes.

And several (meaning many) bad, old habits ready to die =)

I'm the one that classify them as "ready to die", it's not excactly something they've come up with them selves.

I also find myself in a new season of life, as a homemaking daughter in my parents house. Due to some financial difficulty I can't stay at home full time, I have to work, at least for a while. And I do some part-time studies. You see I'll need to be a little more organized. And also since half the point in my staying at home is to help out with the making of the home, there's even more reasons to get organized.

"See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."

(Ephesians 5:15-16)

Give me one issue this book haven't got any comments on! =)

Of course, all you head-shaking people sitting by your computers thinking "where now did she get THIS from": I did get this idea from somewhere =) Somewhere as specific as Crystal Paine's Biblical Womanhood Blog,

this post to be accurate.

She writes:

For those of us who are home managers,

I believe it is vitally important we seek to

glorify the Lord by being

an efficient and organized

keeper of our home.

And I agree with her, of course.

I have even decided that I am a home manager,

and so I can take her words to heart.

I will make an effort to become organized through this year.

It's not a resolution, it's not even a promise.

It's a goal,

and that, my friends, is a far more valuable thing.

A goal is something to reach out after,

something to constantly measure up to and refocus on,

something to look at and redefine your course after.

I have hereby made my first goal for 2009, await many more.

Blog Awards

2009-01-13T08:12:00.000-08:00

A little while ago I received two awards for this blog.
It was really an honour to receive them, so thank you:

Samantha for this awesome award =) =)
and really, most of all, thank you for being my friend!!

And thank you Lauren & Abigail for this uber amazing award =) =)

and for being such an inspiration and encouragement to me!!

Here are the rules for the Uber Amazing Award:

You give this award to five bloggers who:
1. Inspire you
2. Make you smile and laugh
3. Give amazing information
4. Are a great read
5. Have an amazing design
6. And any other reasons you can think of that makes them uber amazing!
The rules to this award are:
1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 5 blogs (can be more) that for you are Uber Amazing! ***if you don’t have 5 that’s okay.***
3. Let them know that they have received this Uber Amazing award by commenting on their blog.
4. Share the love and link to this post and to the person you received your award from.

************

I would like to pass the Awesome Blog Award to:

*Marita,

because she is from Finnøy, and my friend, and I make her smile and laugh with all my dull jokes =) and she has an awsome blog.

************

And the Uber Amazing Blog to:

*Camilla,

because SHE IS Uber Amazing, and so is her blog

*Lisa of Longbourn,

because she makes me smile and laugh, are a great read, are an even greater inspiration, give amazing information, and is a woman I have every intention of befriending =)

*Nadia,

because SHE IS IN FACT GERMAN =) and my friend, and my sister and she makes me smile and laugh.

I'm Taking A Break

2009-01-02T14:39:00.000-08:00

Just in case anyone's following my Bible Reading Challenge
(in case you haven't noticed)
I want to inform you that I've been taking a break
and will continue to do so for a-I-don't-know-how-long-time.
Er, just in case... someone thinks it's strange that I haven't posted in that label in a while.
You know...just in case.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-28T11:32:00.001-08:00

Nja... okey då, Ingjerd.
Men eg skrive på engelsk (slapp av Marita, eg ska kje skriva langt!).
Eg ska prøva å skriva så norsk som mulig, Marianne =)
Eg e så glad i dåke! God overstått jul!

Christmas is coming

the geese are getting fat

please put a penny in the old man's hat

If you haen't got a penny, a ha'penny will do

If you haven't got a ha'penny, then God bless you

*I'm now back in Norway, settling in my parent's new house
*Difficult because of the mess that moving makes
*Difficult for all due to the fact that moving back into the role as a child (even if a grown up one) living in my parent's house is hard.
*Struggling to adapt a spirit of joyful obedience to my parents, but even more to God.
*I'm bad at obedience.
*I'm even worse at the joyful-part.
*My eyes are hurting, and swelling (next line)
*I never looked particulary chinese, but believe me, I do now!
*My eyesight is reduced. Lord open the eyes of my heart, so that I might see You.
*Christmas is celebrating the birth of Christ, our Saviour
*Nothing in my situation, past, present or future changes this fact.
*Joy to the world, the Lord is born!
*Man will live for ever more, because of Christmas Day.

*I'm presently joyfully responding to my parents command to end this post right now (of course out of concern for my eyesight). Obedience. Joyful. I have a lot to learn.

December Update

2008-12-04T15:51:00.000-08:00

You might have noticed that I never update my blog.
Like, I never really tell anyone what's going on... You really have to be here and watch or just know. So here I am, making a try:

~I am nineteen years, six months, 2 weeks and 1 day old today

~While writing, I live and work as an au pair in Ballyhagen in Ireland

~In 3 days my dear brother will visit me

~In 8 more days I will leave Ireland, going home for Christmas, and forever

~Presently, I'm praying for strength to go when God says "go" and then stay until He bids me otherwise.

~I'm looking forward to Christmas, confident that God will draw me nearer and nearer each passing day until I'm totally and inreversable absorbed in Him.

~I'm incredibly blessed by blogging buddies with that same goal =)

~I am TOTALLY forgiven, crucified with Him

~I have just learned, if the hard way, that if you give Satan a ride, He'll always want to drive.

~I gave him a ride by letting the telly be on all day, poisioning my mind and spirit, and in the end I assure you I had to pay. Luckily My Saviour brought these sins with Him up on the cross, and so I'm forgiven.

~I've been reading "Tramp for the Lord" by Corrie Ten Boom, it inspired me majorly

~I am presently reading "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, the language is complex (maybe just old-fashioned) enough that I'll have to read it with a dictionary. It blesses me again and again as it emphasizes the Truths of the Book!

~I might have frightened you away from this book with my last dictionary-statement. I beg forgiveness, the book is good enough to be worth those sore fingertips from dictionary-over-use.

~I have no chocolate calendar, so I have chosen a different advent calendar; prayer and Scripture memorizing.

~I am cleansed in His blood.

~I have all my needs fulfilled in Him.

~I will follow Him, even if it means living in harmony with whining kiddos, dirty nappies, strange looks and no telly.

~Thanks for reading all this.~

I'll leave you with this.

May you doubt the blood running throught your own veins before you doubt His promises.

My love and prayers,

åslaug

The Running Man with Outstreched Arms

2008-12-04T15:39:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm so sorry that my last post isn't "Hvit som snø" anymore. I love the picture and I love His promise, so beautifully carried out in my life. But, I have more to say:

No One Else Knows

by Building 429

My world is closing in

On the inside

But I’m not showing it

When all I am is crying out

I hold it in and fake a smile

Still I’m broken

I’m broken

Only one can understand

And only one can hold the hand

Of the brokenOf the broken
When no one else knows how I feel

Your love for me is proven real

When no one else cares where I’ve been

You run to me with outstretched hands

And You hold me in your arms

Again

I need no explanation of why me

I just need confirmation

Only You could understand the emptiness inside my head

I am falling

I’m falling down upon my knees

To find the one who gives me peace

I am flying

Lord I am flying
When no one else knows how I feel

Your love for me is proven real

When no one else cares where I’ve been

You run to me with outstretched hands

And You hold me in Your arms

Again

I have come to you in search of faith

Cause I can’t see beyond this place

Oh You are God and I am man

So I’ll leave it in Your hands

"You run to me with outstreched hands"
This is the way Jesus loves me.
When I fall and I cry, He run to me with outstreched hands.
He sweeps me up and holds me tight.
I am so fulfilled!

Much love and life abundant in The Running Man with Outstreched Arms,
åslaug

Hvit som snø...

2008-12-04T14:01:00.000-08:00

Kom, la oss gjøre opp vår sak! sier Herren.

Om deres synder er som purpur,

skal de bli hvite som snø;

om de er røde som skarlagen,

skal de bli hvite som ull.

Jesaja 1:18

Isaiah 1:18

Picture Rights

God vs. Murphy's Law

2008-11-30T13:18:00.000-08:00

I have got a new friend. Her name is Nadia, she is a sister in the Lord and she has the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen =)

Nadia and I spent our Saturday together in Dublin.
We were looking for Christmas gifts, eating, saying grace,talking and walking for hours and hours.
It was a truly blessed day.
During the day we struggeled with Murphy's law (that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong) in our search for a cheap sandwich toaster.
In the end of the day we got a proof that someone defeated Murphy, long ago.
We taught eachothers a little language:

I learned to say God Bless You in German:
Sie gesignet

and She learned to say it in Norwegian:
Gud velsigne deg

When we went for the bus we were hoping to get the one leaving at 19.30. I planned badly regarding when we should go for the bus, and so we ended up walking fast, fast trough the streets of Dublin. At last we had just one big challenge left. A four filed road with two very inconvenient traffic light crossings. The time wasn't really on our side and I said to Nadia:

"If we catch this bus it's probably by the grace of God.

But, I added, that doesn't matter, cause we believe in the grace of God!"

We decided to try to run across the road when there were no cars. Nadia got safely over, but I hesitated too long and therefore couldn't come over. I ran over to the traffic light and crossed the street properly. We both ran in to the bus station, my eyes searched the electric board to see what gate our bus would be in and even if the bord said it was departed, we ran to gate 10.
The bus was departed.
I was so disappointed, but thinking that maybe God for some reason wanted us to remain here. We went over to the shelves with time tables and discussed what to do now, and then,
the miracle happened.
The bus 120 to Edenderry was suddenly standing at gate 10!
The departed bus had somehow returned or maybe it never was departed I don't know. But I'm quite sure it just dropped down from the sky. Later I think we must have been quite a sight. Eyes wide with surprize and amazement and repeating time after time
"I can't believe we caught the bus!"
"This was truly by the grace of God..."

After all, it's only a bus?

Oh no, it's so much more. This was really big to me. I'm not sure why.
But oh, I'm so surprized.
I mean, my God is the God who created Heaven and Earth,
the universe and the billions of galaxies,
He's the God who sent His own son to Earth and let Him die on a cross
and then proved that He was Lord even over Death.
He's the God who singlehandedly performed all the miracles in the Bible,
who performed miracles in the lives of Christians who believed His power, all up through these 2000 years.
After all this, you'd think a departed bus should be a little too much, right?

All I know is that God definitely defeated Murphy.
But actually, it's old news.
God defeated Murphy 2000 years ago, by giving His life on a cross and rise on the third day. He defeated Murphy's law, the law of sin, the law of death, and even the law of natural.
He is the God of the supernatural.

Nadia said later that if we had been Americans we would have made a movie about this. I laughed, and since I'm just Norwegian, I blog about it. In English.

May you all have peace,
åslaug

I eat my breakfast, and it makes me cry…

2008-11-19T14:58:00.000-08:00

I eat my breakfast and I read a quote.
John Donne said,
Ignorance is not only the drowsiness, the silliness, but the wickedness of the
soul. The cruelest man alive could not sit at his feast unless he sat blindfolded.

I eat my breakfast,
it makes my eyes go wet with tears when I know that
143 millions orphans around the world are
hungry,
sick,
scared
and alone.

I eat my lunch,
And it tears at my heart to know that
25 000 women,
men
and children
will die from hunger during this day.

I eat my dinner,
and I know
that 27 million men,
women
and children are
bound in slavery. No rights, no mercy, no life.

I go about my day,
seeing the faces of imprisoned,
hearing the heart wrenching cries from lonely and sick.
I remember the foreigners in my neighbourhood,
without network or friends.

My supper is on the table and I still cry.
I can’t eat with my eyes open wide.

It might be tempting to ask;

Lord, why are you even allowing this?

When what we really should ask is; Lord, why are we allowing it.

How much have I allowed to happen today,
simply by closing my eyes?
simply by refusing to see?
simply by not telling others about the needs I have heard of?
simply by not being willing to give up my life for them?

My heart could never bear it if I knew.

Freedom in Beauty

2008-11-08T12:23:00.000-08:00

As I opened the curtains this morning to let the sunshine into my room
and opened the window to feel the fresh and slightly crisp morning air,
I had a revelation.
.
As I drank in the beauty of this morning I felt…
.
Freedom.
Freedom in the beauty around me,
freedom in the possibility of standing here, arms resting at the window sill all morning, and even all day.
Freedom in the knowledge of that another week of work is done, and all weekend I am free to escape away from my work, not just in dreams and imaginations, but for real.
I am free, if just for seventy-two hours!
.
I recognize the beauty of the silver pearls of dew sparkling from fences and grass straws,
The beauty in the sheep’s quiet chewing of grass,
The beauty in the sun kissing my forehead with it’s first golden morning rays.
.
I feel the wind’s caressing my cheeks,
I open my eyes and I see the grey-blue far away hills like hidden in mist.
I hear dogs barking, and cows low in the fields across the road.
I hear birds singing, exactly the same song that they sing at home.
.
And I close my eyes again,
and with the sunshine on my face and the singing of the birds in my ears, I am home.
For a few splendid, glorious minutes,
I am home.
.
And as I open my eyes and leave home, the beauty has increased.
As have the freedom.
.
You see, there is freedom in beauty,
not in posessing it, but simply in recognizing it.
.
Beauty is eye of the beholder,
and may it stay there, only defineable in it’s definition and no other place.
.
My world is beautiful and in it’s beauty I am free.

–My King and Creator, could I ever dream of more?

12th Day of the Challenge

2008-11-08T05:10:00.000-08:00

Reading:
Jeremiah 34-36
.
What it meant to me:
Jeremiah speaks to the king while his city is attacked by all countries and kingdoms known to him. I think I would have been quite uneasy by the thought of going with a message (and not very good news either) to the king of the country when the city was being attacked. But still. Jeremiah fears God more than the King, the warriors attacking, the panic that must have been and all other things.
.
God is angry because of Israel’s broken promise to Him. They sat all slaves free and it was right in God’s eyes, but after a while they took them back and dishonoured God’s name. It reminds me of how easy it is to recognize sin in one’s life, repent and then go straight back into it afterwards. And this is then even more dishonouring…
.
Jeremiah is told by God to go and meet with some men who were true to their father’s command and obeyed his commands in everything. God uses them as an example of how the Isralites should have responded, but didn’t, the people of Israel wasn’t true to God. God rewards the obedient men for their obedience.
.Jeremiah was asked to write down all the words God had spoken to Him in a scroll, and so he did. He asked the scribe to read it aloud in the Temple on a day the people was fasting. When it happened, the king asked to hear the scroll read, and he burned it and tried to arrest Jeremia and the scribe. But the Lord hid them. This reminds me of the fact that God is the God of the impossible and that dangerous situations isn’t more than He can manage, not at all.

Peace to you,
åslaug

Eleventh Day of the Challenge

2008-11-08T05:07:00.000-08:00

Reading:
Jeremiah chapter 31-33
.
What it meant to me:
God repeats again that He shall be the God of the people of Israel, and that they shall be His people. Trough our faith we are children of Abraham and parttaking in this promise.
.
From far away the Lord let them see Him, with eternal love He loved us and let His mercy towards us last. This is a declaration of love, from the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace.
.
He makes a promise to lead them on their way home (lead us to Him), from far away, the hurt, blind and suffering, when they come crying and humble prayer. He will lead them, to brooks of water and roads without holes and stones, so they won’t stumble. When we come humbly and crying to Him, He will receive us. What a promise, what a God!
.
God spread the people of Israel, but then He leads them back together again; He hurts to be able to heal, and spread to be able to recollect.
.
The people of Israel will shout with their mouths and their faces will shine with joy because of the Lord’s good gifts to them. This made me think, because how often does my face shine with joy or do I shout with joy because of the Lord’s good gifts, even if I’m showered with them every day?
.
God promises to make their sorrow to joy and comfort and give joy to they who mourned. Reminds me of how mighty God is and how, whatever sorrrow we experience, even things that in every aspect is impossible to heal, He is able to.
.
The Lord promises the crying that the captives will come back and that there is hope for the future, bacause He is able to bring the children back. This reminds me that there is hope for my loved ones who are captives of this world and who can’t see how the way they live their lives lead them away from God, not closer.
.
God says again to the people of Israel, to mark the road back to Him, remember it and come home. How long they will turn their head to look for a substitution for Him? Reminds how so many of us look for love in all the wrong places. We look and search and long for anything but God, to fill a gap that only God can fill.
.
A new aspect of God’s characther: Compassion. He lets the exhausted drink till their satisfied, and He feeds all in need.
.
Then there is a prophesy of times when each one shall be responsible for his own sin. New times when all will know the Lord and He will forgive their sins and never remember it again. If the sun and the moon and the stars will cease to light the Earth, then Israel shall ceaseto be His people, if the heavens can be meazured and the depths of the Earth be explored, then He will not be Israel’s God forever. What a promise..
.
There is a prophesy of the new Jerusalem that shall never be broken, it must be the next Jerusalem that haven’t been built yet.
.
God says that He is the Lord, the God of all ccreation and that nothing is impossible for Him. Will I trust that? I hope so.

Peace to you,
åslaug

Tenth Day of the Challenge

2008-11-08T05:06:00.000-08:00

Reading:
Jeremiah chapter 28-30
.
What it meant to me:
Jeremiah meets a false prophet, and God tells him to go and prophesy against him. Reminds me that we should speak the Truth whenever we hear a false promise. When people say, in exemple, that the Bible says that as long as you believe in Jesus it’s (meaning living in sin and supporting sin) okay, we should speak against it. The Bible says exactly the opposite (Read James’ Epistle). When I’m in a situation like that I should speak the Truth, because I know it.
.
Peace to you,
åslaug

Ninth Day of the Challenge

2008-11-08T05:04:00.000-08:00

Reading:
Jeremiah chapter 25-27
.
What it meant to me:
Jeremiah has now spoken the Truth to the people of Israel for twenty three years. And now he says again that the cities and towns of Israel shall be ruined. But that after 70 years God will punish the Babylonians for their evil deeds towards God’s people, and ruin their land as well. Then the Isralites will be set free. I can just imagine that quite a lot of people thought (and probably said it to him as well) “Well, now this Jeremiah has treathened us with destruction for more than twenty years, when is it really going to happen?” I bet they mocked him.
.
There was an other prophet, speaking the words of the living God, Uriah. He was treathened by the king, who wanted him dead. He was frightened and ran away to Egypt. But the kings men chased him and found him and brought him back to Israel, were he was killed. I remember God’s word to Jeremiah when He first called him; Don’t be afraid of them, but trust me, or I will make you afraid of them. To be afraid is to distrust God. Well, in that case I really don’t trust God at all. Perhaps I should?

Peace to you,
åslaug

Eighth Day of the Challenge

2008-11-08T05:02:00.000-08:00

Reading:
Jeremiah 22-24
.
What it meant to me:
God ask Jeremia to go to the king and again tell him to do right and not wrong. To rescue the robbed from the robber’s hand, to be kind and friendly and true to the people moving in to the country and others that are weak (widows and orphans). If they do they can live in their house, if not, God will tear it down. I guess the same counts for me. I don’t think God ever stopped caring for orphans, widows and foreigners.
.
God critisises for building great halls and letting the people work for no wages. The king’s father did also have food and drinks, but at the same time he did what was right. And it served him well. He cared for the rights of people who couldn’t speak for themselves. And God says: Isn’t that to have knowledge to me? Yes, I’d think so.
.
Another verse that made me think was about like this, I spoke to you when you were safe, but you told me you didn’t want to listen. It was your habit from youth not to obey me. How easy it is to ignore God when all is well. How easy it is to make it a habit not to obey Him. No wonder God so often uses pain to bring us closer to Him, we don’t really listen when He doesn’t?
.
There is a prophecy of Jesus. A prophecy of a righteous king that will rule with wisdom and save Juda, Israel shall live in safety. His name shall be “The Lord, our righteousness”. No wonder they expected a king…
.
There are curses over priests and prophets that does not seek God’s counsel or listen to His words, but instead speak of their own thoughts and make up dreams and tell the people it’s from the Lord. I think we have just a few cases of that today as well…
.
God says to Jeremiah that He have mercy with the captives from Judah in a foreign land and wants to bring them back to the land of their birth. He wants to give them a heart so that they can know Him, and understand that He is the Lord. They shall be His people, and He shall be their God, when they repent and turn to Him with all their heart. Oh how I want to be His people, to be given a heart that can know Him and understand that He is the Lord. I want to repent and turn to Him with all my heart.
.
Peace to you,
åslaug

Seventh Day of the Challenge

2008-11-08T04:59:00.000-08:00

Reading:
Jeremiah 19-21
.
What it meant to me:
Jeremiah buys a jar from the potter, on God’s command and bring some elders and priests out into a valley to prophesy. God says that when they gave their sons and daughters as burnt offerings to heathen gods, that was nothing He had asked them to do, it was never on His mind. Makes me think should we never do anything God didn’t ask us to do, or not what was never on His mind, or should we just not do what He told us not to do. Or all of it?
.
Jeremiah breaks the jar and says to them that God will break this people and this city as the jar; so that it won’t ever be the same again.
.
Jeremiah is punished for saying a prophecy in the temple, and is whipped. The next day, when he is released he tells the priest, who ordered his whipping, that the Lord does not call him by his name anymore, but calls him “The man who lives in terror”. I’m amazed that even if the people of Israel were so many and did so much wrong (like the people of the Earth is so many and and does so much wrong), God still sees all the induviduals. He knows all thoughts and every attitude of heart in EVERY SINGLE PERSON of the people of Israel, even if they’re mostly referred to as “the people”.
.
Jeremiah speaks of how when God called him, he couldn’t refuse, and even when he faced tribulation and wanted to stop knowing God and speak His word, he couldn’t. It was like a fire within Him. I want that fire within me. I want to not be able to spend a single second without focusing on God. Lord I pray.
.
Jeremiah also curse the day he was born, and he praises the Lord and sing songs of worship (recites at least). What an attitude =) Our God is worthy of praise under all circumstances.

Peace to you,
åslaug

Sixth Day of the Challenge

2008-11-08T04:56:00.000-08:00

Reading:
Jeremiah 16-18
.
What it meant to me:
The Lord tells Jeremiah not to take a wife or get children in his country, because children born, mothers giving birth to them and fathers raising them in the land of Israel shall have a painful death and none will bury them, their bodies shall lay on the ground and rot. It was a great shame not to be buried.
.
Further, the Lord orders him not to go to parties or funerals, cause God have taken His peace away from this people. And Jeremiah shall tell them about it.
.
God asks him to go to the potter’s house. He sees how the potter shapes the clay into jars and mugs. Whenever something didn’t turn out as it should, he did it all over again. And God tells him that it is in the same way He rules over Israel; He treathens a people with ruin, but if they repent from their evil, He change His mind and saves them from the evil He was planning against them. In the same way, if He promises a people to build up and plant, if they do what is evil in the eyes of the Lord, he withdraw His promise and refuse to do the good things He had planned. It reminds me that I am potty in His hands. I have no life of my own, I am what He is shaping me into, according to His good will.

Peace to you,
åslaug

Fifth Day of the Challenge

2008-11-08T04:53:00.000-08:00

Reading:
Jeremiah 13-15
.
What it meant to me:
Like a belt around the waist of a man, have God drawn the people of Israel and Juda close to Himself, so they (and we) would be His people, His glory, praise and adornment. To be the adornment of the King of Kings, who could ever dream of more? A better compliment?
.
God calls again and again the people to turn back to Him, to listen to Him and let pride go. Before it’s too late. I think I have a lot to learn from that; to listen to God and let pride go. I have a tendency to always think I can do things all by myself. And when I see that I can’t, I struggle hard with letting go of pride and listen to God for what I should do next. Also when His plans contains that I fail to succeed in something important. It’s hard to turn to Him then, and be happy about hurt pride.
.
In the last chapter God speaks through Jeremiah of how the ruin of the land and people of Israel shall be to scare for all the rest of the world. Everything that used to mean something is gone, there shall only be fright and terror.
.
Jeremiah suffers persecution, but God saves Him when he repent.
.
Peace to you,
åslaug

Fourth Day of the Challenge

2008-11-08T04:50:00.000-08:00

Reading:
Jeremiah 10-12
.
What it meant to me:
God tells us to not think or act like the people around us, people of this world that do not belong to Him, we shall not fear what they fear, because we know Him, and that is a totally different reality.
.
He describe in detail how false the heathen gods are and how they make no harm (!), but neither no good. He say that all human beings are stupid and unwise. He also make it clear that the reason He brings them into tribulation, is not His wreath alone, but so that we/the people of Israel shall find Him.
.
He describes His people like a olive tree, and that explains how He created us, placed us where we are, uphold our life, and also how little we are, how easy we can be attacked and disappear from the Earth. He calls us “my beloved”.
.
Jeremiah discuss with God, and even as he does, acknowledge that He is always right. He asks the hard questions, why everything works out for bad people, why people who don’t believe are safe and not in danger of bad things. God is the One who created them and upholds their life.
.
I think Gods answer is in the next paragraphs, where He says that in His time, He will punish the nations whom He today gives victory over Israel. He uses them for punishment and to make the people, His beloved, find Him, and later, He will punish them for their sins against His people. For they will be cruel.
.
I guess that if God was so small and easy to understand, that even I could do it, it wouldn’t be much reason to believe in Him after all.

Peace to you,
åslaug

Third Day of the Challenge

2008-11-08T04:46:00.000-08:00

Reading:
Jeremiah 7-9
.
What it meant to me:
These chapter continues to describe how God has seen Israel’s betrayal in the way they live: gossiping about friends, false hearts, harsh words, violence, betrayal, lack of love towards friends and family and communiry and so on (quite like we do/I do), and God is so clearly disgusted about our behaviour. So heartbroken because we/they have left the path He has chosen for us because it is our best.
.
It’s told of a whole family, men, women and children, working together to sacrifice food to the heathen godess Astrarte. Reminds me of School of Astarte and “how to get in contact with your inner angels” and so on. And God’s response to this worship of her, is this: It is not bad because we insult Him, because we do not (7,9!) because we are ashaming ourselves.
.
Quite astonishing that God is this upset, on our behalf, but then again, He did sacrifice His life for us, so it shouldn’t (though still is) so surprizing that He cares for us. So many truths in the Bible is listed again and again, in new circumstances every time, from different angles, seen with different eyes, sometimes seemingly totally out of context. Just the same stuff, over and over again.
.
We should make a slogan: Get it in with a teaspoon: Read the Bible!
.
But to be serious; It’s a thing that is very very important for my understanding of the Word, I know, and it also there are more hidden depths of the Truth in all these new angles and contexts. I think I will learn very much from this, and change even more.
.
There’s a change in the wind.

Peace to you,
åslaug

Second Day of the Challenge

2008-10-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

Reading:
Jeremiah 4-6

What it meant to me:
Here Jeremiah speak God’s word telling of the treath from North, what is to come (Jerusalem’s ruin and the people being taken captives in Babylonia) is told with great detail.
.
He also tell that God sees the people and their ways, he see how they choose to do evil and refuse to do good, as I often do.
.
He show them the right way, the way of doing good and reverence the Lord, but the people of Israel is stubborn and say “we don’t want to walk there”, just as I often do.
.
He tells them the truth, but they refuse to listen, just as I often do.
.
And even when He tells them of great dangers from the North (and yes, it’s quite scary) they won’t listen.
.
Then he tries to remove the evil from the good, but it’s not possible. Evil is a part of the people, they, in a way, really don’t want to come to Him and be rescued. So they are not.
.
The people praise Him with words, but behind their words are false hearts. And they try to fix the problems in their attitude in easy ways. Just as we do when we complain that there’s not enough forgiveness in the church, not enough love… What’s really missing is not enough hearts truly seeking the Lord, with all their hearts.

Peace to you,
åslaug

First Day of the Challenge

2008-10-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

Reading:
Jeremiah, chapter 1-3
.
What it meant to me:

.
The first chapter tells of Jeremiah’s call from God, how He knew him before He created him in his mother’s womb. Jeremiah’s protests reminds me of my own, how it’s so easy to say to God;
.
I’m too young, too busy, I don’t know how to do this!!
.
And yet God reminds Jeremiah over and over again:
.
I will be with you, I will guard you, they will fight you, but they won’t win. Don’t be afraid of them!
.
In the next chapters Jermiah speak from God of Israels unfaithfulness, of the people’s love towards other gods, and how disgusting God thinks it. How impossible it is for Him to take her back as His beloved bride.
.
Yet, in the very last chapter, He turns His anger away and look with mercy upon her. And Israel understands her betrayal, and she is disgusted and ashamed from her behavior. And God receives her.
.
It reminds me of how unworthy I am of His love, of His mercy, His forgiveness. And how much in my life that compromises Him, how disgusting it is to Him, and how I still can repent and ask forgiveness.

Peace to all of you,

åslaug

Bible Reading Challenge

2008-10-19T10:23:00.000-07:00

I have decided to do a one year Bible reading.

I got the challenge at Rachel's blog.

If you'd like to join it would be great, just visit the link above.

Here is what you have to do:

.
*Read the three chapters a day - after reading them, pray for at least 15 minutes, for anyone who needs prayers and for your heart to be opened, and whatever else you need.

.
*Post about what you read on your blog when you read your Bible, giving the Scripture you read and what it meant to you.

.
*Make a category for this on your blog to post your posts in.
.

*Announce the Challenge on your blog, using the icon and banner I made.

*Sign the Mr. Linky, which will be on every one of Rachel's Bible reading posts, with the link to

your post (So she can check it out!)

Her reasons for posting the challenge is as following:

.
*I know there was the 90-Day Bible Reading Challenge blog that Jenna set up for the people who wanted to read the Bible in 90 days, and some of you may have done that. But I don’t want to just zip through the Bible and not understand what I am reading. I tried reading the 12 chapters a day for the 90-Day Challenge, but I couldn’t keep up. I think 3 chapters a day gives you enough to think on and is enough to understand what you are reading.

.
*I plan on getting up early in the morning and doing my Bible Time then and my Prayer Time also. But you can do it before you go to bed or during the day. I would recommend that you do it in the morning when you get up. I feel more refreshed in the morning when the gray dawn is approaching and the birds are starting to sing. Don’t you? :)

.
*Well, I hope you join me. You don’t have to post about your Bible Reading everyday if you can’t, but that is one of the requirements. I would like to read over your posts is all and comment on them.

One of my favourite Scriptures is in 2 Timothy, chapter 3, verse 15-17 -

.
15And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

.
Some more Scriptures I like are about the wisdom that comes from God and reading His Word.

.
Psalm 111:10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

.
Proverbs 1:7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

.
Proverbs 9:10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

.
To fear the Lord is to begin to have knowledge. We all need to remember that.
The Lord is greatly to be praised, as 1 Chronicles 16:25

“For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods,”

says. One way we can praise Him is by reading His Word and by acting on it. Jesus and Paul tell us how to act in the New Testament. You can find all about it if you go read the Word for yourself. :)
.

I hope you join the challenge. If you write in Norwegian, I'm sure that's no problem, it will anyway be so fun to share thoughts of what we read.

Peace to you all,

åslaug

**PS! (Almost) all text in this post is copied from Rachel's blog. I did not write it myself.

We who live in quiet places...

2008-10-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

.
.
“We who live in quiet places have the opportunity to become acqainted with ourselves, to think our own thoughts, and live our own lives. “
Laura Ingalls Wilder

.
Not that it’s really quiet.
Little girls are laughing, it’s the sound of the rain on the roof of the greenhouse.
A barking irish setter, running feet, an eight month old’s steady and merry talking. There’s singing, children singing, adults singing.
The sound of the mail dropping to the floor through the door.
Nursery rhymes, the stirring of a spoon in a cup of tea, the sound of sweeping on the tiles, the sound of the wind, the sound of talking.
Sound of splashing water, sound of scary trolls, of wood being chopped, dancing feet. Lovely sounds, homely sounds. Sounds of blessings.

.
Peace to all of you,

åslaug

A strange thing to do…

2008-10-12T04:13:00.000-07:00

With the Creator of the Universe by my side,
can you imagine they call it alone?

.
With His stars and moon, His face shining upon me in grace,
can one possibly call it the dark?

.
Walking with He who made me and knows me and loves me the best,
How can you call it strange?

.
With the warmth of His arms around me, His hand closed around mine,
Is that what is referred to as cold?

.
Spending time with He who made time, in the early morning of our love together,
Is that late?

.
Pouring my heart out to Him who is nearest to me and always will be,
If this is what you calling a strange thing to do, walking alone in the dark, late at night.
.
By all means, I am guilty.
But that is not the way I would put it.

Enya and Ireland

2008-10-09T14:31:00.000-07:00

dette er altså vakre Irland... Can you believe I live in such a beautiful country??
The cutest little hobbit house I've seen, it's right outside Derrinturn...
My new, beautiful, deilige, varme, blue socks.

First pictures from Ireland!!!
No, I haven’t fixed my camera, but guess what, I have a cell phone!
Today have been a lovely day. I was finished working at about half two (2.30) and I have since been on the phone and reading lots of lots of stuff on the ylcf-website. It’s a cold day today, rainy and windy. I can’t remember the last time I had this many thick clothes on, tucked up in bed, drinking hot tea and still were freezing. Well, must have been last winter.. No really, I can’t remember.
.
The kids (and the parents) came home from Germany today. They brought me socks. Blue, fluffy ones. They’re absolutely lovely, and since my feet have been freezing all day I’m very very pleased with the gift.
.
This evening I’ve been talking to Dylan, which now recognizes me when I’m smiling to him (or maybe he just recognizes funny looking face in the same height as his, what do I know..).
Later I watched Bianca falling asleep on her mother’s knee, thinking how on earth can anyone sleep with all this noise? Then I remembered from when I was a child (and still to be honest) and couldn’t think of a better place to fall asleep then snuggeled up against a dear someone, listening to their voices and laughter and all the sounds of home.
.
I had the most lovely meal I’ve had in many many weeks: Ryvita with cheese and orange pepper slices (paprika) and hot Irish tea with milk.
.
L.O.V.E.L.Y.
.
I’m content and oh-so-happy here.
I’m really thriving and if you look at the facts, there’s no reason I should be so:
.
no friends,
no activities,
no people my age,
noone to go for walks with,
a seemingly everlasting cold,
non-familiar food,
no family,
nothing happening,
lots of tasks I don’t feel at all qualified to.
.
Well, to be honest, a completely different world than the one I used to live in. But I am content, and that should prove once and for all (at least for me) that contentment comes from God, and NOT circumstances.
Right now, I’m very very happy for that.
.
I’m listening to Enya today, and it makes me feel well, so I switched blog-music.
Gladiator is my favourite, if you wondered.
.
Good night all my friends,
(Marita, eg håpar du gadd å lesa dette sjølv om det var på engelsk =)
Peace to you,åslaug

Vandring i mørket

2008-10-06T12:26:00.000-07:00

Hei =)

No er eg akkurat tilbake frå ei vandring til Derrinturn og tilbake igjen.

Eg lånte filmar i går (PS! I Love You og Passion of the Christ), så eg var nøydd til å levera dei igjen i dag før åtte.

Eg såg den første i går kveld, men eg rakk ikkje å sjå The Passion, så eg lånte den igjen, og er dermed sikra ein god tur i morgon òg.

Det vil sei at eg i morgon har gått 4 km om dagen i fire dagar i strekk =)

Nice!

Eg starta litt seint på turen min, for då eg begynte på heimvegen begynte det å mørkna og innan eg var heime var det mørkt og regna.

Så eg gjekk fort for ikkje å bli våt/påkjørt/ete av sinte hundar.

Då eg kom inn, raud i ansiktet og ganske våt og pjuskete, var dei andre i starten på middagen.

Eg er ikkje så veldig glad i så mykje oppmerksomhet som ein får når ein kjem inn i et rom og med ein gong får fem par auge festa til seg, så då eg i tillegg presterte å mista ei flaske i golvet, blei eg så flau at eg gjekk opp på rommet mitt utan middag.

Så eg er litt for flau til å ete middag.

Eg sit på rommet og et sjokolade (70% sjølvsagt) og les bloggar i staden.

Dette sitatet får meg alltid til å le høgt:

"The days of knights and fair maidens are long gone.

For many young women the question, “Can I carry that for you?” sounds more like, “Prithee, fair maiden! Allow me to relieve thee of thy luggage.”

To which they respond, “What century are you from?”"

Det er henta frå artikkelen "When Lancelot Comes Riding" på http://www.rebelution.com/.

Det var kveldens tankar.

Å, jo, eg har kjøpt Pride & Prejudice i dag! For Fem euro =)

Mange Virtuelle Klemmar frå

åslaug

By the Table on a Monday

2008-10-06T06:56:00.000-07:00

It's three o'clock monday evening.
I'm sitting by the kitchen table, cradling my eight month old little miracle in my arms. Rocking him softly to sleep. His soft little fingers touching my face, his beautiful blue eyes watching me more and more sleepily.
.
The five year old in the sitting room is in a Christmas mood and is playing "Oh! Night Divine!" (O helga natt) on the tv.
.
The three year old is in bed and peace is touchable around us.
.
My tea is all cold, but do I mind? Carrying a sleeping baby boy upstairs. More cradeling as he wakes up from the Christmas music as we enter the hall. Putting him carefully to bed. Watching his eyes close and his breath calm.
.
Going downstairs, snuggle up on the sofa beside the five year old, talking about Christmas. Helping her get the last lumps of chocolate powder dissolve in milk in her bottle of hot chocolate.
.
Smiling tired. Sipping cold tea.
Reading thoughtful blogposts on the internet. Commenting.
.
Publishing my post.

A Wå:k to Iden `derry og buss til Derrin`turn

2008-10-04T13:59:00.000-07:00

Her kjem oppdateringa frå forrige innlegg:

.

I dag har eg gått til Edenderry. Eg brukte 1, 5 timar på dei 4 kilometrane, så eg er ikkje sikker på om det er avstanden. Nå måtte eg stoppa eit par gongar og late som om eg såg på kyr, for at trafikken skulle gli nokonlunde greit (det var ikkje plass til to bilar og eit menneske på vegen, og endå køyrde dei i 80, ikkje sånn, me gjer jo og det).

Hmm, eg veit ikkje.

Eg kom i alle fall til Edenderry!

.

På vegen såg eg traktorar og ekte irsk kumøkk (å, det lukta heimleg!!)

Utruleg kva tre år på ein gard kan gjera med deg.

Eg følte meg meir heime enn på lenge der mellom traktorar, høyballar, kyr, postman-Pat-sauer (suffolk), grinder, kumøkk og strømgjerder.

.

Eg møtte ikkje fleire hundar enn dei fire eg visste om frå før. Mistanken min om at alle irske hus (ikkje gardane) er store, lyse murhus, med digre grønne forhagar, svære smijernsportar (alltid opne av ein eller annan grunn) vart svært bekrefta. I tillegg så har alle gneldrande hundar som, om dei kan, spring ut i vegen for å bjeffe på deg (som om du ikkje høyrde dei godt nok frå før..)

.

Vegane er smale og svingete, det er stadig vekk gule "sharp bend" skilt. Men eg hadde ein nydeleg tur i regn og vind,

alt fra ikkje regn til duskregn til svært kraftig regn

og litt vind og litt meir vind.

.

Då eg kom til Edenderry var eg ikkje så lite stolt, eg ringte min favoritt-Finnøybu og fortalte det. Eg trur (innbiller meg, vil tru) at det er litt norskt å kle godt på seg, smøre matpakke og gå ut i all-slags-vêr for å kjøpe sjokolade. Ikkje pga. sjokoladen, men berre det å gå ut, liksom.

Eg trur mange ville holdt seg inne i dag (det gjorde også de aller fleste).

.

Eg fekk kjøpt Ryvitaknekkebrød og antibakteriell håndgel. Eg trur det er to ting som kjem til å halde meg litt friskare framover. Ryvita fordi det er større sjans for at eg byrjer å ete skikkeleg igjen viss eg kan ete grov brødmat heile dagen i staden for lyst brød og varmlunsj, og sidan dei er dårlege på å kjøpe håndsåper her i huset og desinfeksjonsmiddel berekna på badefliser er skadeleg for hendene når du skifter bleier heile dagen, er antibacteria ein god ting.

.

Eg fekk og kjøpt Irlands svar på Milo (Woolite), så i kveld skal eg legge dei no ferdigstrikka tøflane i Woolite vatn og i morgon skal dei tørke, og så skal eg male dei med utståande maling (slik at eg får sklisokk-effekt) og på mandag er dei forhåpentlegvis ferdige.

.

Eg gjekk i masaisko, så eg er støl i ryggen men absolutt ikkje så sliten eg burde vera (og eg kjenner ingenting i hofter, kne eller anklar etter eit par timar på asvalt, uvanleg). Men det er bra òg, så har eg ikkje sløst vekk 2000 kr på ingenting =)

.

Eg har kjøpt Fox's mints, ein av dei verkelege gode grunnane til å flytte til dei britiske øyane.

Ein annan god grunn er at uansett vêr ser morgonane alltid ut som ei scene frå Pride & Prejudice.

Dei har KitKat-sjokolade (det trur eg dei har i Noreg og, men er ikkje sikker),

dei har eit avslappa kjøyre system,

dei snakkar finare engelsk,

tea-en er betre.

Det er ikkje noko 20 års grense på whisky

ein treng ikkje kjøyretimar.

ein kan bruke sjekk

kontaktane er meir allsidige (du kan bruke norske og engelske om kvarandre, men ikkje utan risiko),

bussjåførane er koselegare,

alle tiltaler deg a. høfleg (England) miss, please, b. kjærleg, love, dear (Irland)

.

Lista er utarbeida i samarbeid med fetter Gunnar frå landet Kirkwall, Scotland

.

Då vil eg gjerne få sei god natt.

See youse tumårrow, I'm snuggling up in bed any minute now.

Ein blåsbort dag i Irland

2008-10-04T04:40:00.000-07:00

Det er laurdag morgon (les lunsj).
Eg sit i senga mi i Ballyhagen, Irland og strikker. Eg er omgitt av lyselilla garn og sjøgrønt garn, ein halvferdig tøffel, ein ferdig tøffel, ei bok, ein Bibel og ein datamaskin og har det veldig bra =)
.
Eg har mykje å tenke på, og ein del eg skal gjere.
Eg trur eg skal ta ein tur til Edenderry (iiiiden`derry, eg må øva meg på å sei det, slik at eg klarer å få kjøpt bussbilletten)
Iiiden`derry,
iiiiiden`derry,
iiiiden`derry
Okey, eg trur det skal gå bra.
.
Så må eg øva meg på å sei Derrinturn.
Derrinturn.
Det var ikkje så vanskeleg.
.
Eg tenker på om eg skal gå til Derrinturn (der busstoppen er).
Det er berre to kilometer unna.
Viss eg husker veien.
Viss eg tar sjansen på å gå forbi alle dei skumle hundane som bur bortover her.
.
Men då må eg ha joggesko. Og dei er heilt nye, så det luraste er nok å dyppe dei i vann før eg går slik at dei formar seg til foten. Men dette er Irland, eg har på følelsen at eg ikkje treng å gå til Derrinturn. Kanskje eg bles dit istanden.
Og er det eigentleg så lurt å gå med våte sko i kald vind når ein allereie er litt småsjuk?
.
Eg tenker på å kjøpe kamera i Edenderry.
Iiiden`derry.
Eg har så lyst på kamera nå, og så vil eg at mine kjære blogglesarar skal få sjå korleis Irland ser ut på innsida.
.
Men så var det pengane då. Eg er usikker på om eg har råd til både kamera og bussbillett (Eg kunne jo gå til Edenderry, det er berre 4 km). Men viss eg har råd til både bussbillett og kamera, så har eg i alle fall ikkje råd til ny tannbørste og grove knekkebrød, eller ullvaskemiddel.
Hmm, kanskje eg må venta med det kameraet. Eg trur det.
.
Skal eg gå til Edenderry?
Heilt ærleg. Fire kilometer er ikkje så veldig langt (Knudsen er nesten tre, sant?). Viss ein kan vegen vel å merke. Eg kan ikkje vegen. Skulle det gå heilt ille, kan eg jo berre gå tilbake og få nokon til å køyra meg til busstoppen. Når ein ikkje har fjelltoppar å bestiga (eg har ikkje sett eit fjell sidan eg kom hit), så får ein vel ta til takke med det ein har (4 km grus/asvalt til Edenderry). Ein kan ikkje slutte å gå lange turar berre fordi ein bur i Irland vel.
.
Eg trur eg går til Edenderry.
Eg trur ikkje eg seier til nokon at eg har lyst til å prøve.
Eg trur eg prøver å finne eit kart før eg går.
Eg trur det er lurt.
Er det ikkje for tider som dette at ein har mp3-spelar?
Eg trur det.
.
I verste fall går eg meg heilt vekk eller møter ein stor og farleg hund (det første er ikkje veldig sannsynleg sidan vegane her berre er lange og trange, og svært sjeldan kryssar kvarandre. Når det gjeld det andre, kan eg jo berre late som eg ikkje ser han og tenke på at eg aldri er overlatt til skjebnen men alltid er i Guds hender).
.
I nest verste fall, får eg meg ein fin dag på opplevingstur i Ballyhagen.
.
I beste fall kjem eg fram til Edenderry, kjøper grove knekkebrød, sjokolade (evt. til heimturen), ullvaskemiddel og tannbørste og vurderer å gå heim igjen.
.
Eg skal holda dåke oppdatert. Forresten, dette blir jo ikkje verre enn å gå til Arild på ein fire timars søndagstur i oppoverbakke på asvalt, blir det Ingrid (H)? Eg trur eg går ned og et frukost og smører matpakke.
.
Je je, see youse later, I’m goin’ for a wå:k.

Au pair for ein dag

2008-09-29T15:32:00.000-07:00

Eller for eit år. Men dette var for at dåke andre som ikkje er au pairar skal få litt kjensla av korleis det er å vere au pair i Ballyhagen.

08.00: eg vaknar frå ein draum eg gjerne kunne vore litt lenger i. Eg drøymte at eg var på eit Authentic Girl seminar , eg vakna med den tanken i hovudet at eg skulle dit og ville dit og kom til å reisa dit.
Når eg tenker tilbake på drømmen, hugsar eg at dei i tillegg hadde funne den perfekte tre-timars syklusen for mattider for babyar, slik at dei aldri skreik og alltid sovna når dei skulle (les: når eg vil). Kanskje det var dette som gjorde draumen så attraktiv.
.
08.30: dette er tidspunktet då eg byrjer på jobb, så eg fant ut at det var på tide å stå opp frå senga og finna nokre kle å ta på seg (dette går an når jobben er ei trapp unna).
.
Då eg kom ned på kjøkkenet, fant eg ut at stemmen min var vekke, så til tross for fleire venlege "good morning" og "morning" så fekk ikkje vertsfamilien min noko svar (eg er usikker på om dei ikkje merka det, eller bestemte seg for å ignorera meg sidan eg likevel var så uhøfleg). Eg gjekk rundt og leita etter Bianca (5) sin "lunchbag" og då eg fann han, laga eg matpakke til ho. Så laga eg tåteflasker (mjølkepulver+varmt vatn).
.
Då eg hadde gjort det begynte eg på frukosten min. Klokka var nå ca 8.50.
Så skifta eg bleie på Dylan (7 mnd), gav han graut (igjen, pulver + vatn) og vaska av benkane og bordet. Sat oppvask inn i maskinen, sat inn matvarer i kjøleskapet. Prøvde å skifte bleie på Mckayla (nesten 3) (ho blånekta, begynte å grina og akkurat då kom mammy inn døra, så ho skifta bleia i staden). Eg var halveis i frukosten, så eg flytta den siste delen av frukosten min litt vekk frå den våte bleia på bordet.
.
Så kom postmannen på døra, han såg vill og innfødt ut i grønne klede og langt kvitt skjegg. Han peikte på namnet mitt på eit brev og spurte om den personen budde her. Eg sa det var meg, og han sa at det var det han trudde. Brevet var frå misjonsalliansen. Kanskje eg skal støtte eit fadderbarn i Ecuador? Eller Kina? Eg trur kanskje det. Eg liker betre å støtte ein person enn eit prosjekt (i vertfall kjennest det meir ut som å støtte ein person når du får navn og bilete).
Eg kunne tenkt meg eit barn å tenke på, ha bilde av, be for og (viss eg er heldig) sende brev til.
.
Så kom Nanny (bestemor) på besøk, og spurte "hawarye" (how are you, omtrent det same som hallo) og påpeikte som vanleg at vêret såg ut til å vere litt gråare og kaldare enn dagen før. Ho er veldig koselig, eg liker ho veldig godt. Eg satte på to klesvaskar. Eg satte Dylan i walkeren (ein slags gåstol for ungar som er så små at dei eigentleg ikkje kan sitte), så han sprang rundt i den. Han krasja i Mckayla (som begynte å grina) og køyrde to gongar over tærne mine. Eg tok ut av oppvaskmaskinen, og satte inn.
.
Dylan fekk ei flaske og gjekk med på å bli lagt i senga si utan så alt for store problem. Mckayla gjekk på besøk til Nanny (som har ein leilighet i huset vårt). Eg strauk klede og følte meg lite kvalifisert for oppgåva. Eg brant meg fordi eg tok på strykejernet.
.

Eg og Mckayla laga gelè og satte han i kjøleskapet for å venta på at han skulle bli "Wiggely"

Så var det elenvens/coffee break (me i Norge ville kaldt det lunsj). Eg strikka på tøflane mine og dei andre åt. Etterpå tørka eg av bord og benkar, sat mat inn i kjøleskapet, og oppvask inn i maskinen.
.
Eg fekk ei melding på mobilen frå min einaste venn (hittil) i Irland, at ho reiser heim i morgon. Jaja, eg får finne meg ein ny venn i Irland og vere glad for at eg har ein ny i Norge!
Eg var ute på klessnora og henta klede og hang opp klede. Mckayla var travelt opptatt med å vaska hendene og ein tusj ho hadde. Eg strikka litt, puste tennene og kledde på Mckayla. Så var det lunsj (1.00-1.30) og Dylan vakna og eg skifta bleie og gav han meir "pulver+vatn". Mckayla og Mammy drog for å hente Bianca på skulen og eg rydda opp på kjøkkenet (igjen) og bada og kledde på Dylan. Så fant eg fram ei tåteflaske med eplejus, skifta bleie og gjekk opp og la Mckayla. Bianca fingerhekla, drakk varm sjokolademelk og gjorde lekser (fargelegga ein hund og skriva ti r-ar), me krangla om korleis ein skulle skrive r-ane. Eg strikka.
.
Mckayla vakna og eg fylte opp badekaret med lunka vatn. Eg klipte negler og vaska hår og argumenterte for kven som skulle få gå først ut av badekaret. Det blei Mckayla. Så, når begge to etter, skrik og krangling og furting og somling og klaging var ferdige med å kle på seg oppdaga me at Dylan var våken. Han fekk ei flaske og ny bleie.
.
Me gjekk ned på kjøkkenet og spiste gelè og vaniljesaus. Vaniljesausen her er tjukk og ikkje så søt som i Norge. Han kokte over i mikrobølgeovnen. Eg var den einaste som hadde vaniljesaus på gelèen. Hvis du aldri har prøvd å helle varm vaniljesaus over ikkje heilt stiv gelè, så veit du kanskje at gelèen blir til vatn igjen og at vaniljesausen stivnar i store flak. Det var deilig uansett.
Så kom Mammy heim frå jobb (10m unna) og dagen var over. Jippi!!!! =)
.
Eg gjekk på rommet mitt og oppdaterte meg på bloggar, epost og snakka i telefonene på Skype. Så var det middag (07.00). Eg likar ikkje tunfisk, og i dag har eg vore kvalm generelt, så eg drakk heller ein del vann til middagen. Etter middag var eg ute i mørket og snakka med Gud. Sandy, den store raude irske setteren me har, knurra på meg, men då eg snakka til ho kom ho istaden bort til meg og prøvde å gni seg gjennom meg (det kjentes i alle fall slik).
.
Eg fann lovsangar på youtube, åh, om du berre visste korleis det er å høyre norsk musikk =) ein deilig slutt på ein lang dag. Og enda er det berre mandag.

Nå er klokka 00.40. På tide å sova.
Guds fred alle saman,
åslaug

Strikking og tøflar

2008-09-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

Eg trur eg har blitt bitt av ein blogg-bug. Eg har på følelsen at dette ikkje er dagens siste innlegg.
Denne gongen handlar det om strikking.
.
Eg strikkar tøflar. Eg fant ut at eg skulle begynna å strikka og fant ei oppskrift på ein strikke-CDrom eg har. Eg fant ut at det var greit å begynna med noko lite, sidan å strikke ein heil genser og så finne ut at han ikkje passar (most likely), sannsynlegvis hadde ført til ein brå død for strikkegleden, og dermed også strikkekarrieren min.
.
Eg var i Dublin sist lørdag og kjøpe garn. Dei hadde svært dårleg utvalg i garn som var 100% ull, superwash, til pinne nr. 4 og rimelig fine fargar. Nå skal det nevnast at eg presterte (kan det vere noko som ein prest gjer?) å kjøpe garn til pinnar nr. 5, men likevel. Alt garnet i butikken, utanom tre fire små kvadratiske hyller (15x15 cm), då har eg ikkje rekna med dei superdyre 50grams merinoullnøsta, var acryl eller acrylblandingar. Fargane på ullgarnet var så som så. Ikkje mykje eg ville valgt om det hadde vore noko anna. Men det var ikkje det.
.
Eg kom ut av butikken med eit lyselilla nøste og eit med ein lys sjøgrønn farge (ja, det er vanskeleg å forestilla seg). Eg likar dei no, men så har eg tross alt hatt dei mellom fingrane/pinnane nærmare konstant i ei veke òg.
.
Eg begynte på tøflane ein gong i forrige veke, i dag vart eg ferdig med den første. I dag (nærare bestemt 18.09 irsk tid) begynte eg på den andre. Eg skal bli ferdig før torsdag tenkte eg. Hælen og tåa og kanten er lys sjøgrønn, resten av tøffelen er lyselilla. Båndet rundt kanten er også lyselilla.
.
Eg skulle ønske eg hadde kamera, så kunne dåke fått sett bilder, men eg har ikkje det. Eg skal få eit snart (les: om eit par, ganske mange, vekelønningar). Eg gler meg til det.
.
Når eg er ferdig med denne tøffelen, må eg til f.eks Edenderry (I:den, her kjem trykket: derri) for å sjå om eg kan finne Irlands svar på ullvaskemiddelet Milo. Når eg finn det skal eg legge dei to tøflane i lunka Milovatn og vaska og skylla dei. Når dei er tørre og litt pressa, skal eg skriva under dei med "sånn utståande maling som gir same effekt som sånn kvitt under sklisokkar" slik at eg slepp å dette ned trappa her ein gong til. Eg datt berre 4-5 trinn, men eg har eit flott blåmerke på fua enno =)
.
Eg gler meg til dei blir ferdige, så slepp eg å fryse på beina. Irland er eit kaldt og ugjestmildt land. Eigentleg ikkje ugjestmildt, tvert imot, men i alle fall kaldt.
.
Når eg er ferdig med tøflane skal eg strikke eit par i motsette fargar og sende til Ingvild
(Ingvild, hvis du leste dette så fortreng det, slik at du blir skikkelig overraska når dei kjem i posten). Eg tippar ho blir kjempeoverraska. Og det er ein bra ting =)
.
Når eg får kamera skal eg ta bilete av alt eg skriv om. Særleg tøflane.
På torsdag skal eg kanskje på min andre irske pub, eg var på min første i går.
.
Me snakkes,
åslaug

Husarbeid vs. Barnepass

2008-09-28T05:57:00.000-07:00

Eg har jobba litt innanhus i det siste og eg har funne ut ein ting
eg ikkje hadde trudd om meg sjølv.
Eg likar husarbeid.
.
Blant dei tinga eg særlig likar med husarbeid er:
.
*at oppvasken aldri nektar å bli vaska opp fordi det er "feil" farge på oppvaskkosten
.
*bordet verken hyler eller vrir seg eller kliner til heile meg med spytt og matrestar når eg vaskar det
.
*eg kan feie golvet utan at det spør kvifor,
eg kunne ha svart det "du er skitten"
utan at det hadde spurt kvifor igjen,
eg kunne ha svart det på nytt "fordi nokon har gått her inne med skitne sko"
utan at det igjen hadde spurt kvifor,
og eg kunne svart det igjen at "det skulle eg og gjerne visst"
utan at det hadde spurt kvifor igjen
(eg snakkar ikkje med golvet, dette var eit eksempel)
.
*eg kan sette inn i oppvaskmaskina utan at ho protesterer på kva ting som blir satt inn
.
*eg kan tørke støv utan at kluten nektar å ta opp støvet fordi det ikkje var den som la det der (det var ikkje eg heller...)
.
*eg kan sette leikegrinda, sparkesykkelen og bordet der eg vil, utan at det byrjar å grine fordi det ikkje har lyst til å stå der.
.
*eg kan løfte opp ting mens eg feier golvet så ofte som eg vil utan å skjemme dei bort så dei blir "spoiled" og grin med ein gong eg sett dei ned at.
.
*feiebrettet trassar aldri når eg prøver å sette det på plass
.
*oljefyren gjer som eg seier når eg ber han varme opp vatnet i løpet av ein halvtime
.
*vaskemaskinen sluttar ikkje å vaske opp etter to minuttar fordi han heller vil gjere noko anna
.
.
Ein ting eg likar med ungar:
*dei er svært søte med tannkremskum over heile haka,
eg veit eg ikkje er det =)

åslaug

Yes we need it; I love it!

2008-09-20T16:17:00.000-07:00

I’ve thought a little lately about everything I’ve got. It’s a lot. I have everything I need (which is truly marvellous in it self) and MORE! Can you believe it? I have everything, and more.
It’s not really fair. Yet, I know that God have provided me with this aboundance of food, clothes, money, education and blessings and more, for a reason. Not so that I should keep it to myself (which of course would be my first choice). But so that I can pour it out for His kingdom. I have been provided much, to be able to give much.
.
Why give it away to others when God have provided you with it, you might ask. And I agree with you, it’s also my view on the subject. The three year old girl I’m “au pairing” over here said it well:
.
We were at Tesco’s, a large groceries store. She found on a shelf a toothpaste tube with a picture of Shrek on it. She grabbed it at once, saying:
–I want this!
Her older brother tried to be realistic.
–We don’t need it.
Which upon the three year old answered. –Yes, we do; I love it!
.
She loved the toothpaste, as you and I love out posessions, our money, the things we can buy for them, our clothes, books and especially the fact that they’re ours. We love it, and it’s hard letting it go. But we didn’t get it for ourselves. We got our share and the poor people’s share. As Christian our lives don’t even belong to ourselves. Far less our time or things. They’re God’s. And even though I do believe that God wants us to be thankful and appreciate that we have so much, I don’t believe He wants us to keep it for ourselves.
.
I visited Dublin today. A beautiful city with many wealthy people, but away from the large shopping streets, in the smaller, shabby streets excisted another reality than mine.
.
I met a girl today. Her name is Mary. She’s sixteen years old. She has a baby girl, Chloe, with a kidney disease. Mary is standing all day on the street, in rain, sunshine and wind, begging money in a paper cup. Her mother left her after they moved to Dublin, since she's been living alone with her sisters.
.
She, her thirteen year old sister and her older sister, who also have a baby, six weeks old, is forced to beg on the street. They are forced to beg money for nappies, baby food, bus tickets to visit the baby in the hospital, money to pay their host, money to go to their house. When I talked to her, she and her sister hadn’t been eating in two days, neither had she been able to visit her baby girl in these two days. I met her sister as well. They told me of a reality far different from mine as a sixteen year old...
.
Mary had been begging since nine o’ clock in the morning when I met her, she had got a few cents, maybe an euro or two (ca: 16 nok) in all. She told me that they had to stay in a parking house overnight when they had no money for the bus. Her sister had been beaten up, the same had she. They had been awaken by men who told them they couldn’t stay there, and they’d been beaten up. They had bruises.
.
I gave her some money and followed her and her sister to a groceries store, to buy some food and baby stuff. All the time my mind was in chaos, everything I’ve heard of hired beggars, foolish, compassionate people who wrench their pockets and support this business. How I’ve always heard that one should avoid eye contact with beggars. Well, I didn’t:
Mary have pretty green eyes with a little brown in them, her skin is pale with millions of light brown freckles. Both she and her sister have long dark hair, fastened on top of their head. They wore jeans and old track suit jackets.
.
My mind made it quite clear that I was being foolish and that none of my friends would see this as other than stupidity. My heart, had other arguments and questions. My heart saw the desperation, the trembling of her lips, the crack in her voice as she explained her baby’s kidney disease to me once more, due to my poor English understanding. Her hands around the white paper cup, were so small. Her whole being so humbly, so polite, yet, desperate from her heart. While my brain was trying to find out whether she was a superb actress or actually telling the truth, my heart were struggling with different questions.
If Jesus was walking here, what would He have responded? Would He have turned her down, afraid that she was a liar?
Wasn’t I supposed to be His hands and feet?
What if she had been Jesus, would I have walked away from Him, telling Him to be a liar?
.
And His words echoed in my heart:
“For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ “ Matthew 25:35-40
.
I couldn’t refuse these girls. For what if it was true? What if what they told me of their life on the streets, with rape, beating, hunger and fear was true? What if she really was sixteen years old had a baby with a kidney disease, unable to provide her child nappies and food? What if she told the truth, and I turned her down? She had cried to the Lord. I am His hands and feet. When He would have lovingly responded to their cry, this is a task given to us, through Him.
As Jackie Pollunder says; It’s a task the angels would love to do, but He has given it to us. We are His body on earth. We are His answer to the cries of the hopeless.
How could I know I wasn’t the only one taking time to listen to their pleads and answer?
What if I didn’t respond?
Would anyone else?
.
I might hear from people that do not follow Christ that I wasted my money today. And I wasted a lot of them. That’s okay. They don’t share my view on this. It wasn’t my money in the first place. It was God’s. Provided to me so that I might use them for Him.
Today He fed His daughters in the streets of Dublin. With His money.
Whatever I did was for Him, on His behalf. It wasn't done in my strength. Not even in my will.
.
I was the first person who had stopped and talked to Mary at lunchtime. Maybe I was the only one today.
Why?
Because we’ve raised to believe that we deserve our money (what a stupid thought). Because we love them, we think we need them.
We don’t.
.
Yes, I could have used “my money” differently today. But a nail shining kit, a new book on Christian Living, more clothes and twenty Fox-mints for my personal use wouldn’t have fed Mary and her sisters.
I did so little, I still had a hundred euros when I left them.
I love these euros. But their not really mine.
.
I could have chosen to spend my time differently today. I could have experienced more of Dublin, bought more clothes, visited the library, had my lunch at a cozy little cafè. But I didn’t. Instead, I spent some hours with two precious girls. I went to the shop with them, I saw the thankfulness in their eyes, their pleading against my own hard heart. I prayed with them. I was scared. I hugged them, held their hands. I reached out to them, a thousand times out of my comfort zone, and I received Jesus.
I received Jesus.
And whatever I did to two of the least of His sisters, I did to Him.
.
He provided me with more than I’ll ever need, so that I could pour out more, as I have been given more, to showcase His love. He loved these two girls today, I was merely the tool.
Yes, I definitely love my money and everything I own, but I do not need it.
I need Jesus. I will not let the thought of what I could by for a mere weeks wage keep me from serving Him. He is my light and my guidance.
I love Him; I need Him.
.
.
åslaug

Another week, countless blessings

2008-09-19T18:18:00.000-07:00

I won’t count them either, at least not for anything else than to praise God He gave them to me.
.
So, I’m now in my third week as an au pair in a country far far away from home (or so it seems, even though home is here, God is my home, God is here, I am here; I am home).
.
For two weeks and four days I have not heard my name (except in the phone) prounounced properly (it is one of the three things I miss the most),
I have not got a single real hug (most people who know me know what I mean, don’t you?), that’s the second thing.
I miss my sister, she’s the third thing (Ingvild, du er en ting =).
For two weeks and four days I have been wearing skirts/dresses all the time,
I’ve been speaking English every day,
I’ve been in Ireland.
.
The things that struck me as most strange in this country/my is:
*They don’t understand what I’m saying (American English)
*I don’t understand what they’re saying (Irish English, quite rural accent at times)
*I don’t have any friends
*I don’t have any spare time activities (spear time is funnier, but it kind of ruins the meaning)
.
My life have been changing so much lately that I am not sure who I am… Not that it bothers me much; I know whose I am. I am God’s. My life have been changing, but it is also changing, so I won’t waste anytime analyzing who I am today. Tomorrow, I might be wrong. I will be His, today, tomorrow, forever, as I was His, today, yesterday, last year, forever.
It is, all that matters.
.
The important thing is that He have a plan, not that I have a plan. My plan is mostly, first ridiculous, then desperate and in the end, always failure. His plan is always perfect. Even if in the middle of it all it’s tempting to think of better ways. In the end, His plans are success.
.
Today I have been making two apple cakes (one with a two year old, the other with a five year old).
I’ve been changing nappies (this feels kind of like a prayer routine in a monastry, by now). I’ve been bottle feeding a baby (big one! =) cradled in my arm.
I’ve watched him fall asleep,
I’ve adored his sweet face, and before he fell asleep looked deeply into his eyes, finding so much I had forgot excisted: joy, purity, peace, contentment, faith.
I’ve felt his soft hand hit my face when I lifted him up from bed (his hands just place themselves around on things and people and stuff, quite coincidentially), and in the evening, clap to my mouth (I suspect that one incident to be a way of stealing a blown kiss =).
I’ve been baby sitting. Me sitting on the floor with a cup of hot chocolate and apple cake, baby a yard away.
I’ve had a wonderfully warm, almost awaken, still very tired child in my arms.
I’ve met a new girl, an au pair, as me.
I’ve given out a whoop of delight realizing that the fellow in the Uncle Ben’s ad, boiling his rice in a geysir (all scandinavians do this), was speaking Norwegian. It is the second time I’ve seen that ad since I came here, and I could never have dreamed of before getting here how precious the words ”Perfekt ris, hver gang” (perfect rice, every time) would be to me.
I’ve sewn two, or more like, six buttons in a suit jacket. Sewing buttons (or repairing clothes in general) is quite a personal thing, emotionally loaded and a act of service, love (to the person) and worship (to God). I couldn’t have done it for any fellow, I’m quite sure, without risking to respond to the emotional load coming with it (this was my host dad’s jacket, so it was okay). It’s something about the old times, and the overwhelming amount of time and effort to make clothes. All the love laid in every stich and each folding. It’s precious.
I’ve seen a postman (he looked like he had come out from the mighty forest, walking for days to deliver our post. He had a grey beard and green clothes and is the wildest looking postman I’ve ever seen. I liked him.)
I’ve been outside, tasting the wonderful autumn air, feeling the wind caress my face, with a smile to Heaven, thanking.
I’m tired.
I’m having a bad conscience about not writing any letters home. I might e-mail a link to this post. It’s by far good enough. I’m sorry. The new me, seems to be a lazy me, or a constant sick/sneezing/light cold me, or even a very preoccupied me. All the me’s are sorry.
I love you and I miss you.
It’s tempting to give in to self-pity or homesickness. But I won’t. I’m here for a reason (which I don’t know, since I’m not the one who sent me). But I am here for a reason. I am here, my life is here. And it’s an immensely beautiful and blessed life.

Lord, I am so thankful. I am so thankful.

åslaug

More blessings

2008-09-08T12:36:00.000-07:00

*clean clothes, coming in after a whole day on the clothesline, smelling sunshine and fresh air..
*a child finally asleep, without coughing or crying
*seeing the cold child's lips turn from purple to red, when she's wrapped in towels and your arms.
*a child learning to knit for the first time
*a little girl in a white apron, mixing the bread dough with her wooden mixing spoon.
*a laughing baby
*pasta, beef and fresh tomatosauce when you've been too busy to eat all day since breakfast
*a beautiful night sky
*hot apple stew and custard
*a wonderful hot shower in the evening
*snuggle up in bed after a long, exhausting day
*to know that you are loved beyond measure
*being wrapped in God's love
*to fall asleep listening to His soothing voice

Sweet Blessings

2008-08-26T13:56:00.000-07:00

Hello =)

I'm writing my first *long* post in quite a while, simply to tell you of the sweet blessings God have poured out on me these last days...

I am truly thankful, Lord!

Today, the sun have been shining brightly all day, I'm quite sure (I can't be certain since I haven't been watching all the time). I've enjoyed to the full being lazy, despite the fact that what needs to be done (packing down and moving out from my bedroom for four years, packing a suitcase with everything I'll need for one year, going through yard-sale-boxes-to-be, throwing away a lot and give even more to the yardsale) probably will take all night and most hours before leaving tomorrow.

I've enjoyed being *lazy* because I've realized that I might not come back here, I know for sure I won't be back in this house, and I know for certain that I will never be back to enjoy *this beautiful day*.

I have been sitting all still after making breakfast, waiting for my father to come, watching the smoke from the heat of my hot tea in a mug whirling and dancing on it's way up in the air.

I've been sitting silently on my chair, eyes closed feeling the sunshine from outside my window caressing my face with tender rays. I enjoyed every second, and in the end I woke up a few minutes later, just to find that the soon-to-set beautiful sun was still there. Smiling at me between the large pines of the wood aside my grandparents house.

I've been standing marvelling over a pan with lasagna sauce just before the point of boiling, watching fascinated as the heat lured under the surface of the sauce, eager to reach the surface and the air over it, but not yet, not yet. All of the surface of the sauce heaving, before, slowly bubbles coming to the surface. What didn't God think about when he created the art of heat and boiling liquid?

I've been walking cheerfully through the pine woods, picking occasionally blueberries alongside my path, shoving away leaf covered branches to find the magical journey continue on the path behind them.

I picked flowers from the hedge surrounding our garden. Beautiful small yellow flowers, dressed in their simple, genuine, precious everyday dresses. Sniffing in their beauty, smelling like childhood, summer and blessing sunlight.

Yesterday I enjoyed being lazy, procastinating what needed to be done, which have yet not been done, because other things seemed more eternal and precious.

I ran barefoot over the grass (and mostly moss) in the garden,

I climbed plum trees, brickwalls and crawled around to gather five boxes of lovely, summerfresh, ripe plums. Some so ripe that they fell into my hands the moment my fingers touched them. Another fully ripened, fell from the tree I was standing under, bumping into the fabric of my green full-length skirt before rolling down, landing between my feet.

I reached through the raspberry bushes to gather the two last rasberries of the year.

I sat down in the back of the garden, tasting their sweet, full taste. Praising God for providing them, resting in Him, there in the back of our garden, under the clouded, but not at all grey, sky. Taking much more than the time I perhaps should, just to sit by His feet, drinking in His peace.

I enjoyed being the house wife in our home, cooking and cleaning for my ill father. Doing my best in providing him the food and homely haven and time with his daughter he needed before she answering God's calling moves to a country far far away. Providing him with everything he would want, as he has provided for me, loved me, taken care of me, comforted me, teached me and taught me and been an example for me in all my nineteen years in this world.

I was lazy, but I will never regret it. The last three days in your home, before moving away for a long long time, selling the house and being far far away from all those you love so dearly, being able to leave them only in the confidence that you have given Him them all, and that they are in His hands, protected, provided, immensely loved and completely fulfilled, is like made to be lazy. Like made to remember, and treasure the memories, forever, and for a very long time.

Being lazy, and appreciating that my very dear and precious friend, sister and encourager, Jewels, have made her way back to the blogosphere again, after a very long time. Being lazy and reading her words of life and loving God, her day-to-day testemony of knowing and loving God, looking at the pictures of herself and her precious family, caught up in day-to-day chores, the photoes of everyday beauty. Learning from her wisdom and thanking God, for the fact that *she exists* and is everything she is and is not, to me and to everyone else.

Being lazy, writing stories to the glory of God, to understand Him better, for Him to reveal to others His signifiance, reading poetry of His beauty and singing hymns to His praise.

Being lazy have been a precious time, a wonderful blessing. I thank You Lord, My Beautiful Prince, of all my heart.

Lazyness, is truly a gift from God!
I hope you have all had a very blessed day,

lovingly åslaug

***The photos are taken about a year ago and it's the very hedge that I was being lazy and picking the flowers from, smelling them and enjoying them today, and the neighbour plum tree from which I was picking ripe plums from yesterday, one year later.

I found that there was more to live for than I ever dreamed of...

2008-08-22T13:15:00.000-07:00

“In Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).
This means, simply, God is our home” *

~so what am I to say but, home sweet home?
Beautiful Jesus. I'm going home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gakF1C62u0w

*Quote taken from Amy Carmichael,
in her book: Edges of His Ways

In His Presence

2008-07-01T02:14:00.000-07:00

I’m dwelling at the tip of a cliff, I don’t know if I’ll dare to swim on water this deep. Then I realize I’m already underneath the surface, cool water is wrapping me into itself. I can see the surface high above me. Or am I wrong?

There’s a light up there, it must be the sun. I was wrong a minute ago, I thought I were on my way out into deep water, and suddenly I was deep down in it already. If I’m wrong now, if I fail to find the right way, if what I’m swinning towards is not the surface. Then… I keep swimming. I don’t understand where the strength in my arms come from. It’s streaming through me forcing me to swim faster, I’ll soon be out of air in my lungs. I’ll soon be…

I reach the surface. My mouth and troat is filled with water, I can’t breath. I hawk and coughs, swallow away water as where it food. I can breath, Oh God, I can breath. I see the light I thought was the sun. It’s not the sun.

Suddenly all my strength leaves me, my feet stop treading the water. My head, I have to keep my head above the water. I have to, I have to. His hands reach underneath my neck. He’s holding my head. I relax. He’s holding me. I can breath. And I breath. My chest lifts and lowers for every breath I take. I can breath. His light is shining on my face. My face is shining. I never knew my skin could be a mirror in this way, but it is.

Why are you holding me here, can you not lift me up?
It’s not time yet, he smiles.
I realize I’ve been here before. He smiles, and looks at me. Why do I feel so alive?
I am your life.
He looks at me. He looks at me like I am a shining diamond,
like I’m life,
love,
everything that is beautiful in this world.
His eyes are filled with love, with tears of joy. For me being here? He looks like I’m the most lovely person He has ever laid eyes on.
You are.

I know I’ll soon leave, there are strains of water tugging at me. I can’t resist them. But when can I leave the water? When can I be where you are? He smiles again, and my heart flutters with joy.
Soon.
And I see the truth in His eyes.
And I know, I know, that soon.
Soon I will come again, and He will lift me up from the water.
I will lay my arms around His neck, all the water will purl away from my body.

And we will dance.

And His loving glance, His joy and smile, His shining light will forever surround me.

I will never again have to die to myself and fight the waters to live with Him.
Because then,
soon,
I will be in Him.
I will be in Him as He is in me, as it was the meaning from the beginning of all times.
Jesus?
Yes?
Nothing, I just…

And then He assures me, as had I never asked:

I love you.

Go to work!

2008-06-30T02:24:00.000-07:00

I have this conviction that if I just write on my blog that I'm going to do something,
I will do it,

because I have to,

due to the cause that I've already said so =)

I might be wrong,

but today, I'll give it a try:

Now I have to go packing for Chicago,

and go through my closet, bookshelves and other stuff,

throw out what I don't need or use or like,

keep the rest.

Oh, don't worry!

I'm pretty sure that even if I do this twice, I'll never really be minimalistic,

but I do have too much stuff,

next year I'm moving by air,

means I can only bring 20 kg to my new temporary home.

I need this clean out session.

I do.

Okay, so off we go!

Have a blessed, blessed day =)

Eg er uovervinneleg

2008-06-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

I dag har eg kjempa som ein helt. Eg har vunne mange kampar. Eg er uovervinneleg. Motstandaren min var ein treåring i trassalderen.

Ein absolutt verdig motstandar og kampane vart utkjempa med list, smiger, kløkt og mot.

Eg vann kampen om leverposteien (det seier seg sjølv at ein barnevakt ikkje kan godta at halve, utan å overdrive, leverposteiboksen skal på ei einaste skive)

Eg vann kampen om den oransje dropsen (enden på visa var at dropsen fekk ligga i ei glasskål under ein gul tøykrabbe medan den flinke barnevakten nummer to las om "den vesle bjørnen og den vesle tigeren")

Eg vann kampen om dei raude trantablettane (her kom ein far-patrulje til unnsetning, sjølv om me hadde situasjonen under kontroll)

Eg vann kampen om sauen Shaun (etter mange logiske innlegg i den etter kvart svært oppheita debatten om å sjå ein dvd til, såg han ei løysing i boka om "den vesle bjørnen og den vesle tigeren" )

Kampen eg ikkje vann: barnevakt sjarmert i senk

Eg smelta heilt då luringen og eg sat ved sida av kvarandre i sofaen og såg på Elias. Plutseleg snudde han seg mot meg med eit sjarmerande smil og kviskra: "Skal me holda kvarandre?"

Me haldt hender resten av Elias-filmen =)

Eg var uovervinneleg, heilt til då.

Eit nytt barn

2008-06-24T02:13:00.000-07:00

Eg har vore i Herøysund, på garden Inngjerdet dei siste dagane. Der har eg besøkt farbror Øystein og Una og vesle Solfinn. Eg har øvd meg til å vera au pair i Irland.

Una skulle ha eit barn ganske snart, og natt til mandag vart eg vekt klokka tre om natta. Jordmor sat i stova då eg kom ned, og ikkje lenge etter sat me i bilen på veg til ferjekaien på Sunde for å ta ambulansebåten. I båten var eg barnevakt og passa på at Solfinn ikkje ramla utanfor benken han låg på. Då me kom fram hadde han vakna og var ganske forvirra. Me tok drosje frå kaien til sjukehuset, der slapp me av Una og køyrde vidare opp til Olvikvegen for at eg og Solfinn kunne legga oss til å sova.

Solfinn var på dette tidspunktet ganske vaken og etter å ha lagt seg første gong, stod han opp igjen og var "tørst og sulten". Eg fann skive med kvitost til han og eit glas mjølk og vatn. Då han hadde ete den eine skiva, annonserte han at han ville ha tusen skiver til. Eg og farmor foreslo at han heller kunne få tusen skiver i morgon, for nå var det eigentleg natt. Han var ikkje heilt med på den, logisk nok: når lyset (og regnet) er det same heile døgnet er det ikkje lett å forstå at natta er mellom elleve og åtte.
Han endra ønsket om å eta til å ville lesa bok. Farmor sa me kunne lesa bok dagen etter, men då kom det resolutt: "Nei, i morgon har vi ikkje tid. For då skal vi på sjukehuset og få ut babyen."

Eg gjekk og la Solfinn igjen, og så gjekk eg og la meg.
Dunk, dunk, dunk, dunk.
Lyden av små føter som går ned trappa. Lys barnestemme i etasjen over. Eg står opp att.
Solfinn har no bestemt seg for at han vil lesa bok, nede. Eg les litt for Solfinn, han sovnar ikkje. Farmor tilbyr seg å sitje oppe med han i stova. Eg kapitulerer og legg meg att. Eg veit ikkje om han sov resten av natta, men det gjorde eg.

Eg vakna skraping og dunking på døra mi. Solfinn prøvde å feste eit basketballstativ mellom soveromsdøra mi og dørkarmen. Eg stod opp. Eg møtte farmor på kjøkkenet. Klokka var ni, eg hadde sove i tre timar.

Vesleguten til Una og Øystein kom 06.45.

Solfinn var plutselig storebror. Han var ivrig etter å sjå babyen, så me gjekk bort på sjukehuset. Der møtte me Øystein og Una og vesleguten.
Av farmor fekk han nyplukka roser frå hagen. Av meg fekk han babysokkar strikka av Una sitt restegarn og pinnar. Solfinn fekk ei eske med drops.

Babyen var liten. Han laga lite lyd og var enno verken målt eller vegt. Han hadde heller ikkje navn. Skjønt, alt dette er manglar ein klarar å leve med.

Då Solfinn kom heim til oss etterpå, var det første han sa til Per (som opna døra): "Eg har fått ein baby!"
Dette oppsummerer vel natta og dagen sine hendingar.
GRATULERER TIL UNA, ØYSTEIN OG SOLFINN.

JUBILEUMSINNLEGG!!

2008-06-15T14:43:00.000-07:00

Dette er altså innlegg nummer 50 på denne bloggen.

Og det er sanneleg på tide: over ein månad sidan sist!

Ellers er eg heime for sumaren.

Eg er FERDIG MED VIDAREGÅANDE.

Eg treng ALDRI MEIR GÅ PÅ SKULE med mindre eg vil.

Orda med store bokstavar er ord eg likar å seie høgt, med trykk på alle orda. Det gir meg ei deilig kjensle innvending å sei dei,

høgt,

men trykk på kvart ord.

Likevel var fredagen ein sorgens dag. Eg var, som alle andre i tredje klasse, nøydde til å slutta på KVS. Stort tristare kan det verkeleg ikkje verta. Eg grein. Men ikkje på langt nær så mykje som mange andre. Men eg fekk mange gode klemmar og ord eg kjem til å hugsa lenge! Eg har hatt tre fantastiske år på verdas beste skule, eg skulle gjerne ha budd der i ni år til. Men eg er glad for å vere ferdig med eksamen.

Neste år siktar eg mot den grønne øya.

Laaangt heimefrå.

Her skal det verta engelsk å vera stolt av.

eg gler meg

mest fordi eg veit kva eg skal gjere neste år:

eg skal vere au pair i Irland.

eg gler meg.

Gud er god.

God natt.

*eg tykte forresten at det passa framifrå med eit bilete av ein soldat frå første verdskrig som vert kyssa farvel av ei jente. Det er på kinnet, så det er sømeleg nok =) og dette var eit kamuflert farvel innlegg... farvel KVS..

Free to do what?

2008-05-03T06:52:00.000-07:00

"You and I were made to worship,

you and are called to love,

you and I are forgiven and free..."

excerpt from the song "Made to Worship" by Chris Tomlin

Som mennesker er vi skapt for å tilbe Gud,

av Han som skapte oss og ble menneske selv, er vi kalt til å elske.

I Ham er vi tilgitt og frie.

Fri fra hva? Synd.

Fri til å gjøre hva da? Tilbe og elske.

Vi har en mening og et kall. Hva venter vi på?

As human beings we are created to worship God,

by He who made us and Himself became a human, vi are called to love.

In Him, we are forgiven and free.

Free from what? Sin.

Free to do what? Worship and love.

We have a meaning and a calling. What are we waiting for?

2008-04-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

Peace - that was the other name for home.

~Kathleen Norris

Where we love is home,

Home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.

~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts.

~Author Unknown

The informality of family life is a blessed condition that allows us to become our best while looking our worst.

~Marge Kennedy

A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost.

~Marion C. Garretty

A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves - a special kind of double.

~Toni Morrison

Jeg er hjemme!!!

Takk Gud

Russen blomstrar =)

2008-04-30T14:30:00.000-07:00

Hallo hallo.

I dag e da onsdag.

Eg har brukt ca 10 minutta av dagen på å stå opp,

2,5 min av dagen te å ta russeknuten: "bade i sjøen/elva før 1. mai"

5 tima av dagen te å vera på trafikkdag

15 min (tilsamen) på å dramatisera "russ som drikke vodka og kjøre bil og krasje"

7 tima te å komma meg heim te Stord (som e laaangt frå Lyngdal)

sikkert 1 time (til saman) med å svare på spørsmålet "kan æ/jeg/eg få russekort?"

snart 10 minutta te å blogga på dialekt

snart e dagen over.

De siste vekene har gått med te nåke så på fint kalles "russefeiring".

Da vil sei at

* overalt kor du går risikere du å få stygge og/eller nedlatande blikk fordi du e "russ" (dette late te å ver enten ein smittsom sjukdom a la spedalskhet eller eit slags forkasteleg yrke)

* bilar stoppe langs vegen og prøve:

1. å spruta vatn på deg med vanngevær

2. å slenga ut ein unge som ska spør ette russekort

* dersom du har på deg russebuksa blir du svært ofte "overfalt" av ungar som vil ha russekort, og dei vil som regel ha to slik at de kan ta med til bestemor/lillesøster. Dei bruker ikkje alltid truslar

* bussjåføra må vurdera om de vil ta deg med kystbussen eller ikkje (mest på tull, men likevel)

Eg føle identiteten min desse vekene sakte men sikkert har blitt redusert til ei rød bukse. Eg vett ikkje om da e positivt, men eg trur eg ska skriva meir om dette seinare.

Det er sjølvsagt morsomme ting med å vera russ òg:

* russeknutar: hittil har eg sove i hagen til to lærarar, vore på filmkveld hos ein av dei, snurra tretti gongar rundt og styrta ein liter kulturmjølk (anbefales ikkje, sjøl om kultrmjølk e godt), leikt utstillingsdokke i eit butikkvindu i 15 minuttar, hatt ein seriøs samtale med ein lyktestolpe i 10 minuttar (dersom du føle at folk aldri virkelig lytte te da du seie utan å avbryta e dette ein god idè), pussa gangfelt med tannbørste, leikt hund på rema 1000 i Lyngdal og mykje anna...

* russetreff (Kristenruss) i Kragerø (dette va et høydepunkt)

* terrornatt

* å laga russebuksa di akkurat sånn du vil

* du sleppe å tenka på ka buksa du ska ha på deg når du står opp og har dårlig tid.

* synga "heltane frå Sørlandet, O aoa o!" når det måtte passa seg (som er ganske ofte)

Takk for oppmerksomheten.

As I Wait

2008-04-22T08:25:00.000-07:00

"Everlasting God"

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord

We will wait upon the Lord

We will wait upon the Lord

Our God, You reign forever

Our hope, our Strong Deliverer

You are the everlasting God

The everlasting God

You do not faint

You won't grow weary

Our God, You reign forever

Our hope, our Strong Deliverer

You are the everlasting God

The everlasting God

You do not faint

You won't grow weary

You're the defender of the weak

You comfort those in need

You lift us up on wings like eagles

Chris Tomlin

"Selv når du sier at du ikke ser ham,

ser han din sak. Bare vent på ham!"

"How much less, then, will he listen

when you say that you do not see him,

that your case is before him

and you must wait for him,"

Job 35:14

"De som venter på deg, blir aldri til skamme,

til skamme blir bare de

som handler troløst – til ingen nytte.

Herre, vis meg dine veier,

og lær meg dine stier!

La meg få vandre i din sannhet;

lær meg, Gud, for du er min frelser.

Jeg venter dagen lang på deg."

"No one whose hope is in you

will ever be put to shame,

but they will be put to shame

who are treacherous without excuse.
Show me your ways, O LORD,

teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,

for you are God my Savior,

and my hope is in you all day long."

Salme/Psalm 25:3-5

This psalm is written by David, these days, though, I could just as likely have written the words myself. When I searched for the word "wait" at an online Bible search, I got plenty of hits. People in the Bible sure must have experienced a lot of waiting too, don't you think? My search results tells me so. The hits weren't always stories of people waiting, there also was a lot of psalms written by people waiting. Waiting upon God should be a good thing, shouldn't it? I mean, imagine knowing that you know you're doing God's plan, simply by doing nothing. Actually, it only feels frustrating. But I will wait.

Noone whose hope is in Him, will ever be to shame.

I, who have my hope in Him, will never be to shame.

He will answer, He will speak.

In His time. His perfect time.

He's the Lord.

Retreat

2008-04-11T02:57:00.000-07:00

Retreat: å trekke seg tilbake,

ut av omgivelser og aktiviteter som hører hverdagen til,

for å komme sammen med Gud,

og være alene med Ham.

”Kom med til et ensomt sted,
hvor vi kan være alene,
og hvil litt.”
Mark 6, 31

Jeg har vært på familieretreat i mange år. Da var jeg liten. Det var mest gøy fordi det var mange andre barn å leke med. I ettertid ser jeg jo også at jeg lærte mye av å være der. Jeg lærte mange sanger og bønnerop som jeg bruker enda, og jeg lærte mye om Bibelen.

Forrige helg var første gang jeg prøvde å ha retreat for meg selv.

Bare meg og Gud.

Helt alene.

En del av meg var i tvil om jeg skulle fortelle det til noen andre,

i frykt for at de skulle tro jeg var gal,

en annen del tenkte: hva i alle dager skal jeg gjøre???,

den tredje delen ville mer enn gjerne prøve.
Sistnevnte var mest fremtrendende og vant derfor valget.

Jeg vasket internatrommet mitt for helga og låste døra. Deretter tok jeg med meg en stor sekk opp til det som skulle være mitt retreat sted: et annet internatrom, jeg hadde fått låne av ei som skulle vekk i helga.

Jeg tente telys (i vann selvsagt, for de som kjenner internatreglene),

lånte lovsangsCDer og satte på musikk

jeg hadde med meg Bibelen min og leste i den

jeg hadde med meg en bok som het "Completely His", jeg leste i den

jeg hadde med meg en notatbok som jeg skrev i,

jeg hadde pysjamas,
tøfler,

tepper,

puter og dyne,

sjokolade.

Jeg dro hjem igjen til rommet mitt etter den helga med:

glede, fred, fornyet syn på Gud

og en sterk følelse av å være elsket

Dette er kanskje det beste jeg har gjort =)

det anbefales.

*Du trenger ikke å sette av en helg. Du kan ta times tid, en dag, en uke. Du kan gå en tur med Gud i skogen, langs stranda. Gå ut i skogen og finne et sted å sitte og lytte. Man trenger ikke å snakke på en retreat, man kan godt lytte. Gud har mye å si deg =)

Gud lengter etter å være sammen med deg. Alene. Han lengter etter å fortelle deg hvor høyt Han elsker deg. Han lengter etter tid alene med deg. Ikke for å fortelle deg om dine feil eller for å påtvinge deg enda en plikt.

Han lengter etter å elske deg.

The world is white

2008-03-28T14:35:00.000-07:00

The world is white!

It's not colourless, it's white!

Perfectly, shining, glittering white!

I'm with my class on a school trip in Alta.

It's snow everywhere;

drifting through the air, melting underneath your stockings when stepping on it in the hall, covering trees, cars, the ground and the lakes.

And it's beautiful. Among the most beautiful places I've ever visited. I am thrilled =)

And watching all this snow, in all it's white beauty, I can't help to think about the words told by Isaiah in chapter 1, verse 18:

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD:

though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;

though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. "

I didn't ever realise how forgiven I was, until I saw how white the snow here really was.

It's white, I'll tell you.

I am forgiven,

my sins are the colour of this snow.

YOU are forgiven.

The colour of your sins are whiter than imagineable. I promise.

Have a precious week. God bless you all.

Jesus er oppstanden!

2008-03-23T05:07:00.000-07:00

-Ja, Han er sannelig oppstanden!

-Kristus er oppstanden!

-Ja, Han er sannelig oppstanden!

-Herren er oppstanden!

-JA, HAN ER SANNELIG OPPSTANDEN!

I dag er det påskedag. Jesus har stått opp fra de døde, og alle sorger er herved slukket. Vi trenger aldri mer frykte døden. Jesus har gitt sitt liv og ved å stå opp igjen har Han bevist at Han har vunnet over døden. Derfor har vi ingenting å frykte. Den tomme graven er et symbol på at Jesus ikke lenger er her.

Hans fravær er tegnet på et annet slags nærvær. Fra nå av er Han alltid hos oss i ånden, til vi igjen skal få være hos Ham i Himmelen. Første påskedag er et symbol på den evige oppstandelsen, den evige seieren over døden!

Klapp alle hender i glede! Dette er dagen Gud har gjort!

Deg være ære, Herre over dødens makt!

Evig skal døden være Kristus underlagt.

Lyset fyller haven, se en engel kom,

åpnet den stengte graven:

Jesu grav er tom!

Å, salige stund uten like,

Han lever, Han lever ennu!

Han vandrer i seierens rike,

min sjel, hvorfor sørger da du?

Han er ikke lenger i graven,

hvor bleknet i døden Han lå.

Jeg levende så Ham i haven, og aldri så skjønn jeg Ham så.

Jeg levende så Ham i haven, og aldri så skjønn jeg Ham så.

Jeg har vært til påskegudstjeneste i dag, i Skoklefall kirke på Nesodden. Det er den flotteste Gudstjenesten jeg har vært på. Jeg har aldri før fått feire påske i kirken sammen med så mange glade mennesker. Noe av det jeg skriver i dag kommer fra den preika

(skjønt det er ikke et forsøk på plagiat, men bare videreformidling til dem som var så uheldige å ikke være i Skoklefall i dag).

Tidleg om morgonen første dagen i veka, medan det endå er mørkt,

kjem Maria Magdalena til grava.

Då får ho sjå at steinen er teken bort frå grava.

Ho spring av stad og kjem til Simon Peter og den andre disippelen, han som Jesus hadde kjær, og seier til dei: «Dei har teke Herren ut av grava, og vi veit ikkje kvar dei har lagt han.»

Då tok Peter og den andre disippelen ut og kom til grava.

Dei sprang saman, men den andre disippelen sprang fortare enn Peter og kom først til grava. Han bøygde seg inn og såg linkleda som låg der, men han gjekk ikkje inn i grava.

Simon Peter følgde etter, og han gjekk inn.

Han såg linkleda som låg der, og duken som Jesus hadde hatt over hovudet.

Den låg ikkje saman med linkleda, men samanrulla på ein stad for seg.

Då gjekk den andre disippelen òg inn, han som var komen først fram til grava.

Han såg og trudde.

For endå hadde dei ikkje skjøna det Skrifta seier, at han måtte stå opp frå dei døde.

Så gjekk disiplane heim.

Joh 20,1–10

Bildet øverst, er av graven de mener Jesus lå i for 2000 år siden.

Graven var tom påskemorgen den gangen for så lenge siden og den er tom nå.

Da Peter og Johannes kom til graven fant de ikke Jesus. De fant en tom grav.

De gikk til et sted der det bare fantes død, og likevel gikk de derifra med håp om liv.

Den tomme graven var et symbol på at Jesus var et annet sted. På vei for å møte dem.

De hadde ingenting å hente i den tomme graven, derfor gikk de hjem.

Kanskje har vi også noen graver som vi ofte besøker. Det kan være områder av livet vårt der vi ikke har noe å hente, der vi bare fokuserer på vår utilstrekkelighet og på alt vi ikke er eller klarer. Disse gravene er som alle andre graver. De symboliserer et sted der det bare finnes død. I likhet med Jesu grav, er også disse gravene er tomme.

Og som Peter og Johannes, skal vi skal få gå bort fra dem med håp og i tro.

Jesus er ikke i graven, Han er på vei for å møte oss.

Derfor kan vi også gå hjem, ikke til huset vårt, men til vårt indre hjem.

Der, eller på veien, skal vi få møte Herren,

den oppstandne Jesus Kristus.

God Påske!

About Avoiding Alligators in Your Backyard

2008-03-09T03:02:00.000-07:00

Anyone ever heard the story of the old woman who had an alligator in her backyard?

Well, I read it in my devotional annual.

There was an old lady living by herself outside a little village. Her husband was dead, and her children were grown up, and had all moved away. In the end of a little path through the garden, was an old pond in her garden.

The old lady was more than seventy years old and had been living alone in her big house for over thirty years. But she liked living there and did not feel like moving to a residental care home. In the large pond, there lived an old alligator. It might have been even older than the old lady herself.

Every morning she went down to the shore to feed the alligator. It had never done her anything, it had not even as much as snapped after her. The old woman felt safe. From time to time she was visited by large film crews from talk-shows, wanting to publish the strange story of the old lady and her alligator.

One day, out of nowhere, the alligator took both the bread she was feeding it with and her arm! She managed to get herself up to the house, calling 911. Everyone was in shock when the story came out. Why would the alligator hurt the old lady when she'd been feeding him for the last thirty years?

In my devotional annual it explained it like this:

The alligator is a symbol of sin. Sometimes we let sin live in our backyard (or lives) for a long time, just because we don't feel like it's doing any harm to us. Well, try again. It does. Sooner or later it will bite. Why would we want it in our backyards knowing this?

But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don't be deceived, my dear brothers.

James 1:14-16

I, myself like breeding aligators in my backyard, from my actions one should believe that my biggest goal in life were to balance on the edge of falling. When I try to eat helthier, I buy all the ingredients I need for baking. If there's situations I try to avoid, I make them come as close as possibly until it's almost impossible to back out of them. You'd think I'd known better. Because when the eggs of my tempting alligators hatch, they give birth to sin, and when my alligators are full-grown they give birth to death.

I should know better than to keep the eggs near the pond, shouldn't I?

How are your alligators?

Framleis inne i Finnskogverda

2008-02-22T13:38:00.000-08:00

Guds fred alle saman!

I dag fekk me nok ein dag.

Dagen starta i sjutida, då eg vakna av det mest voldsame torebraket eg nokonsinne har høyrt, med eit anna rett etter. Eg høyrte at mor eller far (eller begge) tusla rundt nede og tok ut kontaktar. Eg vurderte å gå ned for å slå av ein prat (ja, eg vurderte faktisk det, men då visste eg ikkje at klokka var sju, eg trudde det var "midt på natta"). Men så såg eg ei mus pile over golvet, og ombestemte meg. Litt etter såg eg ein kanin (på rommet mitt, altså), og i ettertid har eg funne ut at eg må ha drøymt båe delar =)

Dagen fortsatte med haglskurer, regnbyger, grå skyar og skodde på fjella. I forfjamsinga over været trur eg vi har gløymt å ete. I dag blei nemleg frukost etterfulgt av middag og etter det har det ikkje blitt noko anna =)

Eg les og les om skogfinnar og Finnskogen, alt eg finn på internett. Hadde eg endå hatt eit særemne i historie kunne eg i alle fall brukt kunnskapen til noko nyttig. Så for å bøte på det les eg jamnleg litt i "Piga" (sjølvbiografien til Åsta Holth) og later som om eg samlar stoff til "om forfattaren". Ho (Åsta, altså) fekk forresten eit morosamt kallenamn ein gong, Åsta; av direktøren på ein folkehøgskule, og det var "Åsta Holdtmeg". Eg syns det var morosamt eg, då.

Eg har også fått eit morosamt løfte i dag. Mor har veldig kort hår, og heilt frå eg var liten har eg alltid ønska å sjå ho med langt hår. Argumentet hennar har vore at håret har vore for krøllete. Men i dag glapp det altså ut av ho at ho skulle vente med å klippe det til eg gifta meg. Hmm, eg trur ikkje det var veldig gjennomtenkt, og kanskje ikkje heller veldig lurt =) Men fornøyelig, så absolutt. Og endå meir om eit par år, kan eg tenke meg.

Verda er ein fin plass. Eg har ikkje så mye å seie i dag, kjenner eg. Men ein ting lurer eg på:

Skjønt, det skal eg komme tilbake til ein annan gong =)

God natt elles, eg skal opp med sola i morgon (ho står opp klokka åtte no, så det er ingen fare, eg får nok skjønnhetssømnen min og meire til) og må derfor legga meg snart =) Lyktestolpen svaiar utanfor vindauget (eg går ut i frå at det tyder at det bles godt endå). Nok ein gong: det er vinter på vestlandet.

Our Little *SECRET*....

He's home!!

Mama!!

Happily happily.... and almost Christmas!

This blog has been on hold

So, I left...

I did it =)

Of Cake and Lovebirds...

My brother...

Guess What!!!!??

I Promised Not to Cry...

He's here...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PIGLIT!!

Ramblings of a Rainy Day

Happiness

Five Reasons to ***LOVE*** spring..

My Dad is too =) =) =)

My Mom is the Sweetest!!

Just posting,

SO... How may I show thankfulness??

Good Morning =)

A couple of feet off the ground, in a school playground at 6.30 in the morning...

Knitting and Praying...

LOVE is...

When Christmas HURTS.

Mental Journal of Joy

And... All is Well... =)

'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

Yoghurt!!

News From Sleeping Beauty

The Swine Flu and Other Fancy Stuff...

Thanks for all your sweet sweet comments!!

A Last Note...

Today it's Saturday all over the world...

A Walk in the Forest....

Why I kissed my telly today...

It's Six O' Clock in the Morning...

I am so....

Sorrow in the midst of JOY!!

Behold the Lord's Maidservant....

What I have learned today...

In Honor of ******, ******* and *******

Sweet February Morning

Oioioi, språket som vart vekke...

Blessings of a First-Day

2009 - A Year of Organizing

Blog Awards

I'm Taking A Break

Merry Christmas!

December Update

The Running Man with Outstreched Arms

Hvit som snø...

God vs. Murphy's Law

I eat my breakfast, and it makes me cry…

Freedom in Beauty

12th Day of the Challenge

Eleventh Day of the Challenge

Tenth Day of the Challenge

Ninth Day of the Challenge

Eighth Day of the Challenge

Seventh Day of the Challenge

Sixth Day of the Challenge

Fifth Day of the Challenge

Fourth Day of the Challenge

Third Day of the Challenge

Second Day of the Challenge

First Day of the Challenge

Bible Reading Challenge

We who live in quiet places...

A strange thing to do…

Enya and Ireland

Vandring i mørket

By the Table on a Monday

A Wå:k to Iden `derry og buss til Derrin`turn

Ein blåsbort dag i Irland

Au pair for ein dag

Strikking og tøflar

Husarbeid vs. Barnepass

Yes we need it; I love it!

Another week, countless blessings

Our Little SECRET....

Five Reasons to LOVE spring..

In Honor of **, * and *****