Archive for July, 2005

Just sitting here, reading a little, but mostly trying to get the time to pass by. I want Monday to come fast, with the visit of the mailman being the most important thing!

But now my eyes is going crizz-cross so I guess it’s time for bed. 4.15 am already. 30 hours to go…………

Sadly the mailman choose this day to deliver mail late…. Usually it only takes one day to “travel” from Oslo and here. But not this week So now I have to wait until Monday before I get to see my boy!! If anyone have some patience to spare – send it my way

My mom and dad have come for a visit, so I’m not alone and miserable, the weather is still GREAT and tonight we’ll join some friends for barbecue – so life is good.

But I am so curious; what does he look like??

I can hardly believe it. But 10 minutes ago I got the phone I’ve been waiting for for so long time. She told me there was a little boy waiting for me in Etiophia. He is a 2 years and 3 months old. And his name is Tinsae. Tomorrow I’ll get some photos of him and papers that will tell me some more. She read a little for me over the phone and it seems like he’s a healthy boy with social skills. “Well build and strong”.

Since I was a little girl I have had the name ready for a boy (have no idea about what to call a girl, though, but who cares now?!) I want to name him after my grandfather on my mothers side, who was named Matteus (Matthew); I’ll twist it a little so it becomes Mathias (like how the hebrew wrote it). The name means A GIFT FROM GOD, and what other is this child!?!

From now my life will never be the same ever again, and I’m so happy
How am I going to get anything done today?????!

Off course there is still the possibility for me to say: no thanks, and I shall think about it seriously while reading the medical rapport tomorrow, but to be honest there is about 99 % chance I say: YES please

Tomorrow is Olsok – or St.Olaf’s day….. even though we are Lutheran we celebrate this day and remember how Christianity come to our land (even though some of his methods was a little bit ruff!) Actually there is two events for tomorrow. First a concert at the red church, then a service close by it – but a little bit out of the center and close to the fjord – out in Gods nature. Usually this is a good evening where even people seldom attending church can find their way. Tomorrow morning I’m going to write a sermon and find what songs to sing. Our cantor will join and help me lead the songs, that helps a lot!

Beautiful cruise ship sailing by, must stop and look for a minute…. It’s all shiny with all of it’s light, but to dark to get a descent photo!

I’m very curious about the concert. Don’t know who’s coming exactly, but know they are locals. I know my cantor will play some melodies and also that I shall sing a couple of songs. I love to sing. But lately (last three years) I have not been a member of any choir, so I’m a little bit out of practice. This makes me a bit nervous – but I guess it’s good to be that from time to time…..
Makes me focus

Well, it’s midnight and time for bed!! At least if I ever shall learn to get out of bed a little bit earlier

Love and hugs!!

…. I have to get out of bed earlier!! Now I’m soon finished with my preparing for the funeral, but I have no time to sit around to enjoy some blog-readings. Must jump in the shower and get a little bit clean. And then I have to remember to get me some food and give the car some gas. Open the church, visit the office and pick up some stuff there. Go and have an devotion for the elderly people and then drive 55 kilometer to then church where the funeral is held. Puh!

But if I only could get up early (maybe not as early as Deb, though ). So could I have enjoyed my cup of coffee I might not have time to even make today.

Off I go! Have a wonderful day everyone

Today I was on the south side, had a little devotion with some elderly people
On my way back, trying to drive safe because of the car being a little bit unwell….., I was so glad because I would reach the ferry at 12:30 pm after all.

But that was before I run in to a German* “we are on vacation”-car.

I lost the ferry with less than one – 1 – minute!!

I was so angry there for a little while. I guess they didn’t care what ferry they were on – but I was at work!

*just to be fair to the Germans, I would have been just as angry if it was a Norwegian or a Danish car or whatever..

I don’t need to fear sunburn………..

Jepp, trying to sheer my self up
Please give me some more??!!

…it have to come, sooner or later, that little bit of rain. It has lurked east of us since early afternoon. I was sitting outside, reading, looking at the beautiful rainbow and enjoying the still weather when a few drops started to fall on my head.

After another beautiful day, I won’t cry. And now I even got time to update my photoblog, so yeay

Have a good one!!

And thanks to Torunn (I’m guessing!) the popcorn hanging on my door tonight really made me smile! And it was good No more burnt foot!!

Yesterday I wanted some popcorn to go with the movie (The Truman Show). So I went out to the kitchen, put on a pot, poured in some oil and left it to heat up. First then I discovered that I had rarely any corn left to make popcorn from. But I decided to pop those that where there. So off course there was too much oil. I did knew that; but I forgot!

After a little while the popping stopped and I turned the pot over to empty it into a bowl, without thinking; with the result that it splashed all over and also on my bare foot. It didn’t hurt at once, but after a little while it did!! Ouch!

So today I have red spots on my foot, they are sore but doesn’t hurt now. I’m so glad I remember to put it under running water for a little while (of course then I forgot the pot on my bench top, so now there is a brown ring there…….. but rather that than my foot hurting still)

Now I stay away from hot oil for a while, and keep my feet out of trouble!!

Been trying to figuring out what to say to the congregation today (service in afternoon). To be honest I want to have a course on the gift of grace (not sure if this is the proper name, sorry..) – the gifts each of us have been given by God to be used for him in the congregation, in the world.

But I’m not sure if the congregation is ready for it, and it might be stretching the text a little bit to long…..

…you see, the word for the money in Jesus’ story is the same as the word talent. And my mind jumps quickly to: “What is then my talent, what is yours – how can they be used in the Lords service?!”

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a trip. He called together his servants and gave them money to invest for him while he was gone. He gave five bags of gold to one, two bags of gold to another, and one bag of gold to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities—and then left on his trip.

You’ll find the rest of it in Mattew 25:14-30.
To say it short, those whom use the money wisely and make a huger pile out of it are rewarded greatly, no matter how big a pile it is. But the one who didn’t do anything to let the money “grow” is punished because of it.

What to we then do about our use of the gift of grace? Do we use them wisely, do we use them to ensure growth?? I’ve been reading about Natural Church Development.

I want to learn more about this. Do anyone knew anything about them?? Do you know any churches that has used them when working on church growing??

See you later.
I’m off to church

My wiev today!

I’m enjoying the sun! Now I just have to take some phon calls and then I’m out of the house for the day!! Met an old lady bay the church today and we totally agreed upon that this year we shall not complain – no matter how warm it might be. We’ve had so much rain and cold weather both in winter and summer, so now when the sun is here again all we shall do is ENJOY

To my friends in incredible warm places: Hope the air condition works!!

I’m sitting here, stalling the time… it might get to late for mowing the lawn if I just stay here a little bit longer………….. wouldn’t it?!

It took us some time to get the hang of it, but I think we stacked a nice tower To bad we couldn’t find any of the right kind of plastic to wrap them up in; had to use some strong thread instead. Hope the truck driver don’t shake it to much, or it will fall…….. I guess he’ll call me and complain when he get’s here, though, but what can we do?? We are not trained in this!!

Well, I’m off to rest of my day. Have bought some ice cream for me and W (secretary) shall enjoy after this hard work; with a few cups of coffee!! Lovely ..and the sun is shining!

How did you use your morning??

It all started so simple.
Just an order of some office supply.

But something went terribly wrong.
Because 1 box of cardboard folders became this:

Horror! My boss just signed for it, didn’t think to look if the delivery was ok. It wasn’t…. It was way to much. My secretary complained to the shop and said she was sure she ordered only 1 box, she had checked before she completed the order, but they just told her that she should have remembered to look closely at the delivery confirmation. She didn’t, and for some reason the box was not one anymore….

Last night we had to cover the pall for rain, and tomorrow we hoped the truck would be back to pick it up. And make it the end of that story (after the bill is paid, that is )

But no!!
The truck-guy phoned me and told me that he had to drive a bigger truck tomorrow. And there is no way he’s coming all the way down to our office (it’s to narrow to pass through). So tonight I had to take each and every box and put them in my car. Tomorrow I’m going to take them out and build a new “tower” – so the truck-guy just can pick it up and throw it in his big car…. I know it’s not his fault, but I do feel that I get all the hard work from this one

This is my car, all filled. Boy, am I glad that I love big cars (and is the proud owner of an American Ford…) – they come in handy from time to time!!

I think my dear secretary is going to help put some plastic around the boxes when I’m finished stacking them again tomorrow morning; to ensure that nothing will fall off and be damaged. Jepp, that’s the right job for her – ordering that many!!

This morning I canceled my trip over across the fjord. I’ve been hit by a cold and didn’t want any of the elderly people that I was supposed to meet for a devotion should get it from me. I was also way to tired to even try to tell my self that I probably was not contagious any more….

Anyway – what it did, was giving me a day at the office instead of a day in the car….

I met up with my cantor there, he has been on vacation in US and Canada for several week and he had much to tell (boy, do I envy him!!!!!!) We also tried to sort out things coming in the immediate future. Sadly he was not able to hold a short concert in the church tonight, so I had to go this time as well. We are trying out some new stuff, with open church all day and a evening prayer or concert on Wednesdays. So far there has been really few people attending and the concert a couple of people today wanted did never happen…. But we’ll try next Wednesday. Have a dream of engaging some of the youths here; that we together can make a short service with songs and texts and prayers that matter to them! Hope they’ll join me

Today was my 26th day of opening and closing the church (summer project). The church is open between twelve and six, sometimes even longer… (I go and close it when I get around to it, to be honest… ) It’s been nice walking through the church twice a day, but now I think I have to find someone else to do it for me for a while………… So I get a tiny little brake

Thankfully now my nose has stopped dripping, I guess because the sun come through the clouds there for a while!! Now the clouds has moved in on us once again and dripped some more raindrops….

Enough babbling; I’m going to bed now*, sleep thigh!!

…*in a short hour any way….