He loves to lay down on the floor with a sheet of blank paper in front of him having a movie playing on the screen. He looks at the movie and he draws, sometimes more into the movie, sometimes more into the drawing. Tonight he drew a new kind of house.

It is the house we are going to live in in the future, he told me.

And then we looked at the drawing together, deciding which part he is going to occupy, which part I am going to living in and what everything else are going to be. I love how he fills our house with his drawings, even when I get a bit tired of finding half drawn sheets of paper all over the floor most mornings. I am so grateful to see that he expresses himself through creative ways. I hope he never forgets to imagine, to dream, to make, to create, to not accept that ‘it can not be done’ as good enough answer when it comes to thinking or dreaming up new creative ways to do or live life.

It might seem like a waste of time to dream or make art. But I do not think that it ever is. I think it is one of the most important things in our life; to believe we were created with this wonderful ability to imagine and make, that we can do as the Master Creator does: create things of beauty. Not only because they are practical and useful things – but because they make us HAPPY.

And beauty is so much, we can only take a look around us: people, plants, animals, flowers, houses, the shapes and the colors of things surrounding us all have something beautiful in them. Even my orange crocks and my tea mug got chosen because of their color (crocks) and shape (mug) that I found to be beautiful. I am sure if you look around in your own living room you can find something that makes you smile with delight. And if not, give room for your creative side. Make something or find something other have made and celebrate the beauty you see.

¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ¹² I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. ¹³ That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.
(Eccl. 3:11-13)

He was sitting there by the road. Begging. As he used to do. Then they came. Pulled him up off the ground and wanted him to walk with them. He did knew them. He knew he could trust them. But what was it they wanted? And why this hurry?

He couldn’t ask, neither could he hear the answer. He was born like this. Deaf and mute. He couldn’t join his friends in much, he had trouble learning and working. Usually he sat there by the road with his head held low. Begging money from those walking by. He had to, if he wanted to buy some food for himself at the end of the day.

They made a stop by another man. He had kind eyes. They started talking to the man, sometimes they pointed back at him so he guessed they were talking about him. What was it this time? How he wished he could hear or taken part in the discussion.

The man turned and looked at him. He grabbed him by his arm and pulled him away from the others. It was just the two of them now. The man wet his fingers with spit and took on his tongue. Then he put another finger inside his ear. The man looked up at the sky.

He wasn’t afraid. Only eager to see what happen next. This could be the day he had dreamed of his whole life. He understood that the man wanted to help him by the actions he used. The man used the only language he could understand.

‘Effata’ – the man said.
He did hear it. It wasn’t something he made up. He really could hear it. The first word he ever had heard. He smiled. Moved his togue and tried to say it himself. Effata. It worked. His smile broaden. He turned to the man, wanted to thank him – but he didn’t knew how. He saw the man understood. He run back to his friends. Finally he was able to hear, not only watch, their voices. Take part in the conversations. Smile and laugh with the.

It was the best day in his life! Being brought to this man made all the difference.

People were overwhelmed with amazement. He has done everything well, they said. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.

.:Read the story in Mark 7:31-37:.

Blessed Sunday. Blessed week.

I’ve been thinking along these lines today on the first Sunday after Easter Day. I’ve found that sometimes it really isn’t a good idea to believe in all that we’ve told, that is at least the fact when it comes to rumors about people in our neighborhood. I tend to think that most of it isn’t true, at least not until I’ve seen it for my self, but still there might be some truth hidden somewhere. When it comes to my faith in Christ. What then? Is it a rumor placed with his followers, is it the truth? I haven’t seen it with my own eyes, but still I believe the story as told by his disciples and found in the Bible.

Thomas helps me find my faith in the resurrection. And in a way this is his Sunday. He wasn’t with the others on Easter Day. And when the others, with joy in their voices, told him that they had met Jesus. That he was alive and not dead. Thomas could not believe, he found it impossible to even think that it could be the truth, sad as he was about the death of his dear friend. But then he got to meet Him. He got to see Him with his own eyes. This Sunday (the first one after Easter Day) Thomas was together with his friends and he got to meet Jesus. He got to see, he got to touch, he got to say with joy and wonder in his voice: “my Lord and my God”. He knew now, as the others had known for a week already, Jesus was risen. It was the truth. Jesus is alive.

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)

I’ve been there with Thomas today. Stretched out my arm, touched the wounds, feeling the joy and wonder as I too have said: my Lord and my God.

I don’t understand it all, but I do believe.

……………………………………

Blessed Sunday!

My Grandpa always told me that it wasn’t really a happy easter until Easter Day. I’m not so sure if I agree, because every day – throughout the year – is a Happy Easter because of what Jesus did almost two thousand years ago. But I still tend to think about my Grandpa when it comes to this, so today I’m going to say – with my broadest smile and warmest voice:

I wish you all a Blessed and Happy Easter Day!

HE IS RISEN! He is here.

Good Friday is a sad and dark day, in many ways. Jesus was sentenced to death. He suffered and he died. In Norway we let Jesus’ sufferings influence the name. We call it Long Friday. In earlier times it was a strange holiday day. Usually the goal of any other holiday was to do as little work as possible; this was a day of hard labor. They wanted to feel the pain in the body similar to Jesus’ suffering so many years before.

Now Good Friday is a quiet day, at least in the churches. Some places there are no music, most places the candle lights aren’t lit (or they might be blown out during the service). There are fewer words spoken, but the readings from the bible is longer than usual.

The day is sad and dark. But still there is some light. What happened, that Jesus died, makes the day filled with quiet joy and thanks because he died loving us all.

Good Friday tells me how much God loves us,
you and me – and every other person on earth (past, now and present).

It wasn’t easy and it wasn’t cheap to show of this love. But it set us free.
Talk about a Good Friday!

Read more about Good Friday in John 18:1-19:30.

God Bless You!

What was he thinking?! Getting down on his knees with water and towel in hand. They all looked at him with astonished faces. What was this? Not a part of the Easter meal that they were supposed to start at any moment; remembering the exodus from Egypt. Sure their feet could use the washing, the streets they had walked in were dusty as any, but not by him; that was just not right!

But he carried on, washing like he was their servant. Until he came to Peter, that was. “No, never shall you wash my feet!” Peter almost screamed to Jesus; this wasn’t how it was supposed to be between a master and his pupil. Peter had to make it stop.

But Jesus simply answered: “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me”, and Peter knew right away that he needed this, he even wanted Jesus to wash his hands and face and all. He so wanted to be tight with Jesus, even though some of his actions might seem a bit odd he didn’t care no more. Peter and Jesus were friends and he truly believed that Jesus was something far more than a normal man – he was the one that should set things right between God and man.

A few years ago I told this story for a children Sunday school group. I had brought a towel and a basin and looked forward to (fake) wash their feet to make them feel how it was back then when Jesus did it to his disciples. But they got disappointed; I didn’t use water and they didn’t have to remove their shoes. They didn’t feel very much like the disciples at all.

It got me thinking; how can we ever live after the word of Jesus about doing as he did on Maundy Thursday?! It’s not like it’s very dusty around here – and it’s not like we are laying at the table when we eat any more either. What did Jesus want us to repeat?

Maybe not so much the actual washing, but the thought about the leader being the servant?! I think that’s it and it’s a huge challenge. It’ll be so much easier just to poor some water in my basin and let them take off their shoes.

…..

Read more about Holy Thursday in John 13.

Wish you all a blessed Holy Thursday!

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A post from the files. Recycling the good words.

Today I asked (very politely) the congregation to please come outside with me to start the service with a little Palm Sunday procession. We handed out the branches and our musician went in the front, together with MT and another kid. While swinging our branches we sang ‘Hosanna’ to Jesus and started our Palm Sunday part of the service (we went through all of the main days of Easter, I’ll get back to the rest of the days later…).

There is something with the things we do, it stays much longer with us than things we just hear or read. I wanted to give a tiny little feeling of being there by the gate of Jerusalem. Shouting out to the Lord with joy and laughter. Welcoming the king to our city.

Hosanna!

The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

(John 12:12-13)

A good start to our Easter celebration
Wish you all a Blessed Sunday!

So right now I feel rather empty and tired, even thought the days have been good (most of the time).

Most of my waken hours and commitment went to happenings at church. The youths gathered on Saturday for several hours, to prepare for Kirkens Nødhjelps fasteaksjon (Norwegian Church Aid’s annual fundraising campaign) that we’re having this coming Tuesday – and to prepare for a youth service today (as part of their Confirmant year here in our local Lutheran churches). To keep 32 youths active and happy for 5.5 hours does take some energy, to put it mildly, but we have the best youths so they really were good campers. Sometimes I wonders how much they learn, but hope that something of all I say and all we do stays with them. If nothing more:  that they are loved by God (and us) just as they are.

MT got to spend his Saturday with uncle O and family, so he was over the top happy. It was such a nice and warm spring day so they were outside most of the day, walking in the woods, playing games and having a barbecue. I’m so glad he got to spend his day with family when I was so covered in youths work. (Thank you so much uncle O and aunt GH. We love you!)

Today was another early morning for us. We used the Pearls of Life as the theme for our service and there were lots of details yet to prepare. So I wanted an early start to get all accomplished by the time the service started (come to think of it, that is always a goood plan! lol.) We learned about the pearls throughout the service and for each new pearl the youths lit a candle, read a text from the bible, read about that pearl and sometimes they also read a prayer. We sang plenty of songs as well and a couple of the youths played instruments. It was amazing to see and hear the youths, some had taken extra care to learn their little tasks really well – others not so much – but they all did such a good job non the less. Makes my heart warm and I hope the parents also felt really proud about their youths.

After the service we gathered together to eat cake and talk for a little while. So grateful for those working in the kitchen this day! There were a lot of great conversations going on around the tables. A lot of happy Sunday smiles.

Then I had a few (many) things to clear away and put in order for next week, so it got pretty late before we were ready to head back home. After a quick look at the time I asked MT if he was up for a pizza? He was. Especially for a pizza with lots of chili So we placed our order and went in to pick it up a little bit later. We decided to eat the food outside, since this too was a nice and warm summer day (although not as sunny as yesterday). So we brought the pizza with us to a table next to the water and had a nice relaxing time just enjoying the food, the company and (later) MT got to throw rocks in the water – his favorite thing (at least to do when he is by water of any kind…). I’m so glad that we took time to do this in place of rushing home. This gave us some time together. I got to be outside. And I really weren’t up to the whole making-dinner-thing anyway after such a full day. The pizza was good too – and so were the company!

When we got home MT started drawing. I think he kept going for almost an hour and never asked to go and  see some TV instead. I’m so happy for his drawing, because it makes him slow down and reflect. It gives him a way to express himself as well as a time to gather some energy. And I, I went for the computer. Like a total geek And hopefully I get I got this post posted by the end of the day….. I’m so grateful for that the blogging thing is back in my life.

Wish you all a blessed Sunday!

I have a verse in the Bible I turn to over and over again. It makes me feel safe in Gods hands; just as MT here was feeling safe hand in hand with his Grandparents. I wish I could put all my worrying to God and let him take care of it for me,  I can’t always do that, but I try often. 

Safe, walking with happy steps.

So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Somehow I always get new strength when I return to this words from Isaiah 41:10.

It’s a beautiful fall Sunday in our parts of the world. I’m in the process of getting ready for a service in the church right next to our house. I’ve been looking forward to this service for quite some time. It’s kind of different. It’s for kids, but also for adults. I’m eager to see if people will come, especially too see if there are children coming. I think there will be.

We’re kicking of a new series of services for Gods children of all ages where we try to speak to and learn with our whole body and mind. Today we are going to play a game and have fun together while we learn new (and old) stuff about our faith. We call the services Sprell Levande Gudsteneste. I don’t know how to translate this into English in an easy way without loosing the meaning. But it is a service (gudsteneste) where we celebrate us being living (levande) creatures playing (sprell) in front of  our living loving God. LOL. Let me know if you find a smashing translation of it We are using this in our Sunday school as well, today the service will (kind of) be a Sunday school class for everybody…. I look forward to it and I hope others do too. Noting like using our whole body and soul to experience God.

This is our text of the day (Mark 10:13-16):

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

Church is SO NOT only for the adults or for those understanding it all!

Happy Sunday and Blessed Be <3