Lately I’ve been thinking a bit about why it is that I believe in the impossible. Yea, because I do! And sometimes I wonder why that is. Because, in a way, it would be so much easier to just don’t believe – to just say “well, I don’t think it is that possible to be raised from the grave” or “I’m sure the disciples just missed him so much that they started to believe he had resurrected, even though it all just happened in their minds”  (just to take a few of the many reasons not to believe).

But, you know what? I still believe. I can’t use these (or other) sentences because I do think the impossible is possible, I do believe that God is bigger than my understanding of him is. And I can’t find any reason for the change that occurs in the disciples behavior and attitude, other than in believing they tell the truth.

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. For some unknown reason  he wasn’t there when Christ came visiting. 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, not until he could see it with his own eyes. The next Sunday (as in this Sunday, the first Sunday after Easter Day) Thomas was together with his friends and he got to meet him. 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.

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.

¨^¨^¨^¨^¨^¨^¨^¨^¨ ¨^¨^¨^¨^¨^¨^¨^¨^¨ ¨^¨^¨^¨^¨^¨^¨^¨^¨
read more in John. 20:16->

This morning started with a SMS that told me a 17 year old had died. It is so sad. And the youths, the close friends and the not so close friends, have been gathered trying to face this by being together. I’ve joined them, as well, for a few hours, and we are meeting up again tomorrow.

It’s not easy grasping death when you are 17 and full of future and possibilities. It’s not easy grasping when you are 38 either, but by then you know a bit more about life and have a few more life lessons learned.

I’m so glad lots of helping hands are involved, though, and for not standing in this alone (and neither are the family or the youths) – I guess I’ll be talking with the family as well tomorrow, starting to prepare for the funeral next week.

If you pray, please pray for us all. This is going to be a hard week for many in our neighborhood and especially hard for the close family and friends.

Today there were two weddings on my work schedule, in two different churches. It’s always something happening at weddings, when I’ve gotten some sleep I’ll tell you

I’m so tired that I’m going to bed earlier than I’ve done since May (or something). This week have really been a full week – with  a lot of emotion; good stuff and bad stuff all mixed together.

I’m leaving you with a few of the photos I took after the last wedding while the wedding photographer took pictures of the bride and groom and there finally was some quiet time for a tired pastor. Taking photos always makes me feel better. These are all SOOC.

I wish I got to ride in one of these…

Photo from the baptism Easter Day 2006.

But first I had a little work to do, an Easter service up in the mountain. In a small, cozy church. I didn’t bring my camera, so I have sadly no photos to show. The service didn’t start before 3 pm so we had plenty of time to enjoy the morning and early day.

MT was happy to find some candy for him in the living room and thought it was a nice breakfast (ahem).

Later he made Cupcakes for the party, almost all by him self, and spent an hour on the computer playing. Grandma and Grandpa came early and Grandpa joined us going to church while Grandma stayed behind taking care of the house Even thought there have been a lot of melting lately it was plenty of snow left up in the mountain, the last bit of the way we went skiing. MT enjoyed having Grandpa there and kept inviting him to a competition, “come on Grandpa, try to be faster than me!”

In the church we had a nice time celebrating the resurrection of Christ. So good to sing happy Easter songs after Lent and Good Friday’s blues.

When we got home our guests were right behind us and while the kids played and the adults talked I put the final touches to the cakes and such. We had such a great time together. Glad they all stayed for a while. When MT finally got into bed he was so happy about the day – and so was I!

This is my favorite way to spend Easter Day: candy, service, Jesus, family and being together.

I said yes to take a extra service in our neighboring church (even though it was on  one  of my Sundays off work) – one of my colleague was sick and I knew that I had planned this service before and that I could use the same approach here.So it wasn’t too hard to plan and do; nice with a little extra pay as well.

So we went to the church this very cold morning, MT should sit by himself so no babysitter for him that day. It was a really stunning and beautiful day, sunshine and blue sky. The team for the service was The Bible; Word of God so I brought quite a few bibles from home and showcased them on a table for all to see (I told the people to come forward after the service to look and feel all the different editions of the bible; I even had Greek new testament and Hebrew old testament – but the puzzle bible got most attention. I can see why it’s one of MT’s favorites as well.

After church we went home and ate dinner and then we went out skiing. My first try this season and I’m not very good at this. My plan was to make a slope for MT (and his friends) on the field outside our house for them to go skiing in. But it was so much snow there and for every move I sank down to right under the knee, making it hard to move forward. Instead of a round slope we just made one slope across the field and walked back the same way. Later I might try again…… if I ever can get this ski-going working….. ehe.

This was also our Mother’s Day (in Norway we celebrate it on the second Sunday of February; guess it’s because we already have too many days to celebrate in May – with our national day on May 17th…) – anyway I told MT about it to see what he thought. He didn’t find the day necessary, and objected to the idea of mom having more than one (kind off) birthday. But non the less he sang to me – happy birthday (but off course…)

The photo is from a Confirmant Camp; we don’t usually have this kind of bread.

The communion is so not a price table where anyone that’s been good can come and receive the reward. It’s a gift table with something for everyone that wants to know Jesus. No matter if we’ve been good or bad, are young or old, understand a lot or just a tiny bit or can use or legs or need a wheel chair – this is for all of us. We don’t get a whole lot of food as this table, but what we get is enough to give strength, love and forgiveness (- and more!).

When I think about all the churches coming together for services all around the world today – and about all the other people gathering together for Holy communion – I feel so blessed for being a part of this great big family of faith.

Last week MT got an invitation to came to church and receive a gift. So this Sunday he went to church with a smile on his face. As usual we came to church a bit late, and we found our place at the back. MT was surprised to see a lot of other children there and happy to hear the gospel kid from our neighboring village being there and singing as part of the service. The pastor told the story of Jesus for us using a photos that he put together like a puzzle. As he told and placed the pictures another picture was made in the middle. Off Christ stretching his arms out, inviting us to him. I loved it. What a great way to tell the whole story and keeping the children’s attention all the way through it!

MT is a bit shy, and he told me that I had to come with him when he should receive his gift from the congregation. I told him that was okay, but that he also could go by him self if he chose to when we got to that part of the service. And so he did. My kid can’t sit still, so he had already wandered around in the church room anyway. And he had found that a few of his friends were there too.

He was so happy when he got his advent calendar, he completely forgot to say thank you, but hopefully his smile said it all. I stood in the back taking a few photos and I love how they captured some of the joyfulness of the children, even though it is long distance…..

When we got back home, MT went to play on the computer. He love his Glubble

I started to make the gift for my uncle that celebrated his birthday yesterday. It took me some time, but I had fun and the final result wasn’t too bad. Next time I hopefully have some more time to get all the details in place, but we were already late when we left the house so I had to wrap it up and go.

We had a great time with family, my mom and dad, my uncle and aunt and two of their children and the girlfriend of their youngest. It was nice to get to know her a bit as well and MT thought she was so funny and liked that she had time to talk to him.

My uncle is my fathers brother and they had some project they talked about at the end of the evening. I’m collecting a few photos to make a scrap book page about them – and I loved how this one turned out:

So that was our Sunday. A good day! Now it’s Monday and I have plenty on my plate; so see you later!!

Guess it’ll take us around 45 minutes to get there, it’s not too far but there is this hill….. ehem.

MT is just happy that I’m not the pastor in the service. He doesn’t like to sit by himself in church (not that he does that often these days). And then, off course, he likes to know that I’m available to him and not to everyone else. That is understandable.

My laptop batteries is almost gone, better finish this now

Wishing you all a Blessed Sunday!

Together with the youths we are going to search for answers to who Jesus was and is, what God is all about and if this has anything to do with them and their life (to put it shortly….).

Hopefully they will find that they are loved by God and hopefully they will find something to build their life upon.  My main goal is to show them that Faith matters and that they are important and valuable in Gods eyes and plan.

This first month we are going on the track of God. And I kind off like this logo better than the other one so we might be on this track for a while…. No, I’m kidding, but there might be some revisions for the left one some day.

Credits: background – free clipart, ribbon – J. Sprangue, ladder and footpring – S. Amazed, glitter – Chaos Lounge, circles and pearls – D. Mongstad.