Archive for december, 2007
And so this is Christmas – or rather, it was just Christmas, and we’re approaching the new year. What have I been doing with the time given to me over this year? I’m sorry to say, both good and bad. Yes, as I look back, I do feel I’ve grown, and I can see places and stuff in my life I never honestly though I’d overcome, that I am slowly beginning to handle (praise God). But still, bad stuff has a way of creeping into my life and my being, and I haven’t always been very good at denying its entrance.
Looking back, it’s been a year full of turmoil. One year ago, at the turn into year 2007, I had now idea at all about the thoughts and feeling I’m having and struggling with right now. My future focused around other issues and circumstances, and this year has been about moving away from some things and towards other things.
But now, here we are. And even though I’ve been at Newbold College studying theology for the last 3-4 months, I honestly do not feel like a better person, though I now drink less coffee and eat more vegetarian-like 
Yes, I’ve won some battles and learnt a lot of stuff, but looking back at my time there until now, I do not feel like I’ve spent it entirely as I should have. But, things can change, and I pray and hope that they will.
For the last week or so, I have felt closer to God than I have in a long time; actually, I think it’s been since a couple of days in October, and the start of September. And somehow, the desire to lead a better life in 2007 have grown in me (though it still varies in intensity). It’s not that I believe I can in any way earn anything on the way of salvation by living differently – I cannot, but I desperately want to have a more holy way of life; simply because it is better for me, and better for the people around me.
Holy way of life – this sounds really loaded, but let’s try and call it something else – maybe a dedicated way of life. In 2008, I want to be more dedicated to the values I hold, and live up to being the person I would like to be. Still recognising that there will always be much left in the way of improval, and that God will love me no matter what, I would like to live in a dedicated way, so that the people around me, and myself, will not be hurt be my actions, but on the contrary be built up by that which comes from above and not from within me. That I may receive that and pass on that which is in this world, but not of this world.
I recognise I cannot do any of this in myself – not even in a small part. But I firmly believe that when I seek God, He will be faithful, and help me be all that which I fall short of – both in His way of looking at me, but also in practice (and of course, I can rest in the assurance that even when I fall, He will be there to catch me).
My brother gave me a CD for Christmas that I really wanted, and I thought I would close with a few song-quotes to sum up how I want my life in 2008 to be like, but it got so long. So I think the main motto right now would be:
“Evermore my heart, my heart will say
Above all, I live for Your glory
Even if my world falls I will say
Above all, I live for Your glory”
(Hillsong United: Evermore)
Also, One way and All Day in full would really be ideals of how to live.
May God grant me the clarity, strength and sincerity to follow up on these desires.
These are my intentions for 2008 – what are yours?
december 31st, 2007
Funny how things change over a short span of years. Still an excellent cake, though
december 30th, 2007
So yesterday, I had to go to the ER to get a Tetanus-shot. Why? The day before, I got bit by a chinchilla. For those who don’t know what a chinchilla is, it’s a hamster-like furry animal looking very cuddly and innocent.
And so it was when I out of my ignorance posed the question: “Does it bite?” – “no, no, if anything, it only nibbles a bit”. Okay, so I made the huge mistake of putting my finger into the cage of the killer chinchilla (I should have heard the voice of Tim in my head saying “it has big sharp pointy teeth” and making this very eccentric rabbit-like motion as in a much loved movie, but alas, I did not).
Immediately, it went right for the kill, and the result was a horrific 1mm deep cut in my finger. Thank you, chinchilla
december 30th, 2007
Have you ever felt invisible? (not invincible)
Twice yesterday, it happened that the automatic train doors – in two different trains! – would not open for like 30 seconds, when I frantically waved my hands in front of them (those of you that are from Denmark know the DSB train doors between entrance and seating that I’m talking about). In one of the trains, a passenger on the other side even had to show mercy and open the door for me… Such is life sometimes
P.S. Feel I may need to find something serious to blog about in the near future – have one or two topics boiling…
december 27th, 2007
Christmas eve. My baby brother Benjamin (a little under two years old) is present. As is tradition in our part of the world, the presents are opened on the evening of the 24th, and my younger brother Stian is set out to play the part of Santa, while unremarkably having snuck out of the room.
Having prepared Benjamin for a couple of days that Santa will be arriving this evening, when Stian leaves the room, we wait in excitement to see how Benji will respond. While Stian is getting ready, Benji turns to the apparently undervalued game of ‘turning the Duplo (Lego) bucket upside-down, scattering about thirty pieces or so on the floor, and thereafter tidying up, by putting them back into the bucket’ (apparently, he has recently taken a liking of tidying up – ‘rydde’ – and delights in every opportunity he gets to throw something in the garbage bin).
Anyways, Santa (AKA Stian, but Benji luckily doesn’t notice this), enters the room with a bag full of presents. Benji is still playing on the floor with the Duplo pieces, and barely looks up as Santa enters. Dad tries and ask him if he would like to go to Santa to get a present, and the answer is a resounding ‘nei!’ (no), and Benji returns to sorting the Duplo pieces into the bucket.
So, some more convincing is needed, and for the next 5 minutes, the exersize becomes convincing the little child that he actually wants to go to Santa and get his present. When he has finally gotten the present, he is actually more interested in returning to his playing Duplo than unwrapping the present. (the present incidentally turned out to contain even more Lego )
A strange child indeed…
december 25th, 2007
So this morning, I reached our family cabin in Gausdal, having gotten up very early – I do mean very – and catching a plane from Haugesund.
After having a late breakfast with the family, we decided to go for a round of cross-country around Skeikampen. This was really nice. The sun was glowing, and as we neared the top, it was just setting over the mountains – beautiful!
I don’t know what it is, but somehow, God always feels closer when I’m out in the mountains. I talked to a friend this evening who doesn’t share that experience, but I think that to me it’s simply the peace and quiet that is out there, and is hard to find anywhere else.
Forget wellness, spas, massage and the rest – go cross-country skiing instead – most stress-relieving (ok, the other stuff is probably pretty good too)
december 22nd, 2007
A couple of days ago, I went shopping with Serina, and had some time while she was trying out a vast number of outfits, to listen to the music played in the store. It sounded very fresh, a sort of electronica blended in with some vocals.
While paying for an item, I thought I would casually ask what music they had been playing in the store – ‘it had a nice sound’. The woman didn’t know what the music was, but one of her colleagues offered to find out. Before long, she returned with a CD – most embaracingly a Britney Spears CD… (!)
Somehow, at that moment, I did lose all the dignity I may have possessed
(afterwards, the woman came out from the back again, somewhat empathetically offering to salvage some of my posture by saying that there had also been a Malcolm CD playing, but it was sort of too late anyways)
december 22nd, 2007
Just a quick observation, which startled me a bit once I realised it:
Now, sitting in a small Norwegian village outside of Haugesund, the Internet is actually much better, faster and more reliable than it is at Newbold College. (mountains and all)
Somehow, that doesn’t make me feel to comfortable, since I’ve just been employed to help a little with the Internet at Newbold – oh, well
december 19th, 2007
Today, when we were going for lunch, it looked a little dull at first. But as one progressed down the usual food buffet at Newbold, you could see that extra care had been taken this day. Instead of the usual boxes of salads, there was a big bowl of mixed salad, which looked like it had been prepared with love. There was good cake, and potatoes that had been roasted and turned in spices – just a little extra touch.
The next surprise: When entering the dining area in the cafeteria, everything had been rearranged. Instead of the usual long tables, smaller square table-formations had been set up, Christmas tablecloths were on the tables, real napkins were present, and even those things that you pull and they make a ‘pow’ (which we in Denmark normally use for New Years Eve, but apparently they are used for Christmas over here), were laid out on the table for general amusement.
Somewhere along the line, someone had gotten the idea to do something extra for the students. And it really felt like a great gift, sitting at tables in an almost family-like setting with Christmas music in the background. Not that it was revolutionary in itself, but it was just one of those totally unexpected gestures that for some reason makes you very happy. All because someone had chosen to do that something little extra, which wasn’t really required of them, but they did it anyway.
I wish I would more often have the surplus to do that little extra for someone.
december 4th, 2007
I was reminded of the imminence of Christmas a couple of days ago, when innocently sitting at the library trying very hard to study. Suddenly comes out of nowhere a person dressed as Santa Claus saying merrily ho-ho-ho. And so, I just had to get a picture with Father Christmas. (by the way, have you ever heard a English-speaking person tell you that you can’t start your sentences with ‘and’? It’s starting to get to me)
After she had left, Lars had only one comment: Maybe women can be pastors, but they should definitely not be allowed as Santa Claus! (I don’t think he meant any offence though – I thought Kaitlyn made a very nice Santa)
december 1st, 2007
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