Fortune Cookie

"Your exotic ideas lead you to many exciting, new adventures!" Not sure what that's supposed to mean... don't believe in any fortune-telling or anything, just think the sentence it self is sort of surreal...

btw - the Chinese buffet didn't have rice, you had to ask for it... even more surreal... it was good food and all, but not to have rice! that was a new one to me...

otherwise things are going well, enjoying my time here, just wish i had a job...

got a new car yesterday

a Saturn SL1, we got a good deal on it... we're happy. glad that tha's done...

still looking for a job. a little frustrating. hard to get anything w/o SSC#... other than that, life is good. it's sunny outside, but really windy... back home wind usually means, coldness and rain/snow...

wll i'm off to clean the bathroom...

well i'm here now...

but i haven't really landed. got a place to stay and working on some furniture, but not much positive to say on the job front... one possibility for a job but that's in like six weeks, which is long to wait and the pay won't be all that great either... will just have to start knocking on doors ASAP...

feels good to be here though, like the pace and the climate a lot. miss fam and friends back home, but it's exciting to be in a (semi) new place and get to know L's fam and friends a little better...

went for a run today and found a hammer in a ditch... i was also attacked by a dog

USA...

hmmm... it's strange in 36 hrs i'll be in the SC, after all the preparation and hassle, it's finally happening... just need to wash the rubber mats in the car and then it's off to bed, for about 4 hrs and then i'm really, actually, finally off... really weird... it's going to be a strange, but exciting new phase in my (our) life i'm sure... well good bye for now.. see you on the other side of the ocean!

BLAH!

packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing, packing!


BLAH!

so much fun!

Went to By:Larm at Folken last night. Lots of fun! 5 bands in a row!(Madrugada, Annie, The Beautiful People, Gåte and Christer Knutsen) All nationally know (in N that is). Madrugada were really great. Enjoyed them a lot! And although Beautiful People are far from my taste the had an amazing stage precence! my favorite was definately Christer Kuntsen, though. You can actually watch two of the acts here. Click on the on you want to watch (you have to sign up though).

Ibsens røde ripsbusker og andre buskevekster

Was reading John 2 about the wedding in Canaan this morning. Something that i had never though about before was that Mary was expecting Jesus to do a miracle (v3,5) even though he hadn't performed any yet (v11). Thought that was kind of strange. I mean granted she knew he was special and all that, but why was she expecting him to do something extra ordinary, if he'd never done something like that before?

It seems unlikely that she was expecting something "non-miraculous" (is that a word?), like just wanting Jesus to go out to the nearest store to buy some more wine, as he was merely a guest and not a partaker in the wedding.

Any one heard/read anything that might explain why she had this expectation?

it's monday and i don't mind...

it's a sunny day, feels pretty warm... highly enjoyable...

Well we're off!

going one last time to M&D's cabin, this weekend. it'll be great to get there and unwind and not do too much else then read and relax and maybe play a couple of boardgames... love it out there. so peaceful and quiet. really enjoy it there. maybe i'll even get some fishing done, that'd be great!

not too sure what's going on

we've all got things on our minds. little thoughts gnawing in the back of our heads. but sometimes they unsuspectedly jump out at me. then i panic and have to do or think of anything in order to get rid of it. this all happens within a second or two. it's so strange. sometimes it's things i haven't thought of in years. most often it's embarrassing moments or situations i wished never had occurred. things that don't even matter any more. it catches me off guard every time. no idea why this happens. doesn't seem to serve any purpose...

this happens to any one else?

One of the many things i'm looking forward to is to:

when i get to SC. There's just something about Chick-fil-A that's amazing...

yes. it's lame... but a little funny too...

don't have much to say today. so i won't...

impuls 05

Just been to a really good youth-conference this weekend. It was here in Stavanger. Impuls -05. 3500 kids from all over Norway. Inspiring teaching and celebrations. My spirits are lifted. Found out some things about me this weekend that I'm not too happy with (don't think God is either). These things need to be addressed over the next wee while. Psalm 127 was mentioned. I need to live after Psalm 127 both personally and in the ministry. So obvious, yet profound... at least for me right here and now. God is so good!

the bishop is here

he's here visiting the parish for a whole week. it's a little strange making such a huge deal out of it (which it really has become) - i mean he's a great guy and all, but it's just a little odd to me - this destinct and clear hierarchy. i'm more comfortable with a less formal "priesthood of all believer" kind of approach. it's interesting though - it's an opportunity for the church to kind of see where we're at and evaluate our strengths and weaknesses etc.

it's a long time since i've felt truly refreshed and rested... Seem to never get enough sleep... maybe it's just the season, maybe not... can't figure it out... i mean i just had a whole week off at Christmas, but it didn't make a difference at all... you'd think i'd feel rested after that! hmm... maybe i just need a change of scenery... to do something different... making SC sound like the promised land or something... i know it's not, but still, it'll be great to get there, it's bound to be very different from things here... i think... then again it might not be all that different when it comes to the things that really matters, not sure what those are, but that's ok... it's not like things are bad here or anything - i'm failry content, all in all - i'm just not... hmm... dunno how to explain it...

3 days of snow...

Truly amazed at how long it's lasted this time, three days is definitely a new record this season, usually it'll come and go within a day if not hours... it's nice when it's liek this cold enough for it to stay and not get all brown and slushy immediately...

"Prayer of Jabez" was pretty interesting... was afraid that the whole thing was going to be some kind of selffulfilling mantra that was to be recited every day and then good fortune would rain down constantly... wasn't like that though, came a little close at times, but i think i need to read it again before i make my mind up finally as to whether i'm going to set out do doing literally what the book says or whether to just be inspired by the main message, but nothing more... dunno if that made sense... it almost did in my head, so i hope it's not too... not sure of what word i'm looking for here... anyways...

anyways... things are good and that's ok...

it snowed today :)

but it's already melting...

"My need is His unlimited ability"

(loosely translated from the Norwegian translation of Prayer of Jabez.) interesting thought... God is truly amazing! I get pretty quickly discouraged in my ministry. it's a little lonely at times, miss being a part of a team often because i would prefer not solely responsible, but have someone else to take the blame with me when things go wrong... ;) i often can't see the good in all the challenges and in the things that don't turn out the way i thought they would/should... it worry about my own abilities. but i find comfort in the following:

• "Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant–not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." (2 Cor 3:5-6)

it's the same in life i think, not just if one is employed in a ministry... I constantly feel that i on a personal level aren't able to live up to my own, and what i think are God's ideals for how I should be what I should do. But it's not about that, i can't do squat. What ever i do will not live up to anyone's standard. God, on the other hand, will:

• "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Gal 2:20)

It's good to know it's not up to me - but Christ who lives in me, i just need to let Him take care of business and not try to work things out on my own, which unfortunately is a lot easier said than done...

æøå

Well, we've both got tickets now, L for the Feb. 21st and me on March 2nd. Pretty excited, always good when things get settled... So as long as something really strange happens we're pretty much set. now all we need to do is get our stuff packed up (blah...), worst part of any move... would be great to be super rich and just get someone to do it all for us... pipedreams i know... i'm sure it won't be as bad once we get started and all...

reading that 'prayer of jabez' book (yes, i know everyone and their dog read it 3 yrs ago) but i didn't an i saw it in my parents bookshelf, and figured that i might as well go a head and see what it's all about, seems interesting but at the same time Wilkinson (?) makes some pretty bold promises as to what you'll get out of the book and the prayer... we'll see what happens when i finish it... it's not exactly huge so i hope i'll get through it pretty soon...

well i'm hungry and need some coffee, so i'm going to head on home...

Have you ever wondered...

...what your computer does at night and why some of your programs don't seem to work in the morning? Here's why..........

http://www.rio.com.br/animation/iconstory.htm

there's a storm out side

they're recomending us to not go out side unless we really have to... this is the third storm in less than a week...

hoping to buy tickets today...

well then... staff meeting coming up

not exactly what i'd love to do most, but necessary unfortionately... just really dull and uninspiering... so sad, cause it could be SO great - a time where all of us get to gether and discuss and get motivated for our common vision (which we don't have by the way), a time we can pray for the work and one another... (which we don't) - all we do is sit around and talk about things that eithert don't matter! sorry this was a little negative - just needed to vent...

life is good

Don't you just love Mondays?

About to go home now. i'm hungry and want dinner, i'm home before L on Monday's so i make dinner, we're having tuna salad. Yummy... i like tuna.

this week is going to be way too busy. there's good busy and bad busy, this week is definitely the latter...

we've slowly started the whole move/packing/shipping thing... blah... can't say it's my favorite thing in the world... always a hassle and always a lot more work than one thinks/plans. done it so many times now it's ridiculous... oh well, it'll totally be worth it when we get to SC. looking forward to being there, but not so much the "getting" there part...

My favorite molecule...

C8H10N4O2

But which could it be? Any chemistry buffs out there?

Friday already...

the days just fly by... that's both good and bad i guess... i'm feeling really restless with this big move on the horizon. Going to be great to live in the US for a while, get to know L's fam and friends better... makes it hard to focus on our tasks here - as long as our bodies are in N, so should our minds ;) it's hard though...

i need to go to the grocery store, we're out of laundry detergent and worst of all coffee...

it's been a while...

Just haven't felt like blogging. dunno why... well i've finally got my green card, so we'll be moving some time in march. just hope i can get a hold of a job or something, food and a roof over our head is nice... God will provide...