God jul | Merry CHRISTmas!

Julemannbaking

Tomorrow it is Christ-mas!

Finito

Yesterday I had my last day as a teacher, ending this three month long time I have had being a substitute teacher.

It feels good being done, and as I am writing this, I am realizing it more and more that I am really done, and that Christmas is just days away! The same is true about a long plane ride and a new chapter in this book I am writing called "My Life". But before that, I'm going to celebrate Christmas at home, all four of us, for the first time in three years.

Just to explain to you that yes, I am relaxing, I am sitting in my bed writing this :)

The class I had the whole fall, almost, the 5th graders, (10yearolds) said goodbye to me Monday, gave me hugs, drawings and their phone numbers in case anything big would come up :)

Happy 21st of December to You All, and especially to Brittern. Happy 22!

The newest addition to the family

I just adopted this fellow, he was not able to make it out in the wild, because of a bad choice of camouflage color...



And then, this lady was so kind to make a drawing of him, check it out:

Aksjon Håp idag, søndag

Hvis du ikke har meldt deg som bøssebærer, kom deg til nærmeste innsamlingssted, finn ei bøsse og gå rundt til folk med den. Det trengs virkelig.

Kom deg ut av stolen og vær med og bær!

Bor du i Tangen, kom til Tangen skole, der sitter jeg.
Bor du i Stange, kom til Vollbo menighetssenter, ovenfor veien ved rådhuset.
Bor du i Bekkelaget i Ottestad, kom til Kjonerud.
Bor du i Romedal, kom deg til Romedal kapell ved kirka, alle steder kl. 14:00.

Bor du i Hamar, kom deg til Misjonshuset v/Domkirken kl 12:30

Bor du i Skien er det mange steder du kan møte opp:
Kirkestua på Borgestad kl 14,
Skien Baptistkirke kl 13-15,
Menighetshuset på Gjerpen kl 13-14,
Skolen på Skotfoss kl 14,
Kirken på Gulset kl 14-15,
Åfoss Skole kl 13-14
eller Moflata misjonskirke kl 13-14

Bor du i Oslo, finn ut hvor du skal møte opp på: http://www.aksjonhap.no/index.php?kat_id=64

Bor du andre steder i landet, finn ut hvor du skal møte opp, også det på:
http://www.aksjonhap.no/index.php?kat_id=64

The first picture

Here is the first picture of my little baby, a tough little fellow, with lots of strength and a bright head.

The next thing on my list is an orange polar bear.

I have become a father!

I know this may come as a shock to many of you, but Tuesday evening, at 14:55 I became the proud father to a boy.
He weighed 2850 grams and was 36 cm long. He has dark hair, but doesn't look much like me, his father...

He doesn't have a name yet, but we'll get there.

I'll post more details and pictures later, just wanted to let you know.

Aksjon Håp: Kristendom med føtter og hender som hjelper

Jeg er med i kommune-komiteen for Aksjon Håp her i Stange, og vi trenger bøssebærere.
I Stange, men også i Oslo, Skien og resten av landet.
Se denne videoen og send en sms til nummeret under, og bli med å gå med bøsse neste søndag, 10. desember!

Det er så lite vi trenger å gjøre, vi snakker ofte fine ord, men nå har vi sjansen til å gjøre noe praktisk for mennesker som VIRKELIG trenger det.




Bli med som bøssebærer søndag den 10. desember og hjelp blant annet de du så i videoen:

Alle bloggere:

Hvis du trenger hjelp til å legge inn denne videoen på bloggen din, send meg en mail eller kommentar, og så kan jeg hjelpe deg.

disippel

Dette er den talen jeg hadde på Freak for omtrent en måned siden.
Jeg legger ut manuset for dere som var der, og også for dere som ikke var der, så fremt dere forstår norsk :)






disippel

Det går an å se på det å være disippel fra flere vinkler.

Først, hva den norske ordboka sier:

disip'pel -en, -ipler (fra lat. discipulus 'elev', av discere 'lære')

1 om e forh: elev, lærling, læregutt

2 tilhenger av en som forkynner en ny religiøs lære Jesus og de tolv disiplene / en Jesu d-

3 person som er sterkt påvirket av en annen en d- av Rembrandt

Så kan vi se på hva bibelordboka sier:

Kommer fra det latinske ordet discipulus, som betyr lærling, læresvenn.

Det hebraiske ordet for disippel er todelt, ben som betyr sønn og limmud som betyr lære og bli undervist.

Det greske ordet som bruker i Det nye testamente er mathetes som betyr elev.

Det er enda en måte å se hva en disippel er, og det er å se hvordan Jesus definerte det å være en disippel. Det er det sikreste å se på, og det er en slik disippel vi skal være, ikke først høre på hva andre folk sier at en disippel er, men først og fremst se hva Jesus sier det er.

Da starter vi.

Matt 28,19-20 Gå derfor ut og gjør alle folkeslag til disipler, idet dere døper dem til Faderens og Sønnens og Den Hellige Ånds navn, 20 og lærer dem å holde alt det jeg har befalt dere. Og se, jeg er med dere alle dager inntil verdens ende!

Vi skal gjøre alle folkeslag til disipler. Disipler? Er du sikker på det? Skal vi ikke bare fortelle dem om Jesus?

Vi skal gjøre alle folkeslag til disipler. Det er det Jesus sa. En disippel er så mye mer og så mye dypere enn det vi har gjort ordet ”kristen” til. En kristen har blitt gjort til et generelt begrep som nesten hele Norges befolkning, nesten hele USAs befolkning, ja, mange andre land, som alle sier de er. Alle er liksom kristne. Men er de alle disipler? Følger de alle det Jesus befalte oss?

Luk 14,27 Den som ikke bærer sitt kors og følger etter meg, kan ikke være min disippel.

”Å bære korset vil si at man uttømmer sitt liv for alt som er selvisk.”

Det vi selv vil og har lyst til, er ikke det som teller. Det er hva Guds vilje er, ja, det er det han vil vi skal gjøre som gjelder.

”Der din vilje krysses av Guds vilje, der ser du et kors.”

Å være en disippel er å ha Jesus som Herre, og en tjener forteller ikke sin herre hva han skal gjøre, han adlyder det herren sier.

Matt 10,24 En disippel står ikke over sin mester, en tjener ikke over sin herre.

Hvis dette hadde vært i en annen sammenheng, hadde det vært forferdelig for oss: å ta opp vårt kors, å dø fra oss selv, følge noen og ha han som herre.

Hadde det ikke vært for at vi tjener den eneste Gud, Herren over himmel og jord, så hadde dette vært en vanskelig oppgave, men når vi følger Jesus, får vi vite og hvile i at Han har det beste for oss, at han leder oss på riktig vei, og at vi ikke kan ha noe bedre liv, verken her eller i evigheten.

Luk 14,33 Slik kan ingen av dere være min disippel uten at han oppgir alt han eier.

Hvordan kan det lønne seg å følge Jesus og oppgi alt vi eier? Er livet med Jesus bedre enn det jeg har nå?

Hvis målet ditt for lykke er hvor mye stæsj du har, hvor mange venner du har, om alle snakker fint om deg og du ikke har noen som ikke liker deg, så kanskje du har det bedre uten Jesus. – I dine egne øyne.

Jesus lover oss ikke en dans på roser. Eller, kanskje det er nettopp det han gjør, bare at vi har misforstått hve en dans på roser er. En rose har torner. En dans på torner kan bli smertefullt, og Jesus har lovet oss at det kan bli vanskelig. Folk vil komme til å forfølge oss, og folk vil prate dritt om oss. Men Livet med Jesus er verdt det. Livet som en disippel dreier seg ikke om meg og mitt, det dreier seg om Jesus, det dreier seg om å vise kjærlighet til hverandre og til Gud.

Joh 8,31-32 Jesus sa da til de jøder som var kommet til tro på ham: Dersom dere blir i mitt ord, da er dere i sannhet mine disipler. 32 Og dere skal kjenne sannheten, og sannheten skal frigjøre dere.

Joh 13,34-35 Et nytt bud gir jeg dere: Dere skal elske hverandre! Som jeg har elsket dere, skal også dere elske hverandre. 35 Av dette skal alle kjenne at dere er mine disipler, om dere har kjærlighet til hverandre.

Men da er vel disipler bare noen som fulgte Jesus mens han var her på jorda? Ikke sånne som ble frelst etter at Jesus hadde dratt tilbake til himmelen?

Apg 6,1 På denne tid, da tallet på disipler stadig økte, begynte de gresktalende jøder å knurre mot de hebraisktalende over at deres enker ble tilsidesatt ved den daglige utdeling.

Apg 6,7 Og Guds ord hadde framgang. Tallet på disipler i Jerusalem økte sterkt, og en stor flokk av prestene ble lydige mot troen.

Apg 9,26 Da han kom til Jerusalem, prøvde han å slutte seg til disiplene. Men alle var redd ham, for de trodde ikke at han var en disippel.

Kvinnelige disipler: Apg 9,36 I Jaffa bodde en kvinnelig disippel som hette Tabita, på gresk Dorkas. Hun gjorde mye godt og tok seg av de fattige.

Mark 10,17-27 Da Jesus skulle dra videre, kom en mann løpende, falt på kne for ham og spurte: "Gode mester, hva skal jeg gjøre for å få det evige liv?" 18 Men Jesus sa til ham: "Hvorfor kaller du meg god? Bare én er god - det er Gud. 19 Du kjenner budene: Du skal ikke slå i hjel, du skal ikke bryte ekteskapet, du skal ikke stjele, du skal ikke vitne falskt, du skal ikke bedra noen, du skal hedre din far og din mor." 20 Men han svarte: "Mester, alt dette har jeg holdt fra jeg var ung." 21 Jesus så på ham og fikk ham kjær, og sa: "Én ting mangler deg: Gå bort og selg det du eier, og gi alt til de fattige. Da skal du få en skatt i himmelen. Kom så og følg meg!" 22 Men han ble nedslått over dette svaret og gikk bedrøvet bort, for han var svært rik. 23 Da så Jesus seg rundt i kretsen av disiplene og sa: "Hvor vanskelig det vil være for dem som eier mye, å komme inn i Guds rike." 24 Disiplene ble forferdet over Jesu ord. Men han sa igjen: "Barn, hvor vanskelig det er for dem som stoler på sin rikdom, å komme inn i Guds rike. 25 Det er lettere for en kamel å gå gjennom et nåløye enn for en rik å komme inn i Guds rike." 26 Da ble de enda mer forskrekket og sa til hverandre: "Hvem kan da bli frelst?" 27 Jesus så på dem og sa: "For mennesker er det umulig, men ikke for Gud. Alt er mulig for Gud."

La oss leve som Jesu disipler. La livet med Jesus trenge gjennom hver eneste del av livene våre, og la Jesus være Herre over hver eneste lille avgjørelse vi tar og tanke vi tenker.

La oss alle være med på å gjøre alle folkeslag til disipler i det vi lærer dem å holde alt det Jesus har befalt oss.

Amen.

Coming soon...

Oslo2. The Saturday-experience.

I have now been to Oslo two times in 10 days, and on Tuesday I am going there again, this time to help my uncle move some stuff.

But, yesterday, being as spontanous as I can be, I decided Thursday that I was gonna join going to the house-fellowship-YWAM-meeting at Joakim Magnus' place, at Holmenkollen, Oslo.

So yesterday we went, Jan-Erik, Nils-Andreas, Kobus from South Africa (The Grimerud DTS' speaker this week) and me.

First, we met as a former-YWAMers-now-students-group, me feeling in between somewhere, being half-YWAMer now, becoming a student soon, being a teacher now, but becoming a YWAM-student when I do become a student...

The first thing coming into Joakim's place, I met Brittern, and then later on, Lyndee and Kjersti came, plus Anette, Tuva, Karianne, Joakim (of course) as well as people I met at Slingshot this summer, for instance Gunnhild.
(If I left someone out, or someone's blog-adresses, let me know. What I write here can easily be edited.)

We had a good time of worshipping Jesus, and then hearing from Kobus tell stories from his life in Africa serving God. (I know Africa is generalizing, but for a man travelling all over Africa, almost all the time, you need to use a general term). He urged us to not go away from the calling God has on each of our lives, and to remember that the blessing we have been given, is not ours to keep. (Psalm 67)

As I sat there on the floor in a big living room, I felt like this was how church was meant to be, worshipping together, hearing from God together, looking each other in the eyes while listening, eating together, praying for and blessing each other, asking for God to lead us in our daily walk, focusing on the lost. Not just trying to make up all kinds of good ways to waste time while staring into the back of someones heads.
I really lived yesterday.

Oslo. The mid-week weekend experience.

Konsert. Ekstase. Hjem til Erlend. Bytur. Jegergryte. Mye kjøtt. Tyggis. Anette og Tuva. Tegnspråk, bamsemums, brownies, rare ord og kirkehistorie. Amerikansk frokost. Bislett Kebab. Omvisning på Staffelds. Litt rar i magen. Togtur hjem.

I had a really good time in Oslo, and it all started with the highlight of the fall, The Sufjan Stevens concert. I had been looking forward to it ever since I bought the tickets in August.

That man did not disappoint me, rather the opposite. Delivering a fun loaded show with beautiful sounds and chaotic mess, all in the theme of flying, all with wings and inflatable supermen.

I continued on my road to the week's perfectness by going to Erlend's place to stay a few days. Hospitality and late nights, lots of meat and care.

I also went to visit Tuva and Anette, who gave me a memorable fun night, playing mime-games all night, with the musical sound coming out of the speakers being a mix of Sufjan, Armenian bossanova, High pitched falsetto singing and back to Sufjan again. A cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream as well as brownies with iced cream topped the night off. Thank you, both of you. (Sign-language for thank you: Hold both palms towards each other, all fingers pointing upwards, in front of your solar plexus, and bow your upper body forward in a slight bow.)

Back at Erlend's place, we slept, woke up, one before the other. The other being myself, the one being American-breakfast-maker Erlend. He made us a real American breakfast with American pancakes, Aunt Jemima's original syrup, bacon and scrambled eggs. A good start on a relaxing day.

After some hours in the antique apartment, we went out to eat at the world famous Bislett Kebab. Good food that makes your stomach come alive. After some minutes at the mother of kebab-places, we went over to Staffelds, where Erlend gave me a tour of the building, stating that it's not the building that makes the school so good, it' s the people in it. True, true.

It was time for heading home to Stange, and after packing my bags and heading out the door, my stomach tried giving me a fun time, especially on the train, when the guy next to me fell asleep and I had to pick up my book and read to keep my thoughts on other things than the growling within me.

I came home with a satisfied feeling, knowing that I had been given a gift, a much needed break with some great friends, good food and lots of laughing.

I know the post got long, but I think it's almost free of boring stuff, and if it got too boring, read the top few lines again, and you'll get the short version, if you know Norwegian, that is.

-paulandreas

American breakfast

Surprised by the cameraman.



Laughing and eating simultaneously.

Sufjan Stevens!

I have just been to the most amazing concert, with the most amazing multi-talented-musical genius:
Sufjan Stevens.

He played a long set, with both old and brand new songs, all with some kind of thematic reference to flying of some sort... everything was done with a big set of kite-wings attached to his back. He was himself the Grand Master Chieftain of the Eagles, and he had a group of butterflies that made up his band of friends.

It's hard to describe the experience with words at this time, except that the man must be a genius, playing all the instruments that he does, and writing the complex lyrics that he is also known for.

I'll try posting more later, perhaps a picture or so, but for now, know that I had a REALLY great time this Tuesday night in the city of Oslo.

Right now, I am visiting Erlend, my friend and former bossity-boss.

Australia, here I come!

I got my visa (visum) this last Wednesday, and I am soon ready to go to Perth, Australia to do my SFM, School of Frontier Media there in the beginning of January 2007.

I got my visa in record time. From I pushed the send-button on the webpage, it took about 1 hour and 32 minutes until I got the email saying I got my visa! I was expecting at least a few days, but less that two hours? No way.

Perth is the background city as well as the yellow dot in the lower left corner.

Hungry visitors

We just had a visit by Bambi and his family.
They were hungry.
We just said, "Just go ahead, help yourselves".

Finally it came

Today the first snow came.
The kids loved it,
and I loved it,
and we still drove cars.
Slowly.


Untouched snow. Beauty.


Frosty the Snowman as an infant.


The school-kids going crazy in the snow.


Two of my 10-year-old students made a really nice pig.


Trying to throw the snow back where it came from.


Jumping and landing, at the same time...


New snow. Amazing.

Det snør, det snør, tiddelibom.

Det er dét det gjør, tiddelibom.

A lovely day

Yesterday was a lovely day. It was a Saturday, it was weekend, it was a sleep longer day, and it was a outdoor-pølse-grilling-day!

Jan-Erik invited me to join him down to the lake Mjøsa (Norway's biggest and greatest lake) to spend some quality time, enjoying God's creation as well as grilling some pølse. (Pølse=almost hot dogs). The ones we had were Prior's Turkey and Cheese Pølser. They were tasty and the cheese burnt our tounges.

I had wanted to take the camera out for a ride this week, and I finally got to do it yesterday, taking some beautiful pictures that might end up on your wall some day.

It was such a nice day, the crisp cool air biting my nose and toes at once, the sun making me squint and smile, the food filling me up and satisfying my hunger, the good friend making me laugh and think.

Thank you, Jan-Erik for providing this good day for me, as well as a night to remember.

Thank you God for giving me what I need, just when I need it, and for being in control, always.



Arriving at the lakeside.


Holding tight to the tree's branch.


Shaking the cold out of my head.


Sun warming my face.


A row-boat dreaming of the days past.


Pølsegrilling with a smile.


It's hard to hold two pølses at once.

Berta

A picture from this summer.

Pictures, pt. 3

It's been a great day

It began with me finding the best front page of a news paper I have seen in a long while, which I probably will comment here later on, most likely my first Norwegian post. Some things are hard to translate.
Then, the lady in the post office stared at my head and complimented my hair. Not bad that a 45 year old woman compliments your dreadlocks...
Then I went to Europris where they, just as I walked in, were starting selling out ice cream for 3 kr a piece. Usually it's around 15, so it was 80% off. I bought 17 (!) (3 kr is about 50 cents, 15 is about $2,50).
:)

I am happy.

I have a job!

Yes, indeed I do.
Many have asked if I have a job, and many have received the reply "Not, yet, but I am looking."
Now, if you ask me, I can tell you Yes, I have a job, a good one, as a substitute teacher at Hedemarken Friskole, where I went to school long ago. I am now the colleague of my former teachers. Funny, huh? At least my old teachers think it is. I do too.

I just finished my first week, and have three more weeks for sure in those classes. I teach Maths, Geography, Science, Norwegian and Christianity in three different grades, or classes, whatever you want to call it. Three different groups of kids. There you go.

It's a job well paid, considering my lack of education, and it's fun too, at times, when I feel that I am a good teacher, and it sucks when I feel I am a bad one... I have been told that is how it is to be a teacher, a real love/hate relationship.

Just wanted to inform you and thank all of you who have prayed for me getting a job.

-paul andreas

Matteo Vestbøstad, welcome!

I wanted to wish Matteo Vestbøstad heartily welcome to this earth,
and into our big and ever growing family of YWAM-kids.

Here he is:

Photo: Sigfred Proud-Dad

Fun With a Camera, part 2

After some nice and beautiful comments on the last post, I thought I had to take some new pictures. So I went to Skien, because that's where Andreas lives, the one who owns this special camera...
So this week will be spent i Skien, taking pictures of myself.

Paul on the way to be stoned...

...but before that, an interview had to be made.

Smile.

After my brother's huge success with his web camera pictures, I'd thought I'd try as well... This is taken during the Worker's Gathering in YWAM Norway a few weeks back. You can see that my teeth were big back then...

Having fun with a webcam, part one.

Fly Flies

Give the fly a chance!



Posing in order for the use and message to be more evident to you.



It was my dad who came back with the fly swatter, and gave us a big laugh.
I hope you joined in on the laughing.

A Summer Recap

It's been too long. I know. And when I finally came by and dropped you a post, it was either Happy Birthday or Happy Birthday.

I could have said Happy Birthday today as well, because Sigmund has his birthday today, and I just came back from his party. I did. Say Happy Birthday, that is. But that's not all for now.

I'm 23 and one month today. Hooray for me.

But all of you would rather hear what in the world I have been up to this summer?
I could start at the beginning, but I won't. The beginning is far to long and with few events. Brazil didn't win the World Cup, and Italy did. I don't know which one disappointed me more.


Sunset in Holtstuen

Then, I need to back up a little, to a week in June. It was spent at the feet of one of the women I have respect the most, Darlene Cunningham. She taught at a event called Slingshot, and that first week happened to be an open week, and then I joined. The teaching was great, and to spend the days together with around a hundred people from over 20 nations is an experience I wish for all of you to have.

After Slingshot I had a week working my summer-week in Skien, and then I had some weeks where I hung out with friends, went for a trip to Skjærgårds (The Seaside Music & Missons Festival as they call it in English), and saw Stryper for those of you who know your history lesson concerning Christian rock, you know it was a historic and great experience. The rock legends alive on stage, rocking as they did in the 80s, with fans who weren't born in the 80s even.

Yeah, and before Skjærgårds I had my birthday,
and after Skjærgårds, I had my birthday party with old and new friends in a happy gathering as you usually have on birthdays.


I got a party-gun as a present, and the BANG! is too loud, that's why we all have our eyes shut.


And then we celebrated David, my look-alike brother's birthday a few days later, with all the jazz needed and some more.
Here he is, just after having been awakened by the beautiful birthday choir, and given the gift from me.

For example the "sporlek" we had, a huge success.


The winning picture in the "sporlek".

This weekend I was in both a wedding (just the ceremony) and in a birthday.
It was Heidi and Øystein's wedding. Congratulations!


The beautiful married couple. Just married.
Photo © Eirik Andreas Husabø


And it was Ann Helen's birthday. Happy Birthday!
This week has been spent reading books, swimming, working in the garden, playing Settlers and singing and writing the longest blog entry in a while.

Next week is the annual fall-worker's gathering for YWAM Norway, so as a YWAMkid, I'll meet up there and enjoy the fun. See you there for those of you going there, but that was quite obvious...

Happy Birthday, dear David...

It's David's 21 birthday today, and I wanted to use this space to
congratulate him.
Gratulerer med dagen!
Bukke, nikke, nei og sånn.
Du er en veldig god bror. Og venn. Håper dagen blir en kjempefest.
Gleder meg. God natt.
His blog is:
www.davidaasen.blogspot.com

Happy Birthday dear dreadsies!

Today, it's one year since my dreadlocks were born.
They were born out of hard work for Ruth Silje's part, and with patient
waiting for my part.
I will try to post some "Then and Now"-pictures, but as for now, know that
this is a day to be celebrated.

-paulie and his dreads

The Most Important Day - The Evening

The pizza gone, waiting for the fireworksy ice cream.


My free ice cream, the fireworks all gone, but the ice cream still there. (On this pizza place they bring you a ice cream dessert if it's your birthday, and it has this sparking fireworks thing in it, making it all flashy and obvious for all the guests that yes, it is your birthday today... They used to sing for you as well, but this one didn't at least.)


My lovely parents enjoying to be back after some west coast travelling.


The empty ice cream glass, picturing the spark-thing that accompanied it. (English speakers, do you have a name for that? Would be nice to make myself understood on a later occation with the use of less words than "sparkling fireworks thing". Happy 4th to some of you, by the way!)