Visiting my mother

The last few days I have been visiting my mother. She is growing old, approaching 85 years. The body is failing her more and more, and she is not well at all. But her inner being is younger than ever. In spite of her pain and diseases she said to me to night: �When I lay down to sleep, I tell myself and my God that I still like to live. I enjoy life! Is it wrong of me thinking like that at my age?� I assured her that it was right of her to like to live in spite of her circumstances.

When I looked at her, she was so beautiful; her eyes so bright and full of life. Her body has become fragile and delicate like an artwork of fine china. Her white hair is like a crown of life. Even though she has shrunk to become seven inches shorter than she used to be, she is a greater person than ever. To me, even the hunch she has developed on her back, has a strange beauty. There is a kind of an inner radiance of beauty breaking forth in the ugliest expression of her aging body.

From Bergen to Stavanger

From Bergen to Stavanger
Yester day I went by car from Bergen to Stavanger. I had to cross several beautiful fjords. The first ferry took one full hour to cross over to the island of Stord. The sea was quiet and the sun was shining on the fabulous scenery as my wife and I enjoyed a pizza. God is surely good to us. After 30 minutes of driving in our new car we reached the end of the island and the was another fjord to cross. This time we didn�t have ferry but a long sub sea tunnel (8 km long � 260m deep) to help us to arrive on the other side. An impressive art of engineering created the tunnel, but I prefer the scenery on the outside!

The strawberries for sale alongside the road, I prefer even more than the scenery! Freshly picked strawberries bring with them a foretaste of heaven. They refresh the senses and revitalise my total being. Thank God for strawberries!

Pent up and full of words

I feel pent up and full of words
The spirit within me urges me to write a blog
I feel like a wine cask without a vent
My words are ready to burst out!
I must blog to find relief
I must share my insight
And give my answers
I won�t play favourites
Or try to flatter any post-modern person
If I tried, My Creator would soon do away with me!

I met with the church this morning
To worship and enjoy the Lord
It was not an exciting experience
I felt like a lion kept in a cage
The program of worship
And the form of melodies and choruses
Made me feel being imprisoned
My heart was full of joy
But the format of the meeting
Didn�t allow me to rejoice

Oh Holy Presence
Come with your dynamic power
And wipe away all our nice programs
Let your presence fill our gatherings with yourself
That praise and worship may burst forth
In joyful melodies and happy rhythm
Making our feet dance forcefully
And our hearts sing loudly in excitement
To You be the glory!
For you are The Glorious One!
Hallelujah!

Lasting values

I couldn't sleep. My head was full of thought. I was excited with life.
God has been so good to me. Everything in this world is uncertain. There
is no security or rest. People are groping in the darkness to find the
way ahead. Everything in this world is dying or fading away. But God is
here, he gives me faith to live by and to overcome the uncertainties of
the age. My God is the God of hope, in him I have a bright future and
something to run to lay hold on. God is love. I am surrounded by his
love, even when I can't sleep! The love of God is now the motivation of
my life helping me to see everything in a different perspective.

My most wonderful wife

Solveig is my most wonderful wife for nearly 38 years. She is my best friend
and my strongest supporter. She is also my honest and true critic, to help me
to progress. She is the most beautiful among all of God=92s creatures. She is
the hardest working woman I know, and her serving heart no one can match! Her
tender love and faithful care are too good to be described in words. Solveig =96
what a wonderful fragrance of joy and happiness surround that name of an
outstanding homemaker. I could fill all the blogs in the world with her
praise.

Covenant keeping
The issue of covenant was forced on me last night. A quite young man sat in front of me asking important questions about his covenant obligation. His marriage had been broken up. His wife had left him appealing for divorce. "If I can't have her back, do I still have covenant obligations to fulfil towards her"? That was the big question, - with many far reaching implications. In a situation like this there is no easy answers, but spiritual laws to follow to work out solutions in life. After he left me these words were born in me:

To be somebody
is to be a covenant keeper
to remain faithful to your promises
to stay loyal to your words
to honour your commitments
in the middle of betrayal and disappointments
It is to persevere in faith, hope and love
allowing nothing to destroy your integrity
but allowing kindness to abound
in spite of hurting circumstances

To be somebody
is to overcome the desire for revenge
to refuse to hit back with the same cruelty that you have been hit
It is to forgive ond forget
but also to hold responsible
and bring the offending partner to justice
when the measure of iniquity is full
and showing mercy in judgment
remembering that the way you treat others you will be treated yourself

To be somebody
is to sing
in major and minor
in joy and sorrow
in longing and despair
to let life be a song
and all events be
the music and rhythm
that give the song life

When we grow up we all dream of becoming somebody to be proud of. I have reached the conclusion that when I am true to myself and my Creator, then I have a good reason to be proud. Then I really am somebody because so many seem to compromise themselves.

After my first blog yesterday, we were having a barbecue party at our home. Some friends were gathered to celebrate summer in spite of rain pouring down. Gerd Lillian was there with us. She is a fabulous woman! She is really somebody. Her body is heavily attacked by cancer. She is having to fight several tumours in her liver, hip and shoulder, not to speak about the terrible pain in her body. In spite of her circumstance she is source of encouragement to all she meets. Yesterday she was boldly proclaiming that the God who had saved her og forgiven her sins, would have no difficulties in healing her completely! Gerd Lillian is really somebody, because she refuses to give up or to let circumstances let her down! She is somebody worth praying for! Please join me in prayer for full healing for her!
Erling Thu

To be somebody
is to take small and big jumps
into the unknown territory
safely walking in faith
confidently trusting the Beginning and the End
to guide and carry me
through the deep waters
over the high mountains of human limitations
to soar to new horizons
to lay down and dream in a lush meadow
to create my first blog
Sent by Erling Thu