A few days ago I was rushing to get to the prayer room at 5:45 am (it’s funny how things just go s l o w e r in the morning). Anyway, a young lad wearing a fluorescent yellow reflex-vest walking a tiny little dog passes me. I imagine he was a dog-walker rather then dog-owner. And I started wondering what life as a dog-walker is like. I mean, who am I to say that his life is pretty straightforward and easy, it might very well not be, but I made me think how much less confusing my life would be if that was what I did: walked dogs in the early hours of the morning…
These past weeks I’ve had the distinct feeling of having to keep up with my life as there’s been so much happening and so many shifts and changes, it’s quite overwhelming if I stop to think about it, which I don’t. Think? Who has time to think? Sat here drinking my PG tips tea with milk and eating cereal I don’t even know the name of (some friends left town and left me their left-over food) I think I probably should go to bed as it’s nearing midnight…but then I thought it would be nice to have at least a little record of the whirlwind, so I decided that sleep can wait. Who needs sleep anyway, right? Especially as I will only be sleeping another 3 nights in this house.
Yes, I am moving. Sunday is the big moving day. But let me just do a quick (or slower) summary of some of the things happening lately which bring me to today, and consequently to Sunday.
I found a house to live in, which I hope will feel like home, at least for a season. Although it didn’t end up being a very long-winded process to find somewhere, the week I was emailing and looking was a long week! It’s a pretty nice house with 3 bedrooms + 2 in the basement. It’s got a good feel and one of my current housemates is also moving in, so there’ll be at least one person I know…and the opportunity to get to know 3 others. So Sunday we’re moving. The landlady of my current house is slowly but surely emptying the house so the last few weeks have been quite unsettled here. I wouldn’t want anyone to go into my room at the moment, as there’s stuff everywhere. It’ll be good to get settled in the new house.
A Norwegian friend of mine here in Kansas City is getting married on Saturday so I’m helping her with different things. We actually baked two kransekaker (traditional Norwegian cake used for weddings and special occasions) from scratch. We even ground the almonds and rolled out the rings. The cake consists of 18 rings of cake made from a dough with almonds, powdered sugar, and egg whites. It is so nice, and today we assembled it! It looks great! And it was exciting to actually manage to make a cake we usually just buy readymade in Norway. Apart from baking and bringing some food, I’m going to read Psalm 23 in Norwegian in the service and do some games at the reception. I am a wee bit nervous about the games bit because it’s a big wedding and I’m not one who thrives on standing in front of large groups of people- but it’s a good challenge, and I know it’s going to be fun to bring in a bit of Norwegian tradition in an American wedding.
So that’s Saturday. Sunday I’m moving, and Sunday afternoon I have a potluck BBQ. My amazing leader, Michelle, is moving to Florida, and so we’re getting together to say goodbye. I am going to miss her so much! She has been such an inspiration and bottom line, what we all are left with is that the prophetic is about a man named Jesus. It’s all about Jesus.
Yeah, so the last weeks have been full of adjusting to all the changes happening both in ministry, with people, moving, planning to move, people coming and going…more then enough changes to fill a year, let alone a few short weeks. But it’s been an opportunity to carry my heart well in the midst of a whirlwind. Knowing this week would be challenging I asked God to help me not get stressed or complain. I want to walk in peace; the peace Jesus had when He slept in the boat in the midst of a storm. I want to have a heart that is carried well, and I want to be someone who is anchored in Jesus, no matter how much shifting and changing happens around me. I’m far from being there, but I’m working on it, and it’s a good journey.
All that said, it is now technically tomorrow, so I think sleep is a good idea. I haven’t managed to sleep well the last few nights, but my eyelids are getting heavier and so I think I might just take advantage of that and hope to get a good night’s sleep tonight.
Hopefully I won’t wait this long till my next update, but you never know.
These past weeks I’ve had the distinct feeling of having to keep up with my life as there’s been so much happening and so many shifts and changes, it’s quite overwhelming if I stop to think about it, which I don’t. Think? Who has time to think? Sat here drinking my PG tips tea with milk and eating cereal I don’t even know the name of (some friends left town and left me their left-over food) I think I probably should go to bed as it’s nearing midnight…but then I thought it would be nice to have at least a little record of the whirlwind, so I decided that sleep can wait. Who needs sleep anyway, right? Especially as I will only be sleeping another 3 nights in this house.
Yes, I am moving. Sunday is the big moving day. But let me just do a quick (or slower) summary of some of the things happening lately which bring me to today, and consequently to Sunday.
I found a house to live in, which I hope will feel like home, at least for a season. Although it didn’t end up being a very long-winded process to find somewhere, the week I was emailing and looking was a long week! It’s a pretty nice house with 3 bedrooms + 2 in the basement. It’s got a good feel and one of my current housemates is also moving in, so there’ll be at least one person I know…and the opportunity to get to know 3 others. So Sunday we’re moving. The landlady of my current house is slowly but surely emptying the house so the last few weeks have been quite unsettled here. I wouldn’t want anyone to go into my room at the moment, as there’s stuff everywhere. It’ll be good to get settled in the new house.
A Norwegian friend of mine here in Kansas City is getting married on Saturday so I’m helping her with different things. We actually baked two kransekaker (traditional Norwegian cake used for weddings and special occasions) from scratch. We even ground the almonds and rolled out the rings. The cake consists of 18 rings of cake made from a dough with almonds, powdered sugar, and egg whites. It is so nice, and today we assembled it! It looks great! And it was exciting to actually manage to make a cake we usually just buy readymade in Norway. Apart from baking and bringing some food, I’m going to read Psalm 23 in Norwegian in the service and do some games at the reception. I am a wee bit nervous about the games bit because it’s a big wedding and I’m not one who thrives on standing in front of large groups of people- but it’s a good challenge, and I know it’s going to be fun to bring in a bit of Norwegian tradition in an American wedding.
So that’s Saturday. Sunday I’m moving, and Sunday afternoon I have a potluck BBQ. My amazing leader, Michelle, is moving to Florida, and so we’re getting together to say goodbye. I am going to miss her so much! She has been such an inspiration and bottom line, what we all are left with is that the prophetic is about a man named Jesus. It’s all about Jesus.
Yeah, so the last weeks have been full of adjusting to all the changes happening both in ministry, with people, moving, planning to move, people coming and going…more then enough changes to fill a year, let alone a few short weeks. But it’s been an opportunity to carry my heart well in the midst of a whirlwind. Knowing this week would be challenging I asked God to help me not get stressed or complain. I want to walk in peace; the peace Jesus had when He slept in the boat in the midst of a storm. I want to have a heart that is carried well, and I want to be someone who is anchored in Jesus, no matter how much shifting and changing happens around me. I’m far from being there, but I’m working on it, and it’s a good journey.
All that said, it is now technically tomorrow, so I think sleep is a good idea. I haven’t managed to sleep well the last few nights, but my eyelids are getting heavier and so I think I might just take advantage of that and hope to get a good night’s sleep tonight.
Hopefully I won’t wait this long till my next update, but you never know.