So so so thankful

I AM doing homework people... I just have to have a tiny break, voicing my thankfulness. I wrote to a friend today that I don´t even know where to begin, cause there´s so much to be thankful for. So..I figuerd I´d just make a list!

- I am in sunny, beautiful, amazing Californaia, L.A
- I´m living in a house full of amazing girls I´m having a blast with
- I´m doing a School of Biblical studies in this wonderland-place, and get to dig deep into the word of God
- I´m learning to play the piano
- I get to eat fresh fruits and d e l i c i o u s salads every day
- I had norwegian milk chocolate and coffee with my sweet norwegian roomie today
- I know there´s a package on the way over the ocean in this very moment...
- The staff in my school are so down to earth and amazing, and funny and Godfearing
- I experience the good fruits of obedience and patience (. . . ) every day
- I got a new supporter today (I know you´re reading this. THANK YOU!)
- I received a super encouraging email from one of my other supporters today
- Starbucks is around every corner, baby
- I am not being killed for having a Bible
-I am redeemed by Jesus himself from all the dark and nasty and fearful and bad stuff from my past
-I am made new, and whole, and I love myself and life, and therefore I can love others
-I am not sick
- My migrene headaches caused by nats in my back are gone (Praise God)
-I have family and friends back home in Norway who love me, miss me, pray for me, support me, and believe in what I´m up to
- I´ve seen Hollywood
- Maria is on the base, and she is such a refreshment to have around (SPHÆÆÆÆDER LISSOM)
- I have the most amazing newphew and brother in law who makes my beloved sister very happy
- I get to share what I believe in with others
- I am living only 15 minutes away from Joy!!! I love her
- I have the most amazing parents evaaah
- I´m gonna be here in L.A for 8 more months, which means I get to celebrate both thanksgiving and Christmas here. Yeah!
- SG exists! Treehouse coming up, baby.



What can I say? God, you´re blessing me!!! You´re seriosuly blessing me! Thank you! And help me see all the opportunities there is to bless others, and not waste one single one of them.

I love you God. Reading your word makes me so excited about you. You´re so much better than I ever knew.

Beyond human understanding

Just gonna share a little something. I´m doing an assignment on the book Joshua at the moment. I´ve just finished A: finding a qestion B: an interprative answer from the ORIGINAL READER´s view and C: a timeless truth from these observations. D: The last part is to ask God how this applies in my own life and if there´s anything he wants me to do. I was so encouraged, so here is it for the whole world to see:

Why is God saying to Joshua “be strong and courageous? (1: 6)

- The OR (original reader - Israelite people) have experienced and seen that God is not a man that he should lie. (Which is one of God´s own statements from the book of Numbers 23: 19) When OR is reading God´s command/encouragement to Joshua that he was only to be strong and courageous; they knew that Joshua had reason to be. They also knew that Joshua knew that he could boldly not give in to discouragemt; because God who sees it all had spoken. Period.

TT (Timeless truth): When God speaks, it´s based on truth and knowledge beyond human understanding or emotion.

Application: I just want to thank God for that he speaks, and that he´s truthful. Like when I was on the wilderness trip last week, I took a morning walk in the desert by myself. I was just praying and listening If I heard him say anything. And I believed I heard something; but I wasn´t quite sure... But then, under a bush I saw a green little ticket. I picked it up, and there, with printed words it said the same as what I thought I´d heard him say. Haha, crazy!! God is awesome. And I better be encouraged...

What I`ve found - part 1

What is Youth with a mission? I am youth with a mission. And right now, my misson is to be rooted and grounded in God´s word, the Bible, so that I can stand firm as I spend my life reaching out to a world that is lost without truth.

So here I am, in my 4th week in YWAM L.A. My class and I have read through the first books of the Bible, and dug deep into the original reader´s mindset. Huh? Original reader? Well, the books in the Bible weren´t written to you and me personally. It was written to someone else. But God intended for everyone to be able to pull out truths from the texts that are timeless. Timeless truth = Truth that cannot be shaken in a zillion years... But in order to get to these truths, it´s helpful to know the original reader´s background so that the message gets crystal clear... Some things though, you´ll see, even when not having a very thick layer of knowledge about the historic facts.

You think the old testament is all about an angry God obsessed with people´s sin? What I´ve found, is a passionate creator who is zealous for his people, and wants us to know him... I mean, in Genesis it is clearly statet that we are created in the image of God. Don´t you see? We understand God much better than we sometimes claim to. We carry his likeness; If you´re a parent, and someone lies to your child so that he turns away from you... Won´t you have a jelaous and righteous heart to get him back? Of course you will. And everyone will know that your anger and your ridding the way of everything evil to get to your child - that´s just pure love. Love. Fierce, truthful, just love.


To be continued


Homework in the laundromat... Not one hour wasted!!


Hanne and me in Santa Monica with the class


Jillian having an obviously huge revelation...

A glimpse after 4 weeks in L.A

We´re 25 students in our C -SBS class, and we have just returned from a 3 day-wilderness trip. - Camping underneath big and mighty rocks, bondfire, marshmallows at night, not-realizing-that-you-smells-like-crap-cause-everyone´s-in-the-same-boat, having roleplays from the Bible, playing "Mafia" around the bondifre, and for me - early morning hikes, just taking in the silence and the beauty.

I´m now wrapped in a blanket in trailer 14. That is where I live. In a trailer (well, it is a house, but it can be moved on a trailer if needed...) in Lake View Terrace in L.A. And YOU`ll get to see a pictures in just a sek (And I will add more from the wilderness trip later on.)

So long, bless ya!

Two seconds away

I´ve come to the same conclusion again. The conclusion I always end up with. And it´s a good one.

The dramatic sky is heavy and purple above me, and I can´t wait till the raindrops start falling. I carry the creepy feeling of being less clean. Less whole. Or just less. I don´t know exactly when it started to happen, but it does have something to do with choices being made everyday. The choices that seem so meaningless and innocent. Perhaps they are. For others. But not for me when I know what it´s like to be in touch with an almighty God. Now the sense of feeling lost and less whole overwhelms me. But I´m not scared. Not feeling condemned. Just in awe.

I really have met God! It´s the most real thing in my life. If it wasn´t, I would never feel so empty when giving him just a little less attention. If God wasn´t the most important one, I would never miss him so badly when I in the morning sing the songs about nothing, instead of the songs about him. If God wasn´t holding me tight, I would never feel so choked when trying to run off and do it all on my own.

If God wasn ´t here, I would love the selfish choices I make. I would be satisfied when digging deeper into the tomb of accsesories this world has to offer. But I´m not satisfied. I´m feeling empty and lost and impure when looking at what he´s crying over.

I´m in awe. And I´m running back to him. Two seconds in a land where I hinder myself from stepping closer to God, only drives me crazy in love. Two seconds of taking the honor and the attention from him, only reveals me as a fool.

But I´m not feeling condemned. Only out of air. But I know the way back to breathing. I know the conclusion so well. I know his name. Nothing can ever take his place. No one can compete with him. And nothing can hinder him from embracing me right now, in this very moment. And again, he makes me whole.

4th of June joy

I´m doing a PCYM at the moment (Principles for children and youth ministry), and the school is divided into four blocks. I have just finished the third block at Heidebeek in Holland.

The plan was going to Holland on the 4th of June. My ticket was ordered long ago, and I was set to go. The only problem was: My sister was in the hospital, and I knew the birth could happen any time. It was only hours before my plane would take off, and I was desperate. I wanted so badly to see her child before leaving Norway. But a change of flight is not for free, and my bank account let me down.

Then it´s this thing called friends! Man… A wonderful couple at Grimerud handed me their visa card and said “Here, use this!” I could delay my time of departure a few days, and go see my nephew. Wow, I´m sooo thankful! (You know who you are ☺)

The next morning mom and dad came picked me so we could all meet Jesper for the first time. Dad hugged me and exclaimed “Congratulations!” I eagerly responded “Yes, congratulations!” He shook his head, and continued “No, now I´m actually talking about your new bike.” And there beside me stood an old fashioned black “diamant”; the type of bike I have wanted for a looong time. Thank you pappa!


(Since spending a lot of time in Holland this spring I´ve become a real biking-enthusiast. And not having my own bike has felt like a big lack...)


The birth had went very well, and I have to say I am very proud of my sister. I am also speechlessly thankful about her husband who´s truly one of the most amazing men I know. He´s a wonderful husband and now a father. I am happy to be his sister in law.

Here is Håkon, Hilde and Jesper.

"He is standing right behind you"

People may argue about God´s existence as much as they like. But what to say when a 6 year old boy from a non-believing background tells you that Jesus is standing right behind you?

"Where?" I asked him.

"He´s behind us!" the little boy answered.

"Did you see him?" I continued.

"No. But he came and put his hand on my neck."

Not only in muslim countries are the children having visions and visitations of Jesus. And the children have no doubt who they´re having an encounter with - even when they´ ve never heard about the Christ before. It happens in Norway as well. This boy didn´ t say that some man put his hand on his neck. It was Jesus. Just like that.

Cheering you on

I just came home from "women´s group". Ladies in the vast variety of shapes and ages getting together to enjoy cake (...) and talk about things concerning us. Most of the women attending are from my church, frikirken. And I will use this opportunity to get it out there how I admire, respect and appriciate these women. The more I get to know them, the more I realize how willing, humble and gorgeous they are. ANYWAYS, I was at this "women´s group". And tonight the topic was marriage and looove.

And that goes along with a revelation I had some weeks ago concerning cheerleaders (!) . You see, in 1. Corinthians 9: 24 it says: "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. " Run in such a way as to get the prize...

Jesus said that the road is narrow (Matthew 7:13-14). And in 1. Corinthians 9:25 it says "everyone who competes in the game goes into strict training." I´m sure all of us have some idea what strict training is about. At least I feel the stress on my body just hearing the words! But I know the narrow-road-walking and strict training is much easier when being cheered on. Someone treating you with the attitude of: Come on baby! You´re gonna make it!

This is what Mary was sharing tonight:
- My husband´s heart is my responsibility. Although the ultimate response is his, as his wife I´ve agreed to be responsible together with him.

I see the truths in that. I mean, of course, it´s not the cheerleader´s fault if their team lose. But with devoted cheerleaders and a loud audience, won´t the confidence and the warrior-spirit in the team be stirred? Maybe the cheerleaders are doing more of the job than we` ve ever concidered... Just a thought. But marriage-vise, I do believe in my own cheerleader-theory with all my heart.

I just love marriages. Yet, as much as I love it, it doesn´t come close to the love God himself has for marriage. Do you realize, it´s God who came up with the whole thing!? Romance and sex, selfless devotion and sometimes weird things as sharing the same toothbrush. Why?
* Some would say for us to be plentiful. I agree. But not in that one alone.
* Some would say for the sake of staying away from immorality. Yes, that´s a good one too.
* Some would say for us to be happy. I believe in that more than I used to dare to.
*Some would say for society to have a safe foundation where children can grow up in a healthy and Godly environment. Yes, absolutely!

But these are fruits, results. Good fruits because the tree is good! The tree, the mainthing is Jesus himself. His character being displayed through a man and woman mixed together as one - forever. I believe God reveals who He is though a marriage in the obvious unity of the covenant. But also as both husband and wife are devoted to cheer on one another so they can win the raze and become more and more who God created them to be.

So my point of all this; Let´s be cheerleaders! And if you´re not married, you can still practice being a cheerleader for someone. There are soo many out there who needs someone to cheer them on as they may even have lost faith in the goal, or that they´ll ever reach Him.