the man on the ferry

We were just traveling a short distance from our last place at the Bye household in Bergen to the Pederson household in Kopervik on Tuesday morning. I had been interested lately in getting more hungry for God and for the depth of His heart for me. I have not really been surprised by events such as the one that met me on the boat that day. As usual we drove the car onto the ferry and then all piled out to go up to the observation deck or to sit inside the passenger area. I always like to walk to the top and see the view. We did it together then I pulled away by myself. I found a little place in the back of the boat, away from the wind and still in the sun shine as it tried to peak through the clouds. It has been an extraordinary bunch of days in regard to the weather. Today is the only day that it seemed a bit cold and the wind had picked up over the water. I stood there behind the smokestack looking out into the expanse of water. It was a couple of moments to be alone, to not be the leader of the team, and to just hear from God. I started reading from 2 Corinthians. I of course sort of wanted Will to wander past me and enjoy the scattered sun and the view, but I knew that I needed to be there alone. A few minutes later a man came behind me and got my attention. 'Excuse me, Jeremiah 33:3.....I feel like the Lord reminded me about Jeremiah 33:3 for you.' He walked away. I shouted after him....'Thank you! Are you a Christian?' I figured he was but I just did not really understand where in the world he came from. Did he just see me reading my bible and figure I was a Christian....then pray for me and get a verse for me to find? I don't know, but one thing is clear----the verse he gave me was from the Lord for sure. As he walked away I had this thought that I should run after him and find out more. I felt the Holy Spirit slow me down. I stopped from following him. This was for me. The moment was made for me, for my heart alone. I turned to lean against the smokestack again, resuming my position of great revelation. I looked up the verse quickly. It read, 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you did not know.' Hmm.....wow. I was inspired by this verse!!! I have been wondering what the next step for me is. I have been struggling with some strange things lately---some questions of why I was not improving my skills as a painter, artist, musician, or anything. I have stopped doing most of those creative things. I guess in that same regard I have stopped calling to God and hearing His answer. This was a needed calling out. BUT THEN>>>>>>>the greatest part of it comes last. I was looking closer to the verse underlined in my Bible. Sometimes I underline them when there is an event that brings about a revelation or something. I then write the date and the place where the verse came to me. So this is what I looked closer to find. Written there next to the verse was 'May 2006 Bye Family Bergen' REALLY??? Wow! We just left that house only hours ago!! I remember that Wenche Bye had given me that verse when I came with a Norwegian team after my DTS outreach. I had just experience a disengagement relationship and was dealing with the heartbreak of that. She encouraged me and helped me see forward to what God had planned. When this reminder about Jeremiah 33:3 came it was like the circle was completed and the restoration had come in my heart. Only a few days ago (April 18) I remembered the heartbreaking relationship split just 3 years ago. I was at the Bye house on that day. So......what a strange man on the ferry would not know was that he was a part of God bringing a completion to my broken heart healing. Amazing! God is good and He is doing great things----do I believe it? OH YEAH!!!

Cafe Lyspunktet in Alesund, Norway
(Trouble Won't Go by Enter the Worship Circle)

the dawdler!

so...when Erika needs to take a day off...it feels like a month. I guess this means I do not know how to rest very well. I think I am finally coming into some good habits that I wished I had kept a long time ago. The habits like spending hours with Jesus in the morning, dancing, riding bike, eating a long and slow breakfast, and dawdling. I love to dawdle. Just walk slowly around and fiddle with things as I go. I think it can be so annoying for some...and maybe if I was watching me dawdle I would be annoyed too. But really, when would you get to pluck your eyebrows if you never dawdled?

we have been walking everywhere, and eating lots of bread. I thought I would be running with Will until I had a break down. No more running---just riding my bike until I can manage to breath while exercising. we have been cutting wood and making large holes and lots of noise to try and get those pieces of wood to stick together in the shape of a square. I feel like I am hosting a small scouts club---and Will is the only one who came. thanks. I think Helina would have been there if she was not drumming her heart out in preparation for the tour. Helina would have shown us how to make those wooden sticks into kitchen cabinets. I think I would hire her just to tell me how to do things better in my life. good thing she just helps for free.
There were some moments that I thought I was being a bit rude to Will...as he make the most noise....with his hammer and with is grunting---but later he told me that he liked that sassy attitude. sweet! Norwegians are not well known for their understanding of humor that is not their own. i have to admit that I have forgotten how to communicate to my type of people. Will is my type of people. I guess that is a good thing. I am sometimes shocked at how much he understands without me having to run through everything three more times...with new words in place of the hard ones and the milk has turned into water. It's so refreshing to be understood.

we have new neighbors. the old ones moved out and left a bunch of stuff in the garbage can that you are really really really not allowed to leave there. In Skien here they use advertisement on public buses to describe with photos and words what NOT to put in your garbage can. You are supposed to put the food in a green bag, the plastic in a blue bag, and other things in a white one--that is flipped inside out and tied. This is excluding all loose trash like a set of blinds, frying pan, a pillow, and a cardboard box with your mailing address on it. You can guess.....the items listed in the last sentence were the items we have found loose in the trash can. Oh yeah! So....anyway. They moved out. The new neighbors are nice. They remind me of the neighbors who used to live on the east side of our house. OH WAIT....that is because they are the same neighbors!!! The Persian-ish folks moved two houses down. Have you ever done that? I know it is strange but some people do it. I thought about throwing them a WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARTY. It would be fun. I hope they are better with their trash.

tomorrow---finish the wooded frames and stretch canvas over them, read the Bible, eat a lot of food at various house invites, and hold hands with my boyfriend. I am so lucky!

by the way....this whole blog exists because I am dawdling before bed. see, I told you. :)