A Note to all Girls

          To the girls  (and guys too, if you'd like) in the world who are pinning away for a aboyfriend ( or girlfriend  for boys), this is a reminder to GUARD YOUR HEARTS, this is for you.

        I overheard my friend Ashley ask this question : "Why do you want a boyfriend?" Sure, the answer can be really easy. Maybe it's because you want someone to tell you that you look beautiful, maybe it is because you like to snuggle, maybe it's because you want to go out on a date, or to be treated special, or looked at like you are the only girl in the world. If you really think about those reasons, they really aren't that great. Besides, you are beautiful and precious with out a man on your side!! I mean sure, every girl likes those things, but those aren't substantial reasons for wanting a boyfriend.  If you pick up a random guy off the street, I am convinced that you could get him to act like anyone of the traits, but soon after realize that he is not high quality. Let me be frank, singleness is a gift, even if you hate being called single,or sigh everytime you  see a couple holding hands. 1 Corinthians 7 speaks volumes about this. It is the chapter about marriage, but what Paul says is this:

32I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs—how he can please the Lord. 33But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— 34and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. 35I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.  

Paul also goes on to say that if you do marry or date, you are not and have not sinned (vs 28). In verse 40 he brings up a really good point. 

 40 In my judgement, she is happier if she stays as she is-and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.

The arguement can be made that either way a girl can love the Lord and be a strong christian. While that is very true, I believe that singleness can be a gift. I say this because for some girls they have been bouncing around from relationship to relationship since middleschool. On the other hand some girls may have never had a date.  I would like to suggest that, like verse 34 says, women can be easily distracted and concerned with other things in life, creating a side track that can distance us from God.  If we are 'married' or even in a relationship,  it is hard not to always be concerned about maintaining the relationship and what not. In my opinion singleness is a gift for these reasons (not to say that being in a relationship is bad, not at all!) :  1)  being single provides a great path for aiming to be devoted to God in both body and spirit, and 2) because the experiencing of God's love can be so much richer if there are no distractions.
       Think about this, would you like to date a guy only because on the surface he makes you feel good for a little while? Imagine having a Dove Milk Chocolate candy bar set infront of you. You are offered a tiny corner of the candy bar. You know that you will only be able to savor the delicious taste for a about 15 seconds. But what if you could have the whole candy bar. you could savor the taste for a lot longer.  My point in saying this is that sure, all girls think it would be nice to have a boyfriend and husband, but the quality of a relationship is much more important than the timing!!!
      So, with that said I want to encourage you to think about these passages. First, there is Psalm 48:9,"Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love".  2 things about this verse: singleness can bless us so that we can truly meditate on the unfailing love of God, furthermore, this is the kind of love that we should aim to seek out.  Matthew 10:30-31 says " And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered so dont beafriad; you are worth more than many sparrows." This verse is encredibly encouraging, not only does God know how many hairs I have, he knows [if] there is a guy out there for me in my future. So stop pinning  away and longing for a guy that just wont cut God's high standards. Lastly, Psalm 48:14 says " Fo this God is our God forever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end". When it comes to guys, they are confusing! But, when we are content and focused and in love with God more than the idea of having a boyfriend His guidence with be so evident, and so real to us that a boyfriend or husband really doesn't matter half as much as we, and our society, make it out to be.
         It is my prayer  for you that you know and long for the love of our Father in heaven. I pray that instead of wishing and hoping for a relationship with boys who are bound to let you down, you desire a relationship with the Almighty. I hope that you find a LOVE that is unfailing and stronger and dignified within the arms of Jesus Christ.

In Memory of John Rorvik

My Grandpa died April 14, 2010.   April 16-17 were the burial and the memorial services. I am tired of crying, and I am tired of being emotional exhausted. I am happy for him because he is with the Lord.  At his service today,  there were so many people that he blessed, from the nurses that treated him to his neighbors that barely knew him. The spirit of the Lord and the joy of my grandfather were present today, although there were many tears there were so many laughs. Thank God for blessing his life so that he could bless ours. I was His oldest grand-daughter and extremely close with him. I wrote him a letter. I didn't think I would be able to read it but God gave me the strength to get through it. I knew that my Grandma needed to hear it.  I couldn't keep the tears in when I read it, and neither could many of  the guests that came. I can picture clearly and still smell my dear Bestefar ( who was born in Norway and was and immigrant to the USA).

Dear Bestefar,  

                I miss you. I love thinking about how you and I could not have looked any different. You stood tall, with your bright blue eyes sparkling with mischief, and your big strong hands. Me, with all dark features and small hands that got lost in yours. You would always ask if you could have some of my curls to cover the top of your head.  Even though we didn’t look anything alike, we had an extra special bond. I love you and miss you so much. I remember your suspenders; I think you should have left some for Uncle John. I remember hearing your laugh when something was funny. I remember when you took me fishing in Norway, and how you helped me get my fish off the hook. I squeezed the dumb fish so hard that it peed on me. I remember you climbing up the mountain and rolling up our pant legs so that we could walk on the rocks in the fresh water pool there. I remember your straw hat and sun glasses, I always thought that was a good look for you. I remember how you would scratch my back, the way Sarah and I love so much.  I remember the smell of your house in New York,   I loved it there.  I can picture walking into the kitchen to seeing you and Bestemor dancing to a song on the radio.  I remember sitting with you in your blue chair by the fire place when I was younger. I remember praying that you would be able to come to my graduation after your first battle against the cancer. I was so excited for you and Bestemor to be there, it was perfect! And when you came to visit me at  Cornerstone, you bought me so much fruit, my mini fridge was stuffed, but it was perfect because you and I were there pushing the grocery cart laughing about all the kiwis we got. I remember when Bestemor would tease you and you would say “Mudder”, because you never really got the hang of the “th” sound, that was cute.  I remember your hugs; you would tell me that you loved my hugs. But really, there was nothing better than a hug of yours.   Most of all, I remember when you got sick again, how mad I was.  I didn’t tell anyone that though. I remember seeing you in the winter; I asked you how you were. You told me how you didn’t feel good, but you smiled and told me that you couldn’t wait to go fishing in the spring again, and grill steaks and salmon because “Faith is a bottomless pit when it comes to steak” and my mom loves salmon. I was planning to call you on Wednesday, after I found out what the doctor said at your appointment on Monday.  On Wednesday, when my mom called, I couldn’t breathe. But right before the phone call I was in chapel, we sang “it is well with my soul”. I think I knew you were going home, just like you told Bestemor that morning. And right now, even though you aren’t here, I know that you would say “enough, let’s just have a nice time”.   Even though, you aren’t here to make more memories with us, I know you are in Heaven.  I know that you are more than well. I know you are with the God.  Bestefar you touched the lives of many people, including the life of the girl who you saved, from falling through an ice fishing hole, by her pony tail.  Psalm 116:15 says “precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints”.  You were a saint, to say in the least. You will be greatly missed and it is still unreal that you are not here, that I won’t be seeing you here again. But I know that you are going to be waiting for all of us. Even though when I heard the news, I wasn’t ok, now, I know it is ok. So, instead of being sad, I am celebrating for you. I am so happy that you are in Heaven; I am so happy that you aren’t suffering or tired anymore.  I am happy that your blue chair that still smells like you isn’t, isn’t where you are sitting because you are exhausted. I am happy that you are in living better than you ever lived here. It’s hard to imagine but I know it’s true. I love you, I miss you, and I can’t wait to see you again. 

With Love,

         Laura 

p.s. I will always be Norwegian and heart  

 I want to thank everyone who helped and supported my family and I in everything that we are going through. God Bless!

The Inevitable

My Mom told me that death is inevitable. I would have to agree. Sometimes i think death is hard to deal with, it is sad, and painful. For the average person death is bad. Most people do not want to die, they want to live forever because death has the connotation that it is bad. For Christians, death is still sad, and for me, the idea of losing a close one breaks my heart. If death is inevitable, it is not something that you can run away from. For Christians, there is something that should be understood. While we are supposed to live life to the fullest because Jesus came for that reason (John 10:10). But Death is also something that can be embraced, weird to think about right?!1 Corinthians 15:52-57  has been encouraging to me:

In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Because Jesus had victory over death for us, we now have eternal life after death. That makes the inevitable good, because the sting of death is no longer sharp or painful, instead it is something that God blessed us with when our time on earth is done.

Jude 1:3

Jude 1:3

"Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints."

Character

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved. - Helen Keller

Assignment: THE BOY WHO WAS RAISED AS A DOG

This is an assignment for my Child Welfare Class. It is a non-traditional book review. The book was The Boy Who Was Raised As a Dog.





As I flipped through the pages of this book I found myself getting angry at the situations that the children in this book face. Author Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D., explains how he gets so know each and every one of the cases that he comes across. The book title was based off of chapter 6. In this chapter we learn about Justin, who was the boy who had been raised by a dot. He was introducing to Dr. Perry in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Justin was covered with his own feces, food all over his face, and his diaper was soaked with urine. He went crazy when the nurses tried to hold him down to draw blood. He was being treated for Pneumonia. As Dr. Perry reviewed his charts he would glance over to see Justin rocking in him with his knees wrapped in his arms. He was humming or moaning to himself and they would let out an angry shriek. Immediately when I read this I wanted to know Justin's back ground. I wanted to know what made this child tick the way he did, why was this little boy acting the way he was. This is Justin's background: Justin's mother was 15 when she gave birth to him. When he was only two months old she permanently left him with her mother. Justin's grandmother, and caretaker was morbidly obese and had health problems that made her very sick, eventually she died when Justin was only 11 months old. Justin's grandmother's boyfriend took care/ babysat him. Arthur (not the boyfriend’s real name) was in his late sixties, and didn't know how to care for a young child after the death of their loved one. He contacted Child Protective Services asking for a permanent arrangement that would be more suitable for both Justin and himself. However, CPS wasn't respondent to this request. Arthur wasn't malicious or necessarily abusive, but he was neglecting and ignorant about the needs of a child. Arthur was a dog breeder and turned to raising Justin with the same style. Justin was kept in a dog cage. He was fed and changed, but he was rarely spoken to, played with or nurtured. For 5 years Justin lived this way. This saddens me and other cases throughout the book even made me angry. Sadly when Arthur brought Justin in for his occasional medical check-ups no one asked about the living situation or development that Justin was growing up with. Justin suffered from shrinkage of the cerebral cortex and had fluid filled ventricles in the center of his brain. Over all his brain looked like that of an older person suffering from severe Alzheimer’s disease. At the age of five this poor little boy couldn't walk or talk. After five years of living such an awful conditions Dr. Perry was the first to ask about Arthur's rearing practices. Justin was taking care of, after two weeks Justin was discharged from the hospital. He was given a foster family and over the next few months made incredible progress in his deveoplement and his behavioral issues. After six month Justin was transferred to another foster family. After two years Dr. Perry received a letter hand written from Justin: "Thank You, Dr. Perry. Justin". He admits that he cried. The case of Justin has kept many case workers and Psychiatrist more aware and has helped other children coming through the system be treated much better and with better awareness. The point, in my opinion is that there are going to be hundreds of thousands of kids coming and going through the system, they all have a history. Some may not be as extreme as Justin's but they can range from abuse (sexual, physical or emotional) to neglect. I think that people involved with child protection , child welfare, social work, psychological therapy or counseling, the list could go on should all take the stores that come out of Dr. Perry's book to become more active in the aid of this trouble youth. They shouldn't slip through the system such as Justin. Thankfully Justin made remarkable progress over the next two years of his life. Dr. Perry admits that he has taken what he has learned and is often reminded of Justin’s case in a way that make proactively stronger within the system.

Optimism

        I can remember clearly, my freshman year, track season. Ever since I was younger I have loved running. When I was in middle school I ran track and cross country. I ran both my freshman year of highschool at West. I love it. Track was my everything, until one day my coach gave me the 2 mile race. Now, don't get me wrong I knew I could do it, but after having two races before that (the four by four and the 400) I knew there was no way I would cross that finish line.  So eshausted when the time came, I heard to starting pistol, and off I went around the track. Dead after my first three laps, with five to go, I started pushing myself harder and harder, when that didn't work at about the 5 lap, I started to recite " I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). I have to admit by this point I had a side cramp and couldn't breath, I was 2nd to last  and was walking! I kept repeating the verse through my mind over and over. Sure enough I got pasted up the the 4th place runner, and so I forced each step as I jogged the rest of my way. I started panting the verse to myself to keep myself going. (( You know when everything is happening in slow motion and you feel like you should be moving but you aren't? That is exactly what was happening))Finally, lap number 8. I picked up my pace and rounded the the last edge of the track, the home 100 stretch, I was so thankful to be finished, I sprinted into high gear forcing myself over the finish line, then collapsed in a huge heap. Thankful my humilation was worth it because I got 5th, and watched the 6th place girl come in  45 seconds after me.
           Anyway, the point of this story is not that Philippians 4:13 is a good verse to use only when needed, It is the power of God behind the verse. I believe that God is an optimist. The power of such a verse comes in handy when we are going through things that seem impossible to finish. I think that this is the attitude and character that we are called to have. " And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our suffereings,  because we know suffering produces perserverance; perserverance, character; character, hope. And hope does not dissapoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts , by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us" - Romans 5:2-5 Life has been called a race. One of the cultural values we see often today is speed. We are supposed to live high pace lives that leave us exhausted, and never completely satisfied as it turns out. I believe that as Christians we are called to live life to the fullest, taking advantage of every opportunity we are granted. I do not think that at the finish line what place we get matters. So what, 5th place, even 6th isn't bad, the point is that the race is finished. Hebrews 12:1 says that we are called to run with perserverance the race the God has marked out for us. The key word being perserverance, because it isn't easy. That is why call upon the name of Christ for strength in order to do all things. We build character through running the race of life with perserverance, which builds a few things such as character and hope. Optimism in Christ, hope in Christ, doesn't fail us. Even though the race is a struggle, there is the security and the strength provided by God blessing us with the knowledge  of a hope that we can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us.

The Toughest Things

The word tough in the dictionary is defined as strong and firm in texture but flexible and not brittle.
In life there often are a serious of ups and downs. In life there are often thing, situations, people, and experiences that I would classify as tough. Lately I have been under the impression that I am going through tough things. I could give you a list of things, most of them being self-pitying but a few actually being serious. For example, Lymphoma. Lymphoma ( a type of cancer) has been attacking my Grandpa's body. This is the second time his body has been diagnosed. This time, it will take him, no matter how hard he fights back, it has him in a choke hold. While it is extremely hard for him going to chemo and blood transfusions and bone marrow testing, ans so on, it is also hard for me to sit by and watch as his body slowly deteriorates in front of my family and I. The relationship I have with my grandpa is strong, and I am full of admiration and love for this man. There are a few things such as relationships that need mending, or my heart that needs protecting, even dreams that I desire to pursue. These things I would consider to be tough. Although some may be easier than others they are the toughest things in life.
Being Easter, I am reminded of the fact that there is a God who loves us unconditionally. He holds us up, he is our foundation when we are going through the toughest of things. He is
back bone he creates a strength inside of us that we cannot give ourselves. 2,000 years ago (give or take) our Father gave his son up to live in this world full of evil. Jesus, was sent here to live among other humans, sinners, he wast tested, tried, and tempted yet he remained holy and pure. Jesus, the Savior of the world came and lived among the toughest of things, death, disease, struggle, poverty, heart break, loneliness, sinfulness, and so on. This alone should have been enough, but our God continued to give of himself because of his passion, his love and his faithfulness. He sent his son to a miserable death. A death on a cross, humiliation. " Then Pilate took Jesus and had him Flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again saying, 'Hail, king of the Jews' and they struck him." - John 19 :1 . Jesus experienced, temptation, heart ache, and "even death on a cross"- Philippians 2:8.
The point is, that Jesus died for our sins and for us so that even though we live in a world packed full, leaking at the cracks, overflowing with the toughest things, we wont have to live this way again. After we pass through this life that deals us a card of toughness we will live in a glorious eternal life with our Father who loves us so much that he sent his son to die for us. This though alone make the toughest things not so hard to handle. Sure, tough things are still going to happen, but because they are not brittle (according to the definition) they are flexible, the love of Christ makes is easier to handle. Sure, they are strong, and we are all going to have to deal with terrible, hard to handle things in life, they are made a little easier knowing that the Holy Spirit is beside us all the way, surrounding us with the love of our Father, and his son's blood. Remember that the next time you are under the impression that your life is full of the toughest things.