Constitution Day with a little extra on the side

So yesterday we celebrated our day. Our day of the constitution and our independence day so to speak.

We sort of have a parade where everyone joins in. There is always someone who wants to take pictures, or can't join in. But for the most part everyone that can walk (or be in a carriage) walks on. We sing and wave our flag. It's the day we are most proud to be norwegians. A day that we don't always welcome all people. Norwegians is the kind of people that for the most part say: what can I do for you, how can I help. We align ourselves for what others want. When immigrants comes to our country we welcome them, but we don't expect much from them. We don't expect them to learn our languge or customs. We hope, but don't expect. Then our day comes, and we don't want their flags in the parade, or their clothes. We don't really want them to be a part of it at all. And I think that is sad. If we welcome the immigrants and want them to be a part of our culture, we should want them to be a part of our day. I agree that their flags doesn't belong on the day that celebrates our right to be our own contry. I am glad that sometimes norwegians can draw a line and not let everyone just step over it without saying a word. As christians we don't parade our belief, or wave a flag that says we are christians. In a way we should do it. Not in an intrusive way, but to let people know from the get go that we belong to Christ.

We have a speech also this day, where they mostly talke about how this day came to. And it is a nice reminder. I can see that the day is in changing, there is only a few left that lived during world war 2 and knew the feeling of not being a free country, not being allowed to celebrate our day. The weird thing is as christians we don't celebrate our independence day or constitution day the same way. I get that as we are not jewish we don't really have a constitution day (that I guess would be when Moses got the ten commandments on the mountain). But we do have an Independence day. But it holds so much more than just the freedom of the country. It is the freedom of man. Our freedom from sin. Our salvation. 






Our salvations that lets us dress as Christ before God. Makes God see us as clean as Christ on judgment day. On our Constitution Day a smaller amount wears our norwegian tradition. Back in the day it was a way to tell where in the country you belonged to. Now the lines are more washed out. You can in a lot of cases just pick one you like and get it. As it is with our beliefs. The lines are wahed out. You can believe in the Bible but not in what Jesus did. You can be a christian but also believe in fortunetellings. We trust in more gods today than ever. money, fame, fortunetelling, sequrity, family it can all be our gods if we let them. Forgetting that we are dressed in Christ and that we should honor Him like we honor our parents. Which we mostly don't do (in both cases).

I see the youth of today disrespecting their parents, not wanting to think that they actually did sacrifice something to have them. In some cases sadly that is true. It's easy having kids today. You can send them off to kindergarden almost as fast as they are born, then off to school. All you have to do is make sure they get up in the morning (make sure the school children have eaten), drop them off , then remember to pick them up, feed them dinner and put them to bed. The kindergardens or schools doesn't have the capasity to bring them up, they just learn them the school part of what they need to survive an adult life. The parents doesn't have the time to do it, they are beat after a long day at work. With this perspective in mind can you blame the youth for the way they behave? For their lack of moral?



This year they had horseback riding for almost everyone that wanted. No age limit, I think only kilo limit. My youngest loved it, she's been a horse girl almost from birth. And finally got the chance to really be on a horse. She has been on one before, but only when it stood still.
When the ride was over and it was time to get of, she held on. Not wanting to let go. And after her second tour the horse got a little spooked. My husband who held her did feel a little fear for a moment. But our girl didn't notice that something was off, she smiled and held on to the horse. We should do the same in life. Hang on to Christ and when things get bad we don't have to worry, because He will take us through. He has our backs and keeps us safe.


This year we had something happen quite out of the ordinary. A chopper came to pick up two musicians. They were needed in a band in a bigger city. When they were asked to play in this band that was missing a type of instrument, they turned it down. They were needed in our village to play. So they couldn't get to this town in time. Some rich people say that it wasn't a problem, they could get a chopper to pick them up. And so they did. In life we are those musicians. God askes us to do something that He needs us for, and we say no. We don't have the time. So being the richest in the world he sends us a chooper to make sure we get to where He needs us on time. Sadly we decline the chopper. We are not special enough to deserve a chopper. We are just ordinary people. No one special. That isn't true. There is only one you, no one can replace you entirely. Someone can do the job, but not in the same way as you. You have something that no one else has. He sees something in you that He can make bigger, better and He made you special!

 

So on that note it is time for me to post this blog and take care of my house and kids!
Till next time,
God Bless

The forgotten generation??

I heard one of pastor Craig's sermons and he talked about this generation (I think it was the series 'I Believe in You'). You know from 30 something and younger. 

That we are the generation of tomorrow, not realizing that we are really the generation of today. We've learned that we are entitled to almost everything and that we don't have to do much to get it. But back to the forgotten generation. We grow up waiting for life to happen, waiting for it to be our turn. But what happens is that we lack the knowledge for when it is our turn, when no one else takes responsibility. As long as there are someone older, we don't have to do anything. We let everyone else do everything that we don't feel like, want to or even care for. And we know that if we don't do it, someone else will. 



It really shouldn't be that way. We should be ready to roll up our sleeves and dig in wherever needed. Our excuses are just that, something that we say to convince ourselves to not do it. I was surprised one time, when my youngest was only a few months old. I was taking my oldest to the dentist, and had the other two with me. At that time my oldest was 8, and the other one two and a half. I’ve never believed in having anyone of my kids in kindergarden before the age of three (or close too). On the way through the door (can’t remember if it was on the way out or in) I met another mother. She thought I was though or had guts or something since I brought all three kids. The truth is that I didn’t have a choice. If I was going somewhere at that time, I needed to bring all three. Still sometimes I have to do that. Now as the kids are getting older it is in some way’s easier. But the point is (before I ramble on to far) that there is almost no limit to what I can do, even with three kids in tow, as long as I don’t think too hard on it. If I have to: I do... What we do is give ourselves an excuse to get out of things. We sit and think of how nice it would be if there was a choir for the kids, family meeting or whatever we feel we are missing. But very few of us do something about it. We feel it cost us too much. Have to give up too much of our time. Not that we have something more important to do with our time. I know I am probably a little all over the place at the moment. But I just realized that I don’t have to wait for someone else to start something, or for someone to hand in their towels. I can start now. Just dig in there. If someone already is starting the thing I have a passion for, then I’ll roll up my sleeves and help with whatever they need. All I have to do is pray that He will guide me into the place where I am needed.
So let us be the generation of right now. The generation that digs in and makes an impact! And let God do the work He needs in us.

Till next time, 
God Bless