Political Chaos

Pakistani former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has been assassinated in a suicide attack.

Benazir Bhutto had been addressing rallies in many parts of Pakistan.

Ms Bhutto - the first woman PM in an Islamic state - was leaving an election rally in Rawalpindi when a gunman shot her in the neck and set off a bomb.
At least 16 other people died in the attack and several more were injured.

There are also reports that she might have been shot in the neck moments before the bomb hit.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7161766.stm

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3025061,00.html

http://www.berlingske.dk/article/20071227/danmark/71227101/

So what will this mean for our world, this tragedy, in a region already unstable and fragile. I fear for our world. This will not bring peace to the region that is for sure.

http://www.vg.no/nyheter/utenriks/artikkel.php?artid=191968

CHRISTMAS LETTER 2007

It was a week before Christmas when I heard a knock on the door. I went to answer, but seeing no one through the peephole, I went back to my chair. A minute later, I heard another, more insistent, rap. This time I opened the door and looked out. I was about to shut the door again when I heard a loud “Hello! Hello!” and, looking down, saw a small man with pointed ears and a long green cap.

An elf!“Are you Line?” the little man asked expectantly. He seemed about to burst with excitement.“Yes,” I said, a bit uncertainly, not sure why there was an overly enthusiastic elf on my doorstep who knew my name. “Great!” he yelled, pushed me aside and going inside. He looked around with apparent awe.“Wow, this is the first time I’ve been out of the North Pole,” he said, still looking around.

“I’m here on a mission for Santa Claus,” the little man said, puffing out his chest ever so slightly as he whipped out a notepad and climbed up on the sofa. “His computer hard drive crashed and he lost his Naughty and Nice list.” The elf seemed simply delighted by this tragedy. “So I’m here on a mission to determine whether you’ve been Naughty or Nice.” “So what have you done this year to deserve to be on the Nice list?” he asked, his pen posed above the notepad expectantly.

“I, uh, I’m not sure,” I said, uncertain as to what deeds Santa would find worthy to be on his good list. The little man smiled broadly. “Well, just tell me about everything you did this year and I’ll write it all down.” He whipped out his pen and looked at me expectantly. “This is going to be so much fun!” he exclaimed. “Tell me everything!”

“Well the highlight of my year was when I lived in Seattle for two months over the summer, for work... It was great to see so many new things and make so many new friends. I really felt like it lifted my spirit after a not so fun start of the year”

“Uh huh,” the little elf said, scribbling in his pad. “Wow. That's cool. What else happened to you this year?”“I started dancing, an old fashion type of dance. The likes one sees in Jane Austen movies. Called Contra Dancing…. That was fun!”

He was nodding his head and writing furiously. “Go on, go on,” he said. “This is great. I’m so glad Santa’s computer crashed. I never get to meet new people and find out about their lives like this. Tell me more.”

"I have been helping a friend launch her greeting card business, and it's great because I get to use my language skills. It might turn out to be a great business venture as well as a fun hobby. And I helped another friend sew totes. That we then sell. And I added some new families to the list of kids I watch ”

"Thank you so much!” he said when I had finished telling him about the year. Then he closed the notepad and jumped off the couch. “Gotta run. I’ve got 500 more people to interview. This has been great. Well, we’ll be in touch,” he said, turning toward the front door and heading toward it.

“But wait!” I said, jumping in front of him. “Which list am I on?”The elf smiled and looked at me as if I were daft. “Only Santa can decide that, silly,” he said. “You just have to do your best and then see what happens.” And with that, he pulled open the door, whistled loudly and jumped on the back of a lone majestic reindeer that seemed to appear out of nowhere. “Be nice!” he yelled as he flew off into the dark winter sky, becoming a small speck as they lifted higher and then disappearing completely into the night.

Legenden om de 4 lysene:

Fire lys brant på adventskransen. Det var helt stille. Så stille at man kunne høre lysene snakke til hverandre.

Det første lyset sukket og sa: - Mitt navn er Fred. Jeg skinner klart, men menneskene vil ikke ha fred – de vil ikke ha meg. Lyset ble mindre og mindre, og til slutt slukket det helt.

Det andre lyset sa:- Mitt navn er Tro. Men jeg trengs ikke lenger, for menneskene vil ikke tro på Gud. Det er meningsløst at jeg brenner.Så slukket det andre lyset.

Bedrøvet og med lav stemme sa det tredje lyset: - Mitt navn er Kjærlighet. Jeg har ikke lenger kraft til å brenne. Menneskene overser meg. De ser bare seg selv og ikke menneskene de skal elske.”Også det tredje lyset sluknet.

Et barn kom inn i rommet, så på lysene, og sa: - Dere skal lyse og ikke slukne.Barnet hadde tårer i øynene.

Da hørtes plutselig stemmen til det fjerde lyset: - Ikke vær redd. Så lenge jeg brenner kan vi tenne de andre lysene igjen. Mitt navn er Håp.

Og barnet tok en flamme fra Håpets lys og tente alle de andre lysene med ett smil.

In English:
Four candles were light in the Advent Wreath,
it was very quiet, so quiet in fact, one could hear the four candles speak to each other...

The first candle sighed and said: "My name is Peace, I shine so clear, but mankind doesn't want peace, - they do not want me". The light flickered lower and lower and after a while, it was completely blown out.

The second candle said: "My name is Faith. I am not needed anymore, mankind does not want to believe in God. It is useless for me to stay alight." And so it died too.

Sad and in a low voice the third candle whispered: "My name is Love. I have no more power in me to keep burning. Mankind is too busy to see me. They fight instead of loving and serving each other." And so the third candle died.

A child came into the room and saw the three lights were out. She said "you need to be shining" and got tears in her eyes.

Then the fourth candle's voice could be heard: "Fear not, as long as I am light we can light the other candles too. My name is Hope"

And so the child took a flame from Hope to light the other candles. And she smiled.

2nd Sunday of Advent

There are many different versions of the Advent songs I sang as a girl,
but I love that they are all centering on Christ, who is the reason for
our celebrations.
I am really grateful for the upbringing I had, and for the Advent Celebrations
that helped me center and focus on the little Baby Jesus, who's birth we celebrate.
~Enjoy~

ADVENT
Inger Hagerup

Så tenner vi et lys i kveld
vi tenner det for glede.
Det står og skinner for seg selv
og oss som er tilstede.
Så tenner vi et lys i kveld,
vi tenner det for glede.

Så tenner vi to lys i kveld,
to lys for håp og glede.
De står og skinner for seg selv
og oss som er tilstede.
Så tenner vi to lys i kveld,
to lys for håp og glede.

Så tenner vi tre lys i kveld,
for lengsel, håp og glede
De står og skinner for seg selv
og oss som er tilstede
Så tenner vi tre lys i kveld for lengsel, håp og glede

Vi tenner fire lys i kveld
og lar dem brenne ned
For lengsel, glede, håp og fred,
men mest allikevel for fred
på denne lille jord, hvor menneskene bor

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nå tenner vi det første lys
Alene må det stå
Vi venter på det lille barn
Som i en krybbe lå

Når tenner vi det andre lys
Da kan vi bedre se
Vi venter på at Gud vår Far
Vil gi sin sønn hit ned

Når tenner vi det tredje lys
Det er et hellig tall
Vi venter på at Kongen vår
Skal fødes i en stall

Nå tenner vi det fjerde lys
Og natten blir til dag
Vi venter nå på frelseren
For alle folkeslag

And finally my mothers' favorite:

TENN LYS ! (Eivind Scheie)

Tenn lys !

Et lys skal brenne for denne lille jord.

Den blanke himmelstjerne, der vi og alle bor.

Må alle dele håpet så gode ting kan skje.

Må jord og himmel møtes. Et lys er tent for det.

Tenn lys !

To lys skal skinne for kjærlighet og tro,

for dem som viser omsorg og alltid bygger bro.

Må fanger få sin frihet og flyktninger et hjem.

Tenn lys for dem som gråter og dem som trøster dem.

Tenn lys!

Tre lys skal flamme for alle som må sloss.

For rettferd og for frihet. De trenger hjelp av oss.

Må ingen miste motet før alle folk er ett.

Tenn lys for dem som kjemper for frihet og for rett.

Tenn lys !

Nå stråler alle de fire lys for ham

som elsker alt som lever, hver løve og hvert lam.

Tenn lys for himmelkongen som gjeterflokken så.

Nå møtes jord og himmel i barnet lagt på strå.

STARSTRUCK

So on Monday I was so lucky as to have the chance to go downtown and meet the (fabulous) singer Sissel (fra BERGEN!!!!) I was soo thrilled and completely tongue-tied... as I fumbled over my words, the people who had been ahead of me in the line, kindly leaned back and told Sissel that I was indeed from Bergen,as she was.... I was blushing furiously at this point and as she looked up into my face she seemed honestly surprised over finding a fellow Bergenser so far away from home. It became the start of a conversation I would have loved to stay and finish, but her manager and the bookstore people were eager to keep the line moving (no pun intended!!) Anyway, she was very gracious and signed my cd's with a special greeting ("heia Bergen"), and I was completely in awe and excitement.... So now I listen to my fantastic Sissel Christmas cd with a special little grin on my face....

http://youtube.com/watch?v=45zcWhHJUfk

First Advent Sunday

Today is the first Advent Sunday. As December has been creeping closer, I've been thinking a lot of my memories of my childhood Christmases. The Advent celebrations were a big part of growing up, and I wonder if I can re-create anything so special to the children in my life. I hope I will, and certainly try to. It is a wonderful thing to have in my "attic", these precious memories that keep me warm as it grows colder outside. There were school plays, gift making in my homemaking and woodwork classes. Baking in the kitchens at home and at school. Secrecy, giggles, giddy anticipation, Christmas music everywhere, advent calendars, candles all over, the smell of glue; matchsticks; spices, and the smell of snow in the air. Wonderful foods, and drinks. And the rehearsals of the Nativity Play. All this and so much more..... I take out and cherish in this time of the year.

Another cherished tradition is the Lucia Fest. Vying for the role of St. Lucia and the honor that came with. The sweet rolls, the lights, the songs, the whole package. I love and miss so much.

December also holds a special place in my heart as I celebrate my "other" "birth"day...... On the twelfth of the month I will commemorate 14 years as a member of my church. How can I forget, and how can I best remember and honor the day that is so special to me. What am I doing to make this day special in my life, and do I honor it and it's meaning by my everyday actions.....

So may everyone have a wonderful season and may each year add equally wonderful memories for each and every one of us....

GOD JUL!