He Who Kneels ...

(picture found on the Internet,)

The Prayer List

Dear God,

You know the people I pray for and you know the list of people I have; that I mention before you in prayer. Some of them are close to me and will always be in my prayers until the day I die.

Some are acquaintances, living far away and I will never meet them but you have still put them on my list because who else would pray for them. Who else would mention their names before you if I don’t? Some of them don’t know you and they rebel openly and say that you do not exist. Some are your children and they struggle with terminal diseases and broken families. Some call themselves Christians but they don’t know and don’t want to know Jesus as their savior. You have opened my heart for people in a far away country that I would never have thought about, if it had not been for you; urging me to pray for them.

And so I hear one has turned his heart to you. After 20 years he has realized that what he looked for in the world was what you had all the time. You patiently waited for him to come back. And I’m glad and I pray that you protect his faith and guide him to follow you no matter what happens.

But then again I see those who have been on my list for 20 years and they are further away from you than ever before. My heart is aching. I’m so disappointed and so sad to realize that nothing has moved their hearts, nothing has shaken their stubbornness. And I ask Lord how long?

I beseech you Holy Spirit to open their hearts to Jesus so they can see who he is and that he is the only one who can save them and turn their lives around.

Dear God, I couldn’t live one millisecond of my life if it wasn’t for your grace and mercy. So I ask and pray that you will do a miracle in the lives of those on my prayer list. I pray that you will bless them and keep them from all evil and that you will draw them to you and save them. You know all of them and you love them all; more than a mother loves her child; more than anyone can imagine. I rest them in your hands.

In Jesus name, amen.

Gary Moore - Still Got The Blues (Live) (HQ)

Rear reader,
It was in the summer. The radio was on and I was doing some cleaning in my apartment. It was many many years ago now, but I can still recall the first time I heard "Still got the blues"
I stopped and sat down on the armrest of the sofa and listened through the whole song with the vacuum cleaner beside my feet. I had never heard anything like it before.
"Still got the blues" is the only song I have listened to performed by Gary Moore and besides that song I don't know anything about him. But he managed back then to communicate a feeling that I think can be understood by those who somewhere in life found and lost love.

And now I found out that he is gone. Life is fragile and it's only one heartbeat between here and eternity.
Sincerely your,
Ida

" I believe in the future"

Today on Taniwa's Blog you can watch Japanese schoolchildren, at Elementary School graduation, sing a song called "I believe in the future"
I would like you to turn to this link and watch the video
http://tttl1998.blogspot.com/

The song is written by Ryuuichi Sugimoto.

Even if you’ve been hurt, and you feel like giving up

I will be beside you and lift you up.

The earth is spinning with the whole world’s hope

Right now, when I open the door to the future

I think that surely sadness and hardships will someday turn into happiness.

“I believe in Future”

Yes, I believe.

Remember, if there is someone near you who looks like they are about to cry

Just take his hand without a word

And walk together with him

I want to wrap the earth in the kindness of the whole world.

Right now, I think my feelings could burst forth

And light up the heavens with love and expectation
“I believe in Future”
Yes, I believe.

Right now, when I open the door to the future,

“ I believe in Future”

Yes, I believe.

Jesus - The good shepherd

Dear God,
I pray for the people of Japan. You know every heart and you are present in the middle of the disaster. Lord have mercy and help those who have lost everything. Bring people to them for comfort and aid.
Amen

Björn Daelie and Philip Boit

Waiting for the last one ...

I listened to a sermon on the internet on Sunday night and the pastor told a story that I want to share with you dear reader.

There is a TV-show in Sweden called “Skavlan”. Skavlan is a Norwegian journalist doing the show on Swedish TV and he is greatly loved by the Swedish audience.

The program has had many interesting guests. In one of the programs the Norwegian champion Björn Daehlie and his friend; Philip Boit from Kenya was interviewed.

Philip Boit is a cross country skier who has represented Kenya from 1998 starting in the Olympic games, and he finished his skiing carrier this year in the World Championship in Norway.

Their friendship started in a somewhat different way. Björn Daehlie had won the gold medal in an Olympic race in Nagano, Japan in 1998 and was called to the medal ceremony. But he asked the organizers to wait because he said there is still one man on the track. So the organizer, the audience and millions of TV-viewers waited 20 minutes for the last contestant to cross the finish line; and the champion waited for the last person and that was never heard of before. Björn Daehlie told Skavlan that it was extremely bad conditions that day because it had started to rain and it was a heroic achievement to get through the race. So Daehlie wanted to congratulate Boit that he had made it to the finish line. Being a cross country skier is hard enough if you come from Sweden or Norway let alone coming from Kenya.

When Boit returned to Kenya everybody asked who the guy was who had been standing at the finish line and when he told them that it was the champion they couldn’t believe it.

The pastor said: This started me thinking about us and how Jesus is waiting for all of us at the finish line. He is the champion who has won over death and sin and he wants everyone to join him in his victory.

So if you think your life is like the person finishing as the last one in the race, remember the Champion Jesus is cheering for you and greeting you with, "Well done! You made it through bad conditions and you are a winner no matter what!"

Sincerely yours,

Ida

Psalm 121 - a Beautiful Flash Animation - E-Water

Psalm 121 - a Beautiful Flash Animation - E-Water

(Press start when entering E-Water)

Consolation -song - Benny Andersson

Mission Impossible Squirrel

A Day to remember

Love is patient and kind.
Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.

Love does not demand its own way.
Love is not irritable and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.
Love does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance.

Prophecy and speaking in unknown language become useless.
But LOVE will last forever....

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Inspirational

Chris Tomlin - Jesus Messiah with lyrics

Steven Curtis Chapman - Beauty Will Rise - Lyrics

...my beloved Son ...my joy

Dear Reader,
A new year and a new approach to my Bible reading. I'm going to read the Bible this year as if I have never read it before, and the Holy Spirit will show me new things and point out what I have overlooked before. Jesus said the Holy Spirit will be a "Helper" and the first priority of the Holy Spirit must be to reveal God's words to God's children right?
The title of this post comes from Matthew 3:17. Jesus has been baptized and a voice from heaven says
" This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased"
The Swedish Folkbible says ... my Son the beloved; in Him I have my joy.

It got me thinking ...and maybe I'm just carried away in my thoughts .... but imagine the conversation in heaven before Jesus enters this world ... Jesus saying goodbye and the Father says ...
I love you Son, you have always been my joy .... You are going on a hard and difficult mission ... but remember this; I love you and you and I are united as one; forever .....

From time to time Jesus went away from the crowds to spend time talking with his Father and somehow I picture him resting his head on his Father's lap just listening to his assurance ... I love you Son, you are my constant joy...
That love gave Jesus strength to carry out his mission to save the world ... and so the Father also tells us, because of what Jesus did on the cross, that we are loved, that we are his joy ...
Can we really understand and fathom that love of God?
Sincerely yours,
Ida

"... My banner will be clear!"

"Commitment as a Christian"

from a pastor in Africa

“I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed.
I have stepped over the line.
The decision has been made.
I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ.

I won't look back,
let up,
slow down,
back away,
or be still.

My past is redeemed,
my present makes sense,
my future is secure.

I'm finished and done with low living,
sight walking,
small planning,
smooth knees,
colorless dreams,
tamed visions,
mundane talking,
cheap living,
and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence,
prosperity,
position,
promotions,
plaudits,
or popularity.

I don't have to be right,
first, tops,
recognized,
praised,
regarded,
or rewarded.

I now live by faith,
lean on His presence,
walk by patience,
lift by prayer,
and labor by power.

My face is set,
my gait is fast,
my goal is heaven,
my road is narrow,
my way rough,
my companions few,
my Guide reliable,
my mission clear.

I cannot be bought,
deluded,
or delayed.
will not flinch in the face of sacrifice,
hesitate in the presence of the adversary,
negotiate at the table of the enemy,
or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up,
shut up,
let up,
until I have stayed up,
stored up,
prayed up,
paid up,
preached up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus.
I must go till He comes,
give till I drop,
preach till all know,
and work till He stops me.

And when He comes for His own,
He will have no problem recognizing me
--my banner will be clear!”"

(I'm afraid I haven't found the original author of this and the pastor's name. If anyone knows please notify for proper reference)