Ten hens saved from chopping block

I'm going to tell about a very good thing that happened the previous weekend... :)
Through all years, we've had animals. Pusi, the cat, is three months older than me(!), we've had a dog (a Collie named Lasse), gold fish, two rabbits, a hamster, two budgies and hens... When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a farmer or a vet, and although my plans have changed a little bit, I still like animals and don't like it when an animal has to be put to death.

During the last years we've had "only" the cat and some hens. We've had hens in the barn for ten years and for two and a half years ago we got seven chickens in four different races. They were very funny to look at - two of them were very tiny and small, two had like an afro on the head (one of them looked just like the one on the photo above), one was very big and looked a bit like an eagle and the two last ones were just very pretty...! Three of them became roosters, so we gave one away... Last summer three out of four hens started to brood the eggs which resulted in two new chickens. Unfortunately one of them died, but it was very exciting anyway because no-one of our previous hens had ever had chickens before... This summer we suddenly got two chickens the same day we were to leave Norway to go on a summer vacation to England... Another chicken was hatched out before we came home again...

Though our hens were funny to look at, they didn't produce many eggs. (The previous hens we had, gave one egg each day, so we never had to buy eggs.) My parents, my younger brother and sister and me have a lot other things to do than looking after some hens that eat a lot without giving eggs back... So my parents decided last week to contact a farmer we know who could put our ten hens to death... I got to know this the Thursday before, and the farmer was supposed to come Saturday or Sunday. I've mentioned that I really don't like when animals are killed, especially not if it can be avoided!

I suggested to my mum that we could give away our hens instead. She didn't think anyone would want them, especially not nowadays with the Bird flu/virus-thing "everywhere"... But it was worth a try, and I picked up the telephone at Sunday and rang a woman who has a farm with some horses, sheep, goats, rabbits, hens etc. Actually I had not much hope she would have them, so I was rather surprised when she said yes! I was so happy, and so was my parents and my little sister and brother.

Thanks to God who I involved in this case through my prayers!
And thanks to the "mother hen" Elin :)

Busy, busy! But in another way...

Busy, busy!
But not at all as busy as last year... And busy in another way...
I'll explain...

Last year I had so many things during one week that I hardly had time left... I hardly could relax! That's how it was! (To mention some of the activities I had during a week: musical, piano, instructing two different dance-groups, cellgroup and New Generation, school and loads of homework and more...) And probably because I always was in a hurry (=stress), I was sick quite often...! Cold, flu, gastric flu (:P) and head-ache. I often had to stay home instead of being at school because of this and when I was at school, I often couldn't participate in PE. Worse; I got problems with the back of my head... Probably because of all I've mentioned over. I had to go to physiotherapists and I ate quite many pain-stilling tablets...
I didn't want to quit any of my activities, or: those I wanted to quit, I couldn't quit... The musical for instance. It took too much time and energy. But I played one of the important characters and was one of the main singers. And I was responsible for most of the choreography too. It would spoil the whole thing if I quitted.

Well....
The good thing is that this is NOT that year. NOW everything is different!
I can relax!
I have time for everything I want to do.
I have homework, but it is not at all as much as I had last year! At monday I visited and ate dinner together with Ingrid M., a good friend :) I didn't come home before 9 PM. (And I still didn't need to do any homework when I came home!)
I have time to friends!
Realtionships!

Building relationhips is my "business" now... ;)

I remember my pastor talking to me last year. He said he was conviced that great things - like people I know, my friends and classmates, getting saved - would happen when I only had TIME again and surplus energy. That is SO true!!!

I've just started at a new school, only six weeks back in time. New surroundings, teachers and of course new classmates.
But already God has given me opportunities to talk with my classmates about Him. (I really feel the opportunities come from God, 'cause I experience - as the Bible says - it is just to "walk into them". Like a "fill-in-what's-missing"-task... Everythig is finish, except some small words you have to fill in by yourself. And God helps you with that too...)
A week ago I had a long conversation with a boy in my class about God and "that kind of stuff"... In brief, I told him the gospel. I could tell from his face expressions - this was things that made him think. The best thing was that we talked during a lesson in class (where we could do homework). Eight-nine more classmates got involved in the conversation, and probably more people heard what we were talking about. It was not a discussion, but a conversation where they wanted to know more about what I believe in and could ask honest (and classic) questions, like "how can God be good when the world is such a mess?". I think they got some answers that lesson... :)

God is good!!! :)

The contrast between last year and this year is huge. I learnt a lot last year; to say "no", for instance... But this is really a year I apprechiate a lot. The days are exciting and relaxing at the same time.

"And I think to myself; what a wonderful world!" (though it rains too much here at the moment... :P)

Busy, busy!
But with the right things!

God bless!

Term has started...

Well... then the summer vacation came to its end and people from Sortland have already finished a whole week at school...
For me and those who are as old as I am, this week has been more special because we've started at a new school (videregående skole) with new teachers and new classmates. Yeah, it has been an interesting week...! Only four persons from my old class join me in the new one.... But luckily two of them are two of my best friends! :)
My teachers seem to be very clever and professional, and the class starts to act like a class (if you know what I mean...), which I think is very positive! :)

It doesn't seem like we have so much homework to do as last year either.... :)

~ Silje ~

This is the Norwegian New Generation website. It is updated very often (maybe not now in summer) and gives reports of what happens through New Generation at schools all over the country.
Read more about New Generation in my article "What is New Generation?" or better; check out New Generation at their own website.
(Just click the picture or the link to the right...)

Internet at my own computer!!!!!

Not everybody is as lucky as me to have their own computer, but because it is a Windows 95, I can't do all my "stuff" on it. Usually I only use it when I write essays and such things at school. The internet didn't work (my dad tried to install it, but it didn't succeed) - and what use is a computer for then?
Yes, you heard right - it didn't work... But Sunday was a remarkable day... The weather was pretty bad and because I work eight hours every day all week, except Sundays, I was only inside that day without doing anything interesting. Suddenly I got the idea to try and install the internet at my little computer, though I knew my father had tried to do it before. I asked him for the network-card and he told me to download a network-driver (or something) at the internet (at his computer, of course). I found the driver, downloaded it and connected the network-card. I tried to install the driver, but it seemed like the card wouldn't co-operate with the computer... I gave up.
Later that day I clicked at the internet-icon at the desktop.... and suddenly I was on the net! I couldn't believe it because I had also tried the internet without "installing" the driver and then it certainly didn't work. But then.. :-D This post is actually written on my little computer!!!
Of course it is still better to use the internet at my father's computer, but anyway... !
It is really a blessing that it suddenly worked! :)

Addicted to Ellos...

WARNING:
If you're male; I don't think this post is interesting for you...
It's not especially interesting anyway... ;)

Have you heard about Ellos?
It is a book-clothes-or-something-else-through-the-internet-or-the-post-shop...
I think it was a summerday about two years ago I recieved my first Ellos-catalogue. I sat back, looked through it and found a lot of cool clothes which I wanted to buy. They were quite cheap too, so I picked up the phone and ordered. A week later I recieved the clothes and nearly all of them fitted. But because of this nearly, I decided not to order anything from Ellos again. But everybody who likes buying clothes (and wear them) knows how difficult this is! Ellos always have sale and you often get things for free when you order...
So after that I ordered once again... and again... and again! Actually I liked one of the pair of jeans I bought so much, it ousted all its jeans-competitors of being my favourite pair. Later I bought another one...! A similar one...!
Well... anyway... I've noticed that I don't buy as much clothes as before! I buy more clothes at Ellos, yes, but not as often in ordinary stores. I wonder if this is because I buy clothes at Ellos (which I don't have to try on before buying them...), or if it's just because I'm tired of spending saturdays shopping....?!

In a few days I'll get some new clothes dropped in my post box... I hope they'll fit!

What is New Generation?

New Generation is a Christian pupil- and students' organization started by Stephan Christiansen, a man from the south (-east?) of Norway. New Generation have over 200 schoolgroups only in Norway. The organization's vision is to make the Christian gospel available in every school in Norway through these schoolgroups. The groups consist of pupils/students at the school. Most of the groups pray for their school - for example their teachers and classmates - every week. Often they arrange meetings or maybe a good-mood-arrangement for everybody at the school - to make Jesus known in the correct and not-manipulated way.

If you want to read more about New Generation, please click at one of the links to the right.

My dear Solveig

Yesterday I had to say goodbye to Solveig, a friend I've known for about five years. She's around 20, and she's been a great Inspiration (with a big "I"!) to me in the New Generation-work at school. She's very creative, she always sees the possibilities and she never gives up. Her heart is in the right place and she always wears a smile :)

This morning she started to drive to Stavanger where she's got work at the New Generation national office. I will probably not see her before September - if I go to nordic 05 - a big international New Generation festival which will take place in Scandinavium, Göteborg, Sweden.

It was very strange to see her empty flat yesterday. While everybody else at her age moved from Sortland, where I live, to study, she stayed, working as a school-evangelist.

Solveig - du e diggbar og du rula! Gleda mæ t å se dæ igjen!

~ Siljeklem ~

To Janne and Ragni.... :)

Now in summer I work every day, except at Sundays.
Yesterday it was, as known, a Sunday, and I was in a birthday-party to a friend of mine who became 19 years old. It was a sunny day and we played volleyball on a sandvolleyballpitch (?). We were not very clever, but we really had fun! I love being with friends!

This semester my birthday-friend will start on a Bible-school. It is in Bergen, a long way from here, so I'll miss her a lot! Another friend of mine will start at the same school. So this year I have to write a lot of postcards! ;)

Janne and Ragni: I'LL MISS YOU!!!

Hey! I'm in cyberspace!

This is quite exciting - I've never tried blogging before....
I hope it'll be fun, though...

Firstly: I'm a Norwegian girl, age 16, who, first of all, knows that she's made by God, creator of Heaven and Earth. (Genesis 1:1)

I know He loves me (John. 3:16) and never leaves me (Matt. 28:20).
I want you to know the same God I know, 'cause He loves you too - Jesus actually died in your place - He took your sin which separated you from God the Father. Now you actually can become God's child by just thank Him for his goodness he has shown and ask Him to become your Lord!
More about this later, of course :)

Secondly: To create a blog and write it in English, instead of Norwegian, makes me better to express myself in English.

Smile, be happy and enjoy life - you too are made by God!