Blog: The power of encouraging words
Imagine yourself at a normal weekday meal. You hear the clatter of spoons and smell the aroma of hot soup. There is the hum of conversation with occasional silent moments. And then, all of a sudden, you feel small arms around you and see the sunny face of a child. “She is so nice. This mommy is so sweet. I love you very, very much.”
Blog: Valgus mu teel – The light on my way
The camp of the Lutheran Church of Estonia, Talu, is located in Saku twenty kilometers away from Tallinn, the capital city. Talu is Estonian and means a ’farmhouse’. And we actually saw cows and horses grazing around the camp. Hens were pecking for food on the yard, and our little daughter was allowed to collect their eggs. The April sun was shining so warmly that the people who had gathered at Talu for a Bible study course decided to keep some of the lessons outdoors.
Blog: Nighttime thoughts
When I was young, I would have slept even if the world had collapsed around me. Ÿuan Mei, a Chinese poet who lived in the 18th century, wrote: ”...but then I remember my youth, I remember my snoring was loud like thunder and I slept my mornings like struck by a lightning.” But age changes things. When you feel stressed, you easily wake up in the early hours and begin to turn over in your mind all kinds of troubling thoughts.
Blog: Should we talk about faith?
This time I decided to go straight to the point and write about what is really the most important matter to me. I will write about faith. And this time I will not be able to give rational arguments to back up my views and opinions. Pondering and reasoning are some of my favorite pastimes, but I will put them aside for now. They do not belong here.
Blog: To stay or not to stay?
I wake up. It is half past seven. It is a lovely morning, and the sun is shining. I quickly get up, step on the cool floor, and go to collect the morning paper from the mailbox. I can still sense the strong, earthy smell of the night. The noise of traffic tells me that the town is waking up and people are going to work. I make coffee and open the paper. There is no hurry. Or, actually, there would be no hurry, but I find it hard to get rid of my impatient nature.
Blog: What are your hobbies?
"What are your hobbies?" the school doctor asked. "I don’t really have hobbies", my child answered quietly. The doctor gave her a puzzled look and then looked at me. I was so astonished I was speechless.
Blog: Remember me!
When people say goodbye, they often also say: ”Remember me when you pray to the Heavenly Father.” Or simply: ”Remember me.” I have thought that this request is not merely a beautiful phrase. It is the petition of a poor Christian that I would pray on his or her behalf. For a person who makes this request the most important thing is to remain believing and to get into heaven.
Blog: My very own thing
I remember one late evening when I shared my thoughts with my husband: ”No principal in their right mind should hire a mother of six little kids. It would be best for our family that I still stay at home for a while.” I guess I was quite convincing, as my husband seemed to believe me. By that time in my life I had worked as class teacher for three periods of different lengths and had then stayed at home for four years.
Blog: Everyday angels
Have you ever met angels? I mean everyday angels. Dear friends who have wanted to discuss the most important matters of life and have preached you forgiveness even though you have not asked for it yet. These friends should not be taken for granted. They are gifts from the Heavenly Father and a cause of gratitude and joy.
Blog: Dimensions of parenthood
Parenthood is a multidimensional task. My own experiences of parenthood have varied widely, depending on family size and my personal resources. You become a parent when you hear the first cry of your first baby and remain a parent until the end of your life.
Blog: Blessings
When our work or other efforts are successful, we often say that they were blessed. This applies equally to business projects, studies, marriage or almost anything.
Blog: Called to serve
A few weeks ago I was having a cup of coffee with my friends at Helsinki rauhanyhdistys. I was about to leave when a speaker brother tapped on my shoulder and asked me to come along. He said it was not about anything terrible.
Taivaat julistavat hänen vanhurskauttaan, kaikki kansat näkevät hänen kunniansa. Ps. 97:6
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