Erling Thu

Mother's Day

We are celebrating Mother's Day in Norway today. My mother has already gone to be with the Lord so I can't phone her or visit her. But I still like to honour her sweet memory. There are myriads of galaxies and stars in the sky, but there is only one mother to me. There are countless flowers in the field and some marvellous sparkling diamonds, but there is only one mother. There are so many beautiful pearls and amazing jewelleries, but there is only one mother. Her face, marked by wrinkles, is the most beautiful image I have ever seen.

My wonderful wife, Solveig, has been a wonderful mother to our six children. No she is also the best grandmother in the world. She has had several greetings already from some of our children. Before the day is over I expect them all to have been in touch to express p and gratitude. When she had her first phone call this morning from her elder son and read her card from her younger daughter her eyes were filled with tears but a smile was playing on her mouth. And she gave thanks to God for all His goodness towards her in giving her the privilege of being a mother.

I thank God for my mother. I thank God for my wife who turned out to be the best mother my children could ever have. I thank God that he comforts me like a mother!

The joy of fatherhood

I have just taken the last Christmas guests to the airport. The house in the forest is quiet and peaceful. It has been amazingly peaceful all the time though, but not quiet. With grandchildren in the house it would be something very wrong if it was quiet. The house has been full of joy and all the sounds that go with it.

Life moves on

I have not been very active on my blog recently. My blogging life has come to a kind of halt. But I don't intend to keep it like that for ever.

This year has been a special year in many ways, but life moves on. I plan to slowly increase my activity on the blog and even my Norewgian pages. We all go through different stages in life and this year has been a year of much practical work as we have been extending the house in the forest. This work is now coming to a completion. In a two weeks time we leave for Sri Lanka, Nepal and India. I hope to be able to share from the trip on the blog.

Life moves on!

The joy of giving

The greatest joy is only found in making other people happy! The greatest joy is the joy of giving! Giving is living a happy life of seeing other being blessed by your gifts. Real Christians are never stingy, but always giving generously. The live by the saying, "Give and spend and God will send" as they enjoy giving away things and trust God to take care of all their needs. Christians know that it is possible to give without loving, but that is impossible to love without giving.

RESOLUTIONS

New Year is the time for resolutions for many people who want to change their lifestyle in one way or the other. I normally do not make new resolutions when we enter a new year. I have resolved that I will live my life fully for the Lord and that I want to serve his purpose in my entire life. But today I came across some resolutions made by the famous American revivalist Jonathan Edwards. I am posting his 70 revolutions which he read to himself once a week, and think there are lots of things to be learned from these resolutions.

I love the covenant community

We have been through a dramatic car accident in India and have just arrived back home in Norway one week after the serious event. We have been overwhelmed by the love and care from the covenant community in India and in Norway. We have had phone calls, SMS, emails, etc. from many of our covenant friends. It has been very moving to hear all the kind and encouraging words. Many covenant communities in India have been fasting and praying for us after hearing about the serious accident we met with.

Family worship

This weekend we have had a large gathering of our family at the house in the forest. All our children, except one, have been staying with us with their precious children. We have been ten adults and seven grandchildren together for the weekend, and on Sunday we even had four more visitors. It is such a joy to have a big family around us like this. All are having a lot of fun as we are playing, fishing, picking berries, making bird boxes, building huts in the forest or just talking and fellowshipping.

Ram Singh has been promoted to glory

Saturday morning we had a SMS message asking for prayer for Ram Singh as he had been admitted to Intensive Care Unit at a hospital in Jaipur. Solveig and I spend some time in prayer for him, but in the afternoon we had another message telling us that our beloved brother had expired in his second heart attack. Both Solveig and I felt very sad for the loss of a close friend, faithful co-worker and a prophetic voice.
Ram Singh and his wife Pushpa were the first disciples of Zephry and Brenda D'Souza in Jaipur. Ram Sing was an elder in the covenant community and he was a beloved brother and friend. Now he has joined his wife in the joyful presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ram Singh was an extraordinary man. He was a true saint. He was caring for all the people in the covenant community. He had the gift of encouragingment and exhortation. He loved the Lord Jesus Christ and the people of the Lord. He was always overflowing in thanksgiving and praise. He was a prophetic voice to the covenant community and to me as well when I was visiting Jaipur.
I thank God for the privelege of knowing Ram Singh for about 18 years. His blessed and loving memory will be with us till me meet again when the Lord Jesus Christ returns.

Back to blogging again!

I have been quite busy recently and have been off line quite a lot so I have not been blogging for awhile.  Now I am  back online and will try to let my presence be felt in the world of blogs again.
We have just celebrated our national day. I am always enjoy that celebration. God has been so good to my nation and we have so much to be thankful for. Our flag is the most beautiful, I think,  with the cross in red, white and blue. Norway has been blessed by God in many ways, but now I am very concerned for our nation which seems to turn away from the Christian heritage.

Ruth Kristin is happily married!

We have finished one bible week and the next one is starting in a few days. In between we have had a successful wedding celebration. Saturday 14th of July our youngest daughter married her chosen one Lars Arne Heggernes. Now all our children are married and we are very happy!