Building Bridges.....

 Today I did what is perhaps the most forbidden thing in Sweden, I wore a hat even though it was sunny and about 15C outside.  Yep, that's right. Swedes generally believe that you should dress how you want. If you want, you can wear a t-shirt when it's cold outside, that's OK.  If you want to wear a skirt if you are a man, that's OK. But beware of wearing winter clothes when the Swedes consider its warm. Giggles, laughter are quickly replaced by a questioning, a little aggressive. What should you wear when it gets cold? But my God, it's hot outside! Many people who come here as students etc. have opinions about the weather and that is what it is.  A girl from England commented that it was cold and windy. She was scored at:  it's nothing compared to England, what are you complaining about? So if you travel to Sweden, don't complain about the weather. For your own sake...

  Christmas is, first and foremost, about Love, God's Love. How much does God love us? God loves us so much that God gave us the most precious gift imaginable, Jesus, God's own Son. That's the heart of Christmas. (John 3:16) Christmas is a time of renewal, of fresh starts and coming together. I hope that this Christmas will bring you joy and peace. I hope that if you are travelling that you will stay safe and enjoy your days of travel. I pray for all of you who are staying, at home,  that you will enjoy the light of Christmas in your own place, that you belongs to a community of believers and that you can meet and have a great time together. May Jesus fill your existence with adoration and may you be honored with unlimited motivations to grin and cheer.  Happy Christmas.

  Celebrating Advent involves spending time in spiritual preparation. The word advent comes from the Latin word adventus meaning "arrival" or "coming," particularly the coming of something of great importance. No one is really sure when Advent was first celebrated but it dates back to at least 567 when monks were ordered to fast during December leading up to Christmas. Not all denominations celebrate Advent, however, more and more Protestant and Evangelical Christians are recognising the spiritual significance of Advent. Advent is NOT: ▪ Shopping ▪ Parties ▪ Stressing Advent is: ▪ Waiting ▪ Preparing ▪ Expecting ▪ Praying ▪ Hoping Not waiting for Christ to be born but for Christ to be back. When we prepare for Christmas it is a very likely that we think of Luke. Luke helps us to see the whole picture of history. From creation all the way to the "new" creation. Jesus is the center of it all. Luke help us to see what it was like in the very first century. Lu...

  For many years, the number of small birds in our residential areas declined.  Nobody really knows why. Could be pesticides, habitats for the birds, etc. But then a few years ago the small birds came back.  Last year we had a record number of nesting pairs of tawny owls, blue tits, chaffinch and house sparrows. Also a lot of robins. Last winter these flocked around our bird tables. Great fun and useful for biodiversity. For many years, our condominium association has not done much about the vegetation in our area. It has looked messy but these little birds have benefited from it. But this year, replanting has been started. Most bushes and small trees have been dug up. It looks neat, maybe a bit spartan, but the small birds has disappeared.  This is also true for rabbits and hedgehogs. I don't know what to say but the clearing has gone into overdrive. There is a lot of talk about the environment and climate and that is good, but how about well-being for the wildlife....

I don't want to be snarky, but even more shootings. The title is shootings 4, but it's not at all shooting no 4 in Sweden. The number is way higher. I don't have the exact number but I think 47 people are shot dead this year so far. Every day when you open your ipad to read the news, you are met with terrible images. Yesterday, a mother and her five-year-old son were shot while they were out playing. Damaged by bullets not intended for them. when you scroll, you read about an explosion outside a medical center. Knife fight at a school etc... It's election year this year, politicians don't talk anymore, act!

Now it has happened again. Another person shot dead in my town. Unfortunately, it happens daily in Sweden, but this time it was unfortunately a step further. A man was shot dead, on a Friday afternoon in a crowded shopping center. The perpetrator was only 15 years old. A passing tourist was hit and is seriously injured. 100's of people became witnesses and many of them are shaken. Many need therapy. Where is our once peaceful and safe country heading? Even though our government has said that they are doing everything they can, they want to break down the gangs, nothing seems to be happening. What everyone needs is Jesus.

Nobody is knocking at my door. When I was a child, the doorbell rang often. Neighbors who needed to borrow sugar or flour. Friends who wanted to go out and play hockey or football.  Often it could be salespeople. Vacuum cleaners, insurance, art, etc.  It also happened that Jehovah's witnesses knocked, and once there were two well-dressed guys who spoke bad Swedish but who wondered if we believed in the Bible and if we wanted to go to heaven. But today nobody is knocking at my door.Nowadays we have door codes, etc., but there are perhaps changes in our behavior. A week or so ago the doorbell rang. My dog ​​was barking like crazy and wouldn't stop even when I opened the door.  Outside stood two women who wanted to hand over some information and it turned out that they were election workers for the Socialists. They very much wanted to talk politics, and they were very clear that they were indeed the only option and the others were not a good pic...