swedenusa

So it’s the last Sunday of January 2006. We are still in the US. It’s been a very warm January. I think we are on the record books for the warmest since the mid 1800. Today the sky is gray and big white snowflakes are falling from the sky. The streets are getting wet when the flakes melt as they hit the pavement. This weekend we had two other showings. Our agent hasn’t even called us to let us know what the feedback was.

We went to church and Jonas preached from Jude about keeping the faith and being a “contender.” I was excited to see an old coworker of mine at church. She was attending the ICCM service and I haven’t seen her since I worked at Metris about 6 years ago. What a great surprise.

After the service we went to IKEA for lunch. We were about a dozen people that went. It was Nathaniel’s first time to IKEA so we strolled around and looked at the showrooms. The bad thing about going on a Sunday is that it is very crowded. But when you want good coffee and yummy meatballs there is no other place to go!

Another person is coming over in a few hours to pick up a leather chair that we sold on craigslist. I’m hoping to get in a nap before he shows up. Sam is already laying on the couch with his eyes shut and the TV on the winter X games on ESPN.

I Went to this movie tonight all by myself because Mirjam had to study. Fun with Dick and Jane stars Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni. They both did a terrific job portraying a married couple that loses everything due to the corporate scandals of 2000.

Draining thier assets and selling everything that is not nailed down, they turn to a life of crime to pay the bills. There are alot of funny moments throughout the movie. The ending seemed a little anti-climactic, but maybe that was because it was midnight when it ended. Overall, I thought it was pretty good compared to the other stuff that is out right now. 

If you have speakers, check out this link. Thanks Andy for sending it to me.

 CLICK ME!!

I think I can see us sitting here. Anyone else want to join us?

Hey Sam, check out this link on training and help to integrate to work in Sweden.

For all you other people who will come and visit us in Sweden you should check out our tourist information services and other visiting webpages.

Check out this link from a guy in Canada.

 CLICK ME    

He started out with a red paper clip and is “trading up” until he gets a house! Those crafty Canadians!

1. Adjust the tint on your TV so that all the people are green, and insist to others that you “like it that way”.
2. As much as possible, skip rather than walk.
3. As people talk, smell their shoulders.
4. Ask people to prove everything they say. (e.g. “I’m Bob, nice to meet you…” “PROVE IT!”)
5. Ask people what gender they are.
6. Before exiting the elevator, push all the buttons.
7. Begin all your sentences with “Ohh la la!”
8. Deliberately hum songs that will remain lodged in co-workers’ brains, such as “Feliz Navidad,” the Archies’ “Sugar,” or the Mr. Rogers theme song.
9. Drum on every available surface.
10. Call other people “Champ” or “Tiger.”. Refer to yourself as “Coach.”

Here is what I have to say about E-Trade. It sucks! Completely worthless. I’ve been on hold for over 30 minutes and it’s the same stupid trumpets blowing triumphantly in my ear over and over again. It sounds much like a cheesy strange version of the Dallas theme song from the 80’s.

I tried closing my account back in October and they supposedly told me exactly how to do it. Well I still don’t have access online. When I ask them to e-mail me the info so that I will be able to make adjustments they say the e-mail has been sent to my employer. Hmm… the employer they are referring to? Oh, I haven’t worked for them since August of 2001.

My advice for the day… don’t ever sign up with e-trade!

Why do we love watching American Idol? I can’t believe I spent about 2 hours watching that show. Most people were just making fools of themselves. It is probably because it’s so entertaining. I think my personal favorite was the Paris Hilton look alike. What I don’t get is that these people really think they are good and that they are going to be big and famous for their music.

I have been experiencing the enjoyment of selling things online. It’s really fun to list things and then get a bunch of people interested and e-mailing you about the items. So far I have sold our entertainment center and one of our bookcases. Tomorrow I will list a few more things.

One of my friends is doing this as her business and I totally get the fun of it now. It’s not just a chore, it’s exciting. Hopefully things will continue to sell! I totally encourage everyone to use Craigslist, at least for larger items such as furniture.

Mir

To be perfect. It’s amazing that we are asked to be perfect. We both know that I am not and you are not. So how do we deal with this?

It’s a new year. Many make resolutions to be better, act better, and become what they dream to be. God has asked us to be perfect. Why? I have to admit that many times Christians are the least perfect (me more than others). We are often more judgmental, flawed, and hurtful. I know I fight it in myself. I hope you do too.

Maybe it is because we expect perfection when it’s too soon? Can we be perfect here in this life? C.S. Lewis writes:

“When He said, ‘be perfect’, he meant it. He meant that we must go in for the full treatment. It is hard; but the sort of compromise we are all hankering after is harder - in fact, it is impossible. It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.”

I find hope. I shouldn’t expect myself to fly right away. I first have to hatch. I think I’m a decent egg but holding on to that would make me go bad.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. talked about a dream. He was given a vision of perfection. He talked about it in such a way that people felt as if they could really touch it. It didn’t happen over night. We are still not there. We might not get there in this world. That doesn’t stop us from trying, continuing the fight, willing & wanting to move forward, and sacrificing to get there.

So perfection is maybe not about being at all? Maybe it’s more about the journey. To understand my own shortcomings, ignorance, judgments, selfishness, and all the other things that are slowly turning me rotten - and to change it. Perfection could be movement?

I know I have to go in for the full treatment. I know He meant what he said. I have to go through the painful transformation - or go bad. It does not just include me to become perfect in Him, but to fight for perfection and justice around me. In that fight I have to be just as forgiving as He is of me.

It scares me and excites me at the same time. What a terrible task, how could I even dream of getting there. I know I will fail many times again. I know I will beat myself up over failing. And yet, what a great hope, what great forgiveness. We have a chance to make a difference. We have a chance to make history. We can be perfect in the true sense of the word.

“How we spend our days is - of course- how we spend our lives.” - Anne Dillard