God's Pefume

I just came back from the nightly walk with Lukas, around a housing area full of blooming bushes. Gardenia, Jasmine, Queen of the Night and others I do not know their names, fills the air with a wonderful fragrance. My thoughts goes to the truth, that God, through Jesus who lives in us, spreads the fragrance, the perfume of the knowledge of the Creator in every place.(My parafrased version of 2 Cor 2:14 ).

Every morning when Ingvar comes down from his shower and shave and a splash of aftershave, before he turns out through the door, he passes and gives me a 'bye-now-darling'- kiss. The fragrance of his aftershave lingers in the air and on my lips even when he is gone.

God doesn't have an aftershave, but a fragrance that lingers in the air around us when we have been kissed by him or have fellowship with him. We are also like a garden full of fragrant herbs. It is as if some of them are slumbering and needs a wind of heaven to release, so that others around us will be able to enjoy them.

Come O Wind of Heaven and blow on my garden, so that the fragrant herbs you planted in me can give life and pleasure to those around me.

Love Anna 

On move in the cities

Anna and I had 5 very good days in south Thailand. Good to meet others serving God and people in churches and in projects. There is a clear and genuine move and desire these days to move forward as an active and natural part of the communities. Also…. in the bigger cities. Daniel and his wife have an move in the city of Bangkok that is an inspiration for us all.
One matter of joy for us is to come back to a place where others have labored and now find many worshiping there. And …. they are truly thankful that the gospel came to them. To establish living local churches give genuine friends for life and eternity. But still many are searching for the living God. Ingvar

Guest of Honor

This morning when I was taking Lukas on his(actually my)morning walk, as usual he finds "the table prepared for him in front of his enemies", that is the dogs of the neighborhood, and a hand full of delicious bones.... just for him!
As I walked on, I found myself meditating on the verse in Psalm 23 where it says "You prepared my table in front of my enemies" and found in this translation it continues" You welcomed me as an honored guest.....". Jesus invites me as an honored guest, because in older translations it has "You anoint my head with oil, which was an old custom".
Jesus Himself invites me into His presence, to His table as an honored guest. I have kind of thought the opposite only: I invite Him as the Guest of Honor in my home.
My heart is excited and in awe. I am His guest of honor. And so are you!!
Love
Anna

100 days Old

I was 100 days old, day before yesterday. And …. Life is wonderful. Of cause not all circumstances are wounderful. They can be terrible. We work with many people in Asia who experience hell-on-earth and struggle to survive. To help them, is not a simple quick fix.
Anna gave me last night a notebook to read that she, Ruth and Barbro wrote in, sitting at my side at ICU in January. They did not treat me with “a quick fix” attetude. Several critical matters they wrote about, were new for me. Woow, they all worked very hard for me! I realize more and more as 100 days old:
“I need both God and people”. And "Others need both God and ….. (may be) me”.
I don’t glorify suffering, but I am thankful that if we are tested, we can grow. Not because we are strong, but because both God and people are with us.
If I am 59 years old or 100 days old, Life is wonderful. I have a aim:
To Start Well – To Run Well – To Close Well. This can only be possible if I have God and others with my side. Ingvar