Not Yet - words of encouragement

A friend posted a Rick Warren devotion yesterday that really encouraged me. And I thought, maybe I'm not the only one who needs to hear this. So here is an excerpt - may it be an encouragement to you as well!
(red text is my addition)

Why God Sometimes Says 'Not Yet'

by Rick Warren

“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For, ‘In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.’”

Hebrews 10:36-37, NIV

God’s delay [in answering your request] may be a test of your patience. Anybody can be patient once. And, most people can be patient twice. And, a lot of us can be patient three times. So God tests our patience over and over and over.

Why? So he can see how patient you are? No!

He does it so you can see how patient you are — so you’ll know what’s inside you, and you’ll be able to know your level of commitment. God tests you so that you can know he is faithful, even if the answers you seek are delayed.

You may be going through difficult times right now. You may be discouraged because the situation you face seems unmanageable, unreasonable, or unfair.

It may seem unbearable, and inside you’re basically saying, “God, I can’t take it anymore. I just can’t take it anymore!”

But you can.

You can stay with it longer because God is with you. He’ll enable you to press on. Remember, you are never a failure until you quit. Resist discouragement, and finish the race God has set before you.

Sometimes you just need to laugh #charliebitme

There are times to be serious, and there are times when you really need a good laugh.
For the latter...

What happens when you squeeze a fish?

FISH OIL.

Part of our morning routine right now includes a dose of Tran. English speakers would probably know it better as cod liver oil. It is especially important to ensure we get an adequate amount of Vitamin D, when we aren't able to get enough from the sun. Tran is a great source of Vitamin D and Omega-3.

The 'norm' is to take tran in any month whose name has an R in it (Norwegian and English month names are similar enough that it's the same months in either language).

So every morning, we start our day with a dose of fish oil. Lemon flavored fish oil. And don't our faces say it all?

(photo taken Oct 2013, when we first started taking tran)

(In actuality, it is not terrible. But I also don't find myself wanting any extra after I've had my dose!)

The boys' school

Another great topic suggestion from a long-time blog follower...

They take the bus to school most
mornings. They walk to the main
bus terminal in our city and take one of
the city buses that is designated for the
school each morning.

You mentioned that schools in Norway are excellent. Why are they excellent? What do they do differently?  

Before moving, I read a lot about schools in Norway. And everything I researched told me that the system is great. Very forward-thinking and quick to meet every students' needs. Of course, most of what I read was about the national school system. But as plans unfolded, we ended up placing our boys in an IB (International Baccalaureate) School. 

February 2013

And I cannot imagine a better environment for them! Their school is very much hands-on. They aren't taught concepts simply through rote memory, but are presented with units of study that are then explored through various methods that allow the students to learn practically and not just theoretically. There is emphasis on cooperative learning, helping students to work together and to develop positive interpersonal skills in addition to academics. 

June 2013

They are taught in units/themes. Each unit lasts about 4 - 6 weeks. Through each unit, they may have the chance to work on reading, writing, research, projects, history, science, applied math, etc. Some of the units they've studied this year:

DANIEL: You Are What You Eat; Tell Me a Story; Money, Money, Money; Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
WILLIAM: Heroes, Space Explorers, Force and Motion, Peace and Conflict

August 2013

They don't sit at desks and read from textbooks. They typically sit in groups around tables, working with various mediums and materials that make the lessons more realistic and make the concepts stick. They use experiments, field trips, presentations and creative projects to expand and apply knowledge.

Most of the teaching is in English. They have around 5 hours of Norwegian class each week, but it's basically teaching the same things from the current unit, but in Norwegian. So they're building vocabulary around things they're already learning about. 

The school is culturally and racially diverse, very international. Many of the students come from international families, having one Norwegian parent, and one parent from another country.

I know I struggle getting services for my kids.  Is that process any simpler in Norway?

Our experience has been educators that are proactive in assessing needs and providing the necessary assistance. We don't know if this is the norm, of if we are just extremely fortunate to have a fantastic support system at the school. We have one child who struggles with some learning challenges. The specialist at our school went above and beyond to get him the testing and support he needed.

And do the kids notice a difference in the way they are taught or how the day is structured?

Their school day is from 8:45 - 3:05. It is longer than a school day in the national schools, but similar to what they've experienced in other countries. They have more opportunities to be up and not just sitting all day. They get two recesses each day, plus PE once a week. They also have opportunities for Norwegian, computer, music, and art. They really love their school! 

Daniel participates in a class song at assembly

Student-led spring conferences (2013)

World Peace Day activities

The Newest Little Boy Dove

Look at those cheeks, and those sweet little fingers

- so precious!

He's here!

We are so excited for Josh & Savannah (Zack's brother & his wife). Their first child, a healthy and beautiful baby boy, was born March 5 at 3:33 PM EST.

It's hard to believe Zack's baby brother is a daddy now!

Everyone is doing well, and we are so thankful for this new little life!

I prayed for this child, and God gave me what I asked for.

And now I have dedicated him to God. He’s dedicated to God for life.

1 Samuel 1:27-28

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Denne gutten var det jeg ba om, og Herren har gitt meg det jeg ba ham om.

Nå gir jeg ham tilbake til Herren for hele hans levetid. Han skal tilhøre Herren. 

Første Samuelsbok 1.27-28

NWotD: Far

Far
(noun) Father.

Used in a sentence
Han skal besøke sin far i morgen.
(He will visit his father tomorrow.)

Related words
Pappa: similar to daddy
Bestefar: grandfather
Farfar: paternal grandfather/father's father
Morfar: maternal grandfather/mother's father

A New Baby Dove... our nephew/cousin is on his way!!

We are excited and anxious in Norway!

Zack's brother and his wife are expecting their first baby. The boys are so excited about their new baby cousin. And I'm excited that Zack was able to make it to Georgia for the birth of his nephew (and a little jealous!).

Josh and Savannah will go to the hospital tonight, and we are praying that Ben Curtis will make his safe and healthy entry into the world sometime tomorrow. 

Please join us in praying for this new little man, and for Savannah. Hooray for another Dove boy! 

A Day in the Life

We received a suggestion to write a post about what a typical day looks like for Zack and me.

So what does our typical day look like? Honestly, our schedule varies every day. Some days we find ourselves buried in language learning activities, others meeting friends and local partners in the city, and others doing practical office type work. But most days include a blend of a lot of different things.

So here is a glimpse at what a typical weekday might look like while we are not taking language classes (maybe I'll do another post once we're back in language school)...

6:25: Jenn wakes up, packs the boys' lunches, gets breakfast going
7:00: Zack and the boys get up, get dressed
7:20: breakfast, devotions, prayer
8:00: boys walk to the bus station
8:00: watch the news (great language practice!)
9:00: work out
9:30: emails, office work
10:30: clean up, language learning time
12:00: this can vary: lunch, time in the city, appointments, errands, work stuff
2:50: leave to pick up the boys from school
3:15: back home, snacks, homework

From here, it can go a lot of different directions. Sometimes we have to eat dinner at 4:00 or 4:30 because of football practice, appointments in the city, or house church. Sometimes we relax a little, eat dinner later, and then do something as a family (play cards, read a chapter from a book, play Wii, watch a TV show, etc). The boys typically go to bed at 8:00 (Daniel) and 9:00 (William).

What's it Like: Driving

It's always an adventure to drive in a new place. But driving in a new country is something even more interesting!

In Norway, we drive on the right side of the road, just like in the states. But there are many things that are different. Here's a look at some of what we've become accustomed to...

Roundabouts (or rotaries) are quite common here. While they are not terribly confusing, they took some time to learn!

This picture shows the entrance into a large rotary.
The signs above let you know what lies in each direction, and
which lane you should be in.
As you enter the roundabout: signal right if you plan to take the first right
(for example here, the E18 freeway to Oslo)
Don't signal if you plan to take the roundabout exit that is straight ahead
(for example, Kilen)
Signal left if you plan to go three-quarters around and take the exit that is to the left
(in this case, Sentrum S, or the South side of downtown)
As you are about to exit the roundabout, you should signal right.

This is as you are just about to enter the roundabout.
The blue sign lets you know it's a roundabout.
And you always have to yield to cars already in the roundabout.

The blue arrow lets you know that the road is dividing, and
which direction you should go. This is especially helpful
when there is a lot of snow!

You are entering a No Passing Zone.

This sign lets you know you are leaving the no pass zone.
Anytime you see the sign all in gray with the diagonal lines,
it means you're leaving that particular zone (could be no passing,
or a speed limit, etc.)

Pedestrian Sign - these are important!!
Pedestrians have the right-of-way at all
crosswalks, unless it is controlled by a traffic light.
You must stop, so you always need to be looking to the
sides of the street as you approach a crosswalk.

This indicates a 60 kph speed zone. Currently,
Norway's highest allowed speed is 100 (on some
portions of the freeway/E18).

Our biggest learning curve came with the yellow diamond, seen below. If you see this sign, it means you're on a main road. You have the right of way and do not have to yield to traffic from other roads. Okay, that isn't a problem. But when you don't have the yellow diamond, you must yield to roads on your right. So if a car is coming from the road on the right, you have to stop and let them out. This one was strange for us!

Ah, the yellow diamond. This is the one that
confused us the most as we learned to drive here!

Ready for church

They were both very particular about what they wanted to wear this morning. And I gotta say, these two were sharp... and maybe a little goofy.