Thursday, September 23, 2010

BREAD ON THE WATER


Ecclesiastes Chapter 11

1 Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days.

My Norwegian/American friend Sonja, has sent me a priceless gift.
A book about her father Armin Gesswein, a biography and a textbook, a torch and a map.

I got it two days ago and I haven't finished it entirely yet, but I need to say thank you to Sonia and tell about how blessed I feel.

Sonja has told, in modest ways, about her father in her blog bits and pieces.
The truth is he was a spiritual leader of world wide dimensions.
He was a theologian, and minister, a viewer, a preacher, a mentor, but foremost he was a man of prayer. He even founded a College of Prayer.

How I wish my father could have met him, or heard about him.
Where Armin Gesswein was a giant, my dad belonged to the small and silent in the country. Even so, they had one thing in common, convincing of
The Power of prayer, and the need for prayer in every aspect of spiritual and human life.

Even more important; they both in similar ways lived the way they learned. Armin Gesswein's life was his strongest testimony, and the fruits of his prayers cannot be numbered by humans.

The book is titled "Everything by prayer", and the reader is encouraged to read slow, to look up verses and chapters in the Bible, think thoroughly through questions at the end of each chapter, and also discuss it within groups or with mentors.

I shall have to read it that way afterward. Just now I'll have read it from A to Z ,while praying in my chamber.

Dearest Sonja, how can I ever reward you for this gift?
It has already broadened my horizon, and let me expect for much more.


Jeremiah15: 16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy words were unto me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart; because Thy name was called on me, O LORD God of hosts.

8 comments:

Amrita said...

Your friend Sonia sent you a priceless gift indeed, th e legacy of her godly and illlustrous father and his close walk with God. He seems like a Patriach of the Chtristian community. Such saints should be honored and their work and teachings emulated.

May God bless you as you read this book.

http://bitsandpieces-sonja.blogspot.com/ said...

My sweet friend:

Your thanks for this book is such a blessing to me! I knew when Fred Hartley sent me a book translated into Norwegian, that it was to go to Felisol. :) The way you write is such a gift, if I were reading your blog today for the first time... I would want to read this book!!

I hope the words bless you as his life has blessed me. You are a gift, Felisol, my new Norwegian friend!!

Love you!

Sonja

Terry said...

this was so nice of sonja felisol.
what a treasure for sure!
wnen you say that her father was such a godly giant and your dad was small and silent..to the lord they are both strong.
your father gave this strength to his small family and what a great testimony and mentor that you have grown up to be dear felisol!
sonja's dad really appreciates, i know, that so many saints, unheard of perhaps but known by the lord have been praying for him!
it is like links in a golden chain, this giant of a godly man and a great number of his christian brothers and sisters praying that the word of the lord will be blessed through him and he knows that all the honour belongs to god...
i will go over and see sonja's blog felisol.
felisol do you think that your friend would let you share a few words from that book to us?
it would really be a blessing!
love terry

ps..did you get my emails felisol?
let me know, ok?

Carol Joy said...

Felisol,
How sweet to write of my dad's book that Sonja sent to you. Yes you are one who would absorb such a treasure and I am so glad you have it. I think of you many times, my Norwegian friend, and love the knowledge that you are living in the country that is my second home (Sonja's too). God bless your life Felisol, you are a rare and real gem.

Love from your Norwegian friend,
Carol Joy

Debbie Petras said...

Felisol, I too love Sonja! And I have that very same book and finished reading it when I had the opportunity to spend a few days in the mountains by myself. What a blessing that was!

I so agree with all you wrote about Sonja's dad. I've learned much about prayer from his example. Isn't it amazing that her dad came to Norway to preach and met her mother in Tromso? I love their story too.

I love that the book is written in Norwegian for you. How precious!

I recently acquired more older photos of my family in Norway. My sister has all of the photos and when I recently saw her I convinced her to part with them temporarily so I could upload them to my computer. Then I came give the originals back to her. There are so many filled with Norway. I could blog several times a day and still have more to share.

Love you,
Debbie

Crown of Beauty said...

What a precious gift this is indeed. What a timely gift for anyone aspiring to live everything through prayer. We need to learn from the generations before us, and there is surely much to learn from this great man of faith. I have treasured reading the words of Sonja. She is a product of this man's life!

Thanks for sharing about the book. I have no doubt that someday I will be able to read my own copy!

Love
Lidj

Raven said...

Don't know why, but this made me think of the movie - one of my favorite ever ever movies - Babette's Feast. If you haven't seen it, I think you would love it.

Felisol said...

Dear Raven,
I have seen Babette's Feast and read Danish Karen Blixens novel by the same name. It's a good parable.
The rare gift of giving and all that undeserved love.
Sonja and her sister Carol Joy both posses that gift.
And their roots are from Tromsoe in Norway, not too far away from Berlevag where the novel takes place.