Praise Him all ye people!

We have the green light!  Andreas received his Visa in the mail this morning - March 25th.  As I write this he's looking over airline tickets to travel to the US of A.  

Thank you for all your prayers and walking on this long journey with us!

Sincerely,

Tammy and Andreas Tolås

PS

Read on and join in our praise and thanks back to God for all He does and will do.

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Psalm 145:

¹¹ They (we - Tammy and Andreas) will tell of the glory of your kingdom 

       and speak of your might,

 ¹² so that all men may know of your mighty acts 
       and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

 ¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, 
       and your dominion endures through all generations. 
       The LORD is faithful to all his promises 
       and loving toward all he has made. 

 ¹⁴ The LORD upholds all those who fall 
       and lifts up all who are bowed down.

 ¹⁵ The eyes of all look to you, 
       and you give them their food at the proper time.

 ¹⁶ You open your hand 
       and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

 ¹⁷ The LORD is righteous in all his ways 
       and loving toward all he has made.

 ¹⁸ The LORD is near to all who call on him, 
       to all who call on him in truth.

 ¹⁹ He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; 
       he hears their cry and saves them.

 ²⁰ The LORD watches over all who love him, 
       but all the wicked he will destroy.

 ²¹ My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. 
       Let every creature praise his holy name 
       for ever and ever.

So you may know what we know

<-- it would be a bigger smile if Andreas were coming with me.

Hi loving people,

Time to to catch the flight!  ...for Tammy.  That's right, I - Tammy - am on my way to the USA, without Andreas (again); because he is still waiting on the Visa/Green Card.  I need to be out of Norway by March 23rd.  I'll head out on the 22nd, and stay with my parents until Andreas comes.  

When Andreas had his interview, the lady apologized for such a "bureaucratic" nit-pick in the documents; however in her opinion one letter and one form from my mom was missing.  Then it was said that just the letter was missing, then it was said the form was OK, and then that it was missing, it gets complicated....

We have now sent in all the "missing" documents, and we have received email that they have received the documents.  Now we wait to hear their final ruling, via Andreas receiving the approved documents in the mail.  We hoped it would have arrived today, yet now we anticipate the next week, or so.  

Thank you for your prayers.  God knows His plans for us.

Tammy and Andreas

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"Who can hold the stars

And my weary heart

Who can see everything

I've fallen so hard

Sometimes I feel so far

But not beyond your reach

And I could climb a mountain

Swim the ocean

Or do anything

But it's when You hold me

I start unfolding

All that I can say is,

Hallelujah*

Hallelujah

Whatever's in front of me

I choose to sing Hallelujah"

-Bethany Dillon, Hallelujah

* "Hallelujah" = Praise God

Thank you Lord that you opened the doors for me to stay in Norway this amount of time to be together with Andreas during much of the waiting period.  Thank you for our friends and family who care and have been a part of the process with us.  Thank you Lord for the relationships we have, and have built in Norway.  Thank you that you have good plans for those who seek and love You.  

I know You love me

At The Cross
by: Hillsong

"Oh Lord You've searched me
You know my way
Even when I fail You
I know you love me

Your holy presence
Surrounding me
In every season
I know You love me
I know You love me

At the cross I bow my knee
Where Your blood was shed for me
There's no greater love than this
You have overcome the grave
Your glory fills the highest place
What can seperate me now

You go before me
You shield my way
Your hand upholds me
I know You love me

You tore the veil
You made a way
When you said that it is done

And when the fades
Falls from my eyes
And You stand before me
I know You love me
I know You love me"

Do you know He loves you? Really think about that. We know it in our heads, but do we feel it? Ponder on that, ponder on God's love. That you might even come to feel it deep inside of you. We all want love, but it's ironic that - at times - when it's wholeheartedly offered, it doesn't fully register with us. You are loved, it's your choice to receive, feel it, act on it.

Enjoy your Given life.

To the Fellow Achievers

One of my results from my "Strength Finders" test was Achiever it states, "Your Achiever theme helps explain your drive. Achiever describes a constant need for achievement. You feel as if every day starts at zero. By the end of the day you must achieve something tangible in order to feel good about yourself."

So to all my fellow Achievers or if you're one of those people who lay down in bed at night only to think about all your to-do's...
Here's a tip - from yours truly - that I feel helps me:
Pick an area of your house to tidy up after you're all or mostly ready for bed. It could be a the surface area of a room or the blankets piled in the corner, or even the counter tops and sink in the kitchen. I'm not talking deep cleaning, just a nice clean sweep over things. This is not high-energy therefore it shouldn't re-energize you before bed. When you're done, allow yourself to feel accomplished! Because I'm sure you are an accomplished person - not only in the small task of cleaning but in daily life! Be encouraged!

Don't stress yourself over the next day of to-do's! that will be taken care of in it's own timing...each day has enough worries of it's own (Matthew 6:34 paraphrased). So when the day is done let it be done.

Enjoy you Given life.

Are you eating your fruit and veggies??

I haven't been. I mean, it was a very pitiful attempt if there was one at all. Look at the pyramid, you should be eating more fruit then proteins (or about the same), however I have yet to see a fruit platter served with a side of chicken pieces.....OR a head of broccoli served with a sliver of steak on the side. You get the point.

This week I am doing a very, very minor fast. I'm eating all veggies and fruits this week - except dinner is a normal meal. It's for health purposes only, and extremely short term. Sidenote -> However, I would highly recommend fasting also for prayer and seeking God - under the right circumstances (If you have questions about that feel free to email me).

Take care of your body!

Enjoy your Given life ~