"It is NOT the critic who counts, NOT the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually IN the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short ; who fights and falls and rises to fight again and again.

It is to he who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.

His place shall NEVER be with those cold and timid souls, who know neither victory nor defeat !"

Let me start by acknowledging that I already realize that there will be some Christians who will take offense at or disagree with what I am about to write. That is OK by me, as it is REALLY intended to allow certain non-Christians to think about God in a different light !! Of course, maybe some Christians may want to consider it also ??

The point that I want to address is "serving God" or "submitting our lives to God" -- as in belonging to Him for Him to use as He wishes. Now, to MOST non-Christians - and MANY Christians - this sounds like despotism, servitude, and slavery - and allowing God to take away our "Free Will" and deprive us of being all that WE THINK we can (or want) to be.

I want to use a world renowned singer by name of Sissel Kyrkjebø¸ from Norway (where she resides) to show that (in MY opinion, at least) exactly the opposite is true. In her life, because she IS willing to serve Him with it, He has filled it with extravagant, OVERFLOWING abundance !!

Having started singing professionally at age 16, she shows no signs of slowing down nor diminishing to date (2023) at age 54. She started as a "classical soprano" (although NOT formally trained as such), and branched out into pretty much ALL genres of music. She still sings classical, as well as an abundance of what some would call "inspirational" (hymns or religious) songs. However, she has branched out into "old-time classics", folk, jazz, popular, rock, and musical show tunes. She also does many strictly Norwegian performances and has sung in numerous languages.

She tours the world doing indoor and outdoor concerts and solo performances, and often appears as guest soloist with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. She has been for the past many years (and continues to date) to perform numerous Christmas concerts during November and December, and has accompnied various big-name singers. She sings mainly in English and Norwegian (which are her main languages), but has also sung songs in Swedish, Danish, Irish, Italian, French, Russian, Icelandic, Faroese, German, Neapolitan, Maori, Japanese and Latin.

Sissel has been described as possessing one of the most "crystalline, pure voices" that one will ever hear, with a wide vocal range, sweeping down from mezzo-soprano notes to the F natural above soprano C. Many YouTube commentors (including myself) describe her singing as "Angelic". Added to this is a talent that can embrace just about EVERY type and mood of song with perfection. In every performance - she has an almost angelic face and demeanor, eyes and charisma that would captivate almost ANY living soul (assuming that they are actually ALIVE), and a smile that would melt the coldest of hearts !! On top of this, she possesses an almost unearthly beauty that grows more enchanting with the passage of years. In my view, she was far more beautiful and had a much richer and fuller voice in her 40's than in her 20's

If all of this wasn't enough, she is described by most - both on and off stage - as being a very caring, humble, modest, REAL, and sincere woman. She is always happy, joyful - and radiates a positive energy and love of life and others that infects all around her with the same energy. She is described as being caring, compassionate, loving, sweet, warm - and "a superior human-being" whom humanity can be proud to have produced. She loves and values her family (husband and 2 daughters) - and despite her overwhelming fame and schedule, cherishes being alone with her family - to which she gives high priority in her life - her home, and her privacy. She has stated that her home and private life will NEVER be open nor available to satisfy public curiosity and/or consumption.

She enjoys spending time with Nature in her beloved Norway VERY much. However, above all, she LOVES to sing, and some have commented to the effect of, "THAT was the purpose of her coming into this world". It is certainly HER purpose. She has stated that, "I have loved music and singing ALL of my life, and that the Joy of singing is my food and drink". Also that, if the joy should no longer be there, she would stop singing. She definitely does NOT do it for the fame, the money, nor to be a "success"!!

When she was around 19 (when her career was just beginning), she was offered an opportunity to come live in the United States, and they would make her into another, "Super rich, super popular singing idol" !! She declined, saying that wasn't the path that she saw for her life. She stated that she didn't want to be MADE into anything by him, or squeezed into some "box". She said that she wished to remain free to pursue her OWN musical future in a manner that she felt fit and belonged to her. In other words, she wasn't interested in being made into someone's "Musical Money Machine"!!

She stated in an interview that, "I never wanted to be a 'star' -- all that I ever wanted and want to do is to sing."She wanted to be FREE to be HERSELF -- what and who God made HER to be !! Listen to her song, "FREE" here (click link). For her integrity and faithfulness, God has given to her FAR more than those mongrels of exploitation and greed could or would have ever been able to do !!

Bottom line, she loves and honors God, and believes and confesses that her talent was and is a gift from Him to be returned back to Him - and a demonstration to the World of His Beauty and Love. I believe that the underlying principle of her life is summed up in an "inspirational" song that she sings often, by the name of, "My Tribute (To God be the Glory)". A few of the words are, "All that I Am and Ever Hope to be - I owe it ALL to Thee!!"

As Christians, we often talk much about the quality of "Humility". In Sissel's case, a joke that I once heard is VERY apropos. It goes, "I love humility, but when you have SO much to be humble about, it is VERY hard" !! I believe (as do MANY who have watched and listened to her perform) that she does INDEED have "MUCH to be humble about" -- and yet (by God's grace) DOES manage to be a humble person. That is part of her immense charm !!

Returning to the opening of this article, here is a woman who has been blessed supernaturally by God, with a life and talent that staggers the average imagination. Her singing talent and overall voice are second to none. She has performed around the world in all manner of settings, has accompanied many big name performers in their own right, and is still in constant demand. She performs almost ALL types of songs with equal ease, perfection and sincerity -- from the most deeply inspirational and profound "spiritual" - to the sensual and seductive. She is adored and loved by tens-of-thousands of fans worldwide.

It was noted by a YouTube commentor that when Sissel performs a song, she doesn't just SING it, she PERFORMS it - she becomes the song !! Like a chameleon, she takes upon herself the heart, the life, the meaning and the spirit of the song - and while she is performing it - she is transformed, transported, and BECOMES the song. This came to me one day as I was meditating upon how she can do such a phenomenal job on such a wide variety of songs - and do them ALL with absolute inspiration and sincerity. She isn't acting or pretending (as I once speculated) -- she is experiencing and living the SPIRIT of the song that she is performing !!

Sissel is MANY different "Persons" !! She is the innocent, shy, sweet "girl next door". She is the modest, simple, unassuming, "country-girl" from a small city in Norway. She is the cosmopolitan, glamorous, renowned, sophisticated - "woman of the world". She is the "pure, simple soul" who loves nature - and to be alone in it to relish its Beauty and Wonders. She is the driven, perfectionist entertainer "par excellence". She is the loving, nurturing mother and wife who values her family, her home and her privacy. She is the international "darling and love" of 10's of thousands - who captivates and mesmerizes them with her astonishing beauty, charisma, and musical and theatrical talent. She is - without question - THE "Musical Genius" of her time. She is a "mischievous pixie" and a "divine Love-gift" from God. She can perform the most sacred - and the most sensual - of musical treasures with equal perfection and sincerity. She is a complex, emotional, intelligent, intuitive, HIGHLY "spiritual" being.

I once showed an article that I had written about Sissel to a friend - in which I had showered Sissel with lavish praise. The person commented that she was very touched that I would think so highly of a "mere entertainer" !! She obviously missed the point, as do most of us (I just realized). While Sissel is definitely THE entertainer and singer "extraordinaire", her gift is FAR greater than that - she is the "Master Communicator" !! She communicates with her emotions, eyes, face, body language, smile, spirit, and voice.

God has given to her a gift that is FAR more compelling than is mere charisma. When Sissel sings or talks (as in her "Talks" accompanying some of her videos or in an interview), something about her presence COMPELS you to listen, watch, and pay close attention. You WANT to experience, hear, and receive EVERYTHING that she has to communicate !!

In my mind, Sissel isn't JUST a singer, a performer or an entertainer -- but she is a TRUE Artist. To me, an Artist is one who can take their Art - and so convey it in their medium - that others can feel, sense, and become a part of what was in the Artist's heart, soul and spirit - what the Artist was feeling and experiencing !! This Sissel does "par excellence" !! When she sings - at THAT moment - SHE is feeling and experiencing the Song and conveying that reality to her audience !!

Someone on YouTube commented to the effect that, when she sings in a language other than English (like her native Norwegian), even though you don't understand what she is saying, she literally "PULLS" you into her performance. Perhaps when we have eliminated the superficiality of the spoken word (which I was told is what most Americans concentrate on in songs), we are forced to experience OTHER channels of communication.

We pay more attention to Sissel's eyes, the expression on her face, her body language, the melody, her smile, and to the inflection and tone of her voice ! Beyond that, I believe that there is an even deeper level of communications - spirit-to-spirit - that can not even be sensed by the normal, external senses.

All of these together speak to us on a far deeper and more intimate level than mere words can ever do !!

I believe that one of the reasons why Sissel is a "MASTER of her Art" - one of the reasons for her phenomenal success and the overwhelming love and devotion that her fans and audience have for her - is her charismatic ability to communicate the heart of the song, her emotions and an element of her OWN heart and spirit to her listeners !!

Almost from the first time that I was introduced to Sissel's singing, I felt a growing spiritual connection with her. I recently realized what the connection consists of -- We both share the following attributes:

At her core, Sissel IS and always WAS a dreamer, an explorer, a searcher, a seeker, and a wanderer in heart, mind, and spirit - on a "spiritual quest". She realizes that something of EXTREME value has been lost or misplaced - it isn't here anymore, it is missing - and she must search for and find it !! Her life will feel empty, incomplete, unfulfilled - with an aching, longing and yearning crying out inside until it is found. She doesn't know WHAT it is that was lost, WHEN or WHERE it was lost, or even HOW to begin the search. She only knows that she MUST search until either she finds it or she dies !!

I believe that it is THIS quality or "gift" (at least in part) that accounts for Sissel's mesmerizing power over her audience. She charismatically imparts this longing to her listeners, and induces them to feel a "part of her search and her journey". Only speaking and understanding English myself, I notice this quality far more when she is singing in Norwegian, where I am NOT distracted by the words of the song.

As I have viewed over 500 of her videos, I sense that this quality was ALWAYS there in many of the songs that she chooses and in her singing itself - and has grown more intense and pronounced as she has matured. I believe that this is a "Spiritual Quest", and NOT to be fulfilled in ANY person, place or thing. However, in her 2020 "Trilogy", this longing has been personified into the concept of a dearly beloved who has departed to a great distance away.

In the first video, "I Rest My Eyes" - Sissel explains that this beloved has gone "far away", and she misses him intensely. In her emptiness and loneliness, she watches and longs for his return. Alas, he doesn't come.

In the second video, "The Journey" - she resolves to leave all that she has behind, and go to him. It is a long and dangerous journey - "across the ocean" - and she is ready to undertake this perilous venture in a frail, "sailboat". She isn't mindful of the dangers, or even of the fact that - when she gets there, she may not find him, he may have chosen another, or he simply does not want her anymore. She only knows, "I must search for my beloved or die of loneliness and a broken heart" !!

In the third video, "Home" - she finally arrives on the distant shore, her beloved IS there waiting for her, they are reunited and live happily ever after !! Sissel says that, "She loves happy endings" and, God Bless her warm and wonderful heart, that, "She wants EVERYONE to lead a happy, fulfilled life" !!

I have included these three videos in the collection at the end of this article.

The above stated facts can be verified by observing her performances in a number of videos which I have included at the end of this article.

On one end are six inspirational songs, "Ready to Go Home", "Crying in the Chapel", "To God be the Glory", "Amazing Grace", "Eg Ser" and "Slow Down". The sixth one - basically entreating us to, "Slow down, be still, silence the noise and clamor within, hear the quiet inner voice, and know that He is God" - was performed in 2019 during an appearance with the Mormon Choir. I have viewed over 500 of her performances on YouTube - and in this one, I will attest in my spirit, that God's Spirit moved through her in a divine and supernatural way in order to minister to those present. When she was finished, the ENTIRE audience of almost 20,000 gave her a standing ovation, which lasted for a number of minutes, they were so overwhelmed by what they had experienced.

"Eg Ser" is sung in Norwegian. Look at the end of this article for the lyrics. You will be surprised !!

In the middle are three songs intended to display her tremendous versatility: "Like an Angel Passing Through My Room", "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" (a song made popular by Judy Collins many years ago), and "O Mio Babbino Caro". The latter is an aria from Giacomo Puccini's opera, "Gianni Schicchi". She sings in Italian, and for icing on the cake, she even LOOKS Italian.

Following these are three haunting melodies sung in her native language, Norwegian: "Dagane", "Alt det som skinner", and "Saknar Dig Nu". Even though you (like myself) will probably not be able to understand the lyrics, just relax, and enjoy the beauty and the emotion of BOTH the song and the singer !!

On the other end of the spectrum are five songs that would fit well in a French cabaret or being performed by a "torch-singer" in a nightclub -- "In Dreams", "I Will Wait for You", "Close to You", "When a Man Loves a Woman", and "Surrender". Believe it or not, Sissel is 42- 50 years old in these five performances.

Also, the last selection in the videos is a 24 minute interview. It is WELL worth watching, as I feel that it gives a good overview as to just who this person - Sissel - really is !!

This Link will also take you to a page of over 500 of her performances from YouTube, divided into 18 Categories

To MY thinking, Sissel is a role model that ANYONE can aspire to emulate - male or female. She has achieved astonishing success in her chosen career and, far more importantly, as a superior PERSON !! In addition to her career - she loves and is devoted to God, her husband, her children and her home - and still has time to enjoy the beautiful outdoors of her native country, Norway.

She appears to be a person TOTALLY at peace with God, with herself, and with the world. She enjoys being - and epitomizes the essence of what the word "feminine" used to mean -- a VERY beautiful, capable, charming, gracious, intelligent, loving, modest, talented --- LADY !!

Adding to this list of attributes, she has charisma that mesmerizes and captivates almost everyone that comes into her presence. She leads a very exciting, fulfilling life - surrounded by acclaim, beauty, and luxury . She and her husband are quite wealthy and have one or more beautiful homes, one of them being a large farm in the beautiful countryside of Norway. She loves God, her life, her family, her friends, her dogs and ESPECIALLY the purpose that she has been given to fulfill with her life -- Her singing !!

She has achieved ALL of what the "feminists" are clattering about (and MUCH more) without losing, in the process, her God-given humanity and that which distinguishes her as a woman -- her FEMININITY (in its BEST and fullest sense) !!

She is not out trying to be, nor protesting for, nor allowing OTHERS to twist and shape her into something that God did not make her nor intend for her to be - nor that she does not wish to be. She is VERY happy and proud to be what God made and intended her to be -- a VERY feminine and lady-like WOMAN !! Rather - she has spent her life discovering, developing and maximizing those VERY considerable gifts and talents which God HAS seen fit to entrust to her, and which she joyfully returns back to Him !!

She is a complex, emotional, intelligent, intuitive, HIGHLY "spiritual" being. Above all - she is MUCH beloved by 10's of thousands throughout the world - and loves them and God in return !!

It seems like her goal is to be and give the VERY finest in what she is and what she does - and THAT she does in abundance. In every one of her performances that I have viewed, EVERYTHING - her music arrangements, choral and musical (vocal) accompaniment, clothing, hair, makeup, person, presentation, stage set, and voice - are ALWAYS done to the maximum of aesthetic and technical perfection!!

A comment someone left on YouTube says it VERY well. This person stated that they had heard many of Sissel's CD/DVD's, but there was NO comparison to finally seeing and hearing her in a live performance. They said that they knew that here wasn't just another "singer/ performer/ entertainer" - but that they were honored to be in the presence of TRUE Greatness (a "Great Soul"). I WHOLE-HEARTEDLY concur - 100% !!! I believe that one day, when she passes from this realm into the next, God will CERTAINLY say to her, "Well done Sissel, I am VERY pleased. You have returned a magnificent interest on the treasures that I entrusted into your care"!!

This is emphatically NOT a "prosperity teaching" which says, "Come to God and He will make you rich and prosperous and give you everything that your GREED can dream of" !! Quite the contrary -- I DESPISE that line of "christian" ??? teaching. It is merely to point out that serving God is an HONOR and NOT a "sentence". All talent comes from Him, and all riches and power belong to Him - and I believe that He takes joy in sharing them with one of His children whom He sees will use them wisely to bring honor and glory to Him as their Father.

Also, however, ABSOLUTELY do not mistake me for saying that if you truly love God with all of your heart, He will make you into another Sissel. Any true Christian knows that this is emphatically NOT so. God distributes His gifts and talents according to His needs and plan, understood ONLY by Him.

I have another short article [ HERE ], containing my musings one day on THAT topic. You might want to read it also ??

For those Christians who have made it this far in the article, I want to assure you in the STRONGEST terms that I do NOT intend that anything that I have written about Sissel so far makes her a "Christian" in the Biblical sense as, "One who has KNOWINGLY received the life-giving Spirit of God within themselves and has been reborn as a TRUE Child of God". Neither I nor anyone else (save her and GOD) can address that issue, for it is NOT one that she chooses to address in public.

God showers His Gifts and Talents upon BOTH the righteous and the unrighteous. The sun and the rain descend equally upon ALL. God used young David to minister (by song) to a perplexed and troubled King Saul. The Spirit of God inspired David in the writing of the Psalms - and claimed David as, "A man after His (God's) own heart" - despite David's failures, imperfections, and sins.

It IS possible that in Sissel, God may have found ONLY a humble, open heart and spirit through which He can share His Beauty and Love to a hurting and lost world. I pray with ALL of my heart, however, that my first observation is the true one - that she HAS received God's free gift of eternal life - and I believe that God has placed it upon my heart to pray for her in this and other areas.

Lyrics for the song ****** "Eg Ser" ******

If you don't know the meaning of this song, it is about God - through Jesus Christ - entering into mankind through death, so that He might walk beside us during the trials of this life, and receive us as His own when we pass out of it.

Watch Sissel's eyes, her face, and the expression of her voice. Throughout most of the song, they are very pensive and serious. Then, during the last stanza, joy comes into her face, and during the last line ("I have made death into life for you"), her face just shines with joy and happiness !!

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I see that you are tired, but I cannot go every step for you
You must go them yourself - but I will go with you - I will go with you
I see you have this pain, but I cannot cry every tear for you
You must cry them yourself - but I will cry with you
I see you want to give up, but I cannot live life for you
You must live it yourself - but I will live with you
I see you are afraid, but I cannot go into death for you
You must savor him yourself, but I make death into life for you
I make death into life for you - I have made death into life for you