Full Of Life

He will regard the prayer of the destitute... 

To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death (Psalm 102)

I was not saved by theories, correct answers, or polished teachings.

I was loved back to life — through people who were full of life.

The life they lived was so abundant that their joy, peace, hope, and faith overflowed from them into everything around them. They demanded nothing, did not try to fix me, did not place themselves above me. They walked alongside me, asked, "What do you need?" and by their example gave me a completely different picture of following Jesus than anything I had ever seen or experienced before.

I had never met a single person like that before my trip to New Zealand — and suddenly there were more than a thousand of them around me. The way they encountered people — not just me, but all kinds of people in everyday life — was beyond words. Day after day it did not change. Again and again I found myself wondering how such humble and respectful encounters were even possible, even in very difficult situations.

Every day I was given the privilege of living among people whose lives reflected Jesus. Gradually all my doubts about their authenticity and love disappeared. They were living a life I never believed I would experience — let alone live myself. I was simply allowed to be, and to taste heaven on earth, day after day.

I have written on my blog about the changes that have taken place in my life and the steps I have taken toward living each day as part of this heaven on earth. After all the hell, darkness, and death, it has been indescribably beautiful.

I am ashamed of the "Christian" I once was.
Yet even though I have had to face my true self — lost, fallen, and selfish — it has been worth surrendering all of that to become a child of God and a disciple of Jesus.

I am deeply grateful that I can write from this place today: full of life, grateful to God, and filled with hope in Christ every single day. As hard as it is to believe, only three years ago I was walking in deep darkness and in the valley of the shadow of death.

I do not want you to misunderstand me. When I speak of people who may seem almost perfect, they are not. I have heard the stories of more than a hundred people, and each one tells largely the same story. Every person had to face their own darkness and rebellion toward God. Real darkness and death had shaped their lives. But the transformation Jesus has brought about in them is like heaven truly coming to earth: lives changed completely, families restored, and broken relationships healed. Jesus lives in these people.

Together, as a church, they are complete. To me, they have been the Lord Jesus living on earth through His Spirit in them.

Yesterday early in the morning, one of my friends — nearly half my age — wrote to me something I now understand much more deeply. His words moved me to tears. He wrote about his conversion, repentance, and his relationship with his father. I want to share a short excerpt from his writing:

*"I want to encourage you to stay strong for your son's sake.
My father was not very present when my sister died. 

He was in and out of church and our lives for a few of my growing up years.

When I was sixteen, my younger sister passed away. It shook all of us, of course. And as you can imagine, my father faced an overwhelming amount of self-condemnation and guilt for not having been there for us at that time.

After that weekend, he returned to his camper trailer a few hours away and contemplated ending everything. In that place of desperation and hopelessness, he remembered the words spoken to him by one brother at his daughter's funeral. This brother told him it was not too late to change and invited him to call anytime. My father picked up the phone and told that brother what he was going through.

Because my father chose the path of humility and trust in his darkest moment, I still have a father. And not just any father, but a role model — a man who refuses to be defined by failure, who chooses trust over fear, truth over lies, and family above all else.

My growing-up years were messy in many ways, but I can say with absolute certainty: I deeply respect my father for not quitting, for facing his fears, and by God's grace overcoming his own battles so he could show us how to face ours.

It hasn't been easy, but what would a story be without conflict and crisis? And the best part is — the story is still being written.

If you haven't met him yet, I will have to introduce you to him next time you're visiting. He's an amazing man!"*

This could just as easily be my story or yours. It tells us that in the midst of real pain, anguish, darkness, self-pity, and death, there is still the possibility of allowing Jesus to touch us and change us. He is not far from any one of us.

My life changed miraculously. Even though I am now physically far from these people, I feel deeply connected to them. Every day I still get to taste that same heaven on earth — through His Spirit and through new brothers and sisters here in Finland.

I have had the great privilege of spending Christmas and New Year with my son in the home of a family who have become very close to me over the past couple of years. I can call them brothers and sisters, and the bond and love between us only continue to deepen.

I do not claim that life is always easy — sometimes it is very hard. Past choices still affect the present. But the life that now lives in me and among us is a piece of heaven. And that is the heaven I wish for every one of you.

he shall appear in his glory.

He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. 

This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD. For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth;

To hear the groaning of the prisoner;
to loose those that are appointed to death;

To declare the name of the LORD in Zion,
and his praise in Jerusalem; When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD. (Psalm102:17-23)

Happy new year 2026