Blog: The unique value of children
In the morning dusk of the day commemorating children’s rights I was watching the Finnish flag flying on its pole. My mind was suddenly flooded with memories of my childhood and of the many children I have met over the decades.
Blog: On a speaking trip
My father served as a speaker for decades. When it was his turn to speak at services in our home congregation, it was always special for us, his children. I do not think I was ever nervous for my father. Maybe I did not even worry about such things as a child. But I do remember the special feeling I had when I sat at services, listening to my father speak.
Blog: Alone
The room was quiet. The young boy was sitting alone in the twilight, staring at his phone. My wife and I in the living-room were wondering why our son’s life was so lonely. We were worried that his lack of friends might leave deep scars in his mind. It was as if he were quietly slipping away from life.
Blog: Why should we pray?
"For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." (Ps. 91:11–12).
Blog: Experiences of the covid year
A year ago, I was invited to start blogging for Päivämies. Optimistically, I expected that, given a full year, I would find 12 fairly good ideas for blog posts. Well, I didn’t. Deadlines came and went, and I often did not even touch the pen in the meantime.
Blog: Grandpa, come and play with me
A year ago our son suggested that he could bring his family to live in our home office for as long as they were building their new house. That meant we had to start clearing the room.
Blog: The sun or the wind?
”The wind gathered its strength and blew even harder. The trees bent down and the water surged and boiled, but the traveler just wrapped his cloak more tightly around him.” This is an extract from a fairy tale titled The sun and the wind, which was written by Aesop more than 2500 years ago.
Blog: Empowering memories
Wednesday is the most important weekday. Soon after the noon I begin to glance at my watch, wondering if the mailman has already come. A large part of the advertising flyers and other leaflets that come into our mailbox go unread into the recycling bin. But I take the daily newspapers, stack them by my armchair and begin to read. The biggest local paper contains a lot of interesting information about Kainuu, Finland and the world.
Blog: Getting lost
My mother married a man who owned a very remote farm. She needed time to get familiar with the surrounding forest. At that time cattle were allowed to graze and roam freely in the woods. There were no fences, and the cows were free to move around. In the late summer they sometimes walked long distances to find mushrooms to eat.
Blog: Many kinds of angels
Marraskuu, the Finnish name of November, means ‘month of death’. It is certainly a fitting name. November is dead, dark and cold. The last swans have left, and we no longer hear their constant trumpeting song. The lake has gone through a cycle of freezing, thawing, re-freezing and re-thawing, and snow has done the same. In between the snowy periods we have had rain and the evenings and nights have been pitch black. Even mornings were quite dark for a while, but as soon as we got snow, mornings took on the lovely shades of blue twilight.
Blog: Half a century ago
Half a century ago I parked my car in the center of Sotkamo and walked across a square of grass, bluebells and clovers surrounded by tall pines. I had been appointed junior teacher in Sotkamo middle school and high school, and I was on my way to meet the principal – the Principal with a capital P.
Blog: Oh, the good old times!
I suddenly remembered a small, seemingly unimportant incident from my youth. I was about twenty and already aware of my innate impatient restlessness, which I continue to feel occasionally. “Where should we go?” I often asked then and still do today.
Herra sanoi israelilaisille: ”Älä sorra muukalaista; olettehan itsekin olleet muukalaisina Egyptissä ja tiedätte, mitä on elää vieraassa maassa muukalaisena.” 2. Moos. 23:9
Blogit
Luetuimmat
Toimitus suosittelee
Viikon kysymys
Ilmoitukset
Ketunpojat ja kaukoputki
Lammas olen Jeesuksen
Jubilate, Joululauluilta Lumijoen kirkossa
Siionin Joulu 2021
Siionin Joulu on lehti joulun kristillistä sanomaa kaipaavalle. Lehti on värikäs, aikaansa heijastava. Hartauksien lisäksi siinä on haastatteluja eri puolilta maailmaa.
Taivaan kirkkautta
Lohdullisia ja riemullisia lauluja taivaasta Jämsän Kristillinen Kansanopiston kuoron laulamana.
Luetuimmat
Toimitus suosittelee
Viikon kysymys
Ilmoitukset
Ketunpojat ja kaukoputki
Lammas olen Jeesuksen
Jubilate, Joululauluilta Lumijoen kirkossa
Siionin Joulu 2021
Siionin Joulu on lehti joulun kristillistä sanomaa kaipaavalle. Lehti on värikäs, aikaansa heijastava. Hartauksien lisäksi siinä on haastatteluja eri puolilta maailmaa.
Taivaan kirkkautta
Lohdullisia ja riemullisia lauluja taivaasta Jämsän Kristillinen Kansanopiston kuoron laulamana.
