For some years not only people have told me to pick up the old slower songs I wrote when I had fallen in love with Jesus 18 years ago. I have also felt God tell me to do something with these songs. These songs have been the songs that have touched people during all the years in ministry. People have got to experience God through the music. I took down the acoustic guitar from the wall and started to play the old songs. This is how this ”Still Thankful” album was born. Here you find all the songs, my thoughts about the songs, the message and the videos of them all.
I am playing the guitar, cello and keyboards. Elna Romberg and The Three Wise Men are doing the choir. Janne Hyöty has put everything together and done the final mixing and mastering.
My hope is that you will experience God and His presence while listening to the songs. I felt the presence of God during the entire process of making this album.
God Bless!
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In His Presence
When I started this project and started to go over the old songs a few new songs was born. I can not say I wrote them. They came to me in His Presence. In His presence is one of them. No matter where you are, what you have done or how you feel. God’s lap is always there for you and that is the place where love is found.
Still Thankful
The song ”Thankful” has been the most popular of my songs during all these years. People have requested me to play it here and there. I use to say that it is my ”Psalms 40 song”. It tells how Jesus came to me with His light in 2007 when I laid on my deathbed. He also set me free from alcohol and drugs after trying in my own strength for many years. If Jesus had not come to me that night in February 2007 I would not be here today. This is now 18 years ago and I have so much to be thankful for.
Hope
This song is based on a true story. During one of our visits in different prisons in the USA this one you man asked if I remember the prayer I said when I got saved. He was behind bars for a mistake he had done. He was just a child in my eyes. He wanted Jesus and he got Jesus. He could breath again and he got a new life. I later met him working at another facility, this was four years later. I remember that day when this young man together with at least 20 other young men gave their lives to Jesus. I just sat there in the room with my guitar when the people had left the room. This was when I started to play this song for the very first time. Yes, there IS hope for everyone.
Never Alone
Before when I was an alcoholic, drug addict and rock musician I always had people around me. I still felt alone. There were something missing in my life. Many sleepless nights, anxiety, fear and pain were a daily routine. Today I realize that Jesus is closer to us than we can imagine. We just have to grab His hand and follow Him. He will forgive us and give us peace. The peace that goes over all human understanding. With Jesus you are never alone.
I am free
A simple song about how the one the Son sets free is free indeed. I was a slave under alcohol and drugs. I did not want to live that way but I could not stop. When I gave my life to Jesus and received prayers in a small church here in Finland, January 3rd 2007 He set me free. Since then I have not had any alcohol or any kind of drugs. This is now 18 years ago. It is true what the Bible says, that the one the Son sets free is free indeed.
Silent Waters
During my entire life I have felt at home by the sea. As a little boy my dad gave my my first own boat at the age of four years. I loved being out fishing with my dad. Over the years in the midst of all darkness I have always felt at peace close to the waters. When I have been down and feeling really miserable I have gone down to the water and found peace. This is something that reflects my relationship with my dad when I was a little boy to today when I have a heavenly Father who created heaven and the earth. He created the waters and no wonder I find peace sitting by the water under an open heaven talking to my heavenly Father.
Amazing Grace
This is one of my all time favorites of hymns. Amazing grace that saved a wretch like me. I was a mess and not a good person. Still God’s amazing grace was there for me as well. I was lost but now found. I was blind but now I see. I sure was blind. I did not even see my own family before. It was just dark and blurry. Today I have received my sight back and I can see other people and do my best to learn to love each person I meet with the love of God. If you wonder about the strange voice in the song it is our parrot Winston singing Swing Low Sweet Parriot.
Without You
This song was very important for me during my early years as a believer. I came to realize that I need more of the Holy Spirit each and every day. Not enough with that. I need to die from myself and let the entire trinity lead me. The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. WIthout them at least I would be very alone.
My love song
One of my really early songs about Jesus. Or this song is to Jesus. I loved Jesus so much as I had more or less been raised from the dead. The doctors had given up hope on my health and called in my family to the hospital. Still Jesus came and healed me. Not only that. He forgave me! He saved me! He set me free! I did not know how to tell Jesus that I love Him so I wrote this song to Him. Most likely my first song after the bluesy song ”It’s a miracle” that was my first ”christian song”.
What a friend we have in Jesus
Another wonderful hymn that talks about what kind of friend we have in Jesus. This song has meant much to me for years. It simply describes that not matter what kind of issues we battle with they won’t get any better if we don’t taken them to the Lord in prayer.
More of you
Another early song when I was hungry for more of Jesus. I am still hungry for more of Him. This song was also a prayer and I remember that even before it was recorded I sang it in different churches and Jesus was right there touching people. Again I need more of Jesus and less of myself. More of you Lord!
Say a prayer for me
During the time when we recorded the Rockabilly Hymns album I had a weird period in my life. I had turned 50 years of age. First of all I should not be here. I had received 16 years of pure and raw grace. Still I had a hard time with the thought that I most likely have more behind me than what is to come. I thought about things I should have done differently and remembered how that happy boy I was as a child turned into an adult that tired to numb fear and pain with drugs and alcohol. At least I need people in my life who pray for me. With prayers and Jesus our hope is that the best is yet to come. Still, age does not come alone. It comes with some dings and other things.
You can help us give people HOPE!
Before I was touring in the world and it was a natural thing to get paid for everything you did. You did not go anywhere without getting paid. Also recording music and things has always involved money. Both before my life with Jesus and also after Jesus came into my life. Today things are very different. Not only the record business is lightyears from where it used to be. Today people do not buy records, they listen to them on-line. To get paid for this you need to have an astronoumous number of listeners if you are going to cover your expenses.
Now we are NOT doing music for the money or for fame. Music became a natural tool for me to use when I am out telling people about Jesus. People often ask me how much I charge for a gig, show, meeting, gathering, event.... call it what ever you want but I just cant put a price tag on the Gospel. Jesus did not ask me for anything when I called upon Him to save me.
For 17 years I have been doing this fulltime. My son has been on board fulltime now for ten years. Honestly it is hard to make a living on what we do so praise God for my wife working part time. I have a hard time to ask for money. People have told me that I need to charge but I just can't. I never want money to be in the way for us to be somewhere where there might be a person who need to hear the message. I don't want money to be in the way for God's Kingdom to be preached amongst people outside the walls of the organized church.
IF you feel led to help us we are THANKFUL for every donation, every
prayer and all help we can get. Below details how to help us if you so wish.
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