From battlefield to pulpit, one man confronts the line he almost crossed—and the grace that saved him.
OKLAHOMA CITY, April 3, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- In a bold and deeply controversial new memoir, A Life Awakened, which debuted at #20 on Amazon's Best Sellers List, retired Army veteran and spiritual counselor/pastor Therin unveils one of the darkest moments of his military service—one where he nearly committed an unthinkable act during his deployment in Iraq. With brutal honesty, he shares how he came seconds away from shooting a detainee, an act that would have changed the course of his life—and soul—forever. Though he never pulled the trigger, the internal war that followed nearly destroyed him.
Therin's confession, initially posted anonymously on Reddit, set the internet ablaze. The post has since drawn hundreds of heartfelt and conflicted responses, with fellow veterans, spiritual leaders, and civilians entering a candid conversation about guilt, grace, moral injury, and healing. It's more than a Reddit thread—it's a raw reckoning echoing across communities.
"I raised my weapon at a detainee. I didn't pull the trigger—but I almost did. I don't know who I would've become if I had," Therin writes. "That moment broke me—and it became the doorway to my awakening."
Now the founder of Awaken Ministries, Therin leads from a place of radical vulnerability. A Life Awakened is more than just a memoir. It's a gut-wrenching testimony about post-war trauma, spiritual disillusionment, forgiveness, and the long road to rediscovering faith when you're convinced you've gone too far to be redeemed.
What began as a midnight confession has turned into a growing online movement. Therin's original Reddit post have gone viral across both Christian and veteran communities. Online forums are alive with discussions about morality in war, the cost of carrying guilt silently, and the church's role in addressing the psychological wounds of those returning from combat and other trauma
More Than One Battle:
This near-war crime moment is just one of many battles Therin has faced as a veteran living with PTSD. In
A Life Awakened, he shares numerous other haunting experiences—including the time the Russian mob scammed him. Each story adds another layer to his raw, redemptive journey and invites readers into the messy, often overlooked realities of trauma, vulnerability, and grace.
This memoir is reigniting difficult but necessary conversations: What does true repentance look like when you didn't sin but wanted to? Can you be a spiritual leader and still carry darkness in your past? How does grace apply to the near misses—the moments we almost became the villain?
Press, media outlets, and podcast hosts are encouraged to explore this provocative story and join the growing conversation that challenges long-held beliefs about forgiveness, leadership, and spiritual identity after trauma.
Book Title: A Life Awakened
Author: Therin
Publisher: Awaken Ministries
Available: https://a.co/d/0HFfGd3
For interviews, media inquiries, or review copies, contact:
Therin Miller
Media Contact
Therin Miller, Awaken Ministries, 1 4053010188, [email protected], www.awakenforchrist.com
SOURCE Awaken Ministries
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