Perspectives on 2023

 Here's a bit about some of the transitions that have happened in my life this year. It's been a year of big changes. 

In my personal life, Lisa has been the most amazing change. We got married in March and she moved out to my farm. Sharing life with her is such a joy. Of course, that kind of major transition is pretty disruptive. We have had to transition her out of life where she was, and into life here. I've been able to build relationships with her wonderful family, and she with mine. It's so good. 

Under that heading, we're in the process of buying a house that will be moved to the farm. We're very excited about it. That process requires lots of logistical details like digging a basement and all the rest. So we are very much occupied with that process. 

The farm itself is a lot of fun and a lot of work. Last spring we planted a couple hundred trees, and that was a little bit like adopting a couple hundred infants. We have high hopes for them thriving and growing this coming year. Horses, fences, hay, and such are all ways of keeping busy. Throw in the big windstorm we had at the end of July. We've been cutting and clearing trees ever since, and have more to do. 

We are both working our day jobs, and that's good. We've been intentionally putting a lot of energy into my writing. As I've written before on this blog, my goal is to take the projects I've puttered with for years and get them published. Getting Death on Disappointment Mountain in print was a big step forward. This is the first book I've published that sold well enough to cover my expenses in creating it. Well, if you don't count the hours I've put into it. Thus far I'm still a volunteer writer, but that may change. 

Hopefully we can develop my writing in such a way that it can start to be a legitimate source of income within a few years. Once upon a time I thought if I could just write a book, that would be a huge life goal accomplished. And it was. But I published my first book (From Slavery To Freedom) in 2009, and it was largely a frustrating and disappointing experience. I feel like I've learned a few things since then. So I reissued that book in 2020, and published New Wineskins (a commentary on Luke's gospel) in 2019. 

In the coming year, I have several titles I plan to publish. Wait for the Lightning is a look at Genesis 1-12, and that is very close to being in print. I've been working with the cover design for that one lately. Altered Vows is a fantasy novel I've been writing for a couple decades. It's in the editing process now. I'm working on a sequel to Disappointment Mountain. And there are a few other books that are in various stages of being written: A sequel to Altered Vows, a book on Revelation, and a book called Making Change that puts into writing the class by that name that I've taught in a few different places. 

I'm looking forward to 2024. 

God is so good, and so faithful. It can be a hard world and a hard life, but God is still good. Thanks for reading this, and I hope you're as excited about the coming year as I am!