Book updates + the future of the newsletter

I want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has subscribed, read, commented, and shared the newsletter the last few months. While I’ve been immersed in book writing, this space has been an invaluable way for me to mentally decompress and think about other things. That, in turn, has served well the process of writing the book (at least, I think it has!). So please know how grateful I am to you readers who make this newsletter worth doing.

I thought I’d offer a brief book update. Thanks to the generosity of friends and family, I’ve been able to have a very productive month. The upshot is that the book is now about 75% complete. Because of this, I requested the publisher to move up if possible the deadline for the manuscript and the publication date. Amazingly, they were able to do both. So now my due date is September 1 of this year, in anticipation of a September 2023 publication date. This means that the next 5 weeks or so are the home stretch. I would appreciate your prayers as I try to finish the biggest project of my life!

As you might predict, the fast approaching deadline means that this newsletter space will probably be much quieter than usual for the next month or so. I’ll try to keep it alive at least every other week, but I expect time to be tight.

On a bigger note, I’d like to offer a big-picture update about the future of this newsletter. I’ve now been writing regularly at this Substack for a year and a half. In that time I’ve published almost 150 pieces. Some have been short, some have been length, but the vast majority of them have been free. It’s been a very rewarding time. But seasons of life change, and as our family prepares to welcome some big changes this fall, I believe it’s time for this newsletter to make some changes as well.

Going forward, the majority of content published here on the newsletter will be for subscribers only. This is simply a recognition that the amount of time and effort required to cultivate this space the way I desire needs to be wisely apportioned. I don’t want to exclude anyone who feels they can’t or shouldn’t support this newsletter financially. But I think the reality of Substack is that it is best used as a way to connect directly with those who are invested in what a writer is doing, rather than as a way to broadcast work as maximally as possible. Putting most of the new content on this page behind a paywall will allow existing supporters to know that their support really does mean something, and it will allow me to benefit more directly from the work I do here. I sincerely hope this will make sense and, even if you’re unable to pay now, you will stick around for the occasional free posts.

I’m very thankful for all subscribers. I hope, entering a new season of life and work for me, that this space will continue to serve readers in the way it has thus far. If you’re not a paying subscriber yet, can you tolerate one more request to consider doing so? This will ensure you will receive all future newsletters, and it will also greatly support the work I do here.

The Lord bless you and keep you!