The Latest Report

I am joyful to report that Going Forth in the Name (the book) is now safely it the hands of Xlibris Publishers, and is going through the copyediting process (spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.) as we speak! I expect the entire publishing process to take about four months, and the finished product available for sale in September.

I learned, while waiting for my first daughter to be born, that first babies tend to be late, and that when they decide to be born, the labor process usually takes longer. After the last five plus years, I am convinced that this is also true of first books.

This book has been a work in progress since at least the summer of 2004. In a very real way, as I shared in the chapter on ministry, it has been in progress all my life. It is clear to me that God has been preparing me and leading me to this moment, if not my entire life, then certainly that portion of my life that He and I have walked together; now over a half-century.

All my life, I have wanted to write a book. The problem, in the past is that I always felt like I had nothing to say that had not already been said better by someone else. Our Lord then revealed to me however, that in fact I did have something to say. This came in the form of a negative reaction that I had to statements made in the book, The Purpose Driven Life regarding some uncomplimentary remarks that the author had made about folks who are retired. I talk more about this in the book.

First came the idea for the book, then the outline. Then I began the research on the topics, and as I did, I began to formulate and reevaluate my ideas that would make up the content of the chapters. I began to write in earnest during the winter of 2005-6.

The first person to whom I showed my work was my dear friend of many years, Mr. Charles Ziehl. This was in the Spring of 2006, and I had only the original outline and a rough draft of the first chapter. He was immediately moved to prayer. His encouragement at that moment was invaluable, and gave me the encouragement and strength I needed to continue on from that auspicious beginning.

Following the advice of Jesus in Luke 14:28-30, I kept the book “under wraps” until I felt led to share with our small-group Bible study in the summer of 2006. Once again I received such encouragement from my (then) new friends, Jack & Karen Gregory, Chuck & Pat Sisco and Larry & Sally Wagner that I was moved on with new enthusiasm, and a sense of purpose in writing. They were so enthusiastic; you would have thought that they were writing it instead of me! They have all continued to be an invaluable encouragement to me since that time and particularly since the project has neared completion.

As time went on and others of the community of faith at Adventureland learned what I was up to, their encouragement has become a tide that has swept me along to this final completion. It would be impossible to list everyone involved. For fear of slighting anyone, I will not try to mention them all, but I cannot fail to mention Bob Johnson who, in addition to encouraging me about the book, was among the first readers of my blog, and who yet today is my most frequent commentator, and who helps get the word out about it. And I must also mention my dear friend, Alan Fleshman who has been a great encouragement to me as he is patiently waiting to hear the rest of the story.

So what happens now? The hard work will begin when the publishing process ends. My publishers will do their part, listing the book with online booksellers, etc. but the main responsibility for selling the book will be mine.

I am aware that most self-published books only sell on the average less than two-hundred copies. Having said that, I feel that Going Forth in the Name will do much better than that. The Apostle Paul challenges us:

“If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” (Romans 8:31, NLT)

Indeed, if God is for this, and if it is His message, as I have always believed it is, then who or what can prevent it from becoming what He intends. Mere statistics certainly cannot overcome it, nor can any other obstacle. I have felt from the very beginning that this is His work, and that He will make of it that which He wills.

Pray for the book; pray for the publishing process; and please pray for me as we all “Go forth in the Name.

”Thanks for sharing this moment with me today.