I’ve been living on this planet long enough to get used to a lot of things (probably too used to too many things), but I’m also starting to realise that there is—and always will be—more room for first-time experiences. The world is full of possibilities, and life is full of change. Things won’t stay the same for long even if I want them to, so I figure I might as well embrace the constant adjustments and do my best to keep learning as I go. That’s certainly the way it is with family life—our children keep changing and growing, with new experiences all around. Our oldest son just got his provisional driving license, our middle son got a drum kit, and our daughter—the youngest—is about to graduate from primary school. I’m about to be the father of three children in secondary school, a new experience for sure. It feels strange, but that’s ok. Life is like that. Bring it on. Another new experience for me is leading our local church, which just launched in February, so everything we do is new. It’s been a full few months, and I’ve loved it. I thank God every day for the wonderful people we get to share life with in our little church. If you’re not part of a local church, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Find one and get as involved as you can!

On the writing front, next week I’ll be heading to the UK for another new experience—I’ll be participating in the St. Andrew’s Literary Festival in Great Missenden. I’ll be sharing about “The Language of Rivers and Stars” at two sessions, one on Friday, the 13th, and another on Saturday, the 14th. If you’re in the area, I’d love to see you there!

Finally, I have a big announcement that I’d like you to know about: I recently signed a contract with The Good Book Company for my third book. The working title is: “The Harvest is in the Seed: Sowing and Reaping the Blessings of Wisdom.” It will explore the theme of sowing and reaping through scripture and the world God gave us, drawing out how we can plant and cultivate good harvests in our lives. While the culture we live in is often fixated on immediate pleasures and instant results, I’m convinced from scripture that many of God’s greatest blessings and most powerful transformations grow slowly over time as we plant the seeds of faith and obedience day after day in the ordinary realities of our lives. I’m excited about the book, but I’m only just getting started and the timeline for this one is long—perhaps it’s fitting that this particular book should grow slowly. It’s also necessary with the other realities of life right now. Still, I’m delighted to be working towards another book and I’ll be excited to share it with you in due course. I would greatly appreciate your prayers for the process. Thank you!