The book is almost ready but it feels like I feel like I am moving quickly but not quite moving anywhere. There is an unexpected round of edits that will start tomorrow and be finished by Friday. They have come because I asked a friend to do formatting ONLY edits but, though it initially angered me a great deal, he suggested further edits that I believe will actually help the book. Timeliness is key, but so is humility.

Regardless, the book will be written, hyperlinks added, pages formatted and header style done this week. After that I will only need to await the cover made by the illustrious Joe Johnson and all will be done!

Oh! One more thing, I will be planning a launch event(s) this week with the help of Brianna Williams. Stay tuned if you want to know what it will look like etc!

So the book is done. Well almost done. I still need to receive back the final version, adjust all of its formatting, and add hyperlinks for the e-book version, but these are minor adjustments. I also need to record the audio for an e-book version, but that will launch after the main book.

It is strange to think that there will suddenly be a moment where I will be an author. There will be a point in which people will be able to say that they’ve read my book. There will be a point where people refer the book. These are surreal thoughts!

Please keep me in your prayers if you pray. There is much to do, but the last lap of a race is usually where you have run out of energy and strength. I still have more, but it is close. Regardless I will finish.

I have high hopes for this book, but at this moment, they feel like a sensation rather than an image. I can see myself reacting to the impact of the book with joyful tears, but I cannot yet see the details of the impact. I cannot yet see more than a few specific lives that will be empowered through this book. I can only imagine people walking in the strength of the Lord. I can only imagine timid young workers, boldly reaching their coworkers for Christ.

Please keep me in your prayers!

I can’t believe that it has been 10 days since I’ve blogged…. I have to be better about that. I was sick last week and before that I was scrambling trying to do financial things! Interruptions happen, they’re part of life, but getting back to good habits must be a life style.

Ms. Mavette finished her edits earlier this week. Her edits have all been implemented and for the last two days, I’ve been reading the book aloud in order to catch hanging words and other easily missed grammatical errors.

I confess that part of me is having a hard time sitting still and doing it. For some reason, even random YouTube videos seem like they are the most interesting thing on the planet right now. I’ve become an expert on Wagyu A-5, and I don’t even eat red meat….

Please keep me in your prayers. Focus is a struggle right now, but this book will be done soon! I hope to have good news about the cover for you soon!

Cheers!

Today has been an amazing day. Sundays are usually very busy days for me so today I took time to rest. I woke early, went for my run, went into prayer time and then took an uncharacteristic hour to read a book (after food and shower of course).

Currently I am reading a book about the history of the Church. This particular book focuses on the Protestant Reformation and proceeds toward the 20th century. I have 3 other very lengthy books on various periods that I will read through within this current year. It is amazing how little I know about the history of the Church, I enjoy reading it immensely.

Last week I did not do as much with writing the book as I had hoped. I was doing work with my father that required me to wake up early and go to sleep late. I am still behind on a set of edits to impliment but I will catch up!

I also received two very grand blessings! A friend of mine made a very generous financial contribution to help me with the process of writing the book! The week before, another friend did the same. I did not ask for either gift and am still overcome by their kindness and God’s favor toward me through them! I know that the Lord will bless them greatly for their kindness. Everyone who has been part of this process- through giving, through reading and revising, through editing and advising- all will be blessed because this book is going to make a huge impact in real peoples lives.

As a small other blessing to share, the Patriots won the Super Bowl! As an avid fan of the game of football, I love low score games because they are more in line with traditional football. The Patriots defense this year was a travesty but by the Grace of God, we allowed no touchdowns fron the NFL’s best offense!!! How amazing is that???

Thank you Father God for your favor towards me. Thank you for this book! Thank you for the time this week to make some major headway!

I like flowery words. I also like using simple words. There is no consistent rationale apart from my own enjoyment. I like to use lovely words to say shocking things and sometimes I use simple words to discuss very common things. I choose words based on the poetry that I see within them rather than “appropriateness” as determined by others. For this reason grammar and I have never been friends. I learned the basics but always approached the subject with the same suspicion that a puppy has for a leash.

Of course this cannot be tolerated in a book. Eccentricity is perfectly fine in poetry but in a book it cannot be allowed; at least not pertaining to grammar. Grammatical inconsistency will not do in book form, because it is distracting to readers.

I say all of this to say that I have my manuscript back from Ms. Mavette, and I am implementing her grammatical corrections for your sake dear reader! When you receive this book, you will know that no effort was spared in bringing you this book! I am so grateful for her help!

As I was whining yesterday to a friend of mine (and she was listening), she suddenly challenged me on doubt. She called me out and really challenged me to level up rather than powering down. I am eternally grateful for this woman.

When we run out of strength, it is the best time for us to lean on God. We should lean on him constantly, but the need is greatest when we are “winning” and “when we are “losing.” I had allowed myself to lose focus of what God has promised-too many what ifs, too many whens.

Writing this book is a privilege and I need to do a better job of remembering that it is. Multiple delays and setbacks are often difficult to navigate, but worship, worshiping God always brings light to the darkness. God was there when I didn’t have school tuition, when I didn’t have money for food, when I was struggling at Liles Parker, and even when I was red eyed from heart break. In every moment he was there.

What God gives he provides for, it is as a simple as that. Waiting is difficult, but God has never brought me to a place and then not provided me with an opportunity. Right now that opportunity is to work on this book, right now the opportunity is to be a blessing to others in intercession and prayer. Right now the opportunity is to write on my own and promote on my own, benefiting from the assistance of friends and mentors. Right now I get to do that much and more.

So when I get up from this computer, I’m going to take a shower after my run. No more skipping my run for whatever reason, back to discipline. As I await the manuscript, I will continue writing the new sections and begin revising the contents headers. There is much to do and very little time. I will not be hurried, nor will I be slowed. I will continue on at a consistent pace, giving my all with each step.

Worship God!

One of the strangest things about this process is the waiting. There are times when work is put in and yet tasks are not accomplished.

Presently many things are on hold: the cover is awaiting the cover artist, the manuscript edits are awaiting the second to last review, and the ISBN etc are awaiting the book. Speaking honestly it is difficult to avoid feeling discouraged. The waiting is a challenge to my faith.

I won’t pretend to have it all figured out. There are days when every inch of my 6 foot 5 frame wants to curl up in a ball and not move. The cold sets in, the weight of the waiting weighs down. The calendar, the memory of the calendar begins to hit you, remembering the days and months of what feel like years. This is the part of the story they don’t show you in the movies. The waiting. Lots and lots the of waiting.

I look forward to sharing more cheerful updates in a day or two!

I got to talk to Mrs. Cheryl Carter yesterday who has been my mentor throughout this stage of the process with the book. Through our convo I’ve got a lot to report, some of which will be told on Monday, but…..since you are part of the blog dear reader, I’ll let you in on a few key “secrets” a little bit early and some that will never be announced through the other channels.

#1 This book is about to get skinnier and meatier at the same time

One of the challenges of this book has been sharing the information in a way that is compelling, impactful, and will also consider the reader’s attention span. This book was always intended to be something that could be referenced quickly in every day life in order to help with both the work transition for those entering a new work space and the life transition that is key for those who are about to leave university. Therefore the book is getting split into two books “Life After Graduation: A Work Survival Guide” and “Life After Graduation: A Life Survival Guide.” Each will be around 70 pages in a 6×9 format which should greatly improve readability! As an extra bonus of this split- the Life Survival Guide will now include chapters on loneliness, unemployment, humility, and rest!

#2 A launch event just might be coming!

After talking with Mrs. Carter and a few others it seems that a launch event may be coming. I say maybe because there are many logistical and promotional challenges associated with it, but I think it could be really good! It would allow me to tell the story of this book in a setting that would allow for questions, comments, and also invite people unfamiliar with this journey to join in on the adventure!

#3 Advice In case you decide to write a book

Promotion is a huge part of the process and it should start before the book is started. At the start, your name is more important than the title. After all your friends know you and will be excited that you are writing a book even if they don’t care what it is about. Focusing on a core of people who will support you in the book should be your primary goal and can allow you to refine your material and get some awesome input. Reach out to these people individually. Yes it is time consuming (it took me a week and a half of grinding), but at the end of the day personal asks are the best way to recruit help! Mass invites are okay for the second level of support but you need people who are rabidly excited for the book in order to help it reach it’s best form, and to get it out there!

So many things are going well! I have a work interview tomorrow morning so by God’s grace I will stop being broke soon! The new job will give me the flexibility to continue the process of this book while also putting a bit of food back into my pantry and give me a bit more ability to move about.

Stay tuned!!!!

If you’ve been around me for a long period of time, you have received this expression in a text, or heard me say it verbally. Of course the expression is ironic for several reasons: I don’t use Twitter, no one besides me types the word “woot”, and woot is already emphatic. That said I love the expression and I use it because it is unique, expressive, and ironic!

Right now I’m getting to listen to another person who is pretty unique John Marsh on a Denver Institutes Podcast about faith and work! I’m listening to podcasts to know if I would be interested in speaking on them, and if I would able say anything of value. John Marsh is hilarious! He has a life that is marked by Christ Jesus, and a tool chest full of unique expressions that while not the toast of Sunday sermons, are hilarious and expressive.

The main work of writing a book is not writing it, but marketing it. Writing the book was simple even though it was difficult; I sat in one place, planned out the the chapters and prayed as I wrote out thousands upon thousands of words. Boom, done, now for reader review editing and manuscript review. Marketing is the opposite. Reaching out to people is easy even though it is complicated. The main difficulty is remembering what the objective is and why it is worth doing. I have a list of 9 podcasts to listen to, evaluate and reach out to during the second phase of the marketing plan and I have also been considering speaking engagements as a way to promote the book. At present nothing is off the table.

There is a voice that says ” wow this seems like a lot, is this the only thing that I will get to do in my life? Is this really worth all that effort?” The voice always sounds rational even though I know it is foolish. The time is going to be spent on something, why not something that I believe in? Even if I spent 40 years talking about how to work and thrive in transition, wouldn’t that still leave me with 10 or 15 years to write more books or produce a movie or two?

I find that when the devil fails to convince me not to do something, his next move is to convince me that the result won’t be worth my time. But I know the result will be and this I know by faith. Every inch that I move forward will enable someone else to thrive. Every step I take prepares a path for someone else. #woot #woot #woot.

The most amazing thing about this process is that so many people have been willing to help. Of my list of 120 people, only 30 will require a second touch/ask, and only two said no to reading the book and writing a review. Both persons who were asked to do graphics work said yes. Of the seven people I asked to read the book and provide feedback, five said yes and have provided insight that has added soooo much to this book!

It’s amazing that through all the fears and doubts, there has been consistent progress.

What if people don’t like it?

How can I really write a book???

What if I’ve accidentally done some sort of mini-heresy??? (After Paul Jeffries completed his review, I slept much more soundly at night)

How can I promote a book???

What if I fail? What if I disappoint everyone who has and is willing to help me?

What if, what if, what if. How, how, how. These questions are endless but so is the work. With many of the things I am working on, it feels like there is always another task to complete. Yet each of them will be complete. With steadfast prayer, and earnest effort each will be complete. This book is going to save and impact lives. This is gonna be great!

Today I have an interview at Red Velvet! You may or may not know this (I often forget what I tell you) but I haven’t been working at a job-job since September, when I left Liles Parker. I am excited by the possibility of being around people again on a more regular basis. I am also excited by the possibility of having a bit more leeway with my finances-or any for that matter hahaha! Yet I am most excited for the opportunity to live out much of the content of this book in a new environment! Today I listed out my priorities just as I advise my future readers to do when the are headed into an interview! Get to practice what I preach!