There is an enormous amount that I have to be grateful for. One year ago, I left my employment as a financial planner in order to pursue a crazy dream of becoming a writer. It just sounds so pretentious when I say it, I can barely stand myself.
That's actually false. I love calling myself a writer. It sounds infinitely better than a "blogger."
But still, it was a crazy decision. And I am grateful that my wife supported it. My confidence in my writing has grown exponentially in the past year, in large part due to her support. 95% of that has been she finally started reading what I had to say.
I'm also grateful for the friends I've made since then, like Christopher Benson and Jake Meador. Both of them heroically picked up some of the slack around here while I was traipsing around Europe like a college kid. Keep your eye on both of those guys, as they're going to do remarkable things. I suspect you haven't seen the last of them around here, either.
I am enormously grateful to my publisher and editor, Andy McGuire of Bethany House, who has believed in me, encouraged me, and supported me through this process. Did I think I would have a book contract six months after quitting my job to pursue this as a vocation? Not. At. All.
And how do I say this? Our readers. Readers. It's a remarkable reality, a fact worth enormous rejoicing, that such a category of people exist. And they do exist--I met one this past Monday in Washington D.C., which was without a doubt the highlight of my trip. I am so grateful to her and to the many other folks who have emailed, questioned, and spread the word about our growing corner of the world.
As Sheldon and Davy Van Auken would say on their anniversary, "If it's half as good as the half that's been, here's 'hail!' to the rest of the road."