I’ve committed a cardinal blogging sin: I went dark for two months without telling y’all where I’ve been.
Forgive me?
Here’s what’s been going on. This fall was a bit . . . insane. Fall always is, but on top of our normal crazy mess I wound up having gallbladder surgery. No big deal. I’m fine now, but it knocked me out of commission for a couple weeks.
And then I wrote a book.
I’m thrilled to announce that I have signed with FaithWords. They will publish my first book, Renewed: A 40-Day Devotion for Healing from Church Hurt and Loving Well in Ministry in the fall of 2017. Renewed has been on my heart for a long time, and I’m excited that it has found a home and I’ll be able to share it with you.
My husband and I have been at this ministry thing for better than fifteen years now. We’ve been incredibly blessed by the churches we have served. But we’ve also experienced heartbreak and tough seasons along the way. Every pastor does. I’ve also had the privilege of meeting and sharing with ministry wives, ministers, and volunteer ministry leaders who have experienced their own struggles in ministry as they coped with things like loneliness, depression, burnout, bitterness, betrayal, church conflicts, and forced resignations.
If any of that sounds familiar, Renewed is for you. Renewed will guide you on a forty-day journey into the healing love of Jesus so you can stop hiding and start loving the church again. The stories in Renewed aren’t all mine, but they are all true. I’m thankful for the men and women who have trusted me with their stories, and I think you’ll be encouraged by the journey.
I just sent the full manuscript to my editor (happy dance), and I’m looking forward to sharing the progress of the book with you. Stay tuned for all the latest updates–I’ll be sharing them here and on my Facebook page.
We will be getting back to the 1 Peter study next week. There’s some good stuff coming up, and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on it.
Also, if you’re looking for a daily devotional for the new year, I’ve got a suggestion for you. I contributed a few devotions to The Wonder of Nature, a 365 day nature-themed devotional from Worthy. That book has just been released as a special-edition Books-a-Million exclusive in a hardback format. A trade paperback will be more widely available later this year. I’ve had the privilege of meeting several of the contributors at various writers groups and conferences along the way, and I think you’ll be encouraged by this exploration of what nature reveals about God’s glory and love.
So that’s where I’ve been and what’s been going on with me. I’ll be resuming my normal blogging schedule next week. Drop me a note or leave a comment and let me know what’s beeing going on in your world.
Blessings,
7 comments
!! I’m so excited for you! Can’t wait! Congratulations!
Congratulations, Leigh! I’m so excited for you! Looking forward to reading the books!
Congrats and God bless this new book! I’m so pleased God put this on your heart to write. I’ve been involved as a volunteer as well as paid staff in the church for nearly thirty years. Trust me, there isn’t much I haven’t seen. I KNOW God will use this book to heal many.
This is so exciting, Leigh! Congrats on the book, and may God use it to help others find healing in the hurt and pain of ministry. So glad your surgery went well and you are recovered and moving forward. Blessings in this new year! ~Melanie
So excited for you. Thanks for sharing.
Congratulations! You have had good reasons to take a break from blogging!
Congratulations, Leigh! I am excited for you. Keep us updated for sure!
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