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At this time of year, I think we are all refreshed by the renewal of life in the world of nature and gladdened by the principle of “resurrection.” I pray that you are being blessed in the part of the Lord’s work you are involved in.
First, I want to mention something new. As I continue to study and lay the groundwork for a future book on Ecclesiastes, I have begun a blog on Substack where I will post bits and pieces of the preliminary thinking that will, I pray, someday mature into a book. The blog is called “Ecclesiastes Workshop” (https://ecclesiastesworkshop.com). You can subscribe to receive the posts by email or view them on Substack. Either way, I hope you’ll find some value in these writings, as I “think out loud” about Ecclesiastes and its importance to us today. (These writings will not be available anywhere except via Substack.)
I continue to make progress on the pages of Walking in Christ. I’m working hard to finish writing the book by the end of the year, but it will take several weeks after the writing is done to get it into the sales channels at Amazon and elsewhere. I wanted to have the printed book ready for you before January 1, but that’s not going to be possible. Lord willing, the daily emails will start on January 1, and you can get hard copies by March, if not sooner.
Strangely, the advent of AI tools for writers has slowed down the writing of this particular book. Some amateurs think these tools reduce the time it takes to write, but those who write professionally know better. Used ethically, these tools come into play only after the writer has done the work that he alone should do. Previously, the first step constituted the entire writing process, but now it only gets a writer to the point where he can use AI tools to improve what would have been his finished product. While this approach makes for better writing in the end, it increases the time a writer needs to complete his work. What would have been considered “good enough” ten years ago is no longer good enough. That only brings a writer to the starting point of the second stage. And frankly, I am strongly tempted — when I’m worn out — to leave off that second stage and put my feet up for a rest!
So, I’m as grateful for the new tools as any writer could be — I can now bequeath to you a body of work better than would have been possible in the past. But AI has not sped up my workflow; it has slowed it down tremendously.
Physically, things are pretty stable for me right now. Most days, the physical state in which I work is not as good as I might wish, but it is stable, and for that I’m grateful. I had a long talk with my primary care physician yesterday, and I’ve been giving thanks for the help he has provided me for a long time. We’ll make some minor tweaks, but we agreed that, unless a new issue arises, our goal is to maintain the current state and slow down the degeneration process as much as possible. Of course, the Lord will ultimately decide all of this, and I’m content with whatever He deems best. While I can still write, I’m determined to do so. I believe the most exciting projects lie ahead of me, if it is the Lord’s will for those books to be written.
In conclusion, thanks for the many ways you support the work the Lord lets me be involved in. It is His work, and I hope it redounds to His glory. But you are the means that He provides to make that work possible. Thank you!
Gary Henry – WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com
WRITING GOALS
Pray with me that I will be given the ability to finish these works by January 1, 2040
- Walking in Christ — Book 6 in the WordPoints Daybook Series. Target: March 2027.
- Going Home — Book 7 in the WordPoints Daybook Series. Target: November 2030.
- Seeking God in the Psalms — a 52-lesson study — theme for each week, studies for Monday-Friday.
- Ecclesiastes — a full-scale commentary on the text of Ecclesiastes.
- Encountering Christ — what the Scriptures teach about Jesus Christ . . . and why we should believe it.
