I remember singing a song, repeating the line: “This is the day, This is the day.”
Well, I’m not singing to you today. Just writing you. Just writing you about a book for you.
On this day—the release date of a new book—“This is the day that your book comes out.”
Not my book. Your book.
As I wrote about which books have impacted my life over the years and what lessons I learned from them, all while enduring sadness and uncertainty, I did not want to keep the lessons to myself.
I wanted to share them. Through this book, I share them with you.
I hope you enjoyed this book about books. When I wrote each chapter as a letter to you about a book which impacted my life, I had a renewing sense of love and acceptance and forgiveness. New healing, though wounded. New hope and joy, though disappointed.
So today, October 1, pick up copies of my 12th book, Things We’ve Handed Down: Twelve Letters I Leave for You.
This is the day your book comes out. A book for you. A book about books. Welcome the healing and joy handed down to you.
Congratulations, Chris! Rejoicing with you, bro! What a powerful and enriching accomplisment! May you feel God’s pleasure today! Well done!
I like how you played with the wording to where it’s not my book, but your book. In one literal way of thinking the book is yours, you are the one that write it, recounting the impact of books written by of authors. But you say it’s our book. When we buy a book or simply have it in our possession, we tend to call it our own. A book not meant for other people, just the author, isn’t a book worth writing because it’s not being distributed. You are saying here is a book for you, use it. An author by themselves can write a good book but the impact a book has on its audience is what makes it a great book.
Exited to see what the fruit of this new book!
Hey pastor Chris! I’m happy about your new book. I love how you did 12 chapters, like the 12 disciples, that’s very clever. As well as how you said it is not your book but our book and I think that shows a tremendous amount of humility that a lot of other authors do not have.
Reflecting on the blog post, I am struck by the deeply personal and heartfelt nature of the message. The writer shares not just the release of a book but the emotional journey behind it, offering a powerful reminder of the healing power of words and stories. The emphasis on sharing lessons learned through personal challenges resonates deeply. It reminds me how much of the wisdom we gain from difficult times can become a source of healing for others. In a world where it’s easy to feel disconnected or isolated, the idea of handing down wisdom, love, and forgiveness through a book is profoundly moving. The post invites readers not just to pick up the book but to embrace the healing it offers, suggesting that the words within its pages carry a personal legacy—a gift of emotional and spiritual nourishment. It’s a beautiful reminder that through storytelling, we can pass down more than just ideas—we can hand down hope.
Super excited to read the book. I am ready to see what is in store and the lessons that will be taught.
One of the things that is most impactful for me is knowing that this book came out a place of pain and grief. In the face of difficulty you endured you did not turn your face from the Lord, but rather you allowed him to craft a story of hope from a story of pain. You have in fact allowed the Lord to make beauty from ashes. You are in fact a wounded healer– which is something I hope to emulate throughout my life as well.
Hi Pastor Chris!
As we been in this class together you have shared that writing should be impossible for you. Yet, God had bigger and better plans. Here you are having written over a dozen books. I think that shows God’s faithfulness. I know that it encourages me to press forward and seek God until I get to say “This is the Day!”
It is nice to hear about the place that this book came from and the accumulation of work that went into creating a book such as this. It is beautiful how work like that can lead to one day when you finally get to share it with the world. Sharing our stories and experiences is so important and is a profound way that God works through his people.