A Draft

This morning I reached a milestone I've been after for years. I finally completed a first draft of my book!

The book is for stalled Christians who have a hunger to grow in their intimacy with Jesus. It's for people who have a sense that there is more to the spiritual life than they are currently experiencing, but aren't quite sure how to take next steps.

The book is called The Restoration Project. It uses the structure of the original twelve step program, St. Benedict's Twelve Steps of humility, to describe the arc of spiritual maturity over the course of a lifetime. It takes the reader through four stages. The first stage is about building a sure foundation of practices that lead to spiritual growth. The second stage, self-knowledge, invites the reader to explore the Biblical mystery that we were created in the image of God. It offers stories and reflections to help make that Biblical truth our own.

The third stage is called Stripping. It is about the deep spiritual insight to be gained when we are going through difficult times. Finally, the last stage is called Self-Mastery and it describes the practices and affect of one who has begun to taste and know the scriptural promises of praying without ceasing, the peace that passes all understanding and a hear overflowing with love.

There is still much work to be done, but it is deeply satisfying to reach a stage where there is a whole text to wrestle with and continue to shape. I want to send thanks to those of you read this blog and have given feedback and support along the way.