Gravity keeps my head down, or is it maybe shame
at being so young and being so vain?
-Manic Street Preachers, If You Tolerate This
Thank you to God, who is who He is, for the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus the Christ, for the forgiveness of my sins, and for His Holy Spirit, seal until the Great Day, and for life and breath and opportunity to act in service to the King in the building of the Kingdom.
Thank you to the many who have influenced my life. First, my mother and father for raising me as well and better than any child could hope or wish.
Thank you to my sister and my brother. My sister for showing interest in my writings and laughing hysterically at my silly stories. My brother for acting like a true brother and inviting me along as a duo.
Thank you to my friends who indulge my appetite for deep, meaningful conversation. Whether over frivolous video games, relaxing in a hot tub under starry skies, or hiking nature trails. These conversations, and the way in which ideas find their energy there, carry great weight and value for me.
Thank you to former pastors, our own and visiting, who have put great passion and deeply insightful thought and care into their sermons without knowing just how the Holy Spirit was going to use it.
Thank you to the fallen faith leaders who I looked up to as examples. While you stood, I consider that you spoke largely Good News and Bible truth and that makes all the difference. We all fall and mercy triumphs.
Thank you to the thinkers and the conversationalists like Jordan B. Peterson, Paul VanderKlay, Jonathan Pageau, Douglas Murray, Tom Holland (the historian not Spider-Man) and others in that group who put great thought into the deeper issues of faith and meaning in our times. They show, by example, how to have conversations that aren’t just debates to be won or lost but that provide real, meaningful value.
Thank you to all of the Creation ministries, such as Creation Ministries International, especially, for the delightfully fun, informing, and faith-building Creation Magazine, Answers in Genesis, and Institute for Creation Research. Thank you to their speakers, as well, who put the personal and human face on each organization. It has been solid, robust, biblical creation material that has perhaps most reliably given me the logical framework and the confidence to research into and trust in biblical authority wherever it is challenged by the issues of the day.
Thank you to Cassandra Thomas for the gift of the painting which is now the artwork on the cover of this book. I had nearly lost hope of finding a visual rich enough to match what was in my head when I happened to look again at the painting and knew that, of course, this was all along the piece that would illustrate this book.
And thank you, reader, for your valuable time, energy, and attention spent reading this book. It means a lot to me that people find value in what I write. I hope that the Holy Spirit uses these frail words in a way that honors God in your life and mine.
Soli Deo Gloria