blah blah Wednesday

I don't suppose I've written much about this, but about two months ago my publisher decided to reorganize itself around SPU's or "spews" if you like: strategic publishing units. Gone is the comfortable fireside glow of the word "imprint" to be replaced by this term only modernity could love. My imprint, W Publishing Group, was split in two, one side becoming practical theology or "practical living" and the other side systematic theology or "spiritual growth." This term spiritual growth is amusing. We publish Hank Hanegraaff, Brian Maclaren, Mike Erre--authors that investigate spiritual themes (some books, lets face it, are really extended sermons), but rather than call us something like "ideas and issues" we get the postmodern-lite spiritual growth. At first it seemed like, aside from some book shuffling, nothing much was changing. A few added responsibilities. Some new skills. But then my boss turned in his resignation, and now the forces of opportunity and chaos have switched into a much higher gear.

L. is continuing her transformation into a successful freelance writer. She just picked up another gig a week or so ago for wcities.com, and she's probably going to pick up more before Summertime. This is what she went to school for, and I'm glad to see her doing it. When we were dating, she wrote editorial pieces for The Elizabethton Star, and shortly after we moved to Massachusetts she wrote for a Christian rag based in the North Shore. Words make you aware of things. You start writing, you start coming aware. Our conversations around the house are made that much more interesting with every new piece she's doing. I like it.

God gave Kara a math brain. She's bringing home tests--yes they test you in first grade now because, you know, life is so urgent for us here in the twenty-first century--of eighty or so math problems and she's doing well on them. The other night for fun I substituted an x for a number in an equation and gave it to her. So, I said, what do you think the x stands for? She barely looked over from her coloring: five. What about this? Two. Her spelling is getting better also. Really, whatever funk Kara was in last year, she seems to be pulling out of it now.