Acknowledgments

I would also like to thank Parker Morris, who read this book thoroughly and offered me great perspectives and ideas along the way.

My wife, Meghan, as always, is my supporter and champion, and without her support I could never finish something as daunting as writing a book, especially this one.

I also want to acknowledge my daughter Hope, for supporting me, encouraging me, cheering for me, and for having the courage to let me tell her story.

And I am grateful for my literary agent—but more importantly, “Writer Whisperer”—Kathryn Helmers, for standing with me from start to finish, and at crucial times helping me find my way when it was not clear.

I would also like to thank my editor, and friend, Cindy Bunch, at InterVarsity Press, who patiently walked through this book with me, and was the first person to read it in its entirety and offer great editorial suggestions.

I want to acknowledge the great help I was given by the two focus groups who read through the book, engaged in the soul-training exercises, and used the group guide in order to “field test” it. The first group, led by my sister and brother-in-law, Vicki and Scott Price, was their Apprentice Group in Salina, Kansas. Thank you Salinians!

And the second group of readers, at Chapel Hill UMC in Wichita, Kansas, are Heather and Mike Alumbaugh, Arlene Amis, Margaret Anderson, Dan and Jenny Bennett, Jayne Fry, George Houle, Jan Longhofer, David Nelson, Rene Patton, Andrew Peters, Lynne and Rus Pinkerton, Kelly Sooter, Diana and Jack Storm, Wes Darnell, Alaina Madden, and Deb Kivett. Your input and feedback was invaluable.

Finally, it may seem strange, but I would also like to acknowledge the Trinity—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—whose power and presence I felt while studying and writing and editing this book more than with any other book I have written.