Publisher’s Corner – Humble Start Leads to Amazing Things

By Sandy Jones

Welcome January 2023! Although it was ten years ago this month that our editor Gaye Bunderson and I were working on research and development for a yet-to-be-named Christian magazine, it feels like it was just a couple of years ago.

Many things have happened in the last ten years. It’s amazing to me that we’re still here – not just publishing Christian Living Magazine, but how God has lead us as it has evolved into His ministry with a world-wide web presence (you are one of our readers in over 150 countries), a radio show, active social media presence, and a staff chaplain!

I remember asking Gaye one day during the R&D stage, ‘what happens when we run out of story ideas?’ Bless her heart, she patiently reassured me that God would make a way. And He has – a way beyond our wildest dreams!

God has provided so many wonderful stories and articles. We are extremely grateful for our contributors, who share our vision, and want to see the hope and promise of God’s love, grace and mercy delivered in each edition, so much so that they donate their time, talent and expertise.

I am quite aware, though, that I have not yet “arrived.” Our pastor brought this to mind as he reminded me how much I dislike the phrase “some assembly required” one Sunday morning. Having just finished up our family Christmas, I laughed as I realized how much our pastor and I have in common in this. I might look at the diagram of parts, but generally try to just jump in and get whatever the item is put together. All the while my poor hubby is trying desperately to get me to join him in reading the instructions. And just like my pastor, about halfway through I realize it’s not coming together correctly, and I have to take it all apart, and, this time, follow the directions, or better yet, I just hand it off to my dear Steve, who is a mechanical whiz.

I’m amazed at how often my life mirrors this behavior.  I know that God has given us an instruction manual to guide us along life’s way. Being a “driver” personality, more often than not I plunge into things headfirst, under “Sandy’s power,” instead of asking The Lord to lead me in His way, and with His perfect timing.

I’m not big into New Year’s resolutions, but this year it is my goal to lean more heavily on God’s instruction; to listen more intently to hear His still small voice for direction; and to do my best to live out the truth in 1 Peter 1:6-8 NIV:

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.

May this be a “golden” year for each of us. I hope you’ll join me in choosing joy.

In closing, a big thank you also goes out to you, our readers. Thank you for making the first 9½ years a success! We love hearing from so many of you about how we’ve somehow touched your lives. Often our advertisers will mention that one of our readers has shopped them, and thanked them for supporting Christian Living Magazine – thank you for this, too – our advertisers make it possible to print and deliver each and every issue. We simply couldn’t do this without them.

Until next time…

God Bless!

Free Digital Subscription Sign Up



Free Digital Subscription Sign Up

Share this post with your friends