We did it. 3,000 posts since January 1, 2009. Many reruns. Some regular guests (like Paul Merrill and Rich Dixon) and some occasional guests.

I’ve written through job change, the deaths of my parents and Nancy’s parents, weddings of our two children, all my books, the beginning of walking and then running, and the hundreds of normal days we all have. And in the writing have worked through what I think, worked through what it means to follow Jesus.

Thank you.

Thank you Nancy, who has, for every post, given up time, privacy, and sometimes a word to get me started.

Thank you Hope and Andrew for being in the background all the time when I write. And sometimes in the foreground.

Thank you God.

Thank you, all of the you’s that there have been across time. Some of you have been here for a long time, some for a short time. Some of you I have known all my life, some I have never met face-to-face. When I started writing, I was writing to help you and you and you have a glimpse of Matthew in ordinary language. Knowing that you were reading helped me work on my writing.

I’ve not figured out branding. I’ve not figured out how to write more than one or two posts ahead. I’ve not figured out how to grow the audience (numerically), but I’m working more and more to understand how to grow the people, to help you think and trust and converse with God in a variety of ways.

When I started looking at this milestone, I asked Nancy about celebrating somehow. She suggested raising $3,000 and I suggested Home of Hope. And so we started talking about that with you. As of today, together we’ve given $5,800. (Yes. That’s about twice what we were wanting to do) That’s about 14 of those children for a month. At a time when Rich was concerned that the kids would be forgotten, you’ve remembered them. (If you’d still like to give, go here.)

On behalf of kids who don’t know we exist but who know that they are loved, thank you.

So there it is. 3000 posts. Somewhere around 900,000 words. And tomorrow, we start with 3001.

Go in peace.