Just a moment...

Back to blogging! My month away from the blog world didn’t keep me from writing a few posts here and there (even if they went un-posted). In fact, I found it easier to write blog posts last

month. It is a peculiar feature of the human mind that, at times, we work better under pressure and a looming deadline while, at other times, the absence of pressure provides mental space to

think creatively. Advertise on TGC Work and rest are woven into the fabric of human life and flourishing. Our minds are stimulated by seasons of labor and diligence, yet we are also

stimulated by seasons of rest and reflection. Blogging is a discipline, for sure. Thinking of something new and (hopefully) valuable for readers each day does not come naturally. And yet for

those of us who love to write, blogging can also be a delight. Knowing that I had a full month off from blogging gave me time and energy to think of some ideas that I might have missed had

I been in the midst of grinding out daily posts during the hottest days of summer. What surprised me most during my blog fast was the way in which Twitter and FaceBook have already become

ingrained in my daily habits. I continued to check Twitter updates from friends, but I forced myself to stay on the outside looking in. Early on in the month, I had ideas to post or Tweets I

would have liked to Retweet. But I decided to stay (for the most part) silent. It was good for me to do this. Taking a break from social media is a helpful exercise that grounds us again in

the real world, not the pseudo-online world that can easily sap our time and energy for developing real relationships. During my month off, I was able to complete a rough draft of my

upcoming book on the gospel. This book has been much harder to write than _Holy Subversion__, _perhaps because of my sense of intimidation at tackling such an important subject. It’s also

quite a bit longer (a good 15,000 words more) than my first book. But filling pages is not an issue for me. I’m already 10,000 words over my limit, which means I’m now cutting it up and

throwing sections away. As my work on this book progresses, I plan on starting blog discussions about the nature of the gospel, particularly how the three-fold dimension of Story,

Announcement, and Community converge to give us the apostolic message. July was also filled with some good family time. Our son is playing T-ball this year, and I just have to share two

highlights. The first was when our boy hit a home run with the bases loaded yet had no clue as to the significance of his accomplishment. When I met him at the dugout to congratulate him, he

said, “What’s a home run?” The second highlight was the game in which Timothy seemed highly distracted in the outfield and we didn’t know why. Turns out he was enamored with a tooth he

found on the ball field, a tooth that belonged to a teammate! At the end of the game, we returned the tooth, happy that the Tooth Fairy would not be confused overnight. My wife and I

appreciate those of you who continue to pray for my father-in-law. We have received emails from readers who know of his condition and are praying for his recovery. Thank you for ministering

to us in this way. Right now, Corina’s father is nearing the end of his radiation treatment, which is particularly hard for those who suffer with throat cancer. He has lost a lot of weight

and his immune system is very weakened. We are praying that as he finishes out this treatment, he will soon feel better and that the next pet scan will bring good news. I look forward to

daily blogging again. Thank you for allowing me this time away and for picking back up with me again and continuing our journey together. TREVIN WAX is vice president of research and

resource development at the North American Mission Board and a visiting professor at Cedarville University. A former missionary to Romania, Trevin is a regular columnist at The Gospel

Coalition and has contributed to _The Washington Post_, _World_, and _Christianity Today_. He has taught courses on mission and ministry at Wheaton College and has lectured on Christianity

and culture at Oxford University. He is a founding editor of The Gospel Project, has served as publisher for the Christian Standard Bible, and is currently a fellow for The Keller Center for

Cultural Apologetics. He is the author of multiple books, including _The Thrill of Orthodoxy_, _The Multi-Directional Leader_, _Rethink Your Self_, _This Is Our Time_, and _Gospel Centered

Teaching_. His podcast is _Reconstructing Faith_. He and his wife, Corina, have three children. You can follow him on Twitter or Facebook, or receive his columns via email.