This isn’t a mistake. You’re not getting a re-send of the previous article and I’m not spamming your inbox. I wanted to provide an update of life and make some announcements and this seemed like the best way to do it.
The first and most important update is that my wife and I are expecting. Yep, I’d like to announce that my wife is 12 weeks pregnant and in late September or early October, I will be the father of a newly-born baby! We are very excited, and I’m just a little nervous. While I’ve always wanted to be a father, even since I was a little kid, the thought of being responsible for the body, mind, and soul of another human being is terrifying. I am so grateful to YHWH that I am not alone; I have my wife and an extraordinary community that surrounds me. My prayer is that this little one will know for certain that they are loved; first by the one, true, and triune God and secondly, by their parents. If you’re the praying type, please join me in praying this for the next 6 months.
The second update is that I’m in the process of changing careers. As many of you know, I was laid off from my previous job. I am now in the process of attaining a Google certification in cybersecurity—an in-demand, high-paying, and largely remote career field. In addition to feeling my normative amounts of imposter syndrome, I am also experiencing a little anxiety because I’d like to finish this certification and secure a job by the time our little McClain joins us in the world. Again, I covet your prayers regarding this if you’re the praying type.
You probably noticed that the Substack’s name has changed; beyond my wildest dreams, I now have paid subscribers! I could never have imagined this happening, but some of our (my wife and I) oldest friends have become paid subscribers. I am incredibly humbled and thankful, but their love and support has been a constant over the past decade and I can’t imagine my life without them. I can’t go any further in Substack without publicly thanking John and Jamila Watson. I love you both and can’t wait for you to become an uncle and aunt to our little one. Now that I have paid subscribers, it felt like I needed to get more official and get a “real” name. But that’s not all…
To “make use” of their gift and return their love by giving them more of what they’ve chosen to support, I’m going to be adding some content starting in April. Each month, instead of 1 article, I will publish 2. I will also be doing an audio post/podcast every other month in which I answer questions you have for me. I will answer personal questions or just questions you’ve always want to ask regarding the Christian faith, the Bible, or theology; I don’t have a name for this particular section of content yet, so if anyone has any ideas, I’m all ears (I’ve included a poll down below, but feel free to comment some ideas as well). I will field questions from all my circles of influence, however, the podcast will only be accessible to paid subscribers.
Thank you all for being a steadfast audience and for your support. I came back to writing pretty hesitantly, thinking there wouldn’t be anyone who would be interested in reading my writing, but it’s nice to know there are at least 18 people out there who care.
In agape,
Marcus McClain