Good morning, friends. Can we talk? I know most of you follow this page because of my stories as an autism dad. You know Jack, and you loved his story, so you liked the page, and maybe read some blog posts. You might have even read my first book.

Well, today, I am releasing my second book into the world, and it’s called Mid-Faith Crisis. This isn’t about autism or about Jack (although I talk about him, and the epilogue is all about his recent breakthrough, which I’m stoked for people to read.) Instead, it’s about a crisis of faith–something that happens to many of us who find our spiritual lives turned upside down by the unexpected. We special needs parents know all about the unexpected. We know it can be a blessing (HELLO SPELLING!), and we know it can be a bit of a gut punch at times, too.

In gut-punch seasons, my tendency as a pastor is to try to help people understand what is happening on a spiritual, emotional, and philosophical level. I’m supposed to be a guy with perspective. Answers. But some years back, I ran out of answers myself. I had my own crisis of faith. It happened when I lost someone close to me.

For months, my spiritual confidence ebbed and flowed. I wasn’t sure what God was doing. And for the first time in my life, I experienced real doubt.

What I came to understand is that a crisis of faith is quite normal. Expected, even. And rather than being a death sentence for a person’s spiritual life, a season in the wilderness can lead to a stronger, more vibrant kind of faith.

I wrote this book to show you that it’s possible. I wrote it with a close friend, Catherine McNiel, an author and hospital chaplain. And as we release it into the world this week, we want you to know that straggling doubters are wounded saints are all welcome at the table of God. We have all been there. We have all been broken. And that’s okay. For we are the poor in spirit, and we are blessed.