Amazon says the book launched on April 12th. But today is actually the official day of the launch of What it Means to be a Man: God’s Design for Us in a World Full of Extremes.
I am very excited about this book, and it’s always cool to see an idea come to fruition. What began two-years ago as an idea for a book based on my therapy work with men has actually materialized in a book. That is always amazing to me — seeing an idea come to be.
But as I say in the acknowledgements of the book — this book — no book really — sees the light of day without a team of people.
So I just want to say a huge thank you to all the people at Moody Publishers, especially the group that is taking care of us at Moody Collective, where my writing is thankful to find a home. I’m thankful to be surrounded by a great group of people, and several writers that I was great friends with before we actually wrote anything (i.e. Jeff Goins, Matthew Anderson, Scott McClellan, Tyler Braun).
Thanks to my awesome editor Steve Lyon. He helped me keep things clear and short.
Thanks to Randall Payleitner, Natalie Mills and Rachel Rounds. You all are amazing. I love working with the three of you. Thanks for all your hard work and for believing in me.
Thanks to Justin Davis who wrote the foreword to my book. I love the work that he and his wife Trisha do at their marriage ministry Refine Us.
Thanks to the endorsers on the book: Gary Chapman, Sean McGever, Scott McClellan, Jason Boyett, Keenan Barber, Emily P. Freeman, Todd Sandel, Kary Miller, Dale Fincher, Tod Bolsinger and Darrell Vesterfelt. I appreciate all of you taking time to read the early manuscript, give feedback and endorse the book.
Thanks to two confidential Facebook groups that I had the privilege of interacting with. One group was made up of 48 men, and the other was a group of 22 women. They read my early manuscript and opened up their lives to one another. It was amazing. They provided amazing feedback, insight and encouragement over the course of the last 3 months. I am so thankful that they took time to read the book, and I’m humbled by their support. Thank you all.
I am really thankful to my family. As I mention in the book — to a mom (though she died when I was 11) who taught me a lot about what it meant to be a man…teaching me a lot about the things men need to know but culture and other men don’t often teach them. Things like vulnerability. I’m super thankful to have a dad who has taught me countless things about what it means to be a man…but most importantly, has modeled them for me and has always rooted them in his relationship with Christ. That is the ultimate example. Thank you to my amazing kids who encourage me as a father, and who are living reminders of why it’s important that God is the basis of my manhood. Thank you to my amazing wife…she has been an amazing source of encouragement as I’ve often struggled with my own ideas about what it means to be a man. Our marriage has been the ultimate refining process that God has used to help me better understand that being a man has nothing to do with the many things that I thought it did (toughness, aggression, no fear), but rather that it emanates out of my relationship with Christ. Thank you.
Last, I am just really thankful to God that he has given me the amazing opportunity to do something that I love — that is to work with people day in and day out in my counseling office. And not only do I get to work with amazing people, but I get to write about this journey of mine as I experience it with others. I feel very blessed. Thank you.
Thank you to all of you for all your support and encouragement over the years. I’ve been writing at rhettsmith.com since 2003/2004 and it has been an amazing journey. Thanks.
