Be careful to whom you give permission to edit the content your life. They can end up rewriting your life to such an extent that you look and sound like your editors, not like the unique person God has created.

My wife, Jan, is the first person to read the rough draft of my books. I want her to do this because she knows my heart and can speak the truth in love helping me see when I sound less than authentic or missed a deeper truth about the heart of God. After these honest and many times painful first reviews, the book is ready to present to an editor for the final preparation before publication.

Each of us needs to have honest and faithful friends who we allow into the core of our lives to examine our words, motives, and actions with honor and honesty. These kinds of friends are few and far between. If you find them you have found a gift that will not try to recreate you in their image but will help you express your uniqueness in a way that living an insulated life can never produce.