Every life has threads of revelation that will appear over a lifetime. Discovering those threads builds our faith and affirms God’s presence in our lives.

Recently, I was having a conversation with a friend. He asked, “When are you going to write your next book?” I let my friend know I would only write something new if I discovered a thread. I went on to tell my friend that of all the books I have written, each one came into existence because I found a repeated thread of insight in my blog writing. Those threads of content have traditionally become the substance of each new book.

This way of writing was affirmed to me by a comment made by author Donald Miller who wrote Blue Like Jazz. Miller said, “If you want to find out about my next book, read my blog.” Miller uncovered threads of similar content in his blog writing that stood out to him and eventually those threads were woven together to become his next book.

Personally, after each book I have written, I hoped each one would be the last. Creating and amassing content into a readable format takes lots of work. That mountain of labor is not glamorous. At this point with the way people read and take in information, I am not sure the format of another book is the best investment of time and energy. Just because something is bound in paper with chapter headings does not mean that the medium is sacred or forever. As you can see, I am thinking out loud.

This issue of threads of content developed over time happens in each of our lives. The positive side of writing in a blog format is that I can go back and review my impressions over time. A diary or daily journal can do the same. My blog is my journal. The themes of these threads tell us what the Lord has been speaking to us.

The same principle applies by going back over a long list of prophetic words and finding the scarlet thread of revelation that links the words together. This discovery has a greater impact if a thread has been repeated by multiple voices over time. Perhaps each school of prophecy should teach its students how to do this, especially since we have such an abundance of prophetic words being disseminated daily to the Church.

There is a thread of revelation in every life. I would encourage you, whether you end up writing books or blogs, or you are simply interested in seeing what personal revelation looks like over time, to begin exploring the threads in your life. Who knows? Maybe you will become the next new author in our midst, whether in a blog, book, or online format. Or it could be the discovered threads in your life are a gift you leave behind for your family as the spiritual autobiography of your life revealing how the Lord has faithfully walked with you over time. Those threads create a fabric the Lord will use to weave a unique garment that will become the legacy of your life.