From The Publisher

leading hearts 5 years & counting

FROMTHEPUBLISHERlinda evans shepherd

NO WAY. I’D NEVER PUBLISH A

MAGAZINE. That would require unrelenting deadlines — and forget about the printing and mailing costs. Becoming a magazine publisher was not how I pictured my future.

But the day I learned I could create an electronic magazine, which would bypass all the normal printing and postage costs, I still said, “No way!” Yet God kept bringing the idea back to me. Finally, I told Him, respectfully of course, that I wasn’t crazy enough to publish a magazine.

But He countered, “But what if I was in it? Would you do it then?” Oh boy, I knew God wasn’t crazy, and I knew I would be crazy not to follow His leading for my life.

There was only one thing to do; I had to put this whole magazine idea to the test. So I casually mentioned to a friend, “I think God might be calling me to create a magazine.”

“Call Amber,” Karen Whiting said. “She’ll help you.”

Of course! I knew Amber Weigand-Buckley! She’d once been my roommate at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference. I already knew she was a great editor. So, I decided, I’d test the waters once again. I called her and said, in my most hesitant voice, “If I were to create a magazine for Christian women leaders, would you be —”

I blinked “But, I’m not sure if I should. I don’t know if I have the money —”

Amber shrugged off my worries and said, “Let’s do it!” So we did, and God has continued to supply our needs, for five whole years.

Every issue has been a Jericho victory in which God has multiplied our efforts—and we’ve recieved awards every year since from the Evangelical Press Association.

It’s been an incredibly fun and humbling experience to create a magazine with God, Amber and all of our wonderful columnists and friends.

So I would like to say, “Thank you, Lord. And thank you to all who have helped create each issue. And our Leading Hearts sisters for reading all of our issues.

As I look back at my very first welcome in our very first issue, I described our mission by saying: “The magazine is designed with you in mind, to encourage you as you follow your God-given call; whether it’s to be an influencer for Christ at home, at work, your church, community or all of the above.”

We’ve stuck true to our mission and we will continue to write to inspire you.

Here’s what I said at the close of my first letter from the publisher, five years ago this month, “Do dive into this issue so we can become new best friends in our journey to influence our world for Christ as we learn how to best live a significant life.”

In the words of Amber, “Let’s do it!”And with God, so we shall.