New Beginnings

Life is a great teacher. It has a way of showing us the highest truth and gently guiding us into situations that are perfect for our personal growth. Sometimes these life-changing events happen quickly and other times they gradually unfold. And so when a small group of us sat around six or so months back and casually talked about starting our own magazine, we were slightly stunned when life’s reply was a quick and decisive – YES!

Now, mind you, when we started none of us had ever run a magazine, let alone done much more than glance at one or two on occasion. So, we envisioned a leisurely and scholarly venture into the magazine world. We’d study, take our time, read books, and then when we were well primed and mighty confident, we’d dip our toe into our first issue – maybe a few hundred copies sold to some close friends and family.

Well, life (of course) had other plans for us. Our group quickly grew to 18 (still with not even one single soul who had a lick of magazine experience) and seemingly in an instant, we had met HGJ founders Brad and Jan Lundy, had realized we had been called to steward the Healing Garden Journal and were instantly thrust into the maelstrom of the magazine publishing world - printing over 50,000 copies! So much for the quiet stroll in the park version of magazine publishing we’d envisioned.

Thank God, when life asks difficult things of you, it also provides you angels. Our angels are Brad and Jan Lundy. They have been our guides, mentors, teachers, and shoulders to lean on. They have also become very close and dear friends. That’s not to say it has been easy. Running a magazine of this size is quite a challenge (to say the least). It is fair to say that this has been one of the greatest challenges many of us have ever had to face. Our group has given everything we have to this magazine over the last several months: our time, our sleep, our money, and most importantly our hearts and our souls.

We are driven by passion and the belief that this beautiful ray of light that has been shining upon Michigan newsstands for the past 5 years must be continued. Our goal has been - from the very beginning - simply to serve. To offer hope and love and helpful information to people who pick up HGJ. It has been a labor of love.

So, we ask you the reader, to be patient with us as we learn our way. We are doing our best, and we still have much to learn. Fortunately, Brad and Jan are right here with our group (and with you the reader), supporting all of us as we make this monumental transition. As our group struggles to absorb all the lessons we learn, we feel life gently behind us all the while. We hear it whispering in our ears, “Now do you see why I offered you this? Do you see that you are much more than you ever imagined? Keep going. I am right behind you.”

If a group of 18 utter novices can take the reigns of a magazine and in a few short months turn out the beautiful issue you have in your hands, what do you think you are capable of? What is life whispering in your ear? What fear or challenge is it asking you to take on? Whatever it is, I guarantee – you can do it.

In Love and Light,

Jeffrey Mindell
Editor-In-Chief