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Welcome to Joy in the Journey, where you can learn more about the owners of Exodus Books and what motivates them. The Eli Evans family welcomes you to read along as Amanda chronicles our growing family's journey.

About Us

Our family began on March 19, 2005 when Eli and I were joined in holy matrimony. While on our honeymoon we started a list of baby names and we hope to someday have enough children to use all of those and more! Since those early days, we've been gradually defining a vision for this little unit in Christ's conquering army. Right now our ideas are only in bud form, but someday, with the Holy Spirit's help, they will mature into ripe and pleasant fruit. It is our prayer that the seeds of this vision will be planted deep in the hearts of our children and that they will produce luscious fruit of their own.

Why Joy in the Journey?

My dear Wormwood,

…The humans live in time but our Enemy destines them to eternity. He therefore wants them to attend chiefly to two things, to eternity itself, and to that point of time which they call the Present. For the Present is the point at which time touches eternity.

…Our business is to get them away from the eternal, and from the Present….It is far better to make them live in the Future. Biological necessity makes all their passions point in that direction already, so that thought about the Future inflames hope and fear.

…The Enemy’s ideal is a man who, having worked all day for the good of posterity, washes his mind of the whole subject, commits the issue to Heaven, and returns at once to the patience or gratitude demanded by the moment that is passing over him....

Your affectionate uncle,
Screwtape
-C. S. Lewis in Screwtape Letters

"Vanity of vanities," said the Preacher. I'm often tempted to cast my thoughts toward the future, vainly looking for the day when life will be organized and I will be able to do something meaningful. Someday I will have efficient systems set up and the children will be well behaved so that I can go do something that matters. But then life gets in the way. There are dishes to be done, faces to be washed, bottoms to be spanked, and little souls to be comforted. As the Preacher says, "All is vanity."

But what did the Preacher conclude? "I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God." (Ecc. 3:12) There's more to the journey than just the destination. Screwtape would have me fret and fuss my whole life away until its too late for me to realize that it was the dishes, faces, bottoms, and souls that really mattered. The time is now to become that ideal man who works all day for the good of posterity and then washes his mind of the subject and worships.

What was the Preacher's conclusion of the whole matter? "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgement, including every secret thing, whether good or evil." (Ecc. 12:13-14)

The Evans family hopes you will be blessed as you read of our journey. Our prayer is that you will be refreshed and strengthened to continue boldly on your own path.