Born Beloved: A New Chapter

For years, nearly everything I’ve written and taught has revolved around a simple conviction that has become the center of my life.

Before we achieve anything...
Before we prove ourselves...
Before we earn our place...

We are beloved.

That conviction has shaped nearly everything I’ve shared here on Substack. It has guided my work as a spiritual director, my years in the monastery, and the way I’ve tried to make sense of both my own life and the lives of those I meet.

One of the great tragedies of modern life is how much energy we spend trying to prove that we belong, to God, to one another, and even to ourselves...without realizing we already do.

Today, I’m incredibly grateful to finally share where that journey has been leading.

This fall, my first book, Born Beloved: When Nothing to Prove Becomes Everything, will be published by Orbis Books.

Even writing that sentence feels surreal.

This project has been five years in the making. It’s the book I wish someone had placed in my hands when my life fell apart. It’s also the book I’ve wished I could hand to so many of my clients as they began their own journey toward healing and wholeness.

I wrote it because I believe so many of us are exhausted, not simply from doing too much, but from carrying the impossible burden of trying to become enough.

What I’ve discovered, and what I hope this book helps others discover, is that when we stand in our belovedness, we have:

Nothing to gain.
Nothing to lose.
Nothing to fear.
Nothing to prove.

To awaken to our belovedness is one of the most liberating experiences a person can have. Helping people embody that reality has become the deepest calling of my life.

A Beautiful Book Tour

As exciting as publishing a book is, what excites me even more is what comes after.

I’ve never imagined Born Beloved sitting quietly on bookstore shelves or being read in isolation. Belovedness is something we embody together. It comes alive around dinner tables, in churches, retreats, coffee shops, small groups, and honest conversations between people learning how to receive love.

That’s why I’m planning a book tour with more than ten stops across the country, visiting communities wherever doors open.

But I also want this message to reach people who would never, or simply can’t, spend money on a book.

One of my goals is to place more than 100 copies of Born Beloved directly into the hands of people who need this reminder most. Some copies will go to pastors, chaplains, counselors, prison ministries, campus ministries, and community leaders. Others I’ll simply give away along the journey to anyone who could use the reminder that they were born beloved...and still are.

Sometimes the right book arrives at exactly the right moment.

I’d love for this one to become that gift for someone else.

Kickstarter

To make the tour and giveaways possible I’ve launched a Kickstarter campaign.

The funds will help cover travel expenses, community gatherings, free books, and the resources needed to carry this message farther than I could on my own.

If my writing or work has encouraged you over the years, supporting this campaign is one of the most meaningful ways you can help that encouragement reach someone else.

You’re helping create conversations.

You’re helping build communities.

You’re helping awaken people to the truth that they have always been beloved.

The Invitation.

My goal is to raise $7,000, which will make this tour possible, allow me to visit communities that might not otherwise be able to host speakers or retreats, and provide more than one hundred books to give away along the way.

One of the fun parts of the Kickstarter is that it’s filled with meaningful rewards. Depending on your level of support, you can receive exclusive stickers, original artwork, merchandise, signed books, and even invite me to lead a retreat or event in your own community.

Whether you choose to support financially, share the campaign with a friend, or simply continue reading along here, thank you.

Thank you for believing that love is deeper than fear, that grace is stronger than shame, and that the truest thing about us is not what we’ve accomplished, but what God has declared from the very beginning.

We were born beloved.

With gratitude,

Tyler