The Attic 2026
The Substack Rhythm in the New Year
The goal of MakeGoodHappen…is joy; the joy of living in a world that is much more mysterious, adventurous, and exciting than we ever imagined. -Randy Lovejoy
MakeGoodHappen is all set for 2026 with three major goals:
Publish the first 20-30 posts of Randy’s second book, a work of historical fiction, to inspire readers to imagine fresh ways of applying their faith to their lives.
Thursday posts that will provide subscribers with tools to read and apply the Bible.
Additional posts which provide readers with specific habits that have proven to help people integrate faith more deeply into their lives.
We have made a few adjustments to achieve these goals:
We will shift to a weekly post each Thursday with occasional posts on Sundays.
We will shift from “Next Steps,” “Compendium,” and “New Commentary” to “Book No.2,” “Isaiah,” and “Habits.”
We will archive more than 200 previous posts for paid Subscribers. This year’s posts will be available for everyone for two months before being added to the archive.
The overall idea of this Substack channel as an “attic” will remain the same. I am reprinting below one of our first posts from August 2023: “Why I Enjoy Attics!”
Jesus loved to capture people’s imaginations. He created fantastical stories featuring farmers and fishermen, doing everyday things with astounding results. The story of a tiny seed that, like Jack’s beanstalk, grows to an incredible size. The tale of a nondescript businessman expecting a day like any other, only to discover hidden gold and jewels like something out of Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island.” Again and again, Jesus surprises us, captures our attention, and sets us free to live in a world more amazing than we ever imagined.
In one of his stories, Jesus concludes with an invitation to share his passion: “Therefore, every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.” I am excited to accept this invitation. MakeGoodHappen with Randy Lovejoy seeks to follow in Jesus’ footsteps by creating a digital platform that, well, is a lot like my Mama and Papa’s attic.
When I was a child, I loved visiting my grandmother and grandfather’s home in Texas City, Texas. “Mama” and “Papa,” as we used to call them, made certain that our stay was always fun and exciting. It began when we walked up to the house and were greeted by “Troubles”, the endearingly ugly boxer, who would bark his welcome from his sentry point under the porch of their home. On top of the porch, just past the stairs and to the right, was a swinging chair we would visit many times during our stay as a resting place between games and the place where we would plan and organize our next adventure. Through the front door was the living room, a wide open space with tight-weave carpet that was perfect for Matchbox cars, Legos, and board games. Against one wall of that room was the couch where my older sister and grandmother would sit together each evening while we played on the floor. They would laugh and laugh at Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show until they both jumped up and raced each other to the bathroom. And then, in the kitchen, was a counter space just next to the toaster oven, which Mama always filled with a bag of Hershey’s Kisses. Those Hershey’s Kisses would magically replenish themselves again and again during our stay.
But my favorite place at Mama and Papa’s was the attic. Their attic wasn’t like others I had seen. You didn’t access it through some bizarre door in the hallway ceiling. There was no sound of coils complaining and no fear of a ladder unfolding before you were ready for it. Once inside, you didn’t have to jump from one thin beam to another across exposed pink insulation, which you stepped on at your peril. There was no danger in this attic, only adventure. Walk up the permanent staircase, turn the knob, open the door, flip on the light switch, and take in all of the riches scattered across the finished floor spanning the length of the entire house. It was just like I imagined Jesus’ storehouse, filled with “new treasures as well as old.”
From front to back and left to right were racks of vintage clothing. Next to them were family photo albums on top of magazines and newspapers, which were stacked on closed boxes filled with mystery and surprise. We would spend hours up there playing hide and seek, trying on different outfits for our imaginary adventures, and ransacking boxes for items that captured our imagination. We would even bring some of those items downstairs to play with on the living room floor. Inevitably, these trinkets from the past would encourage Mama and Papa to tell us about the trials and travails of family members who had gone through life before us; a series of stories that encouraged and equipped us for our own adventures through life.
MakeGoodHappen with Randy Lovejoy seeks to emulate Mama and Papa’s attic.
Compendium is like Mama and Papa’s stories, part of a “serial novel” of my own spiritual journey through life. Called Book No.2, each post will share stories of my own trials and tribulations as a pastor in Los Angeles through the eyes of a fictional character named “Will Watson.”
The former “New Commentary” will be focused on Isaiah for the next twelve months. This is our scrapbook featuring Bible passages; passages you may be familiar with, approached from a surprising angle that will capture your attention, inspire your imagination, and set you free to live in a world more amazing than you ever imagined.
The former “Next Step,” called Habits in 2026, is our “rack of clothing,” a growing collection of stories of faith from 2,000 years of Christianity. These posts are an encyclopedic hodgepodge of entries that you can browse through to see what captures your imagination. In 2026, however, we will have a more guided approach, focusing on posts to help you integrate your faith into your 24/7 rhythm of life. We will focus on core practices like reading the Bible, simplifying your life, and celebration.
There were times at my grandparents’ house when we were tired, or bored, or just needed a nap. But once we got up again, there was a call to reveille that filled us with anticipation and joy: “Let’s go play in the attic!”
The goal of MakeGoodHappen, like Jesus’ parables, is joy; the joy of living in a world that is much more mysterious, adventurous, and exciting than we ever imagined. That world is waiting for you and for me, no matter what kind of life we find ourselves living today. Let’s make it a habit to check out the attic together!
I’m looking forward to 2026 and you hooked me with the story about your grandparents home & your experiences there. Perfectly’drawn’ picture through your words. Bless you!