I didn’t know until Brannon Hollingsworth, a close friend and fellow employee at SAIC told me about his new web company that could revamp my old web site. It was a very old and dated web site. Some of you would agree, I’m sure. WOOTfish is the name of Brannon’s company, and if you’ve been to the new www.austinboyd.com, you’ve seen what he can do! We’re launching a completely revamped site the week before Christmas 2007 with new images, new graphics, a new logo and the technology you’d expect from a techno-thriller author. MP3 files are up today from the first three chapters of each book, and .pdf files of my books, videos of my television shows and recent talks, are all on the way. It’s going to be a great place to visit on the web.

But what’s a WOOTfish?

I think you’d have a hard time pinning Brannon down on that one, but I have an idea.
A WOOTfish is an entrepreneur, someone who doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. And that’s the kind of person I like to work with. Brannon and I both have full time jobs. Our wives tell us that our jobs at SAIC are more than full time. We sometimes joke that our company’s acronym stands for “Saturdays are included, Chump.” It’s a great place to work, incredibly fulfilling, brimming with the latest in bleeding edge technology, and the office runs at light speed every day. And that pace can drain you, sometimes overnight.

As with my writing career, Brannon has found time to launch a second career that he does in the evenings and weekends. I write in the mornings between 4:00 and 6:30 AM, and he revamps web sites at night. We are each pursuing our passions while doing a full time job to keep the family fed. Did you know that the Apostle Paul was a WOOTfish? Passionate about Jesus Christ, and a tentmaker by day, he shared the Gospel every time he had a chance. Making tents kept him fed and self-sufficient, but his passion was his ministry.

WOOTfish is a ministry for Brannon, sharing the Gospel through his own novels, working with folks who need web support, and never ashamed to share the Good News in the process. My writing is my ministry, but it doesn’t cover the house payment. My tentmaking at SAIC does that, as does his work with me at the office. Many of you are in the same situation.

Are you a WOOTfish? Have you taken on the extra time to pursue your passion, even if it doesn’t pay the bills? If not, and that passion is gnawing at you every time you see a reminder of your personal dream, then I encourage you to strike out and give your passion some room to run. Give it some sunlight and encourage it to grow. Keep making tents for now, wherever that is, because like Brannon and I, making tents is what keeps the food on the table. But if you branch out now, one day you may be able to pursue your dream and pay the mortgage, too. Won’t that be fun?

I’m a WOOTfish, and I’m a www.WOOTfish.com fan. Want to know more about striking out on your own? Want to know where it is God calls you? Walk a few miles as you pray about God’s call in your life today. Pray out loud. People will think you’re nuts and they’ll leave you alone, but God will appreciate the long conversation. I know. Folks run inside when I come walking by, hands raised, telling Jesus how much I appreciate Him. Read Henry Blackaby’s Experiencing God. Work through the exercises in What Color Is Your Parachute? And write to us and to ask how to become a WOOTfish.

If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there. Ask God what His plan is for you, and feed that dream a little bit today. Be a WOOTfish and feed your dream.

And… if you need a brother in the Lord to help you set up a nice web site…give Brannon a jingle. You can reach him at WOOTfish.

This is my first Blog post in history. Thanks for bringing me into the 21st century, Brannon! I appreciate your support and encouragement. I hope that others enjoy my new website as much as I do.

Blessings to you all this Christmas season. Jesus is Lord. Tell Him how much you appreciate His blessings as we celebrate His birth.

Austin Boyd