Two Lists

I want to show you a list of 7 names. Count how many you recognize:

1. Leonardo da Vinci
2. Johann Sebastian Bach
3. Ludwig van Beethoven
4. Johannes Brahms
5. Rembrandt
6. George Gershwin
7. Jackson Pollock

I’m guessing you may be familiar with most of the names on that list. Maybe you recognized 6 or 7 names.

Now I want to show you a second list of names. You probably won’t recognize any of these people:

1. Isabella d’Este
2. Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen
3. Joseph Franz Maximilian
4. Viktor von Miller
5. Andries de Graeff
6. Paul Whiteman
7. Clement Greenberg

What you might not realize is these two lists are connected. The people on the second list were patrons of the people in the first. Without people like Joe Maximilian, a man with no musical talent but who recognized it when he saw it, you might not have heard of Ludwig van Beethoven. So thank you, Joe Maximilian!

I’m no Beethoven, but like him I could not do what I do without the support of patrons. My patrons may not write about grace, but without their support, neither would I.

Since it’s the season for giving thanks, I would like to give a hearty THANK YOU to all my patrons and donors, especially those in our monthly supporters’ team. You guys make it possible for me to write and give away thousands of books, study notes, tracts and other resources. In addition to keeping Escape to Reality free, your support also makes it possible for me to produce the Grace Commentary, the Grace Bible and the occasional Jesus Script.

I have some exciting projects planned for 2024 which I will tell you about in due course. Until then, thank you for sharing the journey. If you have read, shared, or commented on my work, I appreciate it.

May your family enjoy the peace and favor of God as we celebrate the birth of our King and Savior.

Merry Christmas!

Paul