In a world that often equates achievement with fulfillment, many people find themselves asking why something still feels off despite a successful career, a growing family, and achieved goals. Josh Wintermute, a pastor, life builder, and founder of Quiet Winters, addresses this disconnect in his new book, Winning the Wrong Game, released this week. Drawing on over two decades of pastoral ministry and personal trials, Wintermute invites readers to look beneath the surface and examine the foundations their lives are built upon.
Wintermute's own journey through physical, mental, financial, and spiritual challenges led him to a critical realization: "The problem wasn't simply my circumstances. The problem was the foundation I was building on. Once I began addressing what was happening beneath the surface, everything started to change." This insight forms the core of the book, which challenges readers to identify what is broken, do the difficult work of restoration, and build something stronger and more lasting in its place.
The book focuses on three foundational areas: the heart, the home, and the culture. Rather than offering quick fixes or motivational platitudes, Wintermute provides honest, practical guidance. He writes, "You are not as stuck as you think. You are not as alone as you feel. And you are going to make it." His hope is that readers "discover that God is better than they may have thought He is" and see themselves as works in progress, capable of growth, healing, and restoration.
The message is particularly timely in a culture that often celebrates achievement while neglecting the health of the person behind the success. Wintermute believes many people are silently carrying burdens that success alone cannot solve. By addressing the underlying foundations, the book offers a path to genuine change.
Interestingly, becoming an author was never part of Wintermute's plan. Despite years of encouragement, he initially resisted the idea. "Honestly, I never wanted to write a book," he admitted. "Eventually I became open to the possibility, started writing down some thoughts, and God began opening doors." He describes the writing process in three words: obedience, surrender, and faith. The biggest challenge was "taking the thousands of thoughts in my head and narrowing them into something clear and useful for readers," which required outside perspective, coaching, and editing.
Wintermute's work is influenced by authors such as Simon Sinek, Seth Godin, and N.T. Wright, combining practical wisdom, spiritual insight, and personal vulnerability. "What sets this book apart is the honesty," he says. "I talk openly about my failures, shortcomings, and struggles because that's where God did some of His greatest work in my life."
For aspiring authors and dreamers, Wintermute offers simple advice: "You can do this. Start dreaming, surround yourself with people who know more than you do, learn from them, and begin writing."
At its core, Winning the Wrong Game is an invitation to stop patching cracks at the surface level and instead rebuild from the ground up. Because sometimes the breakthrough people are searching for isn't found in doing more—it's found in building differently. The book is published by Lucid Books, an independent hybrid publisher in the Houston area that partners with authors to bring their messages to life. For more information, visit lucidbookspublishing.com.
