The K Mills

I’ve noticed a strange phenomenon in my life the past few months. It wasn’t obvious at first, but the more I’ve tested it, the more I see a pattern emerging. A clear pattern. A disturbing pattern. An oddly… comforting… pattern.

God is using my own words against me.

You see, at any given moment in my day I’m often hit with some kind of insight. It might be profound, it might be mundane, but if I feel it strongly enough I don’t hesitate to slap it up on Twitter or Facebook and let those in my sphere know. I feel it. I think it. I write it. BOOM! It’s out there.

For instance, last week I was listening to BT’s “Somnambulist (Simply Being Loved),” and some of the lyrics were about how people are always so rushed that they constantly feel there’s not enough time, not enough love. I was moved by what I heard (how can you NOT be moved by something BT orchestrates?!? Just LISTEN to it! See the widget at the end of this post). (Fun Fact: this song is in the 2003 Guinness Book of World Records for the largest number of vocal edits at 6,178).

A few minutes later I wrote something along the lines of:

“When will we realize that there’s more than enough to go around? Love, time, money. It’s all a gift from Him.”

Deep, profound thoughts, right? Well, to some at least. To others, they’ll read it and say “Pfiffle” or “Balderdash” or some equally outdated exclamation. They’ll immediately try to discount what I’m saying. Based on their own experiences and disappointments in life, their mind will immediately conjure up why this ISN’T true.

I’m one of those people. Or at least I was last night.

This is how it works: I typically write something semi-deep or share whatever sagely insight I can muster up at the time, and not a day or two later, I’m on the other end of the spectrum. The pendulum completes its swing, and suddenly I’M the one who needs to hear the words. That’s what God does. He somehow gives me the very insight or direction I’ll need THROUGH me. AHEAD of time. (Yes, it is just as bizarre and sci-fi as it sounds.)

Last night? Well, last night I was quietly freaking out (as is my way). I felt like I have so much to do. Work on the Mills Creative Minds investor paperwork. Work on the book proposal & query letter. Work on the latest Mills newsletter. Work. Work. Work. And so little time! I lamented about the fact that I “just don’t have enough time!”

And Kim, my lovely and oh-so-wise wife of 16 years, quietly reminded me of my very own words just a few days ago. And I scoffed. Loudly. I scoffed at my own words and advice. I felt like calling the writer an idiot, because he OBVIOUSLY doesn’t know what he’s talking about or the circumstances surrounding MY life.

But I was wrong. (And, in God’s twisted and timely way, I was right.)

I DO have enough time. The squeezing I feel? That chest-crushing weight that’s bearing down on me like an 800-pound gorilla? It’s of my own making. I’ve created these self-imposed deadlines, to achieve this doohicky by this certain day, or finish working on that widget by this specific time. It’s all in my head. All of it.

So what if I don’t finish everything at the exact time I planned to? What, exactly is the end result? If I choose to freak out, then I get to turn the screw a little tighter and bear the weight of a false failure. If I choose to accept the shortcoming and adapt to the new timeline, then I pick myself back up and dig in the next day.

Yeah. I think I’m gonna go for door number two, please.

But here’s the thing: we don’t typically take the time to choose. Most of the time we spin through our lives at a hectic pace, stopping only long enough to pee and fill up on caffeine. If we took the time to slow down, to honestly Slow Down and look at our lives and the pressures bearing down on us, we’ll find a lot of them are in our heads. Figments of our over-active imaginations. Illusions.

So take these words to heart. Kevin. (Yes, I’m talking to YOU, Kevin, ’cause if history is any indicator, you’re gonna need to hear this in about 48 hours.) Slow down. Take a deep breath, clear your head and SLOW DOWN. Trust me, it will be better for everyone this way. You, your family, your friends, your dog. Everyone.

It’s a choice. My prayer today is that anyone reading this will choose the right one. Let this scripture below sink deeply into your spirit, because the words are powerful, and they can change the very course of your life if you let them.

“Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.” - Ecclesiastes 4:6

- Kevin

P.S. I also highly recommend Richard Carlson’s “Slowing Down To The Speed of Life: How to Create a More Peaceful, Simpler Life from the Inside Out.” Some of it’s a little touchy-feely, but the majority is spot-on in getting you to kill off your speed tendencies.

What God is doing in my life is incredible.

First, the meetings with Matt Yubas are fantastic. Again, I’m able to read about his thoughts on licensing, manufacturing, marketing, etc. and interact with him three times a week. Even if I’m not getting specific answers to my personal projects, I’m just grateful for the chance to meet with him on a personal basis.

So, last Sunday night I had a dream. In it, I received a letter from Harvey Reese & Associates, a licensing agency that I had submitted an idea to last month. The letter said they were going to pass on the idea, but thanks anyway. The surprising thing was my reaction in the dream: I was okay with it. I recognized that not every idea of mine will be a home run, and I was ready to shop it around to the next guy.

Now, imagine my surprise when I received a letter in the mail on Monday. From Harvey Reese & Associates. And it said… they LIKED my idea! Not only that, but they want to represent it and try to find a licensing deal for it!

This. Is. Huge. Because not only is this the very idea that God put in my mind LAST May when I was praying about my future, but it’s also incredibly rare to have an idea picked up by them. I mean, can you imagine all the ideas that get submitted to them which are absolutely worthless? That are unoriginal or pre-existing on store shelves? But they not only liked my idea, they believe it will be profitable enough to try to pursue it. They BELIEVE in it!

This turn of events, along with last month’s investor and having a working relationship with a licensing agent and mentor only serves to emphasize EVEN MORE that God is with me and is showering me with His supernatural, unprecedented favor. Everywhere I turn, everything I read continues to confirm His plans for me. And far greater than that, His LOVE. God is astounding.

I read a book the other day about praise (”There’s Dynamite In Praise,” by Don Gossett), and it changed my perspective on it. Instead of being a bizarre, “Christianese” word like I’ve always understood it, my understanding of it became clearer. Praising God is just giving thanks to Him. Recognizing Him for who He is. And the best part? The Bible specifically says that God inhabits our praises.

So the next time I’m depressed, or afraid, or anxious or whatever - if I praise God in the middle of it, my outlook will change. Because those things can’t stand in the presence of an almighty, sovereign God and still have power over me. God covers over them, eclipses them completely. And that? That is SO COOL!!!

Lord, thank you so much. Let me not forget the mercies you’ve rained down upon me. I trust you, and I trust my future to Your hands. My success? It lies with You, and ONLY You. Amen.

Kevin

Some of you will recall that I spoke with a licensing agent here in Lubbock, Matt Yubas, last Tuesday. Well, to be honest he was rather underwhelmed by my screwdriver idea, and felt there would be simply too much competition at this point to justify his representing it right now. I knew that it would be a numbers game, and that even if ONE person doesn’t go gah-gah over it, I should still shop it around to others in the meantime. Get a few second opinions and all. Still, it was saddening, and I was pretty depressed for a day or two.

Then on Thursday, he calls me back, out of the blue. Seems he’s writing a book on Patents & Inventing, and he wanted to enlist my services as a reader. Someone who would take a look at the naked copy, make sure it made sense, and give him immediate feedback. In exchange, he’d be willing to answer any questions I might have regarding the information I read. He’d like to fast-track this, and meet 3 times a week, for an hour at a time.

I’ll be honest. When I first heard his offer, I wasn’t thrilled with the idea. I’d much rather have him evaluate more of my ideas for licensing potential than get info on patents (which very few of my ideas would even warrant…). But then I realized the true value in his offer: a relationship.

Even if I don’t get much out of the book itself (and so far, I’m getting a lot), I’ll be establishing a relationship as a respected peer with a guy who’s been licensing ideas for over 20 years. In a very real way, I’ll be establishing a relationship with an inventing mentor. PLUS, instead of just reading a book about the in’s and out’s of inventing and hoping I pick up the info inside, I’m able to interact with and have a dialogue with the AUTHOR, getting clarification or insight into any areas that are unclear. This is HUGE.

This experience has underscored the fact that God truly IS the ONLY way I’m going to have success as an inventor and an author. I didn’t have anything to do with Matt’s calling me back for the offer. That was totally God working in the background, and I recognize it and praise Him for it.

And you know what? This has also served to kill off any fears I might have had about the future. Do I need to worry about matching my ideas with the right manufacturer? Nope. God’s got it covered. Should I freak out about finding a literary agent and a publisher for my book? No reason - God’s got it all planned out for me.

Every fear and concern that I’ve had over the last year - “How am I going to do this?” “What if I make a mistake?” “How will I meet the right people?” - they’re all shrinking in the reality of His glory and ultimate control. I don’t have to worry about a THING. I can take my hands off wheel and let Him drive my life, and not worry whether we’re headed for a cliff or into an oncoming semi-trailer or what. He KNOWS what I need, and He’ll only give me what’s best for me. I can TRUST Him.

There’s something else, though. I’ve had two separate people (both spiritual mentors in my life) say that things are about to change for me, in a big way. They both say that I need to get ready to “hold on” and that things are going to move quickly. Two completely separate individuals, two separate occasions. I have no idea what they’re talking about, and whether they’re referring to Mills Creative Minds or the Baby book (or having a baby girl pop out of Kim in late June), but I’m trying to stay as centered and laid-back as I typically am. So there’s that to chew on.

Lastly, I went to talk to a CPA about the visions and goals I have for Mills Creative Minds, and about opening it up for investors. He completely related to what God’s put in my heart, and reassured me that I’m on the right path, hearing from God correctly.

Regarding investors, it was never my plan to have any. I HAVE a small amount of seed money to start Mills Creative Minds, and He’s shown me how to accomplish my goals without spending a fortune. But He’s really put it on my heart that I should open up the company to investors and allow those who want to support it financially - with a lifetime payout - to do so.

So I’m still working out the details, but the plan is to allow those who are interested to invest in Mills Creative Minds, with a ratio of 1% per $1,000 given. (Or .5% for $500, .1 / $100, etc.) This would be for the life of the company. As in, for every dollar that’s paid to me, 50 cents will go toward churches & charities, with another 20 cents set aside for discretionary giving. The other 30 cents is what I would profit myself, and it’s off of this 30% that investors would be paid.

I’ll be working out the details in the few weeks, but if anyone’s interested or feels called to do this, just drop me an e-mail (kevin @ millscreativeminds .com - no spaces). The only requirement that I know I’ll have from the outset is that you’re willing to pray. Not only for the company and for specific licensing deals & partnerships, but also for Ray & Laura Pittman. They’re the primary reason I started down this road, and having extra prayer support is vital to their accomplishing what God’s called them to do.

To be honest, the idea of investors made me quite uncomfortable at first. Not that I don’t want to share the money. I LOVE sharing, as most of you know. But just working through the logistics of it all, going about it wisely, etc.  So last month I was praying one night, basically looking for an out. “God,” I said, “If You REALLY want me to open Mills Creative Minds up to investors, then You’re going to have to make it absolutely, positively clear. Give me a sign this next week, an irrefutable sign, so I’ll know this is straight from YOU and not just my mind playing tricks on me.”

The next day someone sent me $1,000.

Unsolicited. Before I even opened it up for investors.

So, yeah. God can be pretty clear when He wants you to do something. And He is absolutely trustworthy when you know He’s called you to do something. There’s no need to freak out anymore. Just pursue Him, listen to His whispers, and obey what He calls you to do.

And then make the choice to TRUST HIM. It’s not a feeling or wishful thinking: it’s a choice. No matter how things look or what it seems is going to happen (or NOT happen), make a decision today to have a stubborn faith and Trust Him.

Because God’s worthy of your trust.

- Kevin

Habakkuk 3:17-19

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.

A people without vision will perish.

A few weeks ago I had a bright idea given to me. (And I say “given to me” because I firmly believe in 1 Corinthians 4:7, which says “What do you have that that you did not receive?“) As up and hopeful and positive a guy as I typically am, I’m still prone to moments of discouragement and bone-racking fear.

Fear of trying. Fear of failure. Fear of (fill in the blank). The mind plays the movies and slaps in a slideshow of “what if…?” and I’m not fast enough to turn it off. Next thing I know, I’m stuck in an infinite loop, swirling in circles around and around in my Woe Is Me toilet.

So I had an idea. Considering the fact that I’m a visual learner (I think), I wanted to give myself reminders of everything that God’s promised the last year. About Mills Creative Minds, publishing a book, being favored by God, etc. So I went online and grabbed a handful of images to serve as visual reminders for when I get knocked down. (So I can get up again. “They ain’t never gonna keep me down…“)

Then I created a slideshow on my iPhone so that I can play these preselected images in random order, watching intently. Each one reminds me of a specific promise from God, a message of hope, a picture of encouragement and reassurance that it’s all going to be okay somehow and I can breathe again.

Over the next few days I’ll share a few of the images and what they signify to me. The first one is a collection of pictures of honey (but not for the reason you might assume). Yes, I’m fanatical about the benefits of raw honey, but here it represents something else entirely.

In a few of the books I’ve read about the Favor of God, they paint a visual of God’s favor covering us like a slathering of honey. It’s sticky, sweet, and it doesn’t just “rub off” in time. God’s favor is the same way. It sticks to us and surrounds us, we don’t deserve it (the sweet gift that it is), and it constantly clings to us, despite the things that bump into us and discourage us, trying to rub it off. Plus, it’s semi-translucent, so whether we see it or feel it or not, it’s there.

Everytime I see an image of honey, I’m reminded of God’s favor. I also make a point to verbally communicate what it means to me, so my MIND will hear it and fully absorb the meaning. Quoting scripture is also ideal, but I’ll admit it doesn’t come to me easily. (Yet. :)  )

Kevin

Psalm 90:17 - “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands.”

“Neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” - 1 Corinthians 3:7

This was the verse I read yesterday morning, and it was quite applicable to what’s going on in my life these days. You see, for the past 11 months I’ve been working on developing three products for Mills Creative Minds. Doing the research, studying the market, gathering statistics, writing up a persuasive sell sheet for each, and finally preparing to get them in the hands of prospective manufacturers.

Although I’ve learned how to be my own licensing agent, I honestly don’t feel that’s what I’m supposed to do at this time. My strength lies in the forming of ideas. They come to me constantly, fluidly. My weakness is in negotiating contracts & playing the cold calling, salesman game. Understand, I’m not saying I can’t do it or don’t want to, I simply don’t think that’s what I’m supposed to do in the immediate future. So what does that mean? It means I’m going to go through a licensing agent instead.

A licensing agent is the guy who will look at my idea, see if they want to represent it, and then take it to the Big Boys. Some of them take a commission, some don’t. I’ve done a lot of research and praying, and decided to go with Harvey Reese & Matt Yubas.

So what does this have to do with the verse? Simple: I’m reaching the stage where the success of my ideas is going to be out of my hands. I’ve done my part, and now it’s time to foster partnerships and hand my precious product ideas off. As you can imagine, it’s an intimidating prospect. Terrifying, at times. But I choose not to give into my fears. I choose to have faith instead.

Not faith in the agents themselves, necessarily. Or in the validity of my ideas, for that matter. I’m talking about faith in God. Because the parallels between the verse and my life are multifaceted. A farmer plants his crop, waters it and does everything in his power to help it succeed. But ultimately? It’s up to God. God controls the weather, the soil, the very DNA programmed into the seeds themselves. Nothing can grow or flourish without the help of God. Absolutely, positively nothing.

The same is true in my life. God’s given me the ideas, the seeds. I’ve taken them, nurtured them, watered them and planted them in the most fertile area I could find. But whether they’ll grow into maturity is completely out of my hands. It’s in His hands. (This also applies to the governing scripture behind Mills Creative Minds. “All things were created by Him and for Him.” - Colossians 1:16)

And you know what? I wouldn’t have it any other way. His hands are more capable than mine. His WAYS are higher than mine. He can see the things I can’t, and I know that I can trust Him with my life, much less my spiffy product ideas.

This point was emphasized even more yesterday afternoon when I took a break from working. I went outside, sat on the bench and just relaxed. Enjoyed the moment of the day. The sun on my skin, the wind in my… goatee… the sounds of the birds and the traffic up the street. And as I sat there, God kind of gave me a vision.

I saw a small seedling, in the slow motion capture kind of film we’ve seen on the Nature Channel all our lives. (Kind of like this one on YouTube.) Anyhow, this seedling slowly pushed its way up from the soil, straightened up, and another seed suddenly popped out of the top and fell down beside it. I had expected the seed shell on top, but not the extra seed. Heck, I don’t even think such a thing is POSSIBLE in nature. At least, not in the time frame of my vision thing…

To top it all off, last night we had our LifeHouse and as a guy closed us in prayer, he prayed specifically on how all we can do is plant the seeds and commit them into God’s hands to make our plans grow. I tell ya, I got goosebumps on my neck. (If I had hair, it would’ve raised up tall…) To read that verse in the morning, have that vision in the afternoon and end with that prayer at night? Incredible. Humbling, really.

I’m excited about the future. I look forward to see what God is going to do, the doors He’s going to open, the partnerships that He is going to establish. I choose not to be afraid and play the “What If…?” game of questioning and doubt. I choose instead to Trust God with my future.

Kevin

For the past few months, I’ve felt strangely disconnected from God. Like He’s there, but I don’t have the same communion with Him that I was enjoying previously. The same intimacy. Back in December I felt like He was holding my hand daily. Leading me in my decisions, speaking to me on a semi-regular basis. It was a beautiful, wonderful time.

Then January hit, and He seemed strangely absent. Then February, and March, and now April. For the past 4 months I’ve felt disconnected, uprooted or something. And I’ve wracked my brain trying to find a solution.

Self-examination, to see if there was an unconfessed sin. Fasting, from both food & music (my primary indulgences in life). Prayer, lots and lots of prayer. Quiet listening. I’ve done everything I could think of to break the barrier down, but it doesn’t seem to make a difference.

Kim pointed out recently (and quite wisely) that He’s still there, and He’s still in control of things, even if He’s not communicating with me directly right now. She said if God wanted me to know something, He’d tell me, but I can’t FORCE Him to talk, to communicate. All I can do is obey when I hear His voice, and rest in the fact that He’s in control of the relationship. He’ll reveal Himself when He’s ready to.

It’s frustrating, though. A part of me is horribly confused why God WOULDN’T reveal Himself to a child who desperately wants to know and do His will. All the promises we’ve heard about how God wants to have a personal relationship with you? That stuff kind of falls flat when you’re in a position like this. It doesn’t make sense.

Despite the silence, though, I’ve resolved to keep it up. I don’t want my faith to be built on fuzzy joy-joy feelings. To depend on the “feeling” of intimacy with Him, rather than a firm conviction that He’s always present. Faith is a decision, more than a feeling. Feelings are fluid, they change from moment to moment. I want my faith to be solid. Unmoving. Secure.

One thing I DO feel the Spirit is prompting me to do is share more. Specifically, to let His life “flow” through mine. I need to write more often. I need to share what’s going on in my life, the many ways He continues to bless me, change me, mold me into a new creation. It’s easy to get caught up in life and think only about ourselves. It’s hard to slow down, to take a moment to try to help other people around you.

I want to slow down. I want to be available for God. To do whatever He calls me to do, at a moment’s notice. I choose to live a life with margin in it. Room for flexibility. Not so rigid and structured and planned out that I can’t (or rather, WON’T) listen to Him when He speaks.
So that’s what I’m doing. Today. This week. I’m going to write more, to share more, to be more transparent.

Lord, change me. Take me in Your hands and stretch me according to Your will. I trust in Your plans, in Your goodness and Your ultimate map, whether I see where You’re leading me or not. I choose to trust in You.

Kevin

The hunt is over. I returned from Oklahoma City this weekend with a ton of books, and all for under $40 total.

Below is the naked, unsorted list of titles, followed by the overexposed photos of said books.

Enjoy!

-Kevin

__________

Slowing Down to the Speed of Life
The Maverick Mindset
Praying to the God You Can Trust
How to Sleep Soundly Tonight
A Scientific Approach to Biblical Mysteries
Lights In The Sky & Little Green Men
The Healing Power of the Christian Mind
Guide to Your Child’s Sleep
Nighttime Parenting - How to Get Your Baby and Child to Sleep
Sleep - The Gentle Tyrant
Sleepless in America
Power Sleep
The Healing Power of Sleep
The Science Times Book of Language & Linguistics
2007 Writer’s Market
Find It Fast
Publicize Your Book!
Help! My Puppy Is Driving Me Crazy
How To Get Your Point Across In 30 Seconds Or Less
Guerilla Creativity
Oxygen Therapies
The Art of Partnering
Getting To Yes
Teleselling
Magic Brands
The Complete Book of Unusual Names
The Genesis Factor
Using the Telephone More Effectively
The Treasure Principle
Frozen - Jay Bonansigna
Twisted - Jay Bonansigna
Agents of Light and Darkness - Simon R. Green
The Mist - Stephen King
Temple - Matthew Reilly
Risen - J. Knight
Con Ed - Matthew Klein

Again, as I’ve mentioned in my earlier entries, enjoying the favor of God relies heavily on showing favor to others. So if you want to receive and keep the favor flowing freely in your life, you have to start it and keep it moving. Below are some of the things I’ve done and continue to do to bless others around me:

- Giving away things I don’t need or use anymore. (through Freecycle.org)

- Giving away a computer to someone in need

- Giving PaperPolisher.com away

- Providing an iPhone for a worker at church. (You read that right. I felt God wanted me to help this girl pay for an iPhone, so I sold my Centro and gave her the proceeds. No my idea, but it was unquestionably God’s, so I’m not gonna argue…)

- Sacrificial Giving. Randy Alcorn has an excellent book on giving called The Treasure Principle. That, combined with the LifeChurch.tv series “How to BE Rich” had a huge impact on how I look at money these days. Giving and sharing with others has a huge impact on God’s using us to accomplish His will. Why? Because for many of us Money is an idol, and until we give up the idea that Money will make everything better (in essence worshiping Money), God’s going to have a hard time getting through to us.

Case in point: yesterday when I was in the drive-thru at Taco Bell, buying $4 worth of flavored fat, I felt God urging me to give the attendant at the window the bill that was in my wallet.

It was a $20 bill.

I questioned whether it was God’s prompting me or just my innate desire to give, but concluded it was irrelevant in the end. Either way, the desire to give doesn’t come from within: it’s from God, not man. We’re selfish, egotistical creatures at heart. Giving doesn’t come to us naturally.

So after she handed me the food, I handed her the $20. “I know this is going to sound strange,” I said sheepishly, “But God told me to give this to you.” She kind of shrugged her shoulders and mumbled a thanks, not even looking at the bill. Certainly not the response that I had expected, but hey, I did my part.

Did it hurt to give up $20? Absolutely. Immediately my mind turned to “what I could have bought” with that $20, and how I could have spent it elsewhere. But you know what? There’s more to this life that me and what I want. There’s more to what I’m here on earth for than to fill my pockets and closets with Stuff. I’m here for God, to accomplish His will and reach people for Him. And I trust Him. So what He directs me to do, I’m gonna do. $20, $200, or $2,000 - I’ll give whatever He says to give, wherever He directs me.

Because if I truly want to align myself with The Vision that He’s placed in my heart for Mills Creative Minds, the Vision of giving away 70% of whatever I make, then I can’t hold back when it comes to giving. And I don’t want to. I want to be who He designed me to be, and that means giving. A lot. Time, money, prayer, resources. It’s who I am. It’s who I want to be. And I thank God for this.

Showing favor produces favor. Motive is absolutely key. We need to work hard to change our attitudes from one of greed to one of giving. Success isn’t dependent on our surroundings or circumstances or effort. It depends on our attitude and committing our ways to God.

Kevin

“God alone prospers and promotes us.  But it is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.”  - Psalms 75:7

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”   - Luke 6:38

Note: Shortly after writing this column I received a phone call from Ken Campbell at Affordable Patent Service. He called to let me know that he had stumbled across my website, and was impressed with what I’m doing at Mills Creative Minds and the vision I have for it. So he offered himself as a resource for me to call on if I ever have any specific patent questions. Just like InventRight and Stephen Key’s gift, I sincerely believe receiving favor from these men is directly linked to my responding to God’s promptings to show favor to others. I have no doubt in my mind: showing favor produces favor. I AM reaping what I’m sowing, and it’s fantastic.

Another way I was shown God’s favor is by receiving direct favor from Stephen Key at InventRight. A month back I offered to do some editing for him in exchange for his educational CDs on licensing and inventing. He called me personally a week later and we talked for a good 15 minutes. Toward the end he let me know that although he didn’t need my editing at the time, he was going to send the entire InventRight system to me, regardless.

Now, this is a series that’s worth well over $500. (Hence, my initial offer to swap services for it.) And he sent it to me. For free. No explanation or reasoning. He just DID. He also told me to call him anytime if I ever have any questions about inventing or licensing. This is a guy who’s all over the web with articles, interviews, podcasts and the like, doing exactly what I feel I’m called to do, and he’s now a mere phone call away as a personal mentor.

Now that, my friends, is the favor of God working firsthand in my life, opening doors and establishing relationships to help me pursue His goals and dreams. He’s led me every step of the way, and I look forward to where 2009’s going to take me.

Kevin

- I was given a full-sized, L-style desk (see picture below). This has been vital in allowing me to spread out my materials and sort through ideas on the ample desk space.

- I was given a Dual Processor 500Mhz G4 Tower, as well as a 21″ monitor. Both free.

- I was given a fax machine. (Makes it quite a bit easier to have Non-Disclosure Agreements returned to me. Faster than snail mail.)

- I was given a sub-compact mini-laptop. (An NEC MobilePro 780, see below.) It’s basically a keyboard and a half-sized monitor that folds into a nicely compact, portable unit. This has been instrumental in allowing me to write anywhere and anytime, utterly free of distractions and temptations that a full laptop comes with. This is also why I’ve been able to write so many blog entries lately. And since a large part of what God’s calling me to do these days is through written communication, this thing is a LIFESAVER.

- I was given an iPhone over Thanksgiving. Not sold. GIVEN. For FREE. People give away dogs. They give away old clothes. They give away underwear. They do NOT give away iPhones. If that’s not the direct Favor of God, what is? But this is also incredible in terms of timing, because since this gift God has led me to pursue iPhone & iPod Touch applications as my first foray into licensing. So not only is it just nice to have, but it’s also integral in helping me accomplish what God wants me to do at this point in time. (I  CANNOT understate how cool it is to know you’re working in God’s will, and with His supernatural blessing. I wouldn’t have it any other way.)

- I was later given an iPhone Case as well (a nice rubber one I was hoping for!)