Book Fair Kills: November 2009.

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The Math Of God.

Every October my older brother Eric organizes a “Man’s Weekend” up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This is where he gets together with a select group of friends to play poker, smoke cigars, shoot guns and eat manly food like steak and potatoes. Aside from the eating, I attend Man’s Weekend for none of those things. I go there to watch DVDs with Ken, the guy hosting the whole thing. (This year we rewatched the excellent Firefly series, which he thankfully introduced me to a few years back.)

As I drove back to Lubbock from Tulsa, I had a good 7+ hours to think and pray. I listened to various podcasts (Andrew Wommack, Charles Stanley, InventRight), but eventually turned everything off and just drove in silence, pouring my heart out to God.

And my heart wasn’t happy.

Since May of 2008, God’s been faithful in everything He’s called me to do. In creating Mills Creative Minds, in giving where He’s led me to give, in placing my ideas into the hands of other people to develop – in everything. Everything I’ve needed or cried about, He’s brought me to it and through it, respectively. But as I drove I was increasingly frustrated, and I let Him know it.

Ever since Kara was born back in June, I feel like I’ve been moving in slow motion. All the projects that I’ve been working on are slowly, very slowly, coming together. But there’s still so many questions and worries trying to take root in my mind. What if the ideas I’ve handed off don’t make it to market? What if weeks and months pass and I’m STILL where I am now, making little visible progress? What if, what if, what if?

The primary factor of my frustration was my lack of time. Last year I had a good 5 hours a day to devote to my ideas and educating myself in how to protect and license them. These days I’m pretty much limited to Tuesdays and Thursdays, with a paltry three-hour window on each. So going from 25 hours a week of productive, devoted work time to a meager 6 hours was… well… downright depressing.

So I poured my heart out to God, in shame and frustration. Why did He order things the way He did? Why did He call me to work on my ideas, to work on a book and now care for a newborn – all at the same time? The task seems impossible sometimes, because what I have to offer is so limited and what needs to be done is so overwhelmingly huge. I’m stuck at Point B and I’m trying to get to Point Z. And I’m strapped to a tortoise for a taxi. It just didn’t make sense.

And then God spoke to me. Kind of.

He didn’t speak audibly, or even with words. He just flipped a switch in my head and reminded me of a story from long long ago.

Jesus was teaching a large group of people, and they were getting hungry. When his disciples came to him and complained that he needed to send them away to they could eat, he threw them for a loop.

“You feed them,” he said casually.

I’m pretty sure their jaws dropped in disbelief. What did he say? What…? How…? So they tried to reason with Jesus, explaining how feeding a group of 5,000 people would cost eight month’s of a man’s wages. That wasn’t pocket change, and even if it WAS they didn’t carry that kind of cash around with them anyways. (Much less a pocket large enough to hold it.)

Jesus wasn’t deterred. He asked them what they had to give to the situation. They asked around and came back with a dismal report: only five loaves of bread and two cooked fish. That was it. THAT was what they had to offer. Five loaves. Two fish.

Then Jesus did the impossible. He took what little they brought to the table, devoted it to God and His glory, and sent it back among the people. Who were fed. Until they were full.

The Bible says they started with five loaves of bread and two fish. And ended up picking up baskets of leftovers. BASKETS.

The meaning behind the vision was immediately clear to me. My complaint? “I don’t have enough.” God’s solution? “Give me what you’ve got – I’ll take care of the details.”

So according to God, if I’ll give Him what little time I have to offer each week, He’ll bless it and make it productive and send it out to accomplish His will. That’s a pretty incredible concept. And I’ll be honest, if He hadn’t injected this truth into my heart like that, I’d have a hard time believing it.

But as impossible as the concept is, I’m choosing to believe it. I’m choosing to believe that He’s in control of these things, and that nothing that’s happened or will happen surprises Him. It surprises ME, without question. I’m surprised (read: “freaked out”) all the time by the circumstances of my life. He’s not.

The coolest part? Confirmations. When I’m serious about opening my heart and my schedule to Him, relinquishing my control of accomplishing His visions with my power, He sends me signs to reassure me I’m on the right track.

Today’s sign came through a book I was recently given, “Pearls of the King” by Lee Domingue. Domingue talks about the fact that God needs kings to accomplish His will on earth. In the same way He provided for the baby Jesus by sending three kings to supply his needs, God wants to raise up kings today to continue to provide for His Kingdom’s causes.

As I was reading the first chapter this morning, I came across this sentence:

“With the heart of a king, all you need to do is use whatever is in your hand to give and allow God to multiply it.”

Wow. I had planned on writing this column for a while, but reading this only confirmed for me that today’s the day to do it. Right now. Before I do anything else with my time.

So I share all that with you in the hopes that you’ll be inspired to also release the stranglehold you have on your dreams and goals. God needs you, needs your willing heart to accomplish what He’s called you to do. But it’s not up to you alone to do it.

Rely on Him. Trust Him. Believe that He will be faithful to the completion of your vision. All we need to do is bring Him what little we have to the table, and trust that He knows how to spread it accordingly. After all, it’s not our buffet – it’s His. He’s just letting us help Him in setting it up.

-Kevin

“Being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.” – Philippians 1:6

Book Review: Max Lucado’s “fearless.”

To be honest, my review of Max Lucado’s new book “Fearless” is a mixed bag.

On the one hand, there’s his writing style. Some people find it to be fresh and edgy, constantly interjecting dialogue and descriptive, true-to-life stories to make a point. I may be in the minority when I say this, but I found it distracting. I suppose I’ve come to expect self-help books to be more focused on giving readers direct, clear-cut solutions to a problem, rather than biblical scenes. I found myself looking for bullet points but wound up with characters and disconnected voices instead.

On the other hand, it’s a well-rounded book, to be sure. It not only addresses a wide variety of common fears (Fear of Death, Fear of Change, Fear of What if…?), but tackles some that are more unspoken but nonetheless real (Fear of Insignificance, Fear of Scarcity, etc.). He especially does a good job of addressing the endless “What if…?” mindgames that we tend to play with ourselves.

Overall? While I think there are better books out there to help one work on overcoming their fears, I think Max Lucado’s “Fearless” is a good starter book on the subject. Easy-to-read and well-organized, it leaves the reader with a profound feeling of hope and confidence.

Attention Speedfreaks.

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.

All Signs Point To Yes.

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

Book Fair Kills – February 2009.

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

The Movies In Our Minds, Pt 1.

Positive Imaging – The Powerful Way To Change Your Life – Norman Vincent Peale

When I first heard of this book, I thought “Imaging?!? Isn’t that a new age thing?” But I’ve come to realize over the years that there are a ton of gifts that God has given us which Satan has effectively stolen, by making them taboo. The innate ability to receive visions is one of them. Using our imagination to help shape and clarify our steps in the future is another.

The guiding principle needs to be where our focus is. If we remain squarely focused on God and constantly remind ourselves that HE is the one who ultimately makes things happen, then imagining a future and placing it into His hands is good and right. On the other hand, if we’re looking solely to our own abilities to try to force the future into our cookie cutter molds, we might have a problem down the line.

Part of the book addresses the fact that we all have movies running through our minds. We think in terms of pictures. This is especially true when we’re upset or angry about something. It’s not just that the dog is running around in the house, it’s that he might chew on something valuable. Or pee on the carpet. Or bite a child. And then our mind carries it further. What will people think when they visit, or if they saw? Am I a good parent? Am I a good person? Blah blah blah, it runs wild – if you let it.

We need to filter the movies in our minds. Reject the ones that are negative, don’t put them on an endless looping spool. Switch the screen. Look away. Write and direct an alternate movie. He’s given us that power. Just as our mind can conjure up a host of negative outcomes, we can choose to envision a handful of POSITIVE ones as well. It’s a choice, and one we don’t realize we’re making half the time.

Our thoughts have a direct effect on our future. What we envisioning happening to us and for us, will be communicated to our subconscious minds. And there that image will solidify and take root, modifying our entire belief system with that image, with that unspoken “goal.” Once it’s taken root and accepted (rather than rejected), all of our efforts from that point on, whether conscious or unconscious, will work toward that goal.

This is why it’s so vitally important that we dig in the dirt of our minds, uprooting wrongful thinking and beliefs. And how do we know what’s wrong and what’s right? Through the Bible. By comparing what the Word says with what we believe. It is the ONLY standard of truth and morality.

Xbalm Lip Balm.

As an avid fan(read: drooling addict) of lip balm, I’m always thrilled when I find one that doesn’t taste like castor oil or the bottom of someone’s foot (I’m lookin’ at YOU, LipSmackers). Last week while I was in Tulsa I nabbed one of these babies at the store. I went with Tropical, but they have a wide variety of other flavors as well.

The result? Great, great balm. Excellent texture, flavoring, the whole bit. I wish I had bought some more, because now I have to hunt for the other flavors. :\ Thankfully, they were cheap, at only $1.49 apiece (as opposed to $2.99 I’ve seen in other places). Insane what people charge for their goods these days.

-K

http://www.xbalm.com/