The K Mills

I write it. You read it. That's it.

Book Review: The Harbinger, By Jonathan Cahn

I just finished reading a book called The Harbinger, by Jonathan Cahn, and I have to be honest, I’m pretty shocked. And not for all the right reasons.

First off, I was shocked right when I started reading it, mainly because of the circumstances that led up to it. Since buying a Kindle a few months ago, I’ve been gleefully adding samples of books left and right. I read a review, click on a link in Amazon, and away I go down the rabbit hole, sending myself 10-20 free samples at a time. (If you haven’t tried it, it’s a great way to preview a book, for sure. Especially with the non-fiction titles. It really gives you the nekkid bones of the book without having to drudge through the whole thing. Kinda like an x-ray, I guess…)

So at any given moment, I’ve got multiple sections on my Kindle (sci-fi, spiritual, creature fiction, prophecy, etc.) that I can delve into at any time. And last Friday, I was browsing the titles I hadn’t filed into a category yet, and found The Harbinger. Not having a clue what it was about, I started reading so I could slap it into the appropriate folder.

Two chapters into the sample, however, and I was intrigued. Intrigued enough to consider buying the thing, so I clicked on the “Buy Book” button, expecting to be taken to the Amazon Store where I could check the price and confirm my purchase.

Unfortunately, Kindles don’t work that way.

Instead, I realized I had suddenly just purchased my first full-priced book for my Kindle. (Granted, at $9.99 it wasn’t back-breaking, but still… I would’ve liked a warning.) So heads up, Kindle owners – don’t click that BUY button unless you’re serious.

The story’s about a journalist who has conversations with a prophet of sorts, who helps him draw startling correlations between an obscure prophecy for Israel in Isaiah 9:10 and the state of America (both past and present). As I read further into the story, this is where the shock I mentioned earlier set it.

Shock #1? That the prophecy for Israel so many centuries ago actually does apply to America today. While one could argue with the sometimes thin arguments that are presented, there are enough that are rock-solid, researched and factually sound that the idea of their being coincidental are patently absurd. They are astounding, to say the least.

For the record, I agree 100% with the message of the book. America is in trouble in the near future, primarily because of how far we’ve come from the spiritual origins of our nation at the beginning. Whether people like it or agree with it or not, the fact is we started as a Christian nation, dedicated to God with specific principles and statutes in place. Our present culture of compromise might very well try to neutralize and negate key portions of the Biblical basis that offend them, but not without damaging the very foundation we rely on.

Remove enough threads, and eventually the rope’s gonna start to fray.

My second shock, however, was almost as great as my first. Because frankly? This book is not very well written. It’s well-researched, to be sure. It’s complete and comprehensive and astounding, with the facts that are in it. But it is in desperate need of an editor to punch it up a notch.

I understand the format of the book, and why it was written the way it was. But you can’t present a book so heavily dependent on dialogue without making darn sure that dialogue isn’t bland. (And let’s face it, when you’re presenting fact after fact after fact? Blandness sets in pretty quickly.)

Do you need to read this book? Without question. Whether you’re a Christian, atheist, Buddhist or follower of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, if you call yourself an American this book will make you sit up and take notice. When a Biblical prophecy is this bizarrely accurate, ignoring its significance really isn’t an option.

That said, The Harbinger is a decent read, just don’t expect to be wow’d by the prose or characters themselves. They’re not the main event. The message is.

- Kevin

Book Summary: Just Enough Light For The Step I’m On, By Stormie Omartain.

I’m starting a new section at TheKMills.com this week. It’s called “Book Summaries,” and it’s exactly what it sounds like.

Here’s the deal: when I read books, I underline the good parts in various colors. I figure physically interacting with the book helps me remember the nuggety goodness therein. But I want to be sure that I learned everything inside it, so after the underlining, I then dictate the sections, recording them as an MP3.

Then when I go to bed at night? I can pick and choose which “book” I need a refresher on, and listen to the audio summaries as I drift off to sleep, absorbing it all into my ultra-fertile subconscious mind.

Does it work? I think so, but I’m honestly not sure. I can’t help but think the more I retrace the grooves of truth that these books have to offer, the more streamlined my thinking becomes.

Over the years I’ve read and dictated books in the following six categories:

• Prayer

• Money

• Faith

• Living

• Thinking

This week I’m starting with Stormie Omartain’s “Just Enough Light for the Step I’m On.

As I’m struggling to understand God’s will and purpose in my life here in Washington, this book is perfectly timed. It’s short and easy to read, but it is thick with how to harness a straightforward, bold faith. Which, I’ll be honest, I don’t have a lot of sometimes during this season of my life.

It’s hard to stay focused on Him, to remain hopeful when I’m watching a handful of my hopes and dreams slowly shatter in front of me. But I believe if I choose to submit to Him in this trying time, I’ll come through it faster and stronger.

Lord knows He’s brought me through hard times in my life before.

My job is to follow His voice and step forward where He leads, even when it’s down a dark, stanky alley.

- Kevin

Just Enough Light for the Step I’m On – Stormie Omartain

Subject: Faith

Time: 29:12

 

Key Thoughts:

He constantly calls you to step beyond your comfort zone.

Your tomorrow is determined by the steps you take today.

He wants to accomplish great things through you that can ONLY come by living a life of faith and obedience.

 He wants you to be so convinced of His presence in your life that even when you can’s sense it or see it, you know that He is there.

Don’t believe you’re out of God’s will just because you’re facing dark circumstances.

God prefers to give us just enough details to keep us dependent on Him.

We always hope that God will lift us above our circumstances, but often He want us to walk with Him through them.

Ask God to give you a new perspective, because you don’t always see the whole truth. Be willing to let go of your determination to see things through your own tunnel vision.

It’s in the wilderness that you’ll be convinced you won’t achieve anything of lasting importance without His help.

God wants to separate you from all that you crave so that all that you crave… is Him.

Forget any plans that you might have on accomplishing your purpose on your own. He wants you to be completely convinced that it won’t happen without Him.

You can’t do whatever you feel like doing and then ask God to bless it. 

The Giving Experiments (conclusion).

There’s a definite correlation between giving and receiving, and I believe it’s universal. Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or Chocoholic, this is just the way God originally designed the world to work. Period.

When we give passionately and sacrificially, focusing on the needs of others as opposed to our own, we will be blessed. Incredibly, astoundingly, jaw-droppingly blessed.

Whether it’s in the areas of finances, relationships, books, music or whatever, I believe you will reap what you sow. What’s more, you will reap MORE than you sow. A lot of other books have touched on this, but they all point to one thing: what Jesus said is absolutely true.

Luke 6:38 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.

Here’s a few other key Scriptures to meditate on. (Yes, I said “meditate.” Deal with it.)

1 Corinthians 4:7,8What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have become kings.

Guess what? Everything you have in this life? God gave it to you. Your house? Your car? Your books and CDs and computers and STUFF? Yeah. Gifts from God.

“But,” you stammer, “That’s not right! I bought that stuff with MY money! That I earned with my hard work!” Uh-huh. And who provided you with your job? Your livelihood? Who gave you the skills to make that money? The hands to do your work? The mind? The body? The very breath you’re breathing right now?

That’s right, Buttercup. You’re not the self-made success you thought you were. Everything you have is a gift, but here’s the kicker: the more you share your gifts, the more gifts you get to share. Yeah, I know. He’s a crazy giver, our God. Insanely generous, some might say.

2 Corinthians 9:6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

Again, this is a universal truth. What you spread around is what’s gonna come back to you. Call it a boomerang effect, call it karma, call it whatever you want, but the truth is right there in God’s word: we will reap what we sow in this life.

What we fail to grasp is the fact that we are ALWAYS sowing. Constantly. Everything that we think, say or do is planting a seed that will grow and sprout and for better or worse – produce a harvest just like the original kernel. That’s why it’s so incredibly important to pay attention to what you’re thinking, to filter out and uproot those negative thoughts that pop into your head. Just because their seeds fall onto the fertile ground of your mind doesn’t mean you have to till the soil, stuff ‘em down and fertilize them. Heck no! Snatch ‘em up and throw ‘em away! YOU get to choose what you plant. It’s YOUR garden. (It’s Your Life.)

2 Corinthians 9:7-8, 11 “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”

Do I believe God wants us rich? Without question. But not in the way the world defines “rich.” You see, the world says you’re rich when you’ve got the nice house (or a couple on each coast), the fancy cars, the latest and greatest toys and gadgets and all the money you could ever spend on yourself. I don’t think this is what God has in mind when He wants to bless us. In fact, I believe it’s pretty much the exact opposite. I believe God wants to outrageously bless us so that we in turn can become outrageous blessings to OTHERS.

People often misquote 1 Timothy 6:10 and say that money is the root of all evil. It’s not. Money’s neutral, a tool that can be used for God’s glory or our detriment. Financial prosperity and wealthy abundance for each one of us? God’s all for it. And here’s why: because when we’re so self-centered on our own “lack” and focus only on what we think we DON’T have in life (money, cars, stuff), it has a two-fold effect.

First, we give end up giving power to the perpetual wheel that’s running in the background of our lives. We say we don’t have enough? Guess what? You’re never gonna have enough. Just like it says in Proverbs 18:21, you get what you say. And your words have more power than you realize.

Secondly, if we have the constant mindset that we ourselves are just barely making it, frantically scrambling about financially and thinking we never have enough, then guess what? The idea of giving to someone else isn’t a high priority on our To Do list. We’re not going to even consider giving something of value to someone else if we’re convinced that we are the ones who are in desperate need.

And that’s a really sad mindset to have. Because as the Bible makes perfectly clear, we can only reap what we sow in the first place. Think about it. A farmer doesn’t just wander out to harvest a field of bare dirt. He plants the seeds well ahead of time, knowing they’ll one day product a crop of whatever he planted. So if you’re not sowing seeds financially? If you’re not passionately giving to someone or somewhere else that you see has a need? Buddy, you’re never going to reap a financial harvest. Ever.

I’m convinced that that’s not what God wants for us. He wants to make us rich. Every single one of us. And He doesn’t want to do it so we can buy all the bling we want in life. He wants to do it so what we will be positioned to share what He’s given us with others. He wants to bless us to be a blessing.

So let go of that bucket mentality you’ve got. Punch a few holes in that sucker, and watch as the blessings He’s about to unleash on you overflow and spill and spurt out in every direction, drenching everyone you come in contact with. God wants you to be a sprinkler, not a sponge. Stop soaking it all up for yourself and start actively spreading it around to those in need, to the people He places in your path each day. Give It Away. Intentionally. Passionately.

Trust me when I promise you this: You Will Be Blessed.

- Kevin


Recommended Reading:

God’s Plan for Your Money – Derek Prince

The Treasure Principle – Randy Alcorn

The Greatest Money-Making Secret In History – Joe Vitale

Give to Life: How Giving Can Change Your Life – Douglas Lawson

Can’t Take It With You: The Art of Making and Giving Money – Lewis B. Cullman

The Generosity Factor – Ken Blanchard, S. Truett Cathy

The Storehouse Principle – Al Jandi, Van Crouch

How To Solve All Your Money Problems Forever – Victor Bloc

Recommended Sermons:

Note: Be forewarned. These messages have the power to CHANGE YOUR LIFE. So if you’re tired of going through the financial wringer and ready to experience a dynamic shift in your thinking about giving, then buckle up. You’re about to be blessed.

LifeChurch.tv “Blessed”

LifeChurch.tv “How to BE Rich”

LifeChurch.tv “The Blessed Life.”

Give It Away: The Giving Experiments (part 2)

As I considered the idea of passionate giving, I asked myself, “What am I passionate about?” Well, if you’ve ever been to my house a quick glance around my office answers that question. It’s books. I’m passionate about Books. I love to read. A lot.

That’s when I came up with a plan.

As a longtime member of “PaperBackSwap.com”:http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php?n=2&r_by=jackardiac, I’m constantly mailing books to other members in exchange for credits. I can then use these credits to request books that I want to read (and keep). So I decided I would conduct an experiment. Instead of the standard exchange where I’d get a credit for each book I send out, I decided I would start giving away extra books to requestors, at no charge to them. Just to see what would happen.

I began with a total of 6 credits in my account. On my next incoming book request, I made my unheard of offer to the requestor: “Feel free to choose 2 more books. On the house.” I explained that I’d send them some of MY credits to reimburse them, and they’d end up getting 3 books for the cost of 1 credit. Granted, it cost me 2 of my own credits and a few extra cents to ship ‘em via Media Mail, but the benefits quickly became clear. Not only would I get those 3 credits BACK when they made their requests, but I’d feel good, knowing I was able to give books away, showing a total stranger some unmerited favor and kindness. :)

So I did this repeatedly, giving people extra books as my personal credit amount would allow. You’ll recall how I started with 6 credits? Well, within 3 short weeks of this giving spree I ended up with a total of 21 credits in my account. Twenty-one! That was more than I’d ever seen at one time in my entire 3 years of being a site member!

How did this happen? Well, for one thing, a lot of the requestors went on to pick MORE than the extra books I offered to cover. So just making the offer it resulted in more books being requested in the end, which meant more credits for me to share. Secondly, and more interestingly, I had a sudden increase in book requests. More and more people were requesting books, so I was suddenly receiving a windfall of credits.

I’ve since found I don’t even have to make the OFFER to get this giving stuff to work. Sometimes just the THOUGHT ALONE is enough to jump start things. Just last Friday night I was looking at my account and saw I was down to a measly 5 credits. I thought to myself “Man, looks like it’s time for me to give some books away.” The very next day I received an e-mail from a woman who sent me a list of 11 books she wanted, and was wondering if I’d be willing to “make a deal” with her. :)

I was. 11 books for the price of 5. :) It’ll be interesting to watch my credit amount soar once again (and I fully expect it will).

Kevin

Update: Just this week I had another example of how outrageous giving resulted in amazing results. I had a request come in from a club member named Kathleen, and I made the same offer to her: pick an extra book on me. She did, and we thankful for it. As I later browsed her Wishlist (books she’d like to receive some day, but is in a waiting line for each one), I noticed she was wishing for Max Lucado’s “Fearless.”

I had received that very book back in August as a blog reviewer, and was kind of underwhelmed by it. Because I had underlined in it, however, I wasn’t able to put it in the system for other people to request it. When I saw it was on her wishlist, however, I wrote to her and offered it to her for free, if she was interested in it (rather than her having to wait months or years for her request to rise to the top of the queue). I also offered her my copy of his book, “Facing Your Giants.”

She graciously accepted my offer. So in essence she was going to get 4 books for me for the cost of 1 credit. Not a bad deal. But then the unexpected happened.

You see, Kathleen decided to browse MY Wishlist as well, and in doing so she found that SHE in turn had 2 of the books I’ve been wishing for (but was facing a long wait in the queue.) And since they weren’t entered into the system, she was free to offer them to me outright as well, without charging me a single credit.

So… here’s the recap. She requests one book, and winds up with four, skipping a long wait for two of them. I, in return, will receive two books on my wishlist (which I’d have ALSO been waiting a long time to receive) for the cost of nothing.

See how that works?

Even if we don’t fully understand HOW outrageous giving works, we can still understand and practice this truth: It Works. And it works wonders, often in unexpected ways.

(More to come, so stay tuned.)

Book Fair Kills: November 2009 (the List)

This was my first Lubbock Book Fair to attend, and it was quite awesome. They’re doing it again in February, and Half Price! So for all you locals who missed it this year – now you have no excuse. :) And without further delay, below is the list of my Book Fair Kills this time around.

– Kevin

Fiction:
The Mountain King – Rick Hautala
The Bradbury Chronicles – Stories in Honor of Ray Bradbury
Contest – Matthew Reilly
Ice Station – Matthew Reilly
Scarecrow – Matthew Reilly
(I always buy Reilly’s books because they are, without question, some of the most enjoyable action-packed stories I’ve ever read)
Breakout – Richard Stark
Flash Fiction – 72 Very Short Stories

Writing:
The First Five Pages – Noah Lukeman
No Plot? No Problem! – Baty
The Big Book of How To Say It Best – Jack Griffin & Robbie Miller Kaplan
Fiction Writer’s Brainstormer – Smith
Slang and Euphemism – Richard A. Spears
Word Power Quiz Book

Money & God:
The Treasure Principle – Randy Alcorn
Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff About Money – Richard Carlson, Ph. D.
The Money Answer Book – Dave Ramsey
Generous Living – Dayton
My Money and God – Hastings
God Is My CEO – Larry Julian
Obedience: The Key to Prosperity – Wayne Coleman
Holiness, Truth and the Presence of God – Francis Frangipane
Wisdom for the Way – Charles R. Swindoll
Grace for the Moment – Max Lucado
Praying God’s Will for Your Life – Stormie Omartain
The Power of Praying Together – Stormie Omartain, Jack Hayford

Baby Sleep Books:
Health Sleep Habits, Happy Child – Marc Weissbluth, M.D.
Sweet Dreams: A Pediatrician’s Secrets – Fleiss

Creativity:
The Artist’s Soul – Linda Coons
The Artist’s Way – Julia Cameron
Breathe In, Breathe Out – James E. Loehr
Introducing Mind & Brain – Agnus Gellatly and Oscar Zarate
Brainpower – Laureli Blyth
Inventions and Patents – Steve Barbarich
How to Sell & Promote Your Idea, Project or Invention – Reece A. Franklin

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 WommackCharles StanleyInventRight), 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.

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

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