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INTRODUCTION To see dreams come true, we need to transform them into visions. We need to identify the end goal, the starting point, and the steps that will lead us from point A to B. And we need the passion to persevere and the faith that sees us at the finish line already. PASSION AND CONGRUENCY NEEDED TO SEE THE FULLFILMENT OF OUR DREAM I have been continuing with Elon Musk’s biography and have been inspired once more to share a godly principle that his methods of conducting business reminded me of.  Whether you believe and support Elon Musk’s life goals is not the point of this post. Today, I am addressing his ability to transform dreams into visions.   First of all, Elon Musk knew since he was young what his goal in life would be. He had three visions and has not budged from any of them ever since.  Pastor Craig Hill says it is not enough to simply dream. The dream needs to be transformed into a vision (1). Different things affect the success of that. Firstly, we need to be passionate about the dream. We need to be willing to die for this. As we can see, Elon Musk has been known to put all his chips into the game and either win or go broke.   I do not necessarily advocate taking the risks he has taken, I advise caution and management of risk, but I do acknowledge that passion needs to be present. I was not passionate about anything until I encountered God. My walk with Him became my biggest passion. And it truly is different.  Secondly, we need to believe we can accomplish our goals - congruency is necessary. Thirdly, we need to recognize what new skills and habits we need to acquire and the time and money it will cost us to become equipped.  BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND We need to recognize the steps necessary to take to get to the finish line. The most efficient way one can do that is, to begin with the end in mind and then look into the position you are starting from.  That method is also very efficient in writing. First, you start with pen and paper or with Google Docs and a computer. You pour out all the ideas, everything you can share on a white sheet. When you are all emptied out you look through all the ideas. You recognize the topic you have enough material to write a book on and the core message you wish to deliver.  You crystallize the audience and the finish line towards which you are guiding them. What will reading your book bring to them? What will they learn? How will they become equipped? Once you have identified the end, ask yourself where they are starting from. What are they struggling today with? What area they may be lacking knowledge in?  Lastly, begin to fill in the stepping points, steps which will take them from point A to B. What steps do they need to take, and what steps do I need to teach and address in the book to bring them to the finish line? Those stepping stones will eventually become our chapters and subchapters.  TO FINISH Dreams can be fulfilled, but merely dreaming will not bring us to fruition. It will require transforming the dream into a vision. We will need to recognize all the new skills and habits we will need to acquire. And realize the steps needed to bring us to the finish line. The most efficient way to accomplish that is to begin with the end in mind. Until next time.

(1) INTRODUCTION This week I started with the reading of Elon Musk’s autobiography. A very lengthy book with a daunting number of pages is standing before me. I have only managed to scrape the surface, and am already desiring to express my thoughts on a certain matter. This part memoir, part autobiography is a non-fiction book depicting real events per the authors or in this case the subject's perspective.  WHAT IS TRUE? FICTION VS NON-FICTION Per Cambridge Dictionary fiction is “the type of book or story that is written about imaginary characters and events and not based on real people and facts”. (2) Non-fiction on the other hand is “writing that is about real events and facts, rather than stories that have been invented”. (3) Dave Chesson puts it simply in his article Fiction vs Nonfiction: Definitions, Examples, and Ideas. “Fiction is not true while nonfiction is true.” (4) There are other differences between the two genres, but for the most part they use the same techniques of writing.  STATISTICS While fiction is still considered the more popular genre, non-fiction is starting to stand its ground. Dimitrije Curcic mentioned in His statistical analysis Nonfiction Book Sales Statistics that “as of 2022, nonfiction print books account for 45.5% of book sales in the US, trailing fiction books for the second year in a row.” (5) Also they mention further that “adult nonfiction generates the most revenue and the most unit sales in the US book market.” (5) TO LEARN, TO SOLVE OR TO BECOME BETTER INFORMED Dave Chesson further states that while fiction is read for pleasure, non-fiction is usually read to learn something, solve a problem, or become better informed. (4) And this is where I want to stop today. All three of the above could come in handy with what I wanted to address today. In the first part of Elon’s book his childhood is explained in detail.  I knew of his shaky relationship with his father even before I “picked up” the book, but the first few chapters solidified my assumption as to why Elon Musk might be struggling with enjoying the rewards of what he has managed to build. In 2022 I started to listen to Pastor Craig Hill and his teachings. He is a devout believer of ancient paths and the return to them in our worship of the Father. Among these ancient paths, he mentions the benefit of a parental blessing.  Parents can be used to impart a message of God - blessing- or a message of satan -cursing- into the life of their child. And though it may not seem that problematic at first, it can leave lasting effects. (6) A child after they have been cursed can take two routes: a) they try harder in order to get approval or b) they stop trying altogether and rebel. (6) FURTHER READING I believe this might be happening in Mr. Elon Musk’s life. And one of his experiences triggered and reminded me of my own experience. It made me contemplate all the times in my life when I gave up and stopped trying and moments when I tried to prove myself to others and strove to achive something through my own streght and willpower.  Owning Craig Hill’s e-course The Family Blessing Blueprint - Online Course  introduced to me the concept of parental blessing. He also speaks about it in his book The Power of a Parent's Blessing: See Your Children Prosper and Fulfill Their Destinies in Christ (Amazon) . Per Cheryl Townsley even the lack of a blessing itself can be seen and felt s a cursing.  THE POWER OF GOD’S BLESSING The good news I would like to end my post today with is that the power of the blessing is greater than the power behind the cursing, especially when the blessing is from our Father in Heaven.   TO CONCLUDE There are different genres in writing among them fiction and non-fiction prose. While fiction focuses on imaginary characters and events, non-fiction focuses on stating real true events and facts. In a similar manner parents can choose to impart the true message of God into the lives of their children on a daily basis or the lying message of satan. Until next time! Image by wix.com . Cambridge Dictionary: Fiction. Available on world web: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/fiction Cambridge Dictionary: Non-Fiction. Available on world web: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/fiction Dave Chesson: Fiction vs Nonfiction: Definitions, Examples, and Ideas. Available on world web https://kindlepreneur.com/fiction-vs-nonfiction/ Dimitrije Curcic : Nonfiction Book Sales Statistics. Available on world web https://wordsrated.com/nonfiction-book-sales-statistics/#:~:text=289.34%20million%20nonfiction%20adult%20print,books%20were%20sold%20in%202021 . Craig Hill. The Family Blessing Blueprint - Online Course. Available on world web https://familyfoundations.com/the-family-blessing-blueprint-online-course/

INTRODUCTION We all carry on the inside of us a unique message. Our life experiences have shaped us into who we are today. We have learned much and can share and teach others how they can overcome or learn something themselves. And so unique these messages are that they are designed to reach a specific audience only you can reach.  A UNIQUE MESSAGE My mentors at Unlocking Your Book like to say that everyone who has written anything is technically considered an author.  We all have unique stories, messages only we can convey to this world. The message may be similar to other messages out there, so sometimes we wonder why it would matter to write at all. Though our message may be similar to other messages out there, our personalities and experiences make it unique. Our voice is designed to reach a specific group of people, sometimes that may mean just that one person.  WRITE TO THE ONE We should always write to reach that one person, teach my mentors at Unlocking your book. Even if the message reaches and helps but one person, it matters. That one person matters. Especially if the message also happens to build, help, heal, and encourage another.  You never know how your words may impact others. They might end up being the ray of sunshine that uplifts their wearied soul. They may teach and bring clarity to the confused soul. May open eyes to the ones who have searched for the answer all their lives.  THE METHOD Messages in general can be conveyed in different forms, ones even beyond written form. One can choose to write a book, write a poem, sing a song, or create an animated or regular film. We can write a message out even in a letter, or in a card.  Whichever distinctive way we choose to convey our message, does not matter. What matters is that we are being our authentic selves. Only that way will the audience get the most out of your knowledge and experiences.  CONCLUSION A unique path we all walk in life. All we have endured and gone through can be summarized in a unique message. Though others may have gone before us and their messages may be similar to ours, our experiences and personalities still provide a unique message only we can convey. It reaches a specific group of people or just that one person. Writing to reach that one person matters.  Until next time! Video created via canva.com .

Parables are a great way in which we can teach, exhort, edify, and educate. The greatest teacher of all time - Jesus, Yeshua - Himself also used them. They were His preferred way of teaching.  Per Merriam-Webster Dictionary a parable is “a usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle.” They are a less direct way of communicating a certain message across. A message that people need to hear.  It sparks and demands people to ponder and look for the deeper meaning of the parable. To seek for the truth deeply hidden within.  Yeshua also similarly used this method. He used it to weed away those who only followed Him superficially and would not ponder on the parable and message.  Yet on the other hand as John Macarthur mentioned in his book Parables: The Mysteries of God’s Kingdom Revealed Through the Stories Jesus Told  (Amazon), parables were “ carefully crafted tales that made the mysteries of the Gospel more accessible to everyday believers - from the faithful to the faithless”.  James Montgomery Boice goes further in his book The Parables of Jesus  (Amazon) and divides the parables into 5 categories: parables of the kingdom, salvation, wisdom and folly, the Christian life, and judgment.  They are an essential part of the Bible and in so the daily life of every believer. They hold great spiritual lessons that we can learn from even today.  Until next time!

Whenever we pass a cafeteria, a busy sidewalk, a crowded cafe, or any crowded area for that matter, we can’t help but find ourselves overhearing the latest news and chatter on a certain topic.   Humans are social beings, we usually thrive in communities. And communities are many times built on stories. Who doesn’t like a good story? This past two weeks I caught myself reading a book named Miracle Invasion by Dean Merrill. It is a collection of stories, accounts of supernatural healings, prophecies, and testimonies.  (1) As the famous movie series says, “God’s not dead.” This book makes it clear He is still very much active in our everyday lives.  In a short, compacted, straight-to-the-point manner we are given faith-filled, earth-shattering, double-portion-bearing bites of God’s amazing goodness, power, love, and mercy.  If you are looking to get uplifted or to refill your empty tank, this might be the book you are looking for. Click the following Amazon affiliate link https://amzn.to/4elQYrm if interested.  What kind of books do you like to read? Are they fiction or nonfiction? Perhaps you like poetry? Feel free to comment below on what book may have inspired you in any way. Until next time, let the Lord bless you! SOURCES Image created via canva.com .

Writing is my passion as I have said in my previous post. Poems I love to write. For the most part, they are poems dedicated to the Lord. I do also write a verse or two for birthday cards or as an encouragement when I feel led.  This week I wanted to introduce myself even more. Only in rhyme did  I want to put my words. And challenge you to rhyme with me too. Let’s see what I was able to do! Until next week!

INTRODUCTION Have you ever taken the time to observe the flight of a butterfly? Such beautiful creatures they are. Small, fragile, and colorful, and stunningly magnificent.  (1) They fly so fleetingly. Zooming here and there with speed beyond me. Just when I hope I might catch one they zoom right past me.  WHO AM I? Life seems to have zoomed right past me too. And many times my passions with them. I have made a few changes over the years. From drawing mandalas, watching sports, reading mangas, watching animes, card making, crafting, and playing the piano to writing. There were seasons where I wondered, "Who am I? What is my purpose? How am I called to serve people? Some might say I am a fleeting soul. But I believe God has a greater plan yet ahead of me. One day I might understand why I felt so drawn to these hobbies and at times still do to this day.  For years I saw myself as nothing but a scholar. I did not see myself as creative until I started to walk with God. And that turned my life upside down. I feel much more at home when I am creating nowadays. I do still though enjoy a good study as well. Especially if Bible related.  But enough about me. I wish to know more about you. What are your hobbies? Do you like to create too? ABOUT THIS BLOG This blog will be dedicated to the creative side of myself. Mostly that will be about writing. But I have wanted and probably will give a voice to others by promoting their books and stories. As one who remained silent for a season because I thought no one cared what I had to say, I wish others would know that their story and opinions matter too. Until next time!

(1) INTRODUCTION Leverage is a great weapon in the hands of a crafty entrepreneur. It can be a great tool in the hands of an author too. All six types can and should be used if one wishes to succeed. Above all though I believe it is the network and relationship leverage that seals the deal.  LEVERAGE  While reading Elon Musk’s book, I noticed two classical ways a business can be built: a) with your own capital like Elon Musk did with SpaceX, or b) through financial leverage, like Tesla was built when Elon was brought on board.  Reading further along I realized the amount of leverage a company usually needs to be successful. Leverage is necessary to succeed in the end. Many entrepreneurs fail to scale as exponentially precisely because they lack leverage. And I am not talking about financial leverage alone. At one point it is wise to use leverage as much as possible. That way you can focus on doing what you genuinely enjoy and get quicker results.  We know different types of leverage:  financial leverage time leverage technology and systems leverage communications and marketing leverage network and relationship leverage experience and knowledge leverage. By far the most known and used one is of course the financial one. But the other types are also very valuable, perhaps even more so. TELL A VISION Pastor Craig Hill says that provision follows, and pursues vision. The word provision means “for vision” as he further states.  For it to come to pass though, we sometimes need to tell a vision. More specifically tell our vision. That is exactly what Elon Musk did multiple times, and what others did to get funded by him.  Every large project will eventually require us to reach out and tell our vision if we plan to see traction. And besides it is not said for nothing that if we want to go fast, we should go alone. But if we want to go far we should go together.  USING LEVERAGE AS AN AUTHOR As a writer, you can use leverage too. By far the most wanted is of course the financial leverage. We can be granted a grant to write by one of the many funds that exist or we can land a contract with a traditional publisher.  To gain more time freedom, we can employ someone to join us as a fellow writer at least for smaller projects. We can ask experts to collaborate with us by asking them to write on their expertise and add it as a separate chapter.  Technology and system leverage is on the trend what with AI storming every aspect of our lives. Besides AI there are apps and programs which help us with writing, formatting, editing, spelling, and other aspects.  We can leverage other people for our PR and marketing. We can also leverage other people's audiences and communities by collaborating with them. That way we do not need to build our traffic all alone.  By communicating with other authors and publishers and building networks, relationships, and especially a digital presence we can open ourselves up for collaborations, sponsorships, and other connections.  Last but not least is the knowledge leverage. Knowing our expertise, our niche, and having experience and certain skills will lead us to better-paid opportunities and potential collaborations and sponsorships.  While I believe the majority are focused on financial leverage, it is the network and relationships leverage that is the deal breaker in my opinion. CONCLUSION Provision follows vision. It might require us to tell our vision to receive it. There are different types of leverage, with the financial one being the most known. As writers, we too can utilize all the different types of leverage and should do so if we wish to succeed. As already repeated a billion times: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” Until next time! SOURCES Image by wix.com .