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Some say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

How about this beauty as a starter?

“As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God. For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.” (Ecclesiastes 5:19–20 NKJV) 🥐 🫖

There’s a place where your personality and profession shake hands and hug one another.

A crossover and meeting point for what you know and what you love.

It’s the crossroad where you’re empowered to share your inner wealth and bring the greatest value to others, and receive appreciative wealth in return.

Where your gifts open doors of opportunity and avenues of service.

Our lives are not intended to be endless hamster wheels of duty and busyness. God’s plan is that you do not dwell unduly on the days of your life, wondering what in the world you are here for. He has an avenue and a plan to keep you busy with the joy of your heart.

I like the classic Amplified rendition that reads,

“God [Himself] answers and corresponds to the joy of his heart [the tranquillity of God is mirrored in him].” (Ecclesiastes 5:20 AMP) 🥓☕

I read this as:

What I do will mirror who I am.

I won’t be pretending, trying, hustling, straining or striving. No trying to “be” someone, instead just being who I am.

I’ve often said that “I’m in the business of being myself”.

All the other positions are taken.

The issues of my life, business, family and ministry flow from my heart.

And the tranquility of God, being aligned with His purpose, allows me to “make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, and accept what’s given, delighting in the work” (Ecclesiastes 5:19 MESSAGE) 🥯 🥞.

There are works that God has prepared for you (Ephesians 2:10). Divinely designed, tailored and well fitted to your frame.

Seek them out.

Sit down at God’s breakfast table today.

You have an invitation…

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”(Revelation 3:20 NKJV)

Ask Him how the joy of your heart intercepts with ways to serve and add value to others.

That conversation may be the beginning of something life-changing!

Never!

That’s what Shaunelle thought when her friends told her she should write a book.

As a musician, her art and craft was musical, not literary.

Until…

Knocked out by a busted foot, Shaunelle found herself homebound and hobbling.

What happened next is the part I love the most…

Instead of asking, “Why me?” she simply asked, “Why?”

“Why do I find myself in this situation, and what does God want to do in it?”

Asking God who He wants to be for you in and through a test often results in a testimony.

That’s certainly true for Shaunelle.

“Write a book,” was His reply.

A few days later, right on time, an email from David Lee Martin surprisingly appeared in her inbox. God had spoken to Him to develop a program to help a group of first time Christian authors write and publish their books.

That was in April.

This week her book, MY Love Story in Yours: From a teenage grieving heart to rhythms of retreat and rest, hit the worldwide shelves, bringing hope and healing wherever it’s read.

As Shaunelle told me in a fantastic interview we did about her book writing journey, there are lots of people just like her with a powerful story to tell, but who think, “Never! I can’t write a book, I have nothing to say.”

How wrong can you be?

“Oh, my gosh, they have such a rich story and experience to share!” Shaunelle, says.

Here’s her take on why you should write your book and share your experience, both for yourself and for others…

“When you write a book from personal experience, it does something in your own heart. So even if you just write the book and decide later what to do with it when you’re finished, write the book anyways. Because it’s important and the journey of writing does something for you.

And in terms of the timing, don’t wait. Because you don’t know what tomorrow has, and you also don’t know who needs the words that you have. And I think that’s one of the important things we don’t think about too much. We think about ourselves, and we don’t think about who actually needs what we share.

I agree with Shaunelle.

Don’t wait.

If you have something precious to share, do all you can to make it happen. Today, not tomorrow!

Watch the full joyful interview with Shaunelle

Find out more about Anointed Authors and begin your own unique book writing journey here… https://christiancreative.academy/anointedauthors

Being afraid to try something new gives limited options for growth and discovery.

It’s understandable how easy it is to get stuck in habits and routines that are perfectly serviceable but don’t challenge us to grow.

Growth and change after all is often painful.

And unsettling. It demands more of us than we are comfortable to give.

But often we inflate the discomfort and anxiety in our imagination. We believe things are going to be more difficult than they actually are.

The other side of “new” is your new (and often vastly improved) normal.

Wrong?

But what if I get something wrong?

Believe me, I know wrong. I eat mistakes for breakfast.

Case in point, yesterday I sent an email and mentioned a bundle of products for writers called Writer’s Craft 6.0. It’s a superb bundle of products designed to help and serve authors and aspiring writers to hone their craft.

The mistake I made was that I accidentally read the brief of included products for another upcoming bundle. Don’t worry if you made a purchase based on that, they offer a solid 60-day money back guarantee.

Aside from my confusion, Writers Craft 6.0 does include some outstanding products such as Angie Fenimore’s The Secret Science of Storytelling, and Ines Johnson’s Stealing Secrets from Screenwriting: How to Make Your Book Bingeworthy, along with 20+ others. Its well worth a look. Check it out here.

But I slapped my head today when I realised my mistake.

Here’s the lesson…

Do I curl up in a shameful ball and beat myself up for a silly mistake?

Or do I apologise, brush down, and embrace a new day?

There was a time when messing up would send me into a tail-spin. I felt like I had to get everything perfect.

But I’ve learned that chasing perfection serves no one.

We’re all human. We sometimes mess up. And it’s ok. It’s normal to not get it right all of the time.

Are Past Mistakes Holding You Back?

Are past mistakes holding you back in some way?

Are there things that you’ve tried that didn’t work, that now chain you to an unhelpful mindset of timidity?

Maybe today is the day to forgive yourself.

A great day to look yourself in the eye and cheer yourself on.

You’ve got this!

Our Father’s mercies are new every day.

Why mercy? Because we all make mistakes.

Why today? Because He knows how often we mess up and wants you to know He’s got you covered whatever day of the week you find yourself in.

Grace, Oh wonderful grace!

David

PS: You still have time, but only just…

Want to join me on a book writing adventure?

In 3 days time, I will be beginning an exciting journey with a brand new cohort of Christian authors.

Even if you just have a seed idea, you can have a book written and published in less than 90 days!

We have some first time authors who begin with a completely blank slate, others who are more sure what they want to write and just need coaching and accountability to make it happen. Wherever you stand, the Anointed Authors program can help you cross the finish line and see your book published.

We start on Saturday 7th September, just a few days from now. If you want to join us you can find out more and sign up at https://christiancreative.academy/anointedauthors.

Let me share a learning key.

Crafting your craftmanship is a craft that you craft.

What???

Successful outcomes are not just about accumulating information, they result from first learning to learn. Transformation arises through application.

Knowledge heaped and hoarded doesn’t lead anywhere. In fact, it has a detrimental effect on our willingness and ability to act. Knowing much but doing little is crippling.

Picture it this way.

You can accumulate ideas and pile them on your internal “know ledge” – the overburdened shelf for all of the training and teaching you consume but don’t act upon.

OR…

You can carefully curate your consumption and limit your intake to only those things you need to act on right now to empower and inform your next steps.

Sift your consumption so it serves your chosen outcomes.

Don’t just read, do. Don’t just watch, act.

Doing and acting will cement your learning and turn it into a skill.

Writer’s Craft 6.0

This week I’m taking part in a huge bundle of resources for writers that I believe may be helpful to many of my creative family here. At just $49 for the entire library of resources it’s great value, but as I mentioned, the value will be extracted by approaching it in the right way.

There’s a lot in here, so not everything will be relevant right now, but some of it will. Later, other items will come into play and you’ll be able to pull those down from the shelf too.

Browse what’s included and choose one or two on point resources you think will serve you well. Jump into just those, work them, and then move on to other items in the bundle. Don’t try to do everything all at once. Overwhelm petrifies progress.

Click here to see the full lineup!

As you can appreciate this kind of offer is limited so the Writer’s Craft bundle is available for just a short time.

Take a look and get yours now!

In full transparency, I will receive a commission if you purchase through my link, but it won’t cost you extra. Even if I wasn’t an affiliate, I’d still tell you because this deal is a great one for the authors and creatives among us.

For a born again Christian, there is only one place everything begins (and ends).

In Christ.

From Alpha to Omega He is our home.

We go from glory to glory.

Faith to faith.

In Him we live, move and have our being.

Jesus is our beginning, and the end of all things for you. He's before you leading the way, and behind you watching your back.

Jesus is the greatest friend, ally, and business partner you will ever encounter.

Start Here

Whatever your circumstance, make this your starting point.

Still your anxious thoughts and remember…

Jesus, the wisest, most powerful Being in the entire universe is right here with me. He has never left me, nor ever will ever forsake me.

He's here to help me. Right now.

He is my wisdom. My steps are ordered by His grace and goodness. He delights in the prosperity of His servant, and His thoughts toward me are only good, to give me a hope and a future.

Because He is the Beloved, so am I. I am in Him, and He is in me, and I cannot go anywhere without Him.

Nothing is beyond His reach, or too hard or heavy for Him to handle.

That is always your starting point.

Your life and destiny are fully embraced by His faithfulness.

From here, in Christ and confident, take your next step.

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10