Thanks, @Stacey Brooks, for your daily blessing. Yes, I personally need it. I’m glad to see you all writing your pieces from time to time. I’m reading you all. Just dropping a message to say I hope you all have a great evening, and I’ll see you in the comment section or in DM. If not, see you next week, when I’ll be sharing with all of you some juicy topics about books, writing, jobs, and any personal stories we want to share. Chat soon 🙂 M

There’s a lot of fear with anxiety around AI right now. “Is it going to replace writers?” “Is it going to take over creative work?” “Is it making people lazy?” I use AI in my writing business almost every day, and here’s what I’ve learned: AI doesn’t replace you. It reflects you. If you don’t know what you’re trying to say, AI won’t magically fix that. If your thoughts are scattered, the output will be too. If there’s no heart behind it, you can feel that immediately. But… If you bring clarity, experience, and intention into it, AI can help you shape that into something powerful. That’s how I use it. I take overwhelming situations, whether it’s a resume, an appeal, or a business document, and I turn them into something clear and structured. AI helps me do that faster. But it doesn’t do the thinking for me. The heart of the writing is still human. The experience is still human. The message is still human. AI is just a tool. So no, I’m not scared of it. I’m learning how to use it better. Because at the end of the day, the people who know how to think clearly and communicate effectively are the ones who will stand out, with or without AI.

Don't know yet what you think but... I think it can. Some writers are shaped by faith as a belief. Others by ritual, doubt, inheritance, mystery, or the language of sacred things. Sometimes what enters the work is not doctrine, but reverence. Not certainty, but awe. And that leads to a second question: Which faith tradition, if any, shapes your storytelling most? And do you ever borrow from others? I’m curious where your stories come from: faith, doubt, ritual, memory, or something harder to name.

Those of us who make a living from writing, myself included, and some of you too, now live with this constant pressure: AI will replace you. I understand it. The hype is enormous. But working as a copywriter and translator, I realise that much of that hype is false. Yes, the job has become leaner for copywriters. But the level of writing? Uuummm... Writers are different. A novel carries heart and mind. It carries shades and subtleties that shape a particular author’s personality. Literature written by a human hand is alive. It is a body that sweats, bleeds, and trembles. AI writing is impressive, but it still lacks the colours and flavours that come from human experience, precisely because it cannot have human experience. And that is where I know that, however magnificent AI may become, it still lacks that quantum leap. We will be flooded with books written by AI. That is fine with me. I already struggled to find a truly good book written by a human being, so an AI book will not trouble me much, because for me, there are two things that make me read a book: the idea behind the story, and the style. I was watching some cinematic videos made with AI. Beautiful. Truly at film level. But they were missing exactly what real artists have: that original idea, written or shaped in a masterful, singular way (think about Star Wars, Marvel heroes or manga, for example). What do you think about AI? Does it scare you? Do you use it? Are you curious to try it?

Hugs are more powerful than many people realize. Something as simple as a warm embrace can affect both your body and your mind. Hugs can calm you down, help you feel supported, reduce feelings of loneliness, and even create measurable changes in stress hormones inside the body. That is one reason hugs can feel so comforting during difficult seasons of life. Hugs Help Reduce Stress One of the biggest benefits of hugs is their ability to lower stress. When you hug someone you trust, your body often releases oxytocin, sometimes called the "cuddle hormone." Oxytocin helps promote feelings of safety, trust, calmness, and connection. At the same time, hugs may help lower cortisol, which is one of the body's main stress hormones. Studies have found that receiving hugs can reduce cortisol responses after stressful situations, helping the body recover more quickly. Hugs Can Improve Mood Hugs may also help increase dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins, which are chemicals linked to happiness, pleasure, and emotional well-being. That is one reason a hug can sometimes help when someone feels anxious, sad, lonely, or emotionally overwhelmed. Physical affection may help reduce feelings of depression, anxiety, and emotional distress. Hugs Help People Feel Safe and Connected A hug is not just physical. It can also communicate love, comfort, reassurance, empathy, and support without saying a single word. Many people feel calmer after being hugged because hugs can strengthen emotional connection and reduce feelings of loneliness. Touch is often described as a "social safety signal" because it reminds people they are not alone. This can be especially important during stressful times, grief, fear, or emotional pain. Hugs May Help Your Heart and Immune System Research suggests hugs may support heart health by lowering blood pressure and heart rate during stressful situations. Some studies also suggest hugs may help strengthen the immune system because they reduce stress, and chronic stress can weaken the body's natural defenses.