All right, I'm going to be posting here my progress writing a nonfiction book using Shawn's methodology, as outlined in his course Wordsmith Academy. It's supposed to be finished in 6 weeks. Because of the holidays and other potential interruptions, as well as many other projects that I'm simultaneously doing, it might take me longer than 6 weeks, though I will try my best to stick to the schedule. That said, I am having a bit of a health issue too, and I do not want to compromise my health. I have written and published nonfiction books before, notably "Hypoglycemia for Dummies" and "The Encyclopedia of Hepatitis C and Other Liver Diseases." I have also written newspaper columns, articles, essays, poems, and short stories. I have been working on a YA (Young Adult) sci-fi urban fantasy novel.

One problem I have never had is a lack of ideas. I'm bubbling with them! So the issue I have is that I have lots of ideas for books. Even as I work on one, I get more and more ideas for other books. What do I do? How shall I approach this? @Shawn Helgerson or @Yvette Muhammad -- who have, or are, writing a book(s) -- or anyone else -- do you have any suggestions?

In my book, I Have Decided, I decided not to break it into chapters because the phases I talk about are more like movements that need to happen simultaneously. This morning I finished writing Movement 3. I’m very pleased with how it came out and I wanted to share it with you guys: Movement 3: Develop Inner Knowing ## The Voice Beneath the Noise Jesus told a parable about ten bridesmaids waiting for a wedding. In that time and place, weddings worked differently than they do now. The bridegroom would travel to the bride's village to claim his wife and bring her back to his home for the wedding feast. But travel was unpredictable. No Uber. No Google Maps. No cell phones to text "running 20 minutes late." Sometimes the bridegroom arrived in the afternoon. Sometimes late at night. Sometimes not until the next day. The bridesmaids' job was to be ready whenever he arrived. They would light the path with oil lamps, leading the way through the village to the bride's home, then accompanying the wedding party to the feast. But if your lamp went out while you were waiting—if you ran out of oil—you couldn't light the path. You couldn't fulfill your role. You'd miss the wedding entirely. So Jesus told this story: Ten bridesmaids are waiting for the bridegroom. Five are wise—they brought extra oil for their lamps. Five are foolish—they didn't. The bridegroom delays. Hours pass. Everyone falls asleep. At midnight, someone shouts: "The bridegroom is coming!" The wise bridesmaids trim their lamps. They have oil. They're ready. The foolish ones realize their lamps have gone out. They panic and run to buy more oil. While they're gone, the bridegroom arrives. The wedding party forms. The wise bridesmaids light the path. Everyone goes in to the feast. When the foolish bridesmaids return with their fresh oil, the door is shut. "Too late." ## WHAT THIS PARABLE ISN'T ABOUT I grew up in evangelical churches where this parable was used as a warning about the rapture. If you didn't believe in Jesus the right way, if you weren't saved according to the proper formula, Christ would return and you'd be left behind. The door would shut. You'd be damned.

It’s been about two weeks since I started seriously doing this work. As you know, I’m a federal employee during the government shutdown, still required to work, but not receiving a paycheck. So, this is helping me learn the lessons in The Abundance Experiment. Here’s a list of unexpected things that have happened: - New Jersey gives a tax refund each year and I wasn’t sure when it would arrive. A check for $1,500 came the day after I maxed out my credit cards and spent the last dollar in my checking account. I literally never went a day without resources - the timing was absolutely perfect. - The next day, I got an extra check from the tax refund program for an additional $564.. - A couple of days later, I got a call from my mortgage company asking if I would like to refinance my home at a lower rate which would save me $124 a month, and if I do it now, I wouldn’t have to make my November or December mortgage payments - saving me almost $4,000 over the next couple months coming up to the holidays. - I won a contest from Grant Stone Shoes (high quality shoes are my hobby) and got some free shoe cream and a cool shoe brush. - I started working with my Virtual Assistant, @Tunde Muili who has some amazing ideas, great focus and energy, and is really moving things forward. - I got a message from a cousin that she read and loved my book, In A Little While which is fantastic because she’s exactly the demographic I’m aiming for - evangelicals who love Christianity but who’ve wanted to leave but don’t because they love the faith, but see how toxic the American church has become. Who knows where THAT could lead. - Kelly and I had a major breakthrough in our financial relationship - we’re communicating much more openly and honestly which is a HUGE stress relief. - When I sat down to pay my monthly bills, I didn’t hesitate, didn’t get anxiety, and actually felt a bubble of joy with each payment. It was NUTS! I’ve never felt like that when paying a bill before. I was actually anxious to sit down and pay my bills and it was FUN!

In order to avoid gamification here in The Abundance Institute, I came up with a different ranking system I thought could be a good way to help each other develop: The Guild is the craft side of The Abundance Institute.* Guild titles aren’t automatic; they’re conferred by peers when you reach certain Skool levels and have demonstrated meaningful contribution.* 🌱 Apprentice • Unlocks at Skool Level 1 • Granted automatically when you join • Access to The Abundance Experiment foundational course • Focus: learn the soil and rhythm of abundance 🌾 Journeyman • Unlocks at Skool Level 3 (with peer confirmation) • Access to The Mustard Seed Principle course • Recognized for consistent engagement and supportive presence 🌳 Craftsman • Unlocks at Skool Level 6 (with community vote) • Eligible to host or co-host community calls • Models abundance through mentorship and steady contribution 🌺 Master Craftsman • Unlocks at Skool Level 9 (by invitation and peer approval) • May create and host paid courses within TAI and keep proceeds • Helps shape the future of the Institute and mentors other leaders How Guild Advancement Works: 1. Post a Request: When you reach the Skool level tied to your next Guild rank, make a post titled something like: “Request for Journeyman Recognition – [Your Name]” In that post, share:• What you’ve learned and integrated• How you’ve contributed to others’ growth• How abundance is showing up in your life or work 2. Tag Two Members: Tag at least two peers who can confirm they’ve been mentored by you or benefited from your insight. 3. Community Vote: The community replies Yes or No in the comments. When a clear majority supports your advancement, your new rank is confirmed. 4. Receive Your Invitation: Each Guild advancement brings a personal invitation to new spaces or privileges: • Journeyman → access to The Mustard Seed Principle; • Craftsman → option to host or co-host calls; • Master Craftsman → option to create and host paid courses and retain proceeds