Author: Luke

Let the Dream Die

There’s some irony in starting a business, or writing a book, or any other creative endeavor. You have to let the dream die first.

I’m a hobbyist fiction writer. One of the hardest parts about writing is getting over the fear that I’m doing it wrong. It actually kind of cripples me at times.

I worry that a story won’t come out exactly how I want it to. I worry that a character won’t mean as much to the reader as they do to me. I worry no one will like my book because it wasn’t the absolute best it could be.

So I do nothing. I close my laptop and wait for it to be perfect.

The truth is that reality will always look a bit different than our dreams, no matter what. there’s no way around it. Every artist, every businessman, every human has to face this fact.

If you have a dream of doing something daring, something entrepreneurial, something great, go do it. It wont turn out the way it did in your head. It can’t. In many ways it will be better, but first you have to let your hold on perfection die. You have to let the dream die.

Tags writing

Luke's Blog

Letter to Myself

Dear Morning Luke,
I’m having a hard time wanting to go to bed. The sooner I go to bed, the sooner morning comes. And morning always sucks, so why would I want it to come sooner? Let’s try something. I, Night Luke, will list all the reasons not to go to bed, and you, Morning Luke, can weigh in on the other side. If I stay up, I can: watch more YouTube videos about all kinds of things that will easily hold my attention for another hour or two. I could eat ice cream. I really want some ice cream. I was decently productive this evening, so I think I deserve some “relaxation” time in front of the TV. . . never mind that I already watched two episodes of Battlestar Galactica tonight. If I stay up, I COULD be productive and do laundry… or maybe something more fun like YouTube. Okay, I have to admit I’m just stalling now. Fine, I’ll go to bed. Hope you’re happy, Morning Luke. Hope your morning was worth ruining my fun for.
Sincerely,
Night Luke

Dear Night Luke,
It’s nice that you decided to go to bed “early” last night. That was very considerate of you. Might I suggest you skip the half hour of complaining and just go to bed next time? Morning still came too early. You took away my writing time this morning. That being said, this whole day at work flew by because of how productive I was. And I reluctantly owe that to you. Keep up the good work; it was definitely worth it.
Sincerely,
Afternoon Luke (filling in for Morning Luke)

Luke's Blog

Selling Jesus

Some Christians get a little squeamish when they hear people talk about church marketing. They fear that marketing will turn Jesus into a product.

I understand and even admire their hesitation to some extent. Perhaps, like me, they have friends who decide to stay away from church because they think the church is out to snatch their money or rope them into volunteering.

But this fear of marketing really comes from a lack of understanding of what marketing is. High-falutin “Marketing” is not to blame when churches require donations. (Predatory churches is a topic for another post.)

Seth Godin, a nationally recognized entrepreneur and marketing expert, describes marketing as “the stories we tell”.

If THAT is what marketing is, then no church can exist without it. The Church’s whole existence is centered around an incredible story that they believe is true. And not only true, but relevant.

So Church, if you want to grow. Get out there and tell your story. Start “marketing” Jesus.

Tags marketing, religion