Kingdom Gardening

Repotted my bell pepper, the one in the round pot and brought both it and my jalapeño inside to overwinter.

The rest of the chilli plants I stripped back to stems and also brought inside to store till next year.

Keeping in water is only temporary; I will repot into small tubs and keep dormant till next year

Just recorded 432 hz flute, lyre and drum a simple ancient melody on the lyre and flute

 

Recorded today - lyre, drum & flute. Am 432Hz. Ancient, simple. Shepherd on the mountain. Album 'King David's Lyre' / 'A Shepherd's Lyre' - coming in 4 weeks. DNS © 2026.

Had to retune my lyre harp to Am 432 Hz. It kept going out of tune, as it was in a centrally heated room.

First of a 5-track album recorded today 

This was so cool when the internal light worked

Make melody in your heart to the Lord

 

thank you world

 

From Garden to Bowl — Why Homegrown Wins

 

Look at this board. Broccoli stalks, cauliflower leaves, fresh garlic — the bits the supermarket bins, but we turned into soup today.

No spray. No weedkiller. Just filtered water, steam, and 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt.

This is why I grow my own.

Homegrown & Organic:

✓ Picked minutes before cooking — vitamins still alive
✓ Zero waste — we eat the leaves, stalks, skins, everything God provided
✓ No chemical aftertaste — just clean, sweet flavour
✓ Soil stays alive — worms, bees, and healthy microbes thrive
✓ You know what’s NOT in it

Heavy Glyphosate Use:

That’s the stuff they spray to kill everything green so they don’t have to weed. Quick for big farms, but it leaves residues on the crop, in the soil, and in the water. It kills more than weeds — it knocks out the wildflowers bees need and the soil life that makes food nutritious in the first place.
I’ve pulled weeds by hand in my pots in Dewsbury. It’s slower, but my potatoes, tomatoes, radishes and greens have never needed a chemical shortcut.

My choice is simple:

If my grandmother wouldn't use it, neither shall I; I won’t spray it on my garden.

Today’s soups prove it: Garden Tomato, Spring Onion & Radish — skins slipped, seeds saved, blended fresh

Broccoli & Cauliflower Greens & Garlic — steamed 10 mins, blended with filtered water, finished with Greek yoghurt

Fresh. Clean. Blessed. 

Grow what you can, where you can. Even a pot on a windowsill is a start.

DNS 2026 | Kingdom Blessings | Home Grown, No Glyphosate

#GrowYourOwn #Organic #ZeroWaste #NoGlyphosate #KingdomBlessings #Homegrown

Garden tomato soup my very own recipe

 

Thank you to all who downloaded

 

Thank you — Kingdom Poetry Volume 1 reached 7 countries!

Volume 1 had readers in the UK, USA, Germany, France, Canada, Japan, and Italy this week — thank you to everyone who downloaded.

Both Volume 1: Taking The World By Storm and Volume 2: New Beginnings are now available at £2.99 / $2.99

Kingdom Poetry volume 1: taking the world by storm 

Kingdom Poetry volume 2: New Beginnings  

Dare to Believe — The Poetry of God's Promises

Alpha and Omega

 I am the God of your forefathers 

I was, I am, I shall come again

I was dead, but I am alive for evermore

I have always had good plans for you 

I am the Love that will not let you go

I created the seas and the stars 

It is I that hold them in place

I am Creator and Sustainer 

I am Justice

I am Fire

Let me clothe you in my Glory

Let me shine from within you 

I am the beginning and the ending 

You shall inherit from my abundance

Because you are my beloved

I shall pour out such a blessing in these days that there will not be room to contain it 

Let no man be in doubt 

I  am among you 

I shall clothe you 

I shall feed you 

I shall heal you 

Are you blind?

Are you deaf?

Are you lame?

Let those curses be lifted

Be in no doubt: I have overcome the enemy 

I bought back your dominion 

And now I offer it back freely

I hold the keys to death

I shall bless you 

Come to me, for my hand is open 

Take what I offer you 

Amen

Thanks for downloading my Book

"Thanks for downloading this week. If you enjoyed it, could you tap a star rating on Amazon? Just stars are enough — no need to write anything. It helps my book show up in Amazon's search."

11,720 Views + My Book in 7 Countries — Thank You

My poetry family —

Kingdom Poetry just hit 111,720 all-time views. 226 of you today.

If you read poetry here, you'll love Volume 1 — same voice, longer story.

Links:

Kingdom Poetry: Volume 1: Taking the world by storm  https://amzn.eu/d/09lxXK6K

Kingdom Poetry Volume 2: New Beginnings https://amzn.eu/d/0cLC9N01

Thank you for reading — here and on Kindle. https://www.amazon.co.uk/author/davidnicholsslater

If you have Kindle Unlimited, both are free 

— David

kingdom Poetry free promo today only

 📚 FREE TODAY ONLY — Kingdom Poetry Volume 2 📚

My Kindle book is FREE for 24hrs! 👉 https://amzn.eu/d/03cv2Yyg

Direct Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/09oL2mri 

All my links: https://snd.click/@musicalartizan 

 PLUS: 📸 Stock Images: https://stock.adobe.com/uk/contributor/212724136/MusicalArtizanImages 🎹

 Vinyl & Music: https://elasticstage.com/musicalartizan 📷 

Follow me on Instagram — scan the QR code

or click here to connect to Instagram

 @DAVIDNSLATERMUS Free Wed 30th Sept 8am-8am Thu UK time. No Kindle needed — reads on phone. 

 — David Nicholas Slater | Dewsbury, UK https://daretobelieve.biz | DNS © 2026

111,009 Reads + Both Books Now in Paperback — My Kingdom Poetry Journey

111,009 reads on this blog. 1,472,154 across all platforms.

When I started Kingdom Poetry, I wasn't sure anyone would read a poetry blog from Dewsbury about faith, life, and struggle.

Today this blog alone has passed 111,009 reads.

My sister blog, Musical Artizan, is at 130,685 reads.

Combined blogs: 241,694 reads.

Combined with my music:

1,472,154 total plays, views and reads.

Breakdown for the record:

SoundCloud 674K + YouTube 401K + N1M 155K + Blogs 241K
And some personal news:

Both of my Kingdom Poetry books are now LIVE in paperback on Amazon.
Vol 1 and Vol 2 — after years of just this blog, you can now hold them. For those who asked for a physical copy for the bedside table, for church, for a gift — it's done.

I write as a pursuer of excellence. Not perfect. Pursuer. Every poem here has been lived first.
Yorkshire Prestige Awards Winner 2024 — that one meant a lot because it was home. ISSA Gold Active Member — because the songwriting community across the water has carried me.

What's next? More poems, more Psalms, more honest pieces. Vol. 3 is in draft

.

If you've read here, shared a poem, bought a book — thank you. You made 111,009 happen.

DNS © 2026

David Nicholas Slater — Dewsbury Moor, Dewsbury, UK
Books on Amazon: Search "Kingdom Poetry David Nicholas Slater"
Music: https://soundcloud.com/musical_artizan

100,000 READS! 🙏📖I just checked the blog stats, and we've passed OVER 100,000 reads on the Kingdom Poetry blog!

100,000 READS! I just checked the blog stats, and we've passed OVER 100,000 reads on the Kingdom Poetry blog!

From the first poem I ever posted to now having:

Volume 1: Taking The World By Storm

Volume 2: New Beginnings

on Kindle, Hardcover AND now Paperback on Amazon.

100,000 reads. 400 of you here on Facebook. 7 book orders this week. Every single one is because you read, shared, and prayed.

Thank you. Truly.

“Declare his glory among the nations” — Psalm 96:3

The blog will stay free — that's my ministry. The books are there for those who want to hold the poems, gift them, and support the writing to keep going.

If you've been blessed by the blog, consider grabbing the paperback as a thank you — it helps more than you know.

Here's to the next 100,000.

check out my author page here

DNS © 2026

Saved?

 "For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved."

Romans 10 NLT

Have you hid your faith?

Have you told no one?

I tell you, if you shout it from the mountaintops  

Or whisper it in the shadows 

He will hear

and bless you

I tell you, life and death are in the tongue

Speak life, not death

Tell somebody now, in the light of day 

And surely He will respond with kindness

And you will be accepted and clothed with righteousness.

Sin and shame are done away with 

You need bear them no more 

Amen 

 

In between editing my book I'm busy modrocing my bird on a wire

I learnt a sculpture technique at a workshop I go to.

So, in between editing Kingdom Poetry books and the blog, you can find me either painting using water colour or recording flute music with one of my many Native American Flutes. Or doing housework, mopping floors, cooking dinner, baking bread or making kiwi crumble. Or using Sibelius to create brass trios or a full orchestral work.

Although I have a home studio.

I rarely use it these days; I used to use it every day, but now it's once a fortnight.

I have a collection of guitars and ukuleles

A plethora of artwork on my walls, in every room, including the bathroom

I bake bread 

Suffice it to say, I am a very busy man.

I also have a garden which I water every day.

I have just taken delivery of my shopping, 40% off, yippie.

So, just thought I would share my day with you, a behind-the-scenes look at my daily life.

Well, I need to get back to my modrocing; see you soon.

David Nicholas Slater.

Author, Musician,Painter, Sculptor, Entreprenuer, Christian.

My Kingdom Poetry books are available online from Amazon. 

Find my author page here: Kingdom Poetry

Find my music here: Soundcloud, Number One Music, YouTube.

Find my websites here: Radio Station

Find my Christian blog here: Daretobelieve Kingdom Poetry

From Desktop to Cloud: Why My Holy Book Wouldn't Go Online

The last thing I learned: Word Desktop doesn't know the difference between a council and Counsel. Later, I learned Word Online doesn't know my book at all.

After I found "the spirit of council" in my proof copy of Kingdom Poetry, I thought — easy, I'll run it through Word Online. Everyone says the Online Editor is smarter. Punctuation, Conciseness, Inclusive Language — all the things Desktop doesn't have.

I clicked Open in Word Online and got this:

"This file has elements that Word Online can't read"

My holy book was apparently too dubious for the cloud.

Here is everything I found hiding in a KDP Desktop file that locks Word Online out — in case you're a fellow author in Dewsbury or Dallas fighting the same thing.

Error 1: The Header That Wouldn't Die (But Did)

My KDP template had a header on every section. Removing it was easy: double-click top, Remove Header. Done.

Error 2: The Footer That Wouldn't Die (And Wouldn't)

The footer was different. It looked empty. It wasn't.

Inside it was a hidden { PAGE } field code left by Amazon's template. On Windows, you press Alt+F9 to see it. On my Mac, Fn+Option+F9 just triggered a macro.

I pressed Cmd+A, Delete, Delete again. It came back. I clicked Remove Footer. It came back.

The fix: Right-click the page number itself > Remove Page Numbers. Then uncheck "Different First Page" and "Different Odd & Even Pages". On Mac, the real trick is to show ¶ marks with Cmd+8 — that last ¶ in the whole document holds the footer prisoner.

Error 3: Link to Previous is Greyed Out

I Googled it. Every forum said, "click Link to Previous to turn it off."

Mine was grey. Disabled. I thought my Word was broken.

It wasn't broken. It was telling the truth. I was in Section 1. There IS no previous section to link to. That grey button meant my file was split into 30+ sections from all those narrow margin fixes. Word Online can't handle that many sections — it gives up.

Fix: Find and Replace, find ^b (Section Break), replace with nothing. Replace All. Suddenly one book, one section.

Error 4: Compatibility Mode

At the top it said [Compatibility Mode]. That means my file was secretly still a 2003 Word document wearing a 2026 costume. No wonder Online couldn't read it. File > Info > Convert fixed it.

Error 5: Text Boxes for Poetry

I had centred my poems using text boxes to make them look beautiful for the hardback proof. Word Online doesn't edit text boxes. It just locks the file to Read-Only.

So what did I end up doing?

I gave up converting the beautiful version.

I made a second version — a "checker copy". Select all, but don't select that very last ¶ mark, copy, paste into a brand new blank document with Paste and Match Formatting. No headers. No footers. No boxes.

 Just words.

That ugly file opened instantly in Word Online. And the Editor finally worked. It flagged conciseness issues Desktop had never shown me.

I wrote the corrections on paper, then typed those two or three words back into my beautiful Desktop master.

The Lesson

Desktop Word is a printing press. It's built to make things look perfect on paper.

Online Word is an editor. It's built to read meaning in the cloud.

For Kingdom Poetry, I need both. One to make the hardback look like it should be on a pulpit, one to make sure I didn't accidentally turn the Holy Spirit of Counsel into a local council meeting.

If you're writing theology, or anything where one letter changes the Spirit, don't trust one version. Use Desktop to format, Online to discern.

And if your footer won't delete on a Mac — it's not you. It's Amazon.

Grace and (proper) Counsel to you 

David Nicholas Slater

Author, Kingdom Poetry Volume 1: Taking The World By Storm & Volume 2: New Beginnings
Dewsbury, UK

When Spell Check Misses The Spirit: Writing Theology in Word

When Spell Check Misses The Spirit: Writing Theology in Word

I found out this week that Microsoft Word doesn't know its Bible.

I was finalising the proof copies of Kingdom Poetry Volume 1: Taking The World By Storm and Volume 2: New Beginnings — two books that have taken more than 10 years of early mornings here in Dewsbury to write.

On screen, everything looked perfect. No red lines. No blue lines. Word told me I was good to go.

Then I saw it. 

On paper.

"the spirit of council"

Spell checker said it was correct. And technically, it is. Council is a real word. It's a group of people in a room making decisions.

But I didn't write about a council. I wrote about the Spirit of Counsel. Isaiah 11:2. Wisdom, understanding, divine strategy. The Holy Spirit Himself advising us.

One letter. Completely different Spirit.

And Word missed it. Because Word Desktop checks spelling, not meaning.

The Desktop vs. Online Problem

This is what I couldn't figure out until yesterday. Why does Word on my desktop feel... dumber than Word in my browser?

On my laptop, the Editor gives me the basics: Spelling, Grammar.

Online, on Microsoft 365 for the web, the same document suddenly gets superpowers: Punctuation, Conciseness, Formality, Inclusive Language, Sensitive Geopolitical References.
Why?

Because the online version is plugged into the cloud. The Editor there is running AI — Microsoft Editor — which actually reads context. It knows that "council" after "Spirit of" in a theological book is probably wrong. It knows that "prophet" and "profit" are not interchangeable, even though both are spelt right. That "holy" and "wholly" will both pass a spell check but preach two different sermons.
The desktop version I paid for and installed? It keeps most of that offline. It will tell me if I spelt "accommodate" wrong. It won't tell me if I've just changed the Holy Spirit into a local authority meeting.

For a novelist, that's annoying. For a theological writer, it's dangerous.
Theological writing is all context. The difference between a prophet and a profit, 
breaking and breakthrough, grace and grease...is not a spelling issue. It's a meaning issue. 

And a desktop spell checker cannot discern spirits. 

Only a human can.

What I'm Learning To Do: Print it. I had to hold my proof copies — the actual hardbacks with the gold lettering — to see what the screen hid from me. Paper doesn't lie.

Read it aloud. When I read "spirit of council" out loud, my spirit checked it even if Word didn't.

Give it to pastors first. I ordered 2 copies of each volume for my pastors at church for a reason. Not just to bless them, but because they know the difference between counsel and council instantly. As an aside, I also emailed them the final Word documents to make any corrections as they see fit 

Use both Words. I'm now drafting in Desktop, but I run the final check in Word Online just for that Editor panel. It's clunky, but it catches the conciseness and punctuation things Desktop misses.

Microsoft, if you're reading — why does the free online version have more discernment than the desktop version I rely on?

Writing Kingdom Poetry has taught me this: Taking the world by storm starts with getting the words right. And sometimes new beginnings mean realising the tool you trusted can't tell the difference between a committee and the Comforter.

I'll be updating the interior files this week. If you ordered the first Kindle edition on September 17th, you'll get the corrected version automatically.

Grace and Counsel be yours in abundance!

The versions I have edited are online now. Hope I haven't missed anything.

David Nicholas Slater
Author, Kingdom Poetry

Here is my author page: click here! 

Kingdom Poetry Volume 1: Taking the world by storm: click here!

Kingdom Poetry Volume 2: New Beginnings: Click here!

Both Hardcovers Are Now Live — And That Lonely Amen Finally Behaved

It's been a full day.

This morning it was spelling, punctuation and layout fixes. Then it was font size 3 in the Kindle reviewer looking perfect, but my tablet was throwing the word "Amen" all alone at the top of a new page. Anyone who publishes poetry on KDP will know that feeling — you fix one page and the next thirty pages all move.

But tonight, I'm pleased to say — Kingdom Poetry Volume 1 and Kingdom Poetry Volume 2 are both now live in hardcover, as well as eBook.

Two volumes. Four formats. Live on Amazon.

The journey behind it

These poems weren't written to be perfect on a page. They were written in Dewsbury, in real life — in prayer, in the kitchen, in between.

Publishing them has taught me that layout matters too. If a poem takes two pages, that last line and that Amen need to stay together. It's the same with faith — you keep things together; you don't let them get separated and orphaned at the top of the next page.

I learned today about Shift+Enter vs Enter, Ctrl+Enter page breaks, and ticking "Keep lines together" — and I also learned to let a tomato, chilli, sugar and anchovy sauce reduce properly before serving the spaghetti!

Both lessons are the same: don't rush it.

What you will find inside

Volume 1 is where it started — prayers, psalms and pieces from the early walk.
Volume 2 goes deeper — more refined, more citations checked, more concise where it needs to be, but still with the same heart.

Both are now available as: eBook — for your Kindle, tablet or phone

Hardcover — for your shelf, for gifting, for keeping

If you already bought the eBook, or if you got the eBook for free on promotion, thank you. 

If you have left a review at #157k — thank you. You are helping these books find their readers.

What's next

I'll be sharing the links on Twitter and Facebook tonight, with a photo of tonight's celebratory spaghetti — because writing is hungry work.

If you would like to support: Grab the hardcover for your collection
Leave a short review — even "Amen" will do (just not on its own page!)

Share this post with someone who loves Christian poetry

Thank you for walking this road with me.

DNS copyright © 2026
David Nicholas Slater — Dewsbury, England
Kingdom Poetry — Available now on Amazon

Link to my author page: click here 

click here for volume 1

click here for volume 2

Into your lap

 I am the Almighty God 

Do not be disheartened or dismayed, for I am about to pour out into your lap

Something New 

Believe me when I say that all things are mine to do with as I please 

I am creator and sustainer of all things 

I am about to pour out such a blessing for you

Come to me and receive from my open hand 

The doors of heaven are open 

Reach out your hand and take what I offer you 

Obey my commands, and blessing will follow 

Submit to me and resist the evil one 

I am about to do for you what no mortal man can do

I am Alpha and Omega 

The Beginning 

The End

Can you not sense my presence?

Do you not feel my Spirit?

Your life will unfold as it should if you remember to obey my Word

Let it be written on your heart and mind, and you will be renewed in strength and vitality

Have you perceived?

Do you understand?

Come to me, my child, and receive from my open hand 

For it contains everything I want you to have 

I am the Creator; I have spoken

Amen

Honestly I'm a good cook cooking meals and cooking up some prophecy too

 

Find my bookstore here 

read my bio 

David Nicholas Slater is a Christian poet, musician and author from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. His debut collection, Kingdom Poetry, was written from a place of restoration. Through seasons of brokenness and rebuilding, David found that poetry became prayer — each verse a testimony of God's faithfulness. Volume 1: Taking the World by Storm (117 pages) and Volume 2: New Beginnings (103 poems) mark the beginning of the Kingdom Poetry series, sharing hope with the message: From broken ground, new life breaks through. Alongside writing, David is a composer and multi-instrumentalist with music spanning brass trios to contemporary worship, available on all major platforms. When he's not writing, you'll find him in the garden growing tomatoes, in the kitchen making his famous dark toffee, or working on the next volume. He writes to encourage those walking through hard times that God is still writing their story.

Kingdom Poetry is now on a free Promotion for 2 days. Click here

Kingdom Poetry Volume 2 price promotion

 Over the last few days and weeks, I have been putting together 2 kingdom Poetry Books

They will be available on Amazon around the world

Kindle 4.99

Paperback 8.99

Hardback 16.99

My Author Store is LIVE! 🙏 Kingdom Poetry: Volume 1 & Volume 2 Both books are now together in one place. Thank you to everyone in Dewsbury & beyond who supported me. 👇

 Click here to view the books available

Hardcover version, Volume 1: click here

Paperback and hardcover Volume 2 coming soon

Paperback Volume 1 coming soon 

Volume 2 on promotion: free 4 price increases until the full price of 4.99 is reached 

Promotion starts Sept. 19th and ends Sept. 22nd

click here for Kingdom Poetry Volume 2 

A New beginning

I am the God of new beginnings 

You think you have thrown it all away and nothing can be done 

But I tell you, nothing could be further from the truth 

I shall open up a way for you 

I do not want anyone to perish, for I am the creator of life 

It is my desire that life in all its fullness be yours 

Nothing will be held back from you

Everything that I have planned for you will come to fruition 

You may think that the evil one has won 

But I tell you He was made a public spectacle of by the power of the cross.

He has lost all his power and strength because Christ took from him what he stole from you 

and now offers it back to you without cost

come to him and be amazed at what he does

do not be deceived; the enemy disguises himself as light 

But behold, the true light that gives light and life to all men has come 

He is the immortal, eternal Word that became flesh and walked among us 

I am convinced that He shall do for you what no mortal man can do

He heals lepers 

He makes blind eyes see 

The lame walk 

The dead are raised to life

He provides for His children

Open the door to the one who can do it for you.

Amen

after months of downtime our website is operational again

 look us up at https://daretobelieve.biz

God's power is made perfect in weakness

 

jude 1 20-23

 

Psalm 2 1-12

Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the LORD and against his anointed one. “Let us break their chains,” they cry, “and free ourselves from slavery to God.” But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. Then in anger he rebukes them, terrifying them with his fierce fury. For the Lord declares, “I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain.” The king proclaims the LORD’s decree: “The LORD said to me, ‘You are my son. Today I have become your Father. Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession. You will break them with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.’” Now then, you kings, act wisely! Be warned, you rulers of the earth! Serve the LORD with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling. Submit to God’s royal son, or he will become angry, and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities— for his anger flares up in an instant. But what joy for all who take refuge in him!

Listen to me, I will break the nations and smash them like clay pots.

I will fashion all things anew, like a potter on the wheel.

Take refuge in me, and I will rebuild the nations.

Do not scoff at the one who made the heavens and the earth, for he separates sheep from goats.

My Sheep shall come in through the narrow gate and be counted and named and written down in the books of life, not so the goats, they walk a lonely and difficult path, and in the end they will be destroyed.

Say to the nations, be warned, for you shall come under his righteous Judgement and be sentenced according to what you have done. 

The lord is a righteous judge.

Who has the power to set free the condemned!

Come to him and gain your eternal freedom.

Now is the day of salvation, for he is very near to you 

Reach out your hand and take hold of his free gifts

He is standing next to you.

And as you take his hand, he will lead you through to your eternal destiny

He knows how you're feeling right now 

Let him guide. He will set you free from that which incriminates you.

Amen.