Surfacing…

I’ve been away from the blog for weeks. First with a business trip to Denver, then returning to South Carolina with a heck of a cold. Ugh. It’s been at least a year since I’ve been sick, and considerably longer since I’ve been sick like that. I’m at the tail end now and finally getting my energy and spark back enough to have the desire to write.

I’m still working my way through my writing workshop. Exciting news is we’re actually on the writing part! There were weeks of preparation to go through, and i’m so glad I was obedient and did that ground work. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve alredy had to call on the scriptures I wrote out to help keep my focus on writing v. on all the thoughts as to why I can’t write that have wanted to creep in.

I’m about mid-way through my book, but I needed to step away. I’m in the middle of the hard part and I’m working through what to put in and what to leave out. What’s important to the story v. what is purely cathartic for me. Because what is cathartic for me does not necessarily carry the story of hope for someone else. And this time I am not writing to heal, I am writing to help where I can.

Which leads me to an awesome opportunity. Through this writing course I have been gifted the opportunity for a 15-minute session with a literary agent. I have a meeting at 1pm ET on March 13th. As in next week. After the initial excitement settled I was left with a bunch of overwhelming thoughts and feelings. “Who am I to think I have something special to share?” “Who’s going to read this anyway?” You name it, the thought came in to overwhelm me. Like I said, I am thankful for the preparation — I was able to pull out verses that spoke directly to those fears…

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

So that is my sincere prayer for right now. To be filled with peace and hope. To be so filled with these things I have no room for fear. So far, so good for early this Monday morning.

I sat down to do my one-sheet summary for the agency. Something they requested I submit before our meeting. I’m sure to give them a sense of my writing as much as a sense of my story. I felt ready to write it out this morning and thank goodness it seemed to flow. I’m such a novice at this part. Not at writing, but to the world of publishing. I have no idea what I’m doing … but I sure am willing to learn.

Oh, and on a connected note, but still different…I got my first tattoo while I was in Denver. I inked “Grace” on my left forearm. It is my overriding story of His work in my life and I wanted it in a place I would see every day.