Rhyme and Reason

Happy Thursday to all...

Don't forget to enter the latest Poem Off over at Travis W. Inman's blog. This should be a really fun one. I have no idea what my finished product will be like, but it's starting to churn in my head. Entries are due by this Sunday night.

Switching gears, I have a little update for you. Some of you ask me from time to time how my writing is going. I had a couple of developments last week. First, I found out that another member of the writers' group I've been attending decided to help me along in my writing pursuits. =) This is a dear, older gentleman who always has a twinkle in his eye and something up his sleeve. From our group time he had a copy of a couple of my poems--one I had actually labored over, and one I threw together for a group assignment. My phone rings a couple of weeks later, and it's a writing professor who helps publish a local, periodic, literary gazette. Apparently the gentleman took it upon himself to submit my poems for me. They're being considered for inclusion in the publication, and the professor said they'll most likely be in there. She realized that I didn't know they were submitted and called to get my permission. Not to take anything away from the other writers, but while it's a compliment, this isn't like winning Poet Laureate status. Still, it's nice to hopefully be included. Now I need to be extra careful what I bring to the group!

Update Number Two: I registered for the Glorieta Christian Writers' Conference in October. I'm very, very excited (grinning as I write this)! Three hundred-plus attendees and lots of professional writers, editors, and agents will be there. I've been thinking and praying about this for months--David, too. I've been torn partly because that's the same time as Reality Weekend, one of the biggest events for our youth group each year. Isn't it often a challenge to struggle with multiple priorities and callings on your life? I felt guilty for even considering "skipping out" on our teenagers, and had about decided not to go to the conference. But after more prayer and talking with David, we decided together that God wants me to go. David is so supportive, which is invaluable to me.

While there I'm hoping ta lurn how ta write bettur, maybe meet some new friends, and learn more about the business, which is fascinating to me. It's still hard for me sometimes to tell people that God has called me to write, especially since I don't know what direction He wants me to take. But I do know that He wants me to make tracks to Glorieta...and I can't wait to go.