How to Make My Book Come True

I played a game at a summer camp about ten years ago.  It was an ice-breaker and when you picked a playing card you had to reveal something about yourself depending upon what card you drew.  If you drew an 8, you were to describe your ideal Date (D8, get it?)  and if you picked a 3, you were to name your three favorite desserts.  You get the idea?  Well, I remember selecting a 10 from the deck and I was to complete the sentence: "Ten years from now I will have....."   And I said, "Written a book!"  

Interestingly, at the time I had neither an idea for a book nor any inkling on what it might be about.  But here it is about ten years later and I am polishing up a book proposal for a devotional I have entitled:

Dear Friend, Love Jesus 

Hearing Him Speak to You Through Scripture

Devotions for Every Day of the Year.

I am heading to a Christian Writer's Conference in Overland Park, KS next weekend and my plans are to soak up as much as I can from all the editors, authors, and writers who are presenting or attending.  I am also going to sit down with an editor and have them review my proposal and samplings of my work.  I am as excited as a senior in high school heading off to college-- and as nervous as that same student! 

What on earth will I encounter?  So far, all signs indicate I will be met with the most compassionate people on God's green earth.   Fellow writers who know what it is like to want to write well and perhaps publish something of worth.  I received an email from one of the conference coordinators and she was more than kind.  She told me she is the greeter and will meet me at the registration table.  I am to look for the white haired lady with the hat.  I cannot tell you how comforting that was to know I will be welcomed by Sally in her hat.   I already like her!

I sense that God nudged me to go to this conference.  He nudged me to buy a few books prior to finding this conference online.  The books helped me put together the proposal and gain some insider understanding on how publishing works.  Reading those books scared the socks off me; but after I put my socks back on, I found the advice to be my saving grace.   To go to the conference ill-prepared would have been more discouraging than uplifting.  But having done some of the 'home work' that is necessary to fully benefit from the conference has given me confidence and courage.  I am sure that I have more to learn than I even realize---how does one know what they don't yet know?  But I sense that God wanted me to prepare my mind and my manuscript in such a way as to be able to take full advantage of this trip and what the conference has to offer.

I have no idea where this will lead.  But I had no idea that tens year's ago the 10 of Diamonds would have led to this!    So, I follow His lead.  For now He says to keep writing and learning and following...

The theme of the Conference is entitled "For Such a Time As This" (based on Ezekiel 4:14)   Have I been called to write for such a time as this? 

More to come post-conference!