I know it's been a long time coming. I know I need to post regularly and be more engaged with readers and social media followers. I've known that I needed to be more intentional about gathering a following of people interested in the work I do. Or even just interested in what's going on with me. (without being a stalker about it.)

Why?

Because my agent says so. 

Followers bring an audience, and engagement shows interest. Apparently these are important things to potential publishers. 

So I've been researching and learning and taking notes. It would all be super easy if I could hire a web designer, a tech person, a social media expert, and someone to give me a massage and cook my dinner and make sure my coffee mug is full. 

But it's just me. 

Come on....you can say it...I know you want to! You can help me out in a HUGE way by following me on some of my social media accounts. Sign up for my email list. (don't expect more than one email a month. or one email per season. Let's go with the second one!)
Click on the social icons and come hang out with me on social media. I'll be cleaning some of these up to be more relevant to life, living, life-story, legacy and writing over the coming weeks. 

No promises on how quickly all this will happen. 

Unless someone wants to come cook my dinner, bring me coffee and give me a massage. It's amazing how much I can get done when motivated by food, caffeine, and the promise of relaxation. 

Sometimes a song tells the story better than I can.

There's a line in this song that resonates with my soul today: 

"...the honest cry of breaking hearts
​is better than a hallelujah
sometimes."

That's where I am today. Crying out. Trying hard to trust. 

And thanks to God's grace, I can say "hallelujah." Even if it doesn't sound exactly like that. 

That's my story. Today. What's yours?

Flight arrangements are made, bags are packed, rides for pickup are set, appointments upon arrival are made. 

Everything is in place. For something new.

I'm traveling to Biola University to teach a continuing session on legacy writing and memoir at the Southern California Christian Writers' Conference. 

Teaching at writers' conferences is a new thing for me.

So is flying to them. 

So is having an agent, hanging out in publishing circles and shaking hands with authors and speakers I've admired from behind the pages of their books.

Brian and I have sent our kids all over the country and to different countries on mission trips. My daughter went to Spain for a semester without really knowing the language until she was submersed in it. We have a son who has had several random opportunities to attend things like national leadership conferences and presidential inaugural balls. One of our sons moved 14 hours away to follow his dream. We have seen each of our kids roll with several risky and exciting opportunities. Probably a little bit afraid at first. But always with our encouragement.

It's my turn to do a big-kid thing. They are sending me off, encouraging me, reminding me that this and the potential for what could happen has been a dream on my heart for a lot of years. 

I don't know what is going to happen when I land at LAX. But I do know that there is a new thing just around that corner. For the people who attend the conference. And maybe even for me. I'm excited to be a part of both.

It's one of those Holy Spirit Adventures. One that I couldn't have predicted even a month ago.

Stay tuned.