This is Crazy.

 Made it to Colorado Springs and the conference is about to begin! Here are some highlights so far...

Mexican lunch with author friends Peter & Tonya Leavell, Michelle Cox, Ken and Deb Raney, Deb & Michael Ehret

Approaching The Broadmoor Resort, my home for the next three days

The view from my room

It's a shabby little place but I'll survive somehow.

This ain't hard to get used to.

Thank goodness there's a TV in the bathroom (not shown in picture).

And another view from the room.

De Jour List for Saturday at Writing for the Soul Conference

Mom gave a copy of her book to our new friend, Edina, from Florida

Thanksgiving of the Day: slept so good last night Mom had to shake me awake 15 minutes after our alarm had gone off! (No, I’m not deaf – I was using ear plugs.)

Talk of Day: Barbara Nicolosi on “Where Have All the Heroes Gone?”  Oh. My. Goodness. SO good.

Me and Kim Peterson

Meeting of the Day: Finally getting to meet and have lunch with Kim Peterson, my mentor through my current course and also my first course last year.

Lesson of the Day: Learning visual imagery from the most AMAZING and high energy, animated instructor Dennis Hensley. If you read Leslie Holden’s romance novels… you’ll be interested to know that’s a pen name. Doc Hensley is a former marine, present university prof and writes a lot of other stuff under his real name. Guess they figure nobody would read a romance written by someone named Dennis.

Quote of the Day: “Success with God at its centre is not a goal; it is a daily process.” (Augustine said this; Davis Bunn applied it in his talk this morning.)

Business of the Day: An appointment with agent Rachel Kent and her invitation to send my proposal.

Temptation of the Day: To send off my proposal immediately upon request rather than waiting until I get home and can take time to ensure it meets their individual requirements. RESIST!

Goof of the Day: showing up at my 10:45 appointment at 9:45, then having to scramble to get to the right person. Being late for anything here is considered really bad form.

Affirmation of the Day: Attending a workshop led by Todd Starnes of FOX News and learning I’m doing some things right with my newspaper column!

Musical treat of the Day: singing “Revive Us Again” with the whole group, but changing it to “Revise Us Again.”  Works on so many levels, especially in this crowd.

Moment of the Day: seeing Mom laugh so hard the tears were running down her face at Todd Starnes’ hilarious after dinner talk tonight.

Prayer Request of the Day: for a safe flight home tomorrow!

De Jour List for February 17 at Writing for the Soul conference, Denver, CO

Tears of the Day: Sammy Tippet’s talk on “Five Reasons for Suffering.” (The first and most important? “I don’t know.”)

Challenge of the Day: To read one classic a month for five years - from Visual Imagery instructor and Hollywood screenwriter Barbara Nicolosi. (I’m considering it.)

Lesson of the Day: Learning the “Snowflake” method of novel plotting from Randy Ingermanson.

Quote of the Day: “Difficulties and setbacks are inconsequential to people of destiny.” – Dr. Dennis Hensley in his talk on what life is all about.

Business of the Day: My appointments with agents Blythe Daniel and Terry Burns. The first took my only printed copies of my manuscript and proposal; the latter wants me to email my proposal.

Encouragement of the Day: When agent Blythe Daniel told me she was moved to tears to see how happy Jim and I were over Peter’s victory at the big announcement.

Moment of the Day: praying with an extremely nervous lady named Trish while we both awaited our appointments (and being thankful for my acting/public speaking experience!)

Thanksgiving of the Day: my lungs are doing just fine.

Toast of the Day: “Champagne to our real friends and real pain to our sham friends.” – International Punster of the Year Richard Lederer.

Musical treat of the Day: exquisite piano playing by 10-time Carnegie Hall pianist Randy Atcheson. Even better than Schroeder.

Prayer Request of the Day: for a decent sleep tonight.

Mother of the Day: Norma Klassen. The best 80-year old trooper ever.

Honour of the Day: Lunch at Jerry Jenkins' table

Exciting New Developments...

Well, it would be downright silly of me to not post this exciting new development on my very own blog, now wouldn't it? And here. Thank you Lord! Though I admit I question your timing since I hadn't planned on attending this year's conference.

While awaiting the announcement of the final five, I kept thinking it would be simpler if I didn't make it onto the list. I could be sad for a day or two and then get on with my regularly scheduled programming. I'd get my critique, re-work the book again, enter an improved version next year. Save up enough money in the next year, book vacation for conference time, and hopefully, be feeling healthy again by then. Perfect timing, in my eyes.

Instead, I am now trying to decide whether to go this year. Money's tight but not impossible. Time off work can be arranged. It's the health thing that's holding me back, even though everyone I love is encouraging me to go. I'm just not sure they get how crappy I feel most of the time. And we all know right where we want to be when we're sick, right? Our very own bed!  Not in mile-high city where you have to drink a gajillion glasses of water a day just to stave off altitude sickness. Not a thousand miles away at a big-time conference where you have to look good and be "ON" every moment of the day as you try to sell your book to the right editor and agent. It takes an incredible amount of physical and emotional energy, at least for a basically introverted bumpkin like myself.

I realize how horribly spoiled and ungrateful and wimpy this must sound. I just think it's a horrific lot of money if I end up skipping out of half the events so I can sleep.

And then I remember I may be even less well next year. I may not place next year. They may not even hold the contest next year, OR the conference, for that matter. And if by some miracle I did win this year, I'd be kicking myself for years if I wasn't there.

What is God saying to me? Does "Be still and know..." mean I'm to be still and stay home? Let the chips fall? Or does it mean to go, trusting him to handle the health and energy issues? His strength in my weakness and all that. Or does it really matter to him one way or the other? I suspect He's far more concerned about whether my heart's surrendered to his. If anyone has any wisdom to share, I'd appreciate it!