Mail

I love getting mail. The year my family lived in England we had a mail slot in our front door. The mail came really early, and we all ate breakfast with one ear cocked for the tell-tale slap of metal on metal. We couldn't wait for mail from family and friends.

I've always retained that love for the mail. Even though most days my mailbox just contains bills and credit card offers, hope springs eternal. Today I got some mail that will keep my hope stoked for a long time.

My copy of The Reason We Speak came. Months ago, my friend Marybeth Whalen asked our team if we'd like to contribute to her latest book. Me?! Really?! Of course! I didn't feel competent giving speaking advice to speakers, but I did have something I wanted to share.

Today I ripped open the box, yanked out the book, ran my eyes down the table of contents and flipped quickly to p. 115. There it was. "He Speaks: Getting Time Alone with God" by Amy Carroll.

Now I hope ya'll will celebrate with me and know that I'm not bragging. I'm just excited. The only other time that I've had something published was my fourth grade haiku:

Mushrooms in a storm

Umbrellas for frogs and toads

Hiding from the rain.

Now let me just tell you that I can't remember what I ate for breakfast yesterday, so the fact that I remember that pitiful little poem let's you know how excited I was way back then about being published.

The publishing world is tough. I'm waiting for the second time for feedback on publisher meetings. The first round resulted in a mailbox and inbox full of rejection letters. It's all good, though, because I'm learning tons and being refined in the process. It sure was nice to get a little encouragement in the mail today in the midst of my wait. Thanks for the opportunity, Marybeth!

ps--Speaker Girls, don't miss this book! Even though I had to look for my chapter first, I can't wait to read it cover to cover. It's chock full of everything a speaker needs to know from others much wiser and more experienced than I.