ICRS convention- girls night out

(continuing account of my trip to Christian Booksellers convention 2007 in Atlanta)

Saturday morning we took our time getting ready since we didn't really have to be anywhere until noon. Looking very just-woke-up, we went down for the complimentary hotel breakfast. Most of the other people were already showered and dressed with their "face" on but I had sleep wrinkles on my face and morning breath - I had forgotten to pack a toothbrush. We sat eating our yogurt and coffee and talked about our pets. I'm telling you, there is no rhyme or reason to what we will talk about when!

After getting ready and checking into our other hotel, we headed down for the AWSA workshops. Some good information for writers and speakers was being offered, but I had to miss it to go to my meeting with my publisher for God's Purpose for Every Woman. This meeting was in another hotel about 5 blocks away. It was middle of the afternoon in HOT-LANTA and I wasn't sure how to get there so I asked a taxi to drive me. He refused (where is the southern hospitality?) as I assume the fare wouldn't be enough to be worth his time. But he told me which streets to walk down to find it. High-tailing it in my heels so as not to be late, I went. To my surprise I got many cat-calls from the construction workers on a building project I passed (I guess this is their southern hospitality!). I'm thinking the extreme heat gave them delirium, causing me to look look 10 years younger than I actually am.

I got there about 15 minutes early and no one was in the meeting room yet. One of the things I was going to talk with them about was a new book idea I have. Feeling slightly antsy about that, I went into the bathroom to freshen up. Once in there by myself I thought, I should pull out my book proposal and look over it and make sure I'm ready to present this. Then I thought, No, I'm just going to spend this time praying. So I prayed and laid my book proposal on God's alter and told Him "not my will but yours be done." I headed back to the meeting room and waited, and waited, and when the publishers were not there by the prescribed time I really began to get antsy. I started to think I must be so low on their totem pole that they've forgotten they scheduled this meeting with me. I wondered if I could get it rescheduled for another time during the conference, knowing their schedules would be packed. Then I remembered what I had just prayed. And I told God, "If they do not come I will be fine with that and trust You." One minute later they arrived and spent the hour with me. As I mentioned in my first ICRS post, I really enjoyed my time with them.

After this meeting I headed back to change clothes and meet the girls for a night out. Marybeth's friend from high school -Karen- was so wonderful to come all the way to downtown Atlanta to pick up Marybeth, me, Lysa, Micca and Glynnis and take us out. We went to dinner at Applebee's and to see a chick flick. Initially I wasn't ga-ga over the movie. It was slow moving much of the time, jerked back and forth from past to present, and had a couple frustrating characters. But it made me miss my family like CRAZY. I came back to the hotel and called my husband. With tears welling up in my eyes I said,"I'm thrilled to be here but I so wish I could get in a car right now and drive home." Actually, we all called home after that movie. It sparked a lot of good conversation as we sat on our hotel beds that night as well. It was really good in the midst of this career-oriented convention trip to be reminded of what's truly important.

Sunday morning we got up listened to a great devotion and then all got ready and headed downstairs in the hotel for the AWSA Golden Scroll awards banquet. Lysa was keynoting and did a terriffic job, giving an inspiring message about keeping our focus on God and not on opportunities and exposure. She asked us, "Is God alone enough for you, or is it God plus a best-selling book? Or God plus a big arena speaking event? " See the message that kept emerging for me right and left during this trip?! That night was the Harvest House author's dinner at the botanical gardens, which I already wrote about. It was a lovely!