Tuesday, October 21, 2008

And Then Something Happened...



Two days ago, I spent five hours filming. (My eyes are still recovering from those studio lights.) Tomorrow, Lindsey will undergo the same thing. It's about time that we tell you what we've been up to-- but before we do, let's rewind a few months.

In June, I waved goodbye to my last competitive speech tournament. At first, I'd laughed at the idea of missing it. "Me? Nostalgic? About speech? Uh...no." It's not that I dislike speech. I love it. I just didn't want to be someone whose highlight in life occurred in highschool-- I wanted to be able to move on.

Yet there I was, feeling awfully speechless in this strange new world of graduation.

Some years ago, Lindsey and I had a vague ambition to put together a conference for young women that would deal with issues related to Beauty from the Heart. At least, that was the idea. We didn't begin to pray seriously over the matter until this past spring, when we found ourselves constantly entreating God for wisdom and guidance. As we prayed and sought our parents' counsel, it began to look more and more probable that He was directing us to take the next step.

So, one month after Nationals, Lindsey came to visit. Is it weird for a friend to fly from California just so she can sit around writing all day? Weird or not, that's what Lindsey did. She stayed at my house for an entire month, and we wrote sessions together. Admittedly, we did take a trek into downtown Dallas, we did have adventures, and I did introduce Lindsey to coffee drinking--but for much of the time, we sat in my room writing for "the workshop". Of course, we didn't have a location for "the workshop" yet. We both felt passionately about the message, but we wondered if any doors would open.

It was on one such afternoon that a friend in Virginia asked us to call her. She had a particular matter of business to discuss. Our curiosity was piqued. We called.

"Hannah? Lindsey? The Lord has been laying on my heart the importance of what it is you're wanting to say. I didn't really think it was important before. Now, I'm wondering if I could help you put on a conference in my area."

A few months later, the dates are set. We're now officially organizing full-day Beauty from the Heart conferences in Richmond, Virginia and Dallas, Texas. (Virginian and Texan readers, if you want to help, we'd love to have you.) About two weeks ago, I officially signed on with a literary agent to represent my book to publishers. The book has been revamped three times since the first draft was complete six months ago. This weekend, I spent five hours in a studio filming the conclusion to a video promo we plan to launch soon. Lord willing, Lindsey will be filming more tomorrow. The site is being re-designed. Things are happening.

Still, there are huge hurdles ahead. Signing with a literary agent is one thing, but for an eighteen year old, first-time author to find a publisher in the midst of an economic crisis-- well, that's quite another matter. Lindsey and I are still working on writing sessions and organizing conferences in between school, a college course, and a part-time job. Never have we felt our insufficiency so keenly. We know that these endeavors may flop, and if they do, everyone who reads this blog will know it. That's okay.

James 4:14-15 says, "...you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.'"

If the Lord wills, we will do this. I'll be honest with you: I was overwhelmed thinking about this project a few months back. Lindsey and I have both see-sawed from optimism to "I don't know how we can do this". I was also apprehensive about letting everyone know about our doings on this blog, since I don't want anyone to think that we're trying to promote ourselves. (We aren't that special, and the last thing we need is to start thinking we are.)

The difference now is confidence in God's involvement. I agree with something Lindsey said: "I think God is excited to see Himself glorified." Whatever makes God happy, I want to be excited about. Forget us. If the Lord wills, He'll make it happen. The honor will be His. And if it doesn't work out, it's because He has other plans. Isn't this exciting?