My good friend and fellow author, Ashley Clark, had a fantastic post on The Writers Alley yesterday. It caused me to ponder this whole transition from one side of ‘published’ to the other.

A few weeks ago, Ashley was kind enough to remind me of something.

I’d lost sight of celebrating.

That may seem really strange for someone who has waited over ten years to get “The Call”. I should have been swinging from rafters, blowing up balloons, dancing the Snoopy Dance that Beth Vogt is often sharing, and reveling in the reality that this writing dream of mine was finally coming true.

But I didn’t take the time to do it.

Truth is – my life didn’t change all that much from before and after. I was still busy. I still had deadlines (just different kinds), and I still had to fit writing into the regular everydayness of being a wife, mother, and speech-language pathologist. There didn’t seem to be TIME to celebrate!!

There were three new deadlines to meet, so I just scheduled them into my life as a usual course and didn’t STOP to celebrate.

What was I thinking?

I wasn’t. I was resorting to my usual survival skills without celebrating something BIG God just did in my life!

So it took a friend to hit me upside the head with an encouraging word to help me realize what had happened.

I’ve had a dream come true. A lifelong dream. A dream God started cultivating in me when I was a little girl. To be a writer. To see one of my stories in print. To have the opportunity to share the beauty of God’s love through the avenue of storytelling.

That’s worth celebrating.

And God didn’t just answer my dream with one book. Within three months I had three contracts. WOW!

So today … I’m celebrating a dream come true.

My husband’s taking me to dinner tonight so we can celebrate too.

Nothing changed on the outside really. I’m still busy. I still have deadlines (just different kinds). I still have to fit writing into the regular everyday things, but … my perspective has changed. I’ve stopped to be thankful for this long-awaited moment instead of pushing it behind all the things I ‘have to do next’ in my day.

Today, as I sit here with my stuffy nose, I’m celebrating all the wonderful family and friends who’ve dreamed this dream with me. I’m celebrating hard work and diligence. But mostly, I’m celebrating God’s timing. His perfect timing in making this dream come true.

Thank you all so much for your encouragement, support, guidance, and laughter along the way. I’ll still need it, as I hope I can also give back to you!

Come celebrate with me.

I’m not new to deadlines – as a speech-language pathologist and university instructor, I’ve had deadlines on a smaller scale for a long time.