Thursday, October 8, 2015

ACFW Conference by Terri Weldon

Terri Weldon
Exactly three weeks ago I attended the 2015 ACFW Conference. I headed to Dallas with a set of expectations – spend time visiting with friends, attend some great workshops, and meet with two agents. Each of those things happened and I could have gone home a happy woman.

However God didn’t stop there, He had so much more planned for me. But then again, doesn’t He always? The thing that amazed me the most about conference was the spiritual aspect. I know, it’s a Christian conference so I shouldn’t be surprised. I’m slow folks, but not that slow. LOL. It may simply be where I am in my writing journey or my spiritual life, but conference this year impacted me in a way it never had before.

Every time I turned around it seemed as if God kept reminding me that the important thing in this journey is Him. Not if I publish more books. Not if I get an agent. Not even if I continue to write. No, the important thing is to ask him if I’m doing what He wants.

My sister and I had been discussing this prior to the conference. So before I even attended ACFW, God had starting preparing my heart. Then Bill Myers, our Keynote Speaker, drove that point home each time he spoke. And finally a friend of mine attended a workshop entitled The Wildness of Writing With God taught by Allen Arnold. He spoke about God being far more interested in the story we live than the story we write. Whether she knows it or not, she was another of God’s messengers simply by sharing her workshop experience. While I’ll admit to having trouble explaining the impact this year’s ACFW Conference had on my life, all I can tell you is that it left me wanting a closer relationship with God. And in the long run isn’t that what this journey is really about?

So what about you, did you attend ACFW? If so, I hope we had a chance to chat. If not, then I’m looking forward to seeing you in Nashville next year. Leave a comment and share a conference experience with me – it can be any conference and any year.

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Misty Winslow is determined to find her prince, and she meets the man of her dreams through an Internet dating service. Or is he, because the new dentist in town also sets her heart aflutter.

It's love at first sight for Tyler Davenport, but before he can finish his first root canal, Misty is involved in an exclusive online romance with Wes99—Tyler’s online persona. How can he tell her he’s the man she’s been waiting to meet, and how rational is it for him to be jealous of Wes99! Soon Tyler's pulling out all the stops to woo Misty.

As Christmas approaches, Wes99 and Tyler both ask her to meet them under the mistletoe. Which man will she choose?

Terri is a lead analyst by day and an author by night. She enjoys gardening, reading, and playing in the hand bell choir. One of her favorite pastimes is volunteering as the librarian at her church. It allows her to shop for books and spend someone else’s money! Plus, she has the great joy of introducing people to Christian fiction.

She lives with her family in Oklahoma. Terri has three dogs – a lovable mutt and two adorable Westies.

Terri is a member of ACFW and OCFW, a local chapter of ACFW. Her dream of becoming a published novelist came true in November 2013 when Mistletoe Magic, released from White Rose Publishing. To learn more about Terri visit her website at www.TerriWeldon.com.