Monday, September 26, 2011

My Agent Rocks



At a church service years ago, our pastor mentioned behavior the holy trinity demonstrates that I hadn’t thought about in depth until that point. Now I think about it often.


And I hope to model it every possible chance I get.


Our pastor reminded the congregation how often God points to Jesus in Scripture, how often Jesus points to the Holy Spirit, and how frequently the Holy Spirit points to God. See the common thread? Time spent pointing outward—uplifting another.


And that’s what I want to do right here.


Right now.


My agent, Rachelle Gardner of WordServe Literary won the Agent of the Year Award at the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Conference this past weekend. I screamed like a ferret in church when her name was called. (I realize we don’t know for a fact if ferrets even attend church, but if they do…you know they worship in hoots and hollers.) I lost my voice I cheered so hard (note: larynx related—NOT writing related). I wanted to point to her, to show the whole room how extraordinary she is—how phenomenal she is at her job.


I’ve noticed when I’m intentional about uplifting others I’m less inclined to be self-focused. Encouraging others fuels me.


I’m really proud of Rachelle and quite frankly…I want the world to know.


Happy Monday & I’ll see you back here on Wednesday when I’m hopefully more rested and I’ve stopped writing about ferrets in church.


Anyone you want to encourage (in the purest form of this word’s meaning)?


*Thanks also to the many friends who made me laugh! (I even laughed like a ferret in church.) And laughter is good for the soul. The entire conference was good for my soul. (Loved connecting with so many people!)

20 comments:

  1. That's awesome!! You both look to so lovely!!
    I'm looking forward to hearing more about the conference!

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  2. Beautiful ladies for sure! I'm so glad you had a great time. Your pastor's insight was awesome. :)

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  3. Your agent does rock, and so do you! And your hugs are hilariously uplifting. You made me smile and laugh every time I saw you (which wasn't nearly enough!)

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  4. Amen! You are hilarious! Congrats to her! Your pastor is so right....when I focus on helping others, God always makes sure I'm taken care of.

    tiannamae.blogspot.com

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  5. Wendy, thank you. You've blessed and encouraged me this morning, and I'm humbled. I'm in awe of what you do. Thank you for the honor of working with you! It was so wonderful getting to spend time with you this weekend, and it will be so fun getting your publishing career going!

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  6. I watched the awards ceremony live at home and was so excited to see Rachelle win the agent of the year award. Missed being there, but I hope you had tons of fun and learned a lot! I'll always remember you as the first ACFW member I met in person (last year at the airport). :) God bless, Wendy!

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  7. I'm so proud of Rachelle too!! And I want to thank YOU, Wendy, for always being so encouraging to me at just the perfect times. You are a gift, and I'm thanking God for you this morning.

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  8. Great picture of you two! I'm pinching myself to make sure the last few days actually happened...What a blast to hang out with you. :)

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  9. Wendy, TRUTH!! I want the world to know what an incredible person and agent Rachelle truly is. Thanks for getting the word out. :) Oh, and I LOVE what your pastor said about the Trinity pointing to one another in Scripture to lift up. That will stick with me for a long time. Blessings!

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  10. Sounds like you had a wonderful time and love that your agent received an award! Can't wait to hear more:)

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  11. This picture is fun to look at. Congrats to Rachelle! I follow her as well. So happy for you Wendy! Encouraging words about The Holy Trinity, to read on a Monday.
    Blessings, Susan

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  12. Heartfelt post:) Although I admit I'm still picturing a ferret underneath a pew;)

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  13. What a thrill it was to hear Rachelle's name called when the ACFW Agent of the Year was announced. I shed tears of joy.

    Loved seeing you, Wendy!
    You. Are. The. Best!

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  14. Wendy, great meeting you in person and you're still taller than you look in your headshot! ;)

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  15. Jennifer, Rachelle looked stunning.

    The entire conference went smoothly. I loved my appointments, snuck away to my room to recharge, and laughed my head off on a regular basis. A major success in my eyes.

    Jessica, Yeah, I thought so too. Jesus is perfection and He chooses to lovingly point.

    Erica, Congratulations for being a New York Times Bestseller! And thanks, it would never be enough. Seeing you also made me smile!

    TiAnna, He is so trustworthy that way!

    Rachelle, It's hard to put into words how grateful I am for having an agent like you. But I'll spend my writing career trying as I continue to uplift you. Thanks be to God for you in my life!

    Heidi, I remember meeting you, too. The memory planted and I've been following your progress ever since. How cool you watched the live feed!

    Marla, You were covered this morning. I hope to continue to be there for you when you need it.

    Sarah, Thanks for being a trusted source for me. I so enjoyed being in your company!

    Donna, I think it stuck with me b/c of all people, the Trinity has every right to point inward, but no...

    And AMEN to your TRUTH.

    Kara, I look forward to sharing more. My camera broke so I had the distinct pleasure of whipping out a disposable whenever I wanted a shot. Waiting on the CD (how old school am I)?

    Susan, You know what I love about the picture...how happy we look. It's not always my favorite thing to do--get my picture taken. But standing next to my agent, who had just won, I felt elated and it shows in this picture.

    Mark, Nice! Exactly the image I was trying to convey. :D

    Keli, I can so see tears slipping down your face. I love you.

    Gina, Ah, but I am shrinking. Does my headshot show that? Loved chillin' with you.

    Thanks for swinging by today. I'm gradually readjusting to home and writing life (living in my pjs).

    Now, go tell someone something you love about them.
    ~ Wendy

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  16. Hi Wendy -

    Congrats to Rachelle! From reading her blog and seeing her clients' success, there's no doubt she's in the major leagues. :)

    Blessings,
    Susan

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  17. Hi Wendy,

    Oh you're so right about how encouraging others takes our eyes off ourselves!

    LOVED seeing you! You are a true blessing.

    Mel

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  18. loved this post. it's exciting when people we truly love and hold dear do well and receive recognition for the great things we know about them. :)

    it was so great to share a room with you at conference. you never fail to crack me up. can't wait for next year!

    jeannie
    the character therapist

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  19. Wendy, that's great! I hadn't heard that expression before. Funny! I know the conference must've been great.

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  20. Girlfriend, I always know where to go when I need a laugh! And please take that as a compliment!! Yes, Rachelle is awesome. We are so blessed. More than that, I'm so thankful that the WordServe family has become just that. Family.
    I LOVED hanging out with you, message me your number so I can get in touch when I'm up for Thanksgiving, okay??

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