Hello: Is It Me You're Looking For?

It would seem I took an unintentional break from blogging. It does happen from time to time. A few months ago, if you’d asked me, I expect I would have thought the opposite, so full of hope and potential for this little outlet. A lot has changed.

I thought I’d be writing a different series of thoughts all jumbled together. Instead of a mish-mash, a clear vision. An exciting announcement. I day dreamed about how I would tell all of you lovely readers who have journeyed with me over the years about how…..I was writing a book.

So, for most of the past year, I’ve been writing a book. I’d be lying if I left out that writing a book is pretty close to the top of my bucket list, and then Lo! back in January of this year, in answer to a prayer, I was contacted out of the blue by an editor from a large Catholic publishing house, wanting to help me become an author with them. I was thinking of quitting writing, and I told God point blank, “If you want me to keep writing, make me.” Less than a week later, I was contacted by the editor.

This editor and I worked together from January to September on first an idea, then an outline, then a proposal, and sample chapters. We secured Catholic authors for both a foreword and afterword. I knew that there was no guarantee they would publish the book until the proposal was evaluated, but I did feel hopeful.

But in mid-September the proposal was evaluated and rejected by the publisher. They liked the idea, but were concerned about my platform. For those of you unfamiliar with book publishing lingo, it means I’m not popular enough.

The Catholic book publisher is all:

And I’m all, maybe you could publish my book and that would, I dunno, probably boost my popularity as an author. To which they responded:

Story of my life. If they think I’m not popular enough now, they should have seen me in high school!

I didn’t seek this person out. I didn’t create a proposal to send it to as many publishers as I could in hopes of someone publishing the book, and I am not saying there is anything wrong with doing this – merely that I did not in any way do that.  The opportunity literally fell in my lap and I took it. It didn’t work out, and I’m left wondering why God would so obviously put it in my path for me to spend most of a year working on it and having nothing come to fruition. Perhaps its merely timing, or maybe something more. Disappointment and frustration would be an understatement.

Either way, I took this, and a general feeling of ambivalence about blogging in general, as a sign to put this idea away for a while and focus on something else. So that’s what I’m doing. It’s no secret that I’ve been frustrated with blogging (not writing) for quite some time. I’ve also been frustrated with being a full time at-home parent, and had been hoping that writing could turn into part time (paying) work for me. Realizing this is unlikely to happen without continuing to work much longer and harder for free, I think it’s time to put my writing squarely where it belongs right now: as a hobby. A much loved hobby.

In an interesting twist of fate, this past summer I met and became friends with a woman who is an educator for Creighton FertilityCare Services (NFP). She teaches the Creighton instructors, and since she’s somewhat new to our area, is holding a training opportunity in town for Fertility Care Practitioners.

When we first met she said she thought I’d make a good Creighton FCP, and asked me if I’d ever consider doing it. Normally this requires two week long trips to Omaha in addition to all the other steps in the year long training process. At this point, two week long trips requiring airfare and hotel would be cost prohibitive for us. However, the training she is holding here is 2 miles from my home. You can see where this is going.

I’d always been interested in how all the Creighton/NaPro stuff works, and actually learned a lot on my own through our experience using NaPro to treat my sub-fertility. Now I get to learn a lot more about it, and become able to help others learn the method. I decided to apply, that this was an opportunity that again, felt like it was landed on my doorstep, and I should take it.

So I am. My training begins Saturday, with 10 days of 8-5 seminars, squeezing a semester of work into a week and by Christmas 2016, I’ll finish up and be a full-fledged FCP. During my internship I have to work with a total of 18 couples during the course of the year (6 the first semester – 12 the second), so if you or anyone you know in the Indianapolis area is interested in learning Creighton FertilityCare system, please let me know and I’d be happy to work with you!

So instead of writing a book, I’m going to be an NFP lady. I know what you’re thinking. Here lies a true renaissance woman.

These two events were enough to deserve a post of their own, but they are smooshed together. And that’s not even the end of the story. But it is the end of this post.

I’m hoping to be back before Saturday with the last installment in the epic drama known as “Fall 2015”.