Surprise

OMG - Where to start - About 6 months ago Julie sent me some information about a photography contest and encouraged me to enter. I wasn't to sure about it, but I figured "What the heck"! So I entered a picture and after a few weeks I received a very nice "Your photograph is not what we are looking for, thank you very much, keep on trying" kind of notice. Rejection at its best! Cut you to the bone and encourage to you to come back for more. Well, being the everlasting "Sore loser" I did managed to do the most mature thing I could think of - I refused their offer in a "Thank you for the invite, but your contest is not what I am looking for!" kind of response.

Several weeks went by and I received another invitation to enter the contest again. I must admit by this time I had finished licking my wounds and was ever so slightly considering entering another photograph, but just wasn't sure I was up to the rejection "thing" again. As I sat in front of the computer reading the invitation again, my sweet husband walks in and announces that "You're (I'm) a coward!" He starts making fun of me for being afraid of rejection! About this time I am thinking he must have lost his mind or else he is on drugs - but no matter what his excuse is I'm about to jump up and punch him in the nose!!!! I immediately go into ghetto lanuage mode!!! (all the while assuring him that I'm not afraid of being rejected). After he wipes that "I can't believe you're talking to me that way" look off his face, I proceed to pick out another photo, ask him to name the entry, and sent it in. Sure made for a pleasant evening at our home!

Everyday since then (past 3 months) I have been looking for the "Thank you very much, but no thanks" notice! It arrived today, but to my surprise the notice read like this - "After thoroughly reviewing and discussing your photograph, I am please to inform you that our Selection Committee has advanced your contest entry "Fall" to semi-finalist in the Children category in the International Open Amateur Photography Contest . . . . . we also wish to publish your photograph in our forthcoming anthology . . . Endless Journeys (Library of Congress . . .)

I am so excited, no I am more than excited! But the funny thing is, I don't care if I win anything, I am just so excited that I wasn't rejected again! Now how's that for crazy???

Oh, and I really like the idea of being published in a book!

But better than all of this - I'm going to be a Grandma again!!!

Just proves once more - Jesus loves me best of all!