Dot Hatfield
Menu
  • Home Page / Blog
  • About Dot Hatfield
  • Dot’s Books
  • Contact Dot
Menu

An Exciting Week

Posted on June 6, 2010June 6, 2010 by Dot

This will be an outstanding week. I hope I’m equal to it.  I’m writing this in the middle of a Friday-to-Wednesday span from which I will emerge enlightened, encouraged, inspired, blessed and dog-tired.

Friday and Saturday just past I attended the Arkansas Writers Conference in Little Rock. The speakers seemed especially interesting this year, each giving me something to use and making me eager to come home and get on the computer. I had a very valuable critique session with the keynote speaker, Roland Mann (www.rolandmann.wordpress.com). I was one of ten authors who had an opportunity to send him 12 pages for critique before the conference, with a face-to-face meeting with him while we were in Little Rock.  He was encouraging and helpful with some changes I need to make on my novel-in-progress. He’s my new best friend. He LIKES my VOICE! He spoke to us on several issues, “Putting Some Super in our Heroes” and “Dangers of the Internet for Writers” to name a couple. The danger? Wasting time on Facebook, Twitter and Google instead of writing. He did mention spending too much time blogging but as far as I’m concerned he was meddling when he said that.

No winnings for me this year.  AWC sponsors thirty-something contests with over 1,000 entries, so the competition is great.  My BIL won a second place  in an essay contest, which I had nothing to do with, but I’m very proud of him.

Today, during our 11:00 service we burned the note.  This is a rather loose tradition in the United Methodist Church when a congregation gets the building paid off. What is incorporated into the celebration differs according to the congregation.  Our church of 300-400 members recently paid off a debt of $1,400,000 (one million four hundred thousand dollars) in less than ten years. The service was one of remembering the 1999 tornado that damaged the sanctuary and destroyed the parsonage and youth building, memories of those (some gone now) who courageously stepped out on faith and pulled together to make this happen, and a celebration of God’s goodness and faithfulness that enabled us to do this. As Chair of the Church Council, I took part in the actual burning. While the pastor held the container that was to catch fire and ashes, the Trustees Chairman lit the pages I held (a copy of the original note, by the way).  After the papers were blazing nicely, I dropped them into the bowl the pastor held. I was a little nervous and had practiced at home. The irony of catching the church on fire during the note-burning ceremony was not lost on me.  But all went well. It was a wonderful and uplifting service.

Now, for the next three days, I am off to Hot Springs for the Arkansas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church – along with a few thousand other Methodists from Arkansas. There will be singing, praying, worship and business meetings. I’m a delegate and, as I said, I hope I’m equal to the task.

Category: Living my Life

Post navigation

← And still more
Down the Up Escalator →

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Dot Hatfield

Dot Hatfield

Dot Hatfield is a member of the Arkansas Writers Hall of Fame and a Certified Lay Speaker in the United Methodist Church. She is the author of 7 books.

Dot’s Books

  • Worth the Candle
  • Did Anyone Read My Story?
  • An Ordinary Day
  • R.I.P. Emma Lou Briggs
  • To Find a Home
  • The Last To Know
  • Every Day a New Day

RECENT POSTS

  • Dot Hatfield 90th birthday celebrationWonderful October
    November 11, 2023
  • Something I Did Once Upon a Time
    October 5, 2023
  • Heroes are Called …
    July 3, 2023
  • Growing Up In “Hard Times”
    May 31, 2023
  • Time for ChangeI’m Back
    April 7, 2023

POST Topics

  • Living my Life
  • Movies
  • Reading List
  • Somewhat Current Events
  • Television
  • Too General to Define
  • Writing

Recent Comments

  • Regina McLemore on Wonderful October
  • Peg Herriage on Wonderful October
  • Anthony on Something I Did Once Upon a Time
  • Linda on Between All Hallows Eve and Christmas
© 2025 Dot Hatfield | Powered by Minimalist Blog WordPress Theme