One of my favorite parts of living in Nashville is the musicians that become friends. I have always had a deep love for all things singer/songwriter, and now these are my people.  I heart it.  Mucho.  And a few weeks ago, a friend of mine gave me a demo of a song he had written.  I can’t help but confess that I cry every time I listen to it.  [Someday when he gets famous for it, I'll tell you.  I promise.]

The title is “A Year Ago Today”.

First he sings about a break-up…..

Where was I a year ago today?

I was sitting on Haley’s couch, my stomach in knots, while Haley, Molly, and I watched a movie.  I knew I had to tell them.  I wanted them to know about Nashville.  No one else but my parents and a mentor even knew whispers of what God was doing, but my best friends deserved to know.

I started the conversation lamely, something stupid I’m sure.  But they both knew in minutes that this was serious.  And as the tears poured from all of our faces…. I thought for certain I wasn’t strong enough to leave them. Or my family.  Or my life.

Then he sings….

“A year ago to the day I thought my life was over….

my world stopped….

there wasn’t much of my heart left to break.“

Oh gracious that was and is so true.  I literally thought my life was over.  I remember sitting there, on December 31, 2007, screaming at God in my head, “PLEASE DON’T MAKE ME DO THIS!!”

After many tears, I gave up and gave God my life, in a for realz kind of way; I told Him that He means more to me than anyone else.  And that if Nashville was where He was wanting me to go, I wanted to be there.

There were days when I literally didn’t know I was capable of being so brokenhearted.

And yet here I am.  Sitting on my bed in Nashville.  Crying as that song plays in the background.  Because looking back on 2008, I don’t feel like my life ended in August.  In fact, quite the opposite- I’m the best Annie I’ve ever been.  I keep on my computer a list of the friends I’ve made here, because I know that they are gifts from God.  Every writing opportunity has been a gift.  Every good time or funny joke or moment of “I Love Nashville” has been a part of Him giving me more than I could ever deserve.

And the chorus continues…..

“By the grace of God, and the strength in me…

I’m stronger than I ever thought that I could be…

You’d hardly recognize my face…

From a year ago today.“

I didn’t know I could do this. A year ago today, if you would have told me that I would be here, happy in Nashville, I would not have believed you.  I didn’t know that allowing God to have it ALL actually means allowing Him to give you ALL the good things He has planned.  I thought I was sacrificing. In reality, I was merely setting myself up for a tidal wave of blessing.  I gave Him a dollar; He gave me the world.

And then he sings…

“I’m finding out that life’s all about living and learning…

Finding the joy in all the hurting…

Now I’ve got a smile as big as the ocean…

and everyday my arms are wide open...“

By the grace of God, y’all.  That is me.  I’m stronger, calmer, and braver because of God and the new ways I know Him; I can honestly say that would have never happened if I wouldn’t have moved with Him to Nashville.

So would I do it again?  I hope so.  Do I know all the reasons why I’m in Nashville?  Not at all.  But if I’ve learned anything in 08, I’ve learned that obeying God doesn’t require that I understand His ways.

I only have to understand His heart for me.

2009 has some great promise.  God has some better ones. Hang on, friend.  It’s about to get awesome up in here.  (And I’m praying the same for you!!)

Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

plans to give you hope and a future.”

I’m setting a goal. But I need your help.

I’ve been working on a book for a while, and a literary agent in California wants it as soon as it is done.

[That is exciting.]

The book is supposed to be around 50,000 words.

[That is a lot.]

I have 20,000 words written, edited, and saved in the DONE! file.  I have more words “written”, but they haven’t been read over and edited and actually considered on the “suck or not” scale.  So I’m not counting those.

Because I work in small increments of motivation success, here is the plan:

By December 31st, I should have 30,000 words written.

And by January 10th, I should have 40,000 words written.

And then by January 20th, I should have 50,000 words written.

And then on January 21st, I’m going to lay in my bed mumbling many incoherent things and probably ice my swollen fingers.

But I’m going to do it.

I need you.  To pray.  To not let me forget.  To remind me to work harder than I ever have before.

So I’m asking you to join me, for the next 30 days, and pray really hard that God would give me the words.  I’m grateful that I’m not dependent on my own mind and my own vocabulary [because my brain stores words like "skillz" and "biz-nass"].  Instead, I depend on the One who created words to give me the right ones.

If you are willing to commit to this with me, [and I'm not playing around you seriously have to commit because I do not think I can do this if I don't have people praying], please leave a comment and make sure you put a good email address in that box.  Cause for realz, I’ll going to email out specific prayer requests that I won’t bog down the blog with. I reserve this space for more life-changing things like videos with Annie Parsons.

Is this selfish to use my blogmies/bloggites to pray this project to completion?  Maybe.  But I’d rather share this victory with you, and let you watch as I toil and try and fight through this thing.  Cause maybe there is something in your heart that you don’t think you can do because of time, money, skillz, whatever.

I’m here to show you, in the next 30 days [I hope], that God loves the hard stuff.  And He loves to show up for us.

That I can do all things [like write a book!] through Christ who strengthens me!

AND SO CAN YOU.

Oh, and if there is something YOU want to do in the next 30 days, tell me so I can be praying for you, too!!  The ole give and take.  I’m all about it.

[I just wrote 482 words in this post.  Halfway to my goal today.  Too bad this isn't going in the book.]

I don’t often use my blog, and my blog readers, for my own personal gain. Except today. I will do it guilt-free today.

See this man? Jeff Lewis? The star of Flipping Out, possibly my very favorite show on cable television right now? I want to know him. I want to be friends with him.

I want you to help me.

And so begins MISSION: JEFF LEWIS.

I don’t care how you go about it, as long as it is legal and not at all creepy. But somehow I want Jeff to see this blog, read it and say, “That seems like a normal, nice girl that I would enjoy meeting” (because I am that, Jeff), and then proceed to schedule on his calendar for us to hang. I am going to Los Angeles in March, so that is a total possibility. Though a stretch, I understand.

So here are some other options that are equally acceptable -

1) a photograph signed to me from Jeff (with some sort of authentication)\

2) an email (easy, but again authentication required)

Okay? Oh, and there is a prize. Were you to be the one, The One, who makes this happen for me, fulfills a season-long dream of mine, you will receive prize-topia.

We’ll call it the Annie Lives In Nashville Prize Pack.

Included in said Prize Pack- a Scotland t-shirt (because I have a few extras), a pair of pajamas (that don’t fit in my PJ drawer), a book off my bookshelf (of your choosing), something Nashville-like (uh, a guitar shaped donut?), and maybe something from someone famous. I don’t know. I’ll try to meet someone famous and get something from them. And obviously, a blog post singing the praises of you, finest internet stalker I have ever been privileged to know.

So, there is your challenge, blog-land. Embrace it. Run with it. Make my proud.

But don’t get me put in jail. Or yourselves, for that matter. Or Jeff. Because that’s what we in the biz call “Counter-Productive”.