I do not generally enjoy public speaking. I can do it, in a pinch, but I feel very breathless and clammy and generally un-brilliant. In fact, the only thing I dislike more than public speaking is flying in an airplane. So when I tell you what I'm about to tell you, you'll understand why 2008 is shaping up to be my year of phobia tackling (what's next? Scuba diving in a pool of snakes while eating oysters and wearing skinny jeans?).
In June I'm going to be a speaker at She Speaks, the annual speaking/writing/women's ministry conference hosted by Proverbs 31 Ministries. It's in Concord, North Carolina (outside Charlotte), the weekend of June 20-22.
Did you catch that? I'm speaking. In front of people. Who are all looking at me. At the same time. Thankfully, I'll be doing this with Melanie and Sophie. And we'll be teaching a couple of classes on blogging (a subject that gets me so pumped up and chatty I might forget I'm scared).
In addition to the blogging classes, She Speaks offers a "track" for the publishing, speaking and women's ministry fields. They have an impressive line-up of Christian publishers scheduled to be there, and the entire conference has a strong reputation as productive, well-run and chock full of information (and inspiration!) for women.
So, want to come along? I wish you would. They've promised plenty of time set aside to chat and play with bloggy friends, in addition to all the learning and networking and growing. More details are available here, and there's a chance to win a conference scholarship here.
And while I promise that Sophie, Melanie and I will be all studied up and ready to address anything you ever wanted to know about blogging, if we run out of material we're totally doing this. You wouldn't want to miss that, would you?
