Today's WONDERblog comes from the one and only Anne Jackson.

Anne is an author, speaker, and social change activist who lives in the Nashville, Tennessee area. She blogs at FlowerDust.net.

Her book, Mad Church Disease – Overcoming the Burnout Epidemic (Zondervan) released in February 2009. Her second book, Permission to Speak Freely: Essays and Art on Fear, Confession and Grace (Thomas Nelson) released in August 2010.

Anne has traveled around the world telling the stories of hope found in the least likely of places. She is a contributing writer to various blogs and magazines as well as a speaker advocate for Compassion International. Anne was a cyclist on the 2010 Ride:Well Tour, a cross-country cycling tour in June and July 2010. The goal of the trip is to raise awareness and funding for water wells in Africa through the Blood:Water Mission water initiative. Since 2008, via online campaigns and speaking engagements, almost $1 million dollars (contributed directly to each respective non-profit) has been raised for charitable causes.

Here is her WONDERblog...

I first met Michael W. Smith when I was 18 years old.

He probably doesn't remember.

At the time, I was managing a Family Christian Store in a suburb of Dallas. For a while, Family would fly in popular CCM artists and give the managers of our thirty some-odd stores a chance to meet them over a meal.

Something happened. I'm not quite sure what it was, but our managers' meeting with Michael was set as a breakfast at an Irving hotel. His album "Live the Life" was just about to release. I brought my roommate Julie with me, because hey, we had rocked out to "Go West Young Man" for a Disciple Now theme when we were in junior high. I thought I'd show her the high-life of a bookstore manager, getting to hobnob with the Christian elite.

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