How I'm Related to The Man in Black

I am planning on continuing my thoughts/story from the last post, but am throwing in a quick infomercial.

Yesterday I was assigned a developmental editor for my book. This is the person who steers the content of my work in the same direction. If my writing were a river, he makes sure it leads to one lake, not 14 different ones. His name is Dave Urbanski and is the Senior Developmental Editor @ Youth Specialties...now owned by Zondervan. He wrote The Man Comes Around: The Spiritual Journey of Johnny Cash.

I think I might change my name to Sue. (Sorry, reference for Johnny fans only. Google it!)

The Red Can

I'm kind of a scrooge when it comes to the Christmas season. I won't get into the specifics, but some of the central themes of Christmas in our culture give me more indigestion than cheer. Forgive me.

One of my primary indigestion inducing locations is the shopping mall. A couple months ago I was walking the aisles and taking it all in. The setting was quite beautiful, but the idea behind the setting wasn't. I just can't kick the thought of our frantic consumption resting on the shoulders and worn hands of the often oppressed woman and children who make the majority of the items being sold. It would be one thing if our consumption brought us peace and hope, but based on the focused faces, glazed eyes and speed walking, it didn't seem to. I find myself in that very same posture quite often.

As we strolled along, I heard something. It was a faint sound amid the Christmas music, crying babies and noise from the nearby food court. It was as if the sound was designed to shake each of us out of our product induced daze and consider something more. Something outside of our hurried shopping lists. It was the bell that we have all heard hundreds of times. Holding the bell was an older fella with a homely smile and Santa hat. Next to him was the familiar Red Can. His smile was contagious to anyone who chose to acknowledge. So is his cause. It is just that there is such a struggle to snap out of our "daze" when we are surrounded by so many things that are counter to this cause. At the same time, when we do embrace and participate in this Cause, we begin to see this same setting not with critical eyes (as I so often struggle), but with eyes of invitation to something better. It is often in the homely smile that we see the One who invites us to turn from systemic hopelessness to renewed justice.

Which leads to my next post...

Whispers

-Signing away all of my rights...ahh hem, I mean my book contract-


Well, well, well...having three weeks off of work and school was incredible. Super needed for Janny and I. Here is a snapshot of some of the festivities:

-Mini Road Trip Vacation for 4 days
-Family Christmas Festivities...Really good time with fam. Also, VERY difficult in light of our recent loss.
-House sat at a BEAUTIFUL house in Santa Cruz mountains for a week, while I was able to work on my book manuscript
-Few days at home
-GREAT trip down to San Diego to connect with new friends that are part of Nieucommunities. We have taken the last 13 months to simply process the past, live in the present and listen for the future...this may have been a whisper of the future.
-Janny got a sweet job in the spa industry as an esthetician! With all of her experience, she had 3 different employers fighter over her. I'm very proud:)
-Seminary and work started back up
-I turned in my book manuscript!! Quite a vulnerable feeling, but a good one none the less. Now a group of editors/proofreaders/designers jump in and give me a lot of feedback that is going to be REALLY fun to hear I'm sure:) Release date = August, 2010.

Thoughts/reflections of experiences will have to come in a later post. Cheers to 2010!