beer & carols

I'm Turning My Face Back Now

“Ten years ago...I turned my face for a moment, and it became my life.”

Someone shared this quote with me earlier this week. It’s from David Whyte’s work called ‘The Heart Aroused”, and was a quote from a woman who was addressing the group in one of his seminars.

It has shaken me to my core this week, as it so succinctly puts words to the course of my life the last few years. I’ve been far too unhappy and ill-fitted in my current job for way too long. My friends have patiently waited and prayed and loved me while I worked through coming to terms with this and finally admitting out loud to myself and others that something had to change.

In my mind, I have a series of mental photographs of moments and acts of grace along the way... more than one well-timed email, conversation, prayer, and act of kindness. They have kept me going the last few months.

It still feels risky, but I’m in the process of making the shift now. I’ll still be working for the same company, but in a different capacity. I am trading in my management hat in favor of learning a different part of the business. I could not be happier. Yet I still struggle with feeling like my job got the best of me.

I turned my face for a moment, and it became my life.

In many ways, it did get the best of me. It got all of me. It used me up and depleted my reserves. The logistics of the transition are in the works, and have required me to exhibit more patience than I really care to. I’ve come to understand the waiting of Advent in a new way.

On the second Sunday of Advent, my friend Nadia said in her sermon, “Maybe when our opinions and neurosis and pride and expectations about what the world owes us die down…maybe when we sit in this quiet of Advent we might begin to see where God is quietly and insistently making all things new.”

I turned my face for a moment, and it became my life.

I'm turning my face back now.

(photo by Sheralee Turley)

a parable about cheese

Check out this post over at God's Politics by my friend, Nadia. Best parable you'll read all day.

where did november go?

where did the month of november go? I knew I had not posted in a while, but didn't realize I posted only once in November. I look at the brunch photos a couple of entries back and that seems like just the other day.


granted, I'm just back from a fabulous vacation, but the whole month didn't escape while I was swinging thru the jungles of Costa Rica. I'll post more photos once soon.


so, now, december. waiting. yesterday was the first sunday of advent. for me, it is challenging to slow down, to wait. today I found myself hurrying thru my day, looking expectantly to a bit of calm once i left the office. wonder what it would be like to experience that in the midst of the everyday? i have no clue.

first thoughts about advent

Today I finished decorating my house for Christmas. I have a few items that were Christmas decorations in our house when I was a kid. One of those things is an Advent calendar. An Advent calendar is traditionally used to count the days of Advent. Not at our house. It was used to count the days until Santa came.

I look at that calendar now – red felt background with a Christmas tree cut-out and gold rick-rack on it, little numbered pockets on the bottom, which always held cellophane wrapped candy canes, and feel like I missed out on something.

Growing up in a denomination (yes, I think it is one) that typically didn’t celebrate Christmas as the birth of Christ – because, hey!, we don’t have proof that Jesus Christ was born on December 25! – I missed out on the real Christmas story.

I remember rolling my eyes in 9th grade when a teacher chastised someone for writing “Xmas”, saying “Don’t take the Christ out of Christmas!”, and thinking she was a real whack-o. Now I realize that she knew more about the Story than I did.

It wasn’t until I moved to Denver almost four years ago that I encountered Advent. I wish I could say that each year it changed me a little bit, but I’m not so sure. May it be so this year.

advent eve eve

My heart was made happy by the arrival of this in the mail today. Glad to be able to start it tomorrow. Between this book and our Urban Skye Advent Guide, I hope to post some Advent thoughts throughout the season.

advent 2006 - week two

Little behind in my Advent postings - today is actually the beginning of week three, but here is week two. Click on the photo above to expand it so you can read the text.

In week two we focused on the simplicity of the message and life of the shepherd.

Question of the week: Where in your life have you experienced a holy simplicity?

advent 2006 - week one

This is the cover art to our Urban Skye Advent Guide. It follows the traditional church calendar, which means Advent begins on the first of the four Sundays leading up to December 25. That would be today. If you follow the Celtic Christian calendar, you are already into the Advent season, as it begins 40 days before Christmas.

For me, I've already hosted a Christmas party, so the house is clean and decorated. Travel plans are made, and I'm avoiding the mall. Hopefully having a bunch of preparation out of the way will allow me time to escape the busyness that so often dictates this time of year, and I'll slow down. And prepare Him room.

Join us at Urban Skye this Advent season as we explore God outside the camp.

Here's our Advent Guide. The question posed for week one, and where I find myself pondering this evening is: Recall one place from your past where God made something of Himself known to you.

Join me if you will. I'll post my Advent musings here throughout the month, and invite you to do the same.