Permission to Explore
- Lizz & Esther / Deconstructing Mamas
- May 26
- 4 min read
Welcome to Grace and Space, a weekly newsletter from the Deconstructing Mamas Podcast! GRACE for who you have been, are now and SPACE for who you are becoming and will be!
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We grew up thinking permission had to come from someone else. A pastor. A parent. A rulebook. A checklist. God (as defined by the pastor or the rulebook).
Even now, long after leaving the structures that no longer fit, we sometimes catch ourselves looking over our shoulders, waiting for someone to say, “Yes, you can go there.” “Yes, you can ask that.” “Yes, you can want that.”
But here’s what we’re slowly, tenderly learning—We can give ourselves permission.
Permission to ask the questions we were once told were dangerous.
Permission to explore spirituality without the fear of losing our way.
Permission to let go of the version of parenting that was handed to us and choose one rooted in connection and trust instead of control.
That doesn’t mean it’s easy. When we’ve been raised in high-control environments, exploration can feel like rebellion. But what if it’s actually restoration? A returning to our own wisdom. A re-membering of our wholeness. A rebuilding of love-based authority—first within ourselves, then in how we show up for our kids.
We’re not betraying anyone by growing. We’re not ruining our children by doing it differently. We’re not alone in the undoing.
If you grew up in a house where sex was never talked about… or only talked about with a heavy dose of fear, shame, and “just wait,” you’re not alone.Here, in this space, we hope we can hear the quiet whisper rise up from within:
We’re allowed. We’re allowed. We’re allowed.
To soften.
To begin again.
Always.
-Esther Joy Goetz
Our Podcast This Week:
Our episode this week is with our own Lizz Enns Petters, mom of two, author and podcast hostess. Our conversation is full of laughter, seriousness and our decision to have permission to explore our faith, along with Lizz's latest accomplishment of being published in a new children's Bible called God's Stories as Told by God's Children.
We chat through these questions:
1. You recently contributed to the Bible for Normal People’s publication of a children’s Bible. Why did you want to be a part of that?
2. What makes this particular children’s Bible different than all the others out there?
3. You had a few stories you could have chosen to “re write”. Why did you choose this particular one?
4. What did you want your little readers to really receive about this story?
5. What have been your kids reactions to this Bible?
6. If you could sit with your kids in this current stage of life and tell them one thing they would take with them on their life’s journey, what would it be and why??
As this is our last episode of Season Seven, Esther and Lizz spend time candidly sharing their thoughts on the Bible and deconstructing and giving themselves permission to be right where they are on their spiritual quests.
Instagram: @lizzennspetters Facebook: Lizz Enns Petters, the Deconstructed Mama
Resource Alert:
A children’s Bible that takes its scholarship as seriously as its storytelling.
Featuring the voices of 55 biblical scholars, theologians, and storytellers from around the world, God’s Stories as told by God’s Children is a beautifully illustrated storybook Bible that integrates biblical scholarship into engaging storytelling.
- A library, not a book.
- A conversation, not a monologue.
- A collection of wisdom, not rules.
With no doctrinal agenda & no theological skulduggery, God’s Stories is designed to help children & their grownups love the Bible for what it is: a collection of ancient, complex, endlessly fascinating texts spanning millennia & incorporating many voices.
Radically inclusive, informed by the best in biblical scholarship, and deeply respectful of children’s imagination & intelligence, God’s Stories as told by God’s Children is the storybook Bible you’ll wish you had when you were a kid.
Built for kids, trusted by parents
Created by The Bible for Normal People, you can be confident this children's Bible incorporates the best in biblical scholarship. We know the Bible is messy & complex, just like faith, so we created this easy Bible to help kids develop a faith that grows with them.
How is this book different from other Bibles for beginners?
Most beginner Bibles simplify the biblical narratives or leave out important details. God’s Stories respects the Bible’s complexity while making it accessible for kids & their adults.
What’s inside?
- Carefully selected Bible stories
- Context-packed scrolls explaining the history & culture behind the stories
- Let’s Talk prompts to spark real conversations between kids & adults
- QR codes that link to more great content
Who is this illustrated Bible for?
- Parents who want to introduce the Bible to their kids without fundamentalism
- Kids who love asking big questions
- Anyone who want a more nuanced way to teach Bible stories
One last thing. We want to remind you that we are so glad you are here. We wouldn't be the same without you. You will always find GRACE for where you've been and who you are now, and SPACE for who you are becoming and will be.
Carry on, our new-found friends. Welcome to the twisty-windy, full -of-adventure faith path that's laid out before us all.
Love,
Lizz & Esther
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