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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VBS at a local church.
My oldest went last year with some friends and I checked out. My husband dropped her off and picked her up.
This year my littlest wanted to go too and in true mom fashion I signed up to volunteer to ease some of his anxiety (and mine).
I wasn’t sure what to expect.
I wasn’t sure how my body would respond to church and worship after having been out of it for so long.
I wasn’t sure if I’d hear the message and march my kids straight out of there.
I'm not quite sure how to describe the experience.
I felt pulled in so many different emotional directions. I truly enjoyed interacting with the kids and watching their excitement at the different events. And describing God as everywhere, I’m all on board. My body stayed in hyper-vigilance a bit, unsure of whether it could relax into safety or not.
Unexpectedly, there were some things that brought back some good memories too.
I loved VBS as a kid. The little paper people being used to tell a story, the Newsboys blasting their (at times theologically concerning but catchy) tunes through the courtyard, the themed snacks, hand motions for every word of every song, staying up late.
It was a beautiful reminder to me of the Both/And of my faith journey.
There is deep grief that church no longer feels like home to me.
There is anger around certain religious doctrine, religious people, and religious culture that have been so harmful to myself and others.
AND there are also some wonderful things that have a place in my memory and my soul and it’s okay to honor that too.
I know so many of you hold this dichotomy around your religious upbringings. And it can feel like a self betrayal to remember any of it with a smile. But when Audio Adrenaline crosses our minds we can question the integrity of their description of Heaven and also tap along to the beat as we remember belting out the chorus with our middle school friends over pizza. Both/And. (Our Own Lizz Enns Petters)
Latest BIG News:
The "Parenting Beyond Belief" online summit is a comprehensive and supportive event aimed at parents who are in the process of deconstructing toxic faith systems while navigating the challenges of parenting. The summit brings together a diverse group of speakers, including therapists, theologians, coaches, spiritual directors, and fellow parents, to offer insights, strategies, and encouragement.
These conversations that will include valuable insight for navigating the rollercoaster of parenting littles, middles and big kids, holding on for the ride of a lifetime while, at the same time, deconstructing and reconstructing our own ever-evolving faith!
Videos on the secret sauce of “Rupture and Repair" and "Rewilding Your Child's Soul" are just a taste of what this summit will bring you.
You'll be able to watch the video while you’re up too late scrolling your phone OR just listen to the audio of it while while making one of those parent drives we all have a love/hate relationship with.
PLUS, you will have access FOREVER! This is a DO-NOT-MISS opportunity that is just what you’ve been waiting for!
Join our private PATREON group. For as little as $3/month, you will get lots of extras from Lizz and Esther, including deeper discussions about topics on the podcast, first dibs on knowing about future exciting projects and perhaps some special deals exclusive to those projects and our NEW QUARTERLY ZOOM DISCUSSION GROUP where we dive lots deeper into the things we need to sort out with parenting and deconstructing.
We love our podcast!
We love our guests!
We love our amazing assistant, Julie!
We love helping you walk the tricky tightrope of parenting and deconstructing at the same time!
We do NOT love asking for help (or money) in order to keep it going!
But we also don't love feeling alone in this!
Head to this LINK to join us! You won't regret it! And plus, the reality is that you will help us keep the lights on over here at Deconstructing Mamas. We really really want to! Thank you in advance!
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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