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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Poetry is a huge portal to the soul when it comes to deconstructing and rebuilding our faith and our selves.We have two poems to share with you this week from our guest, the wonderful Marla Taviano.
(there's also a three whole books down in the resource section)
train up a child
my kids are so
inclusive and kind
and accepting and
wise and hilarious
they cuss like sailors
and don't believe in god
and I'm here for it
and here for them
forever and always.
inherent dignity
I can't think of many things
I want more than for my kids
to have a sense of self-worth,
to like themselves a whole lot
can't say I got this message in
church where I was told I was a
wretched sinner which is ironic
what with the verse about being
fearfully and wonderfully made
and an origin story about god
creating every damn thing and
calling is all very good.
ALL OF THAT and more are available from Marla. Check out our her resources below.
This Week on the Podcast:
"We never had certainty we just thought we did. We convinced ourselves we could absolutely be sure. Now we know the truth and the next step is to find peace in that uncertainty and maybe even be happy about it, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves." Marla Taviano in her new book “Whole” (with a nod to words by Rilke)
Our episode this week is with Marla Taviano, the author of several books, some of our favorites being her trilogy of poetry called Unbelieve, Jaded, and Whole. Marla is into: books, love, justice, globes, anti-racism, blue, gray, rainbows, poems (and a hundred other things). She reads and writes for a living (and a life). She's a single mom to four freaking awesome grownish kids. And we especially love this: Marla is on a mission/ quest/ journey to live wholeFARTED (not a typo).
Some of the topics we explore are these:
Being able to “find peace in the uncertainty” and “have patience with everything unresolved in your heart.”
What makes her "FART?" (and find out what might make you FART as well.) - fun resource HERE
The normal deconstruction process of unbelieving, becoming jaded and then moving toward wholeness.
Poetry as an instrument of healing both for us and our kids.
Navigating the ebb and flow while trying to parent and deconstruct at the same time.
Our favorite words from this podcast episode were breathe, jaded, free, FART, certainty, unbelieve, embrace, whole. Find out why when you listen.
You can find Marla at the following:
Instagram: @marlataviano
Facebook: Marla Taviano
Website: itsmemarla.com
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Resource Alerts:
The best way to give a shout-out about these three books of poetry is to share one poem from each one! We're pretty sure you will want to buy them! unbelieve (verb):
to disbelieve or distrust something; to abandon a particular belief
there once was a
very good Christian girl who had all the answers it was so very simple
quite quite clear
the Bible made it so
it all went according to plan
for well over three decades
and then something happened
it’s pretty smart to indoctrinate
kiddos from a tiny age, all while
being told by “experts” that you’re
“growing them god’s way” / get
into their sweet malleable brains
long before they fully develop and
it’s free sailing for a good while
this practice is insidious and I
absolutely did it / thought it made
me a good mom / I played right into
their hands and I’m so glad my kids
got out before I messed them up bad
instead of just messing them up a
probably-fixable medium amount
I can’t think of many things
I want more than for my kids
to have a sense of self-worth,
to like themselves a whole lot
can’t say I got this message in
church where I was told I was a
wretched sinner which is ironic
what with the verse about being
fearfully and wonderfully made
and an origin story about God
creating every damn thing and
calling it all very good
Physiologically, when you’re at your happiest, most relaxed, you often fart. It’s why people fart when they sleep, why people fart on the massage table, why author and book lover Marla Taviano farts in bookstores.
So, when Marla asks people what they’re passionate about, and they say “I don’t know,” she says, “Well, what makes you fart?”
One big key to finding your life’s passion is to remember what you loved as a kid—before the responsibilities of growing up squeezed all the creativity and imagination out of you.
Marla’s dream is for every person to love something deeply—and have the time, energy, and resources to happily explore it.
This book is full of practical tips, funny quips, and inspiring anecdotes to help you discover what makes you fart—then do that thing with all your heart.
Can't wait until Tuesday and need just a little snippet from our podcast episode that's coming up on November 19, with Marla Taviano.
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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