• I am tired, tanned and thankful, after two days of teaching, followed by walking the city alone listening to my favorite playlists. This last week has been beautiful. I came to Hawaii needing to shut down/ disconnect and for lots of reasons that didn’t happen ... but after an unfortunate Apple Watch incident and an intentional ignoring of emails I feel like I am starting to hear my own thoughts again. I am so grateful to the folks who got me here @firstumchonolulu, hosted me @brianbelting @ashleybelting and the incredible crew @jdavidtrotter @oc_afullerton @banjo_coding @brianjtipton @mgbischof that keep things going whilst I am gone. #timeaway #hawaii #solotravel
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    I am tired, tanned and thankful, after two days of teaching, followed by walking the city alone listening to my favorite playlists. This last week has been beautiful. I came to Hawaii needing to shut down/ disconnect and for lots of reasons that didn’t happen ... but after an unfortunate Apple Watch incident and an intentional ignoring of emails I feel like I am starting to hear my own thoughts again. I am so grateful to the folks who got me here @firstumchonolulu, hosted me @brianbelting @ashleybelting and the incredible crew @jdavidtrotter @oc_afullerton @banjo_coding @brianjtipton @mgbischof that keep things going whilst I am gone. #timeaway #hawaii #solotravel
  • Getting to share my first book, and help young adults think about the story their lives are telling is such a joy! I forget sometimes how much fun this work can be! And i am learning some Tongan and Hawaiian #grateful #hawaii #whatsyourstory #retreatyourself
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    Getting to share my first book, and help young adults think about the story their lives are telling is such a joy! I forget sometimes how much fun this work can be! And i am learning some Tongan and Hawaiian #grateful #hawaii #whatsyourstory #retreatyourself
  • Oh hello fall nights, “grandpa sweater” and I have been eagerly waiting for your return. PS these glasses just block blue light helping to ensure all the screen time doesn’t ruin sleep patterns- (helping my writing evenings not lead to sleepless nights!) And they up my “grandpa professor” vibe game #fall #diffeyewear @diffeyewear thank you @lisawingard_stylist for doing your magic cutting and coloring sorry I threw it in a pony bad habits die hard!
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    Oh hello fall nights, “grandpa sweater” and I have been eagerly waiting for your return. PS these glasses just block blue light helping to ensure all the screen time doesn’t ruin sleep patterns- (helping my writing evenings not lead to sleepless nights!) And they up my “grandpa professor” vibe game #fall #diffeyewear @diffeyewear thank you @lisawingard_stylist for doing your magic cutting and coloring sorry I threw it in a pony bad habits die hard!
  • October is breast cancer awareness month, and it’s also the month that in 2015 my mom was diagnosed with her fourth kind of cancer, and her second time with breast cancer. She’s an incredible survivor and we know we are some of the lucky ones because we get to say she is currently cancer free!! She’s one of the reasons I want to raise $2300 to participate #the3day in San Diego- walking 60 miles in 3 days (link in bio), but she isn’t the only one I walk for. Over the last couple of years I’ve sat with friends (including our teams namesake @buessing26542) as they go through treatments or follow up surgeries, and I’ve had a friend pass away. Enough is enough! If you’ve ever had a loved one diagnosed with cancer you know that one of the hardest parts is not being able “to do” anything. @friendsofteammichelle is a group of survivors, friends, and supporters who want to change that. This is the tenth year that we’ve raised funds that go toward- the work of @susangkomen , for research being done at @ucirvine, and for “acts of love” grants that allow those in treatment to focus on healing and not paying for transportation etc. I am proud to be part of this team and I hope you’ll support our work. Every little bit helps! Together we have raised over a million dollars but more than that we’ve built a team dedicated to ending breast cancer and supporting those in the midst of it. #breastcancerawareness #findingacure #breastcancer
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    October is breast cancer awareness month, and it’s also the month that in 2015 my mom was diagnosed with her fourth kind of cancer, and her second time with breast cancer. She’s an incredible survivor and we know we are some of the lucky ones because we get to say she is currently cancer free!! She’s one of the reasons I want to raise $2300 to participate #the3day in San Diego- walking 60 miles in 3 days (link in bio), but she isn’t the only one I walk for. Over the last couple of years I’ve sat with friends (including our teams namesake @buessing26542) as they go through treatments or follow up surgeries, and I’ve had a friend pass away. Enough is enough! If you’ve ever had a loved one diagnosed with cancer you know that one of the hardest parts is not being able “to do” anything. @friendsofteammichelle is a group of survivors, friends, and supporters who want to change that. This is the tenth year that we’ve raised funds that go toward- the work of @susangkomen , for research being done at @ucirvine, and for “acts of love” grants that allow those in treatment to focus on healing and not paying for transportation etc. I am proud to be part of this team and I hope you’ll support our work. Every little bit helps! Together we have raised over a million dollars but more than that we’ve built a team dedicated to ending breast cancer and supporting those in the midst of it. #breastcancerawareness #findingacure #breastcancer
  • “Old ways don’t open new doors” #transformationtuesday this Sunday we wrapped up our series on Deconstruction and Re-formation. I got to reveal that the original doors were transformed into- a new bench, and a communion table. Two pieces of furniture that make space for us to be with the other. Doors serve all kinds of functions, they can welcome us in, keep us out, provide privacy, provide security, and because of keys allow the passage of some while rejecting those who don’t have the right keys. Doors can be helpful or they can be damaging. For many of us the doors that got us into our faith no longer work for us. Maybe it was fear (you’ll go to hell, you will disappoint God etc.) Maybe it was a positive experience (friendship, invitation, a powerful experience.) Some after deconstruction abandon the idea of any sort of faith, and others craft something different. As I worked on this project, I knew from the beginning that the doors couldn’t remain doors, and designing what would be next was fun… and challenging. The final product could not have been created without the help of @pastorstix @sensitivechickentendr @torrisees and my Dad. Truthfully it wasn’t much fun without them. I got to learn new skills, use new tools, and laugh a whole lot. I think thats the point of faith or ideological deconstruction to draw us closer to other people, and open us up to new experiences. Personal journey is only part of the journey its why I keep doing the work I do. #womenwhowoodwork #build #makingspace #hgtv #deconstruction #repurposing @searchandrescuedenim
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    “Old ways don’t open new doors” #transformationtuesday this Sunday we wrapped up our series on Deconstruction and Re-formation. I got to reveal that the original doors were transformed into- a new bench, and a communion table. Two pieces of furniture that make space for us to be with the other. Doors serve all kinds of functions, they can welcome us in, keep us out, provide privacy, provide security, and because of keys allow the passage of some while rejecting those who don’t have the right keys. Doors can be helpful or they can be damaging. For many of us the doors that got us into our faith no longer work for us. Maybe it was fear (you’ll go to hell, you will disappoint God etc.) Maybe it was a positive experience (friendship, invitation, a powerful experience.) Some after deconstruction abandon the idea of any sort of faith, and others craft something different. As I worked on this project, I knew from the beginning that the doors couldn’t remain doors, and designing what would be next was fun… and challenging. The final product could not have been created without the help of @pastorstix @sensitivechickentendr @torrisees and my Dad. Truthfully it wasn’t much fun without them. I got to learn new skills, use new tools, and laugh a whole lot. I think thats the point of faith or ideological deconstruction to draw us closer to other people, and open us up to new experiences. Personal journey is only part of the journey its why I keep doing the work I do. #womenwhowoodwork #build #makingspace #hgtv #deconstruction #repurposing @searchandrescuedenim
  • Happy Fall y’all... ok it doesn’t count that it was so hot I had to wear shorts... but Happy birthday @trentjamesw It makes sense this was the season you were born it’s one of my favorites!! Got to wear my bold Apple shirt in honor of the season and you! #mybad #evewasframed #applepicking #fall
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    Happy Fall y’all... ok it doesn’t count that it was so hot I had to wear shorts... but Happy birthday @trentjamesw It makes sense this was the season you were born it’s one of my favorites!! Got to wear my bold Apple shirt in honor of the season and you! #mybad #evewasframed #applepicking #fall
  • “Empowered Women Empower Women” - thank you @thebossbabesco for this amazing shirt, it seemed appropriate to wear on @heart_on_its_knees Birthday. Happy Birthday Kendall. Being one of the big sister/mentor/friends in your life has been one of my biggest blessings. I am of course taking the superhero stance we took at your wedding to the incredible @dkridner82 ... The Superhero pose will forever remind me that we don’t do life alone, and today I am grateful for all the amazing folks I get to journey with! Happy birthday to @thejamesloewen too...and of course one of my favorite sons @trentjamesw happy almost big day! I will wear a different shirt for you tomorrow! #fallbabies #octoberbirthdays #superheropose #empoweredwomen
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    “Empowered Women Empower Women” - thank you @thebossbabesco for this amazing shirt, it seemed appropriate to wear on @heart_on_its_knees Birthday. Happy Birthday Kendall. Being one of the big sister/mentor/friends in your life has been one of my biggest blessings. I am of course taking the superhero stance we took at your wedding to the incredible @dkridner82 ... The Superhero pose will forever remind me that we don’t do life alone, and today I am grateful for all the amazing folks I get to journey with! Happy birthday to @thejamesloewen too...and of course one of my favorite sons @trentjamesw happy almost big day! I will wear a different shirt for you tomorrow! #fallbabies #octoberbirthdays #superheropose #empoweredwomen
  • This week’s #transformationtuesday is a reminder that in every transformations there is a messy middle. This object lesson will draw to a conclusion this week as these two doors become something else. Right now it is the messy middle. The time when it is easy to be unsure what is even being made. It’s in this messy middle that you have to start naming things, defining what you are trying to create. In my career I have always been told this is the time when a leader must “cast a vision.” I don’t know about you, but I have a tough time in this stage because it requires decisions that will negate possibility. To choose one thing is to not choose something else, but newness requires choice. My life, in so many areas, is in the midst of “the messy middle”, but change is coming! I can’t stay the same and neither can these doors, or our communities… so friends.. what do you see? what is being created? How do you hold on to hope during the messy middle #change #makingspace #divinedesign #churchflipping #makingsomething #makers #woodworking #grouplove #woodworkinginleggings #lululemon
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    This week’s #transformationtuesday is a reminder that in every transformations there is a messy middle. This object lesson will draw to a conclusion this week as these two doors become something else. Right now it is the messy middle. The time when it is easy to be unsure what is even being made. It’s in this messy middle that you have to start naming things, defining what you are trying to create. In my career I have always been told this is the time when a leader must “cast a vision.” I don’t know about you, but I have a tough time in this stage because it requires decisions that will negate possibility. To choose one thing is to not choose something else, but newness requires choice. My life, in so many areas, is in the midst of “the messy middle”, but change is coming! I can’t stay the same and neither can these doors, or our communities… so friends.. what do you see? what is being created? How do you hold on to hope during the messy middle #change #makingspace #divinedesign #churchflipping #makingsomething #makers #woodworking #grouplove #woodworkinginleggings #lululemon
  • #restoration post 2 of 3 for the weekly #transformationtuesdays- any sort of restoration requires imagination. Restoration demands the ability to see the potential in something beyond what your eyes can currently see. Faith deconstruction isn’t easy, but I really think it is necessary to move into what #richardrohr calls the 2nd stage of life and faith. Moving beyond what you once saw, and seeing what could be is crucial...in the midst of it- it sure feels like demolition. Getting ready for this next week of sermons @costamesafirstumc I spent the day reimagining and restoring these amazing doors from the 1920’s. They may not be what they once were, but maybe, just maybe with some imagination they will turn into something surprising and beautiful. #restoration #makingspace #reimaginjng #restoration #vision #thanksdad #girlswithpowertools
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    #restoration post 2 of 3 for the weekly #transformationtuesdays- any sort of restoration requires imagination. Restoration demands the ability to see the potential in something beyond what your eyes can currently see. Faith deconstruction isn’t easy, but I really think it is necessary to move into what #richardrohr calls the 2nd stage of life and faith. Moving beyond what you once saw, and seeing what could be is crucial...in the midst of it- it sure feels like demolition. Getting ready for this next week of sermons @costamesafirstumc I spent the day reimagining and restoring these amazing doors from the 1920’s. They may not be what they once were, but maybe, just maybe with some imagination they will turn into something surprising and beautiful. #restoration #makingspace #reimaginjng #restoration #vision #thanksdad #girlswithpowertools
  • “Vision is the art of seeing things invisible”- Jonathan Swift Post 1 of a 3 week #transformationtuesday series I want to share how repurposing the original church doors is helping me process the faith deconstruction and reconstruction of myself and others. My restoration of space has often mirrored the work I have done around faith restoration- making visible that which has been invisible. I am in the midst of a six week preaching series on “Faith Deconstruction.” This term gets thrown around a lot but not always defined. The term is borrowed from philosophy term meaning taking things a part- down to their base identity in order to evaluate them and decide what is useful and necessary. For many in American Christianity this has been a big part of the last 10-15 years, a dismantling of what was once thought fundamental to faith. Father Richard Rohr discusses this movement and evaluation in his great book “falling upward.” I will admit the last couple of years have stripped away many of my beliefs and the things I once held as foundational. I think a lot of us have to go through the removal of old beliefs, ideals, and labels as we make space for what we are being invited into next. This is the process of removing the pieces we once thought held us up. Like these doors that used to welcome people into this almost 100 year old building, “the doorways” that first welcomed us into faith had their purpose. Some were healthy doorways, and some most definitely were not, but until we really look at how we got here, we can never create something new. Like old doors left to decay, these old ideas, left stagnant, just become less and less welcoming and more and more dangerous. The sanding is painful but there is mystery in what is being revealed. If you want to hear the sermon series check out www.costamesafirstumc.com #restorationchurch #faithdeconstruction #somethingnew #sanding #makingspace #girlswithpowertools #buildit #rebuildit #dit
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    “Vision is the art of seeing things invisible”- Jonathan Swift Post 1 of a 3 week #transformationtuesday series I want to share how repurposing the original church doors is helping me process the faith deconstruction and reconstruction of myself and others. My restoration of space has often mirrored the work I have done around faith restoration- making visible that which has been invisible. I am in the midst of a six week preaching series on “Faith Deconstruction.” This term gets thrown around a lot but not always defined. The term is borrowed from philosophy term meaning taking things a part- down to their base identity in order to evaluate them and decide what is useful and necessary. For many in American Christianity this has been a big part of the last 10-15 years, a dismantling of what was once thought fundamental to faith. Father Richard Rohr discusses this movement and evaluation in his great book “falling upward.” I will admit the last couple of years have stripped away many of my beliefs and the things I once held as foundational. I think a lot of us have to go through the removal of old beliefs, ideals, and labels as we make space for what we are being invited into next. This is the process of removing the pieces we once thought held us up. Like these doors that used to welcome people into this almost 100 year old building, “the doorways” that first welcomed us into faith had their purpose. Some were healthy doorways, and some most definitely were not, but until we really look at how we got here, we can never create something new. Like old doors left to decay, these old ideas, left stagnant, just become less and less welcoming and more and more dangerous. The sanding is painful but there is mystery in what is being revealed. If you want to hear the sermon series check out www.costamesafirstumc.com #restorationchurch #faithdeconstruction #somethingnew #sanding #makingspace #girlswithpowertools #buildit #rebuildit #dit