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I am grateful for @morganharpernichols being a friend and a co-creative. Her words have had me thinking all week. During this interview she shared such a hard truth- in order to move ourselves and culture forward- we need to make space to grieve. Right now Grieving looks all kinds of different ways, but however it looks, it always requires honesty. Grieving is getting to the bottom of what’s really going on so you can take honest action. Being present to someone else’s grief is often the greatest gift of solidarity we can offer. Some of us are grieving that we are just having the veil lifted on the meaning of anti-racism. Some of us are grieving a false sense of security. Some of us are grieving the continued division. Some of us are grieving that there are intentional “fear mongers” creating a false narrative that seeks to assert that black lives matter isn’t about bringing wholeness to all of us, when we know it’s about bringing all of us into a better way of life. Some of us are grieving the community we can no longer fit in. The list goes on- but grief is important, and people like Morgan give images and words to the grief that many feel and often don’t know how to express. To hear more of her please check out the link in the bio. It’s also available on YouTube if you want to see more of her art!!
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When your heart is bent toward justice, and you feel the weight of what has not changed, and you are so tired of fighting a fight that keeps taking on new shapes. It does not make you weak.. MHN ⠀ ⠀ Friends, you may already know the work of this week's Making Spaces Podcast guest @morganharpernichols. Her well known instagram poetry/visual art is signed with the simple letters MHN. ⠀ ⠀ Morgan is an incredibly talented creative. She is a poet, a musician, and a visual artist. Each piece is based on the personal stories her followers send her and offers a sense of hope and solidarity.⠀ ⠀ Our conversation centers around making space while letting go of needing to impress critics and worry about comparison- and why it’s on to say you are tired. ⠀ Morgan is such a gift and this conversation was inspiring and challenging. Link in bio
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#blackouttuesday
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#theweirdestthingIdidlastweek I am way too thrifty to throw out perfectly good dispensers just because they are rusty, or don't match the look of the bathroom. Instead I spray paint them with rust proof metallic spray paint, like any normal person would do :) (ok maybe that isn't true) Some of the random things I have in my tool box, like metallic spray paint, come in handy when I am trying to workout some big decisions. Projects like this are what I call a noble distraction. When my brain is overwhelmed I fix something, or do a project that has a beginning and an end. A project that isn't life changing and can be done without too much thinking becomes meditative for me. Only being able to run short distances, if at all, has been hard, but some of these little projects have created space for my brain to rest and feel settled in finishing.
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Tonight I am posting a special episode about making space to engage the topic of racial reconciliation. Episode 14 will be released on the usual day (Tuesday) with artist @MorganHarperNichols, but tonight I wanted to share this.⠀ ⠀ I am grateful to Lamont Hartman for being willing to record a quick conversation. He offered some helpful practices, and things to take into consideration, when confronting injustice.⠀ ⠀ Lamont is a seasoned pastor and non-profit developer. He has spent years working around racial reconciliation, and has hosted seminars for people to engage the need for bridge building and deep friendships. Check out more of his work @lamonthartman. ⠀ I myself, am by no means an expert, and this episode was created in response to people asking me to share my thoughts and opinions.I think getting out of the way is a better use of my platform and I would invite you to engage the work of @latashamorrison @austinchanning @theandrehenry @drewbrownmusic ⠀ ⠀ Please listen to this episode with some grace. I did some of the audio editing myself to get it out to you as quickly as possible, and audio engineering is not in my wheelhouse. ⠀ ⠀ Thank you to those of you who helped me fix audio- @josietakestheworld and @georgevicbell You guys are lifesavers! (Link in Bio) ⠀
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#Fridayfeature You asked -What's the deal with wheels on your pews? How does that make space for people? How on Earth did you convince people that this was the way forward? Will this help with regathering? I tried to answer that on these and more on this week's podcast.⠀ ⠀ This weeks Making Spaces episode was a practical Maker's Episode about what it means to move from Do It Yourself to Do It Together.⠀ ⠀ This was our first Makers Episode, and it was a little tricky to make, but I am so glad we did. All of these images and accompanying video are available on my Youtube channel. I am close to having the 100 subscribers needed to rename it, and make it easier to find and share.⠀ ⠀ For this episode I was excited to share with you a couple Anita and Carol from my community who really are my co-conspirators when it comes to projects. They say such inspiring and elaquent things I hope you will take a listen (Link in the bio.)
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#Wednesdaywisdom- As a newly self realized #enneagram3w2, the hardest words for me to say are I need your help and in a weird twist, the thing I long for most is someone to offer their help. So friends I need your help. This weekend I worked really hard to get all The Making Spaces Podcast content up on youtube. I made graphics, edited videos, and spent hours doing things I don't have the skill set to do. I am grateful to @stephsanslee @georgevicbell and @josietakestheworld for helping me. Is the content perfect? not even close- is it my best- yes for now, until I learn more, and get some help! So how can you help? If you would be so kind can you subscribe to my youtube? and my podcast- Making Spaces? Can you share content? Can you review it? I am excited about the work of making spaces and I want you guys along for the journey. So thank you and thank you to everyone who took a tearful call from me this weekend! Link to YouTube channel in bio. Photo/hair/makeup @vanvophotography amazing work apron @searchandrescuedenim
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Home is wherever I'm with you Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros ⠀ ⠀ A lot of us are working from home, and it has me thinking about the idea of home. ⠀ ⠀ After July California will be the place I have lived the longest, and yet it doesn't feel like home. As an itinerate pastor we have no home church. I own a home I don't live in. My parents live in a home that I only lived in for four years. I never answer with one place when someone asks where's home? ⠀ ⠀ Whenever I am interviewed the hardest question is usually where are you from?- I was born in Canada (to a British mom and a Canadian Dad)- moved to Mississippi in high school- moved from Mississippi to North Carolina- moved from North Carolina to California. ⠀ ⠀ Somehow all of these places have a small sense of home for me, but none of them totally feels like home. ⠀ ⠀ During the last couple of months I have had zoom conversations with people from all of the places I have called home. I have loved- watching movies with friends in Canada, talking with my aunts in Canada and England, and sharing Happy Hour with my North Carolina friends. I've noticed that after I log off, I feel like I have been home.⠀ ⠀ Maybe for me home isn't one place. Home is a combination of people. ⠀ ⠀ #tbt photoshoot with the talented @vanvophotography (photo/hair/makeup) #unitedmuralsoc
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Happy #nationalrescuedogday to the love of my life- I adopted Tenor from @awishforanimalsorg and it was the best decision I’ve ever made! Please support animal rescue organizations and considering adopting you may just find your best friend like I did! #dogsofinstagram #hesthebest
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#transformationtuesday these beautiful pieces took me an entire week to fix, but they are worth it!⠀ ⠀ Removing layers of grime built up over decades takes a lot of hard work. The more restoration I do, the more I realize the work is a metaphor for our own deep inner work. In restoration, and in our own lives the biggest payoffs come from hard work, and the willingness to learn new skills.⠀ ⠀ I have no idea how long these gorgeous brass candelabras have been @costamesafirstumc, but they were in a closet underneath a staircase that had a lot of water damage. They were covered in trash bags. You can imagine my delight when I took off the bags and saw what potential treasures were hiding underneath there.⠀ ⠀ They are gorgeous and are going to be an incredible part of the community decor, bringing light and beauty when we can regather together. Cleaning, fixing and polishing them was an act of hope. ⠀ ⠀ Days spent on the project- 7 ⠀ Products Tried- 3 (Brasso, Weiman Brass Polish, Midas touch)⠀ Tools purchased- 2 (Dremel, polishing drill bits) ⠀ YouTubevideos watched- 3⠀ Times I almost cried- 100⠀ ⠀ PS if you don't have @dremel get one... it is a game changer⠀
