the idea

I have an idea. 

Well, I have lots of them: but with this one, I know I am on to something. 

I am constantly thinking about the concept of Christianity being a thing that we do. An action. Maybe I am the only one that missed this, and I promise there were times I wasn't paying great attention- but I am obsessing over this new found discovery in my faith: people will not see love, unless I am DOING THINGS to show it to them. This is more than deciding you love everyone, and you will be nice. This is service!

So, as I have pointed out before: I have been blessed to understand two systems functioning within my community. I am part of a Christian support system here that is phenomenal. My church is legit. They loooooove us with service, and hugs and kisses, and words of affirmation. I am so blessed by them. They have overwhelmed with love through actions and service. My teachers...

But I also live in a town home community of people in situations closer to mine. Single mothers, single dads, families with addiction issues, families money problems, non-traditional families. My neighbors are all so beautiful, and they all have inspiring love for their children, and just like me, are doing their best. I love these people. I love our little commune.  We support one another with babysitting, borrowing anything and everything, picking something up for someone, giving each other food, and always using each other to vent or laugh with while the kids play.

So, I have an idea.
I want to start a service organization. I want to assess the needs of the single parent homes (and I think I would do this through several focus groups; yep- I've gotten this far in my plan); I want to assess for needs that can be met through service, not money. There are lots of them, believe me! As a single mom, an act of service from someone is life changing, humbling and JESUS. 

Once, I've assessed the needs, and have a good needs bank started:

I want to ask local churches to participate in this service organization. I want to ask Christians to give these families love through actions. And any church that wants to participate will have their willing congregation members fill out a skills assessment. What is your passion? What do you love to do? What do you have skills in? Cooking? Kids? Sports? Plumbing? Handy-work? Cleaning? I want members to really explore what makes them happy to do for others. For me it's giving the mom's in my neighborhood that break that I know we all need. I like to take their kids for the afternoon, and hope that they are home taking a deep breathe and getting caught up however they need to. 

Once there is a skills bank, and excited people to serve: I will put the needs of the families together with the skills of the Christians, and we will love through our actions. 

So that's my idea; please feel free to help me develop it! 

Peace and love, gangstas. 

can we see love now?

I always joke that as I am in school for social work, I am also a perfect case study.

This summer, I have decided I am thankful for it. It's been a powerful, pivotal thing to look at this life from an inside view. I was blessed to come from a loving home with both parents raising us, a dad who loved our mother and provided financially, spiritually and physically for his family. A mother who was home with us, devoting her life to our wellbeing. 

I am also fortunate enough to have friends who were raised in the same environments so my friends are also an incredible support to me in my circumstances, because they are also people who have the resources to keep their heads above water. 

And on top of that- I have been blessed with an amazing church family; people who genuinely love us; people I know I could pick up the phone and ask anything of and they would he thrilled to show us love however I needed it.

I may currently have a disposition to poverty and stress but I have every resource available to conquer this, triumph, succeed... and I will. 

I am constantly reminded of the people everywhere, that don't have my luck, they don't have my resources, that weren't raised with my moral background or ethical principles. I can't imagine. It's hard enough for me; but take away my family, friends, and church: I'm totally screwed. Without those resources for support- I would be completely and utterly screwed. And there are so many people out there that are in that position; completely screwed by their circumstances. 

Because of my family, church and friends I will not be. Notice that I didn't say because of God I will survive, prevail and prosper? Notice I didn't just simply say God?

It is true... God is the reason I have the resources I do- He put me here, God is the reason I am so blessed. BUT IT IS THE PEOPLE HE BLESSED ME WITH THAT DO THE WORK. 

It is the people. It's you. It's me. We are God's workmanship.

A verse that inspired me when I concluded a divorce from an abusive man, than proceeded to take my wounds far from healing and get pregnant, becoming a single mother of two was:
2 Kings 20:5 The LORD GOD says, "I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. See, I will heal you." 

Yes!! Phew! God is going to heal me! I will not feel this broken, sad and confused forever. HE IS GOING TO HEAL ME!

I was fortunate enough (because of my resources) to take a vacation with my closet friends. During this time two things happened:

1. My friend Luke talked about how we, as a group of Christian friends, spending the weekend in fellowship together is exactly what God meant by church. That any gathering of Christians can be church.
It was perfect- I completely embraced it, and looked at everything that happened for the next 48 hours a church service of healing and love. I went into praise mode, and a time of self reflection, as well as fellowship. Church.
2. I then realized the FRIENDS God put in my life ARE WHAT HE IS USING TO KEEP THAT PROMISE. All of those people made an effort to embrace me, touch me, love me- to nurture me into healing. God was keeping his promise to heal me through them. They were God's workmanship.

After that, through the last couple of weeks, I have been really staying cognitive of the fact that God uses us- people- me- to heal people. That is how God heals. He using our interactions with people to heal them. To heal the single mother divorcee, to heal the alcoholic, to heal the nineteen year old girl that is using drugs and alcohol to cover up wounds, to heal the grandma that just lost her husband, to heal the family that is scared and disconnected because they are new immigrants (not old ones like us), to heal the solider that watched his friend die at war, to heal the child living in a home rid addiction, to heal our family, to heal our friends, to heal.
I think we may have lost sight of the concept that it is the things we do for people that give love and healing to the world. We need to give ourselves permission to bake our neighbors cookies (even if we can tell they drink way too much beer and don't bath their children often), reach out and touch someone with the intent to breathe some healing energy into them (even if their not the type of person we would normally touch), smile kindly and ask someone we don't know how their day is going with a genuine search for a genuine answer (even if they are low on personal hygiene practices and work at Wal-mart), bring a meal to someone who may need it, or just listen to someone's story without an ounce of judgement- how powerful is that? Someone hearing me, and loving me despite my mistakes? It's HEALING!
Since that weekend, I have reached out and touched two strangers while I was in conversation with them. I just touched their arm... because I realized that I can help someone along the path of healing and show them love just by touching their arm. I can love the little hood rats at the park just by taking the time for them, just by not writing them off and teaching them good things they fill their time with.

I can be God's workmanship through a single touch. I can keep his promise for him. Being God's resource for healing through loving interactions? No prob, God. I'm on it. Love it. :-)

forgiving

Hi,

This weekend I took a break from the boys and went camping with the Perfect 4. We ended up randomly staying in Ella, Wi which was weird cause it was close to Ellsworth, where you're living, and so I thought about you a lot.

I really haven't had very much time to think about you up until this weekend. I have been busy raising our son with all of my heart, soul and strength. He is strong and feisty; funny and compassionate. He is a lot like both of us. He is a free spirit to his core. He is wild at heart, but loves to love. He is smart, and he is kind.

This weekend I realized that I have to forgive you. I have to forgive you for everything. I was so afraid that if I didn't constantly remember everything you did, and how bad it was that I would be vulnerable to you or someone like you again someday. But I need to forgive you, and let go. I was gripping so tightly to the bad memories, to the bad side of you, to the lies, to the hurt, to the pain so that it wouldn't happen again- I was living in that place.

I need to forgive you for our son. I need to forgive you so that every time I see something in him that reminds me of you I won't panic, or feel resentment. I need to forgive you so that I can love your son with a pure heart.

I forgive you.

I am going to try to remember the things that I hope our son can inherit from you like your sense of humor, and adventurous spirit, your love of nature, and passion for music.

I am going to let go of all the rest, and live in this place.

In peace,

Tausha

idleness

At the end of my divorce, last July, I sensed that stability was right around the corner. It made my heart flutter. I felt as though my life could finally find some sort of balance, I would at last feel centered, grounded, calm. I longed for a moment without fear of the unknown.

As my divorce concluded, I could almost see a path before me, at last, instead of a mountain.

I can’t tell you how I ended up in the moment that changed that path back into a mountain. I have traced my steps psychologically, physically, emotionally, spiritually- and I somehow, beyond all reason, made a decision that changed it all. That unexplainable moment brought us Miles.

I’d been begging life to grant me calm water, when life said yes; I apparently jumped out of the boat and decided to swim instead. The clear path was gone...

Pregnancy is a time of unknown. Nine months of wondering and waiting. At the beginning of my pregnancy with Miles I didn’t think it was possible to muster up any more courage, any more love, any more energy for the baby growing inside of me. It seemed impossible. I cried desperate tears to God “I don’t have anything left! There’s not a thing left to give! I’m so tired in life! I was barely hanging on…”

But little Miles asked nothing of me for nine months. He just grew quietly and peacefully. His spirit was very calming. With his soul inside of me, I couldn’t stress about anything. I never worried. I didn’t have anxiety. His aura is like a warm bath.

And now that he’s here, he remains that way: calm, peaceful, relaxed, happy, and easy.

Tonight, I cried when I realized: I am finally back to that moment: I feel as though my life is about to find some balance. All the what-ifs are answered. There is a chance for calm again. I can find my peace.
I… almost… see… a… path… Another mountain is behind me.

My sons' names are fitting tonight, as I reflect upon the last two years:
Everest has been by my side climbing all of the mountains with me. He has thrown me a rope a thousand times.
Miles came right when I needed to see a long stretch of path, and kept me calm and magically peaceful until I could see for miles again.

I am thankful. I am present. I am hoping, just for a moment, there isn’t a change in sight. I had been stuck on an emotional merry-go-round for two and half years, and I think it’s about to stop.
Idleness at last.