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Oct 8

We have had enough debates. Voting has started. We got to experience a fly uniting all Americans during a time when we needed shared humor. #PatrioticFly

Now let’s all just stop with reading social media (except mine) and talking about the election, and let’s watch this beautifully funny show. And breathe. And check the fly’s Twitter account, because you bet your ass there is one already.

#TedLasso #howdy #wanker #appletv #tedlassoappletv #richmondfootballclub #goodvibes #bekind #goodtv #positivity #positiveenergy
#WeHaveAllHadAFlyOnOurHeadsMike #peace #funny

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Oct 7

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My COVID reality has not been the norm. It's been stressful, but we have stayed employed. We have had the ability to isolate for work & school. We can receive medical bills and pay them- eventually. All this may end, because these are merely my circumstances.⁣
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I am thankful for a childhood that showed me different lifestyles, instilling in me an understanding of various realities. Even so, my ego is always in the background, eager for me to forget. ⁣
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Let’s be weary about our egos. Let’s lay them down & be in reality, so we can understand that things often go one way instead of another merely due to circumstances. Circumstances are not signs of superiority, nor are they necessarily signs of the norm. We are not inherently deserving of our circumstances; for example, my medical insurance is better than my children's teachers’. ⁣
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Egos make us believe our reality is the "way things are." Ego blinds us to facts.⁣
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Reality changed for all in 2020, but some already lived in a reality that would never have allowed for the best medical care, the option to isolate, or the ability to stay home with kids suddenly receiving online education. Life quickly changed for teachers, civil servants, custodians, nurses, doctors, restaurant owners holding on by a thread with servers coming down with COVID-19, grocery store stockers, clerks, baggers, and managers. Countless others were affected, as well. And, my God, single parents had to work, teach, and even do both simultaneously. Those of you who had to suppress severe anxiety and hide the symptoms at work—you who did not have the luxury to be unafraid. You could not hang out at home & wait things out. You are not promised top medical care.⁣
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Your reality was and is not mine. So as a Christian & human wanting the best for our country, my work is to avoid deeming something "harmless" simply because it does not harm MY life as significantly as it may harm yours.⁣
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Friends, let us honor those who grieve their dead, and are otherwise dealing with the aftermath of having their lives irreparably changed, instead of meeting them in their grief with narratives about how “strong, smart people” would not worry about COVID. ⁣

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Oct 5

We will make it beautiful, as it was meant to be!
Hang on.
@maggiesmithpoet .

#poetrycommunity #maggiesmithpoet #amwriting #hope #poems #socialjustice #drybones #evolvingfaith2020 #poemsofig #writerscommunity #words #birdbybird

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Oct 2

It is finally time!

Feels like a vacation from 2020 to spend tomorrow drowning out the world and listening to these voices.

If anyone feels called to pray for my soul because I love these brilliant and kind voices, bring them on! I need every one of them! (Just not for this, but I figure prayers kind of shake themselves out).🤷🏻‍♀️🙏🏻.

#evolvingfaith #evolvingfaith2020 #becauseofrhe #rachelheldevans #socialjustice #ijm #internationaljusticemission #antihumantrafficking

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Sep 29

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Sep 27

During the quarantine madness, G.R. has quietly taken up biking.⁣
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G.R. started on his knock-off peloton and worked out for hours. Then one of our best friends lent him his mountain bike. G.R. took off on local trails, and then on the beautiful trails of Colorado. Then the same generous friend lent G.R. his street bike. G.R. took off on that thing for miles.⁣
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Since then, G.R. has been happy in a new way. It is the happiness of having something only for him that pushes him emotionally, mentally, and physically. It has been awesome watching G.R. find something for himself because the three girls in his life expect a lot, his job expects a lot, and he expects a lot from himself in those two areas of his life. G.R. works about 14 hours a day, 5 days a week, so it is not like he did this because he had a ton of "me time" on his hands. He built it in. We all need something outside of our work and family that shapes our personal identity.

And to be quite honest, while I am happy and proud of him, I have, on several occasions, griped about it and even possibly been a smidge unsupportive. Go, me! But I know that this actually makes our marriage healthier, and G.R. will live longer. Go, G.R.!⁣
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Yesterday G.R. and some of our favorite guys went to Paris, TX, and road 80 miles in a bike rally. I would brag about times and all the things, but while G.R. loves the analytical aspect of breaking down his time and speed, I am usually checked out by that part of the convo as I find math sketchy and time-consuming when I could be watching David on Schitt's Creek.⁣
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So thankful for all the friends in our life who have encouraged him and kept him laughing through various spills and learning moments. And I have waited for the last sentence to mention that he is wearing spandex, and that makes me a true American hero. 🇺🇸⁣
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#biking #marriage #spandex #friends #proud #davidrose

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Sep 25

This week has been a long one—an insane roller coaster ride- both personally and for many friends.⁣ I mean, on Sunday I woke up and could not even see, but that's a story for another day. 🤦🏻‍♀️
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So many of us are struggling right now from this heavy week. Some sick, very sick. Some suffering terrible loss, some in deep grief over the state of our country. ⁣
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Like many of you, I tried to use my sense of humor, use perspective, keep seeing the good, and tried to let go of what was not mine to carry this week. ⁣
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But, in the end, most of what happened this week WAS for us all to carry. ⁣
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So I am holding space. ⁣
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This prayer from the Book of Common Prayer is all I have to offer today. And the hope in it is all that matters. ⁣
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The second picture a friend sent, right when I needed a reminder to keep going. ❤️❤️ .

Once again, we have to keep moving.

#stteresaofavila #bookofcommonprayer #faith #breonnataylorslifematters #breonnataylor #notoriousrbg #friendship #jesus #socialjustice #anxiety #grief #righteousanger #hopewriterslife #hopewriters

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Sep 18

"Reading is the key that opens doors to many good things in life. Reading shaped my dreams, and more reading helped me make my dreams come true.”

My childhood was not easy. I won’t talk about it much. But I will tell you women like RBG paved the way to make it possible for me to be the first woman in my family line to graduate college. I took in her life. I took in her words. I chose the route of leaving, education, and books and travel and possibility. If you want to make her life about “the radical left”, you are missing out on the big picture and I feel sorry for you. She erred on the side of humanity, and she lived a decent and good life with an intact family.

Thank you, RBG.

#rbg #ruthbaderginsburg #notoriousrbg

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Sep 16

⁣📸 credit: @kevinhinesstory

@kevinhinesstory is the producer of the documentary Suicide: The Ripple Effect. ⁣
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One September day in 2000, Hines jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge, falling 240 feet and crushing spinal vertebrae upon impact. ⁣
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Unbelievably Kevin survived and has since committed his life to help others survive mental illness. Hines cites research stating that 115 people are affected by one suicide.⁣
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These numbers reveal that most of us will be impacted by suicide during our lifetime.⁣
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Hines stated that the very moment his hands left the Golden Gate Bridge's railing, he felt instantaneous regret. Many have taken the same leap,19 have survived. ⁣
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They have all expressed the same sentiment of instant regret. ⁣
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Hope is everpresent; as such, we will end this heavy post on a positive note. ⁣
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Based on Kevin Hine's personal experience and research, 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦. ⁣
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Furthermore, we get a new chance, starting this minute, to handle someone's struggle with depression better than ever before. That bodes well for our kids' generation and beyond, a small grace we can derive out of past suicides, which have taught us to be aware as people are struggling silently. Let them not have died of suicide in vain. ⁣
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May their stories push us to have uncomfortable conversations that can throw open the doors necessary to help people live. ⁣
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To read more about HOW to help struggling friends, please read this article I wrote last year:⁣
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National Suicide Prevention Week: Overcoming Our Fear of Helping. ⁣
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https://amandaregas.com/2019/09/09/national-suicide-prevention-week-overcoming-our-fear-of-helping/ (You will need to copy and paste)⁣
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Please stay. ⁣
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#suicideawareness #beheretomorrow #suicideprevention #suicidepreventionmonth #suicidepreventionawareness #twloha #pleasestay #suicidepreventionday #suicidepreventionlifeline #community #love #friendship #hopewriters #agapelove #compassion #anxiety #depressionawareness #depressionhelp #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #godsgotthis

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Sep 14

Sometimes it feels like the walls are closing around me in this house, where we have dwelled for 3,835 days of COVID. So, we left and stayed in a tiny house near the lake. I was uncertain of what to expect in many ways. For instance, my husband is tall...how much head trauma would he endure? Would he ever be the same?⁣
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Also, we’ve been together since March. Would this be like the ant farm we bought during COVID, where we watched the ants ripped each limb to limb? (Somebody must inform the ants that anger is a secondary emotion so they can, as a group, get to the bottom of their issues because, oh my God.)⁣
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But I’ve been obsessing over tiny homes, so even if it ended in an ant-Esque massacre, I needed to get living in one out of my system.⁣
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Thankfully my husband left the weekend with his brain cells, and the only trauma endured was by my right knee cap, which repeatedly smacked the loft ladder on my way up to our bed. My youngest daughter learned some colorful words, because each time I swore out loud and thought to myself, “This is it, this is how I die.”⁣
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Here is what I’ve come to believe these last 5 years (since nobody asked or wondered), which has been reinforced by this pandemic. When we spend as much time as possible adventuring and playing out in the world, our spirits remain higher, and we can live happily—with less. ⁣
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We do not need all the stuff; we just want it. We need air and sun and water. Like a quote I saw once, we are basically houseplants, only with more complicated emotions.⁣
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Being near to creation is essential to survival - both physically and emotionally- for our souls.⁣
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We also spent three nights in the tiny house. A fourth would have likely resulted in the ant massacre scenario. So maybe it is also about moderation.⁣
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Let’s remember that as we enter into shorter days, less sunlight & colder weather. Get all the outside time you possibly can to stay mentally healthy—a timely reminder as September is Suicide Awareness month.⁣
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Buy your light lamps, warm exercise clothes, your healthiest food, keep moving and hydrated.⁣
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And when even the best tools in your mental health kit won’t work- please reach out. We need you here.

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Sep 11

I remember being selfishly upset about my due date with Evie. It fell around 9/11, and that was not something I wanted to associate with this new life.⁣
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For us, 9/11 was an ending. It was chaos born straight from pure evil.

9/11 is TV footage of brave first responders running into a firetrap that citizens fought to leave.

9/11 is trauma and grim imagery. Images documenting final terror-filled moments of airplane passengers before they slammed into two towers, a field and a government building.

9/11 is pictures captured of the darkest moments. Human beings, with families and souls like ours, jumping from buildings that extended up into the clouds.

9/11 is grief. Months of learning the stories and personalities of people lost and of their people left behind. Last voice recordings. Funerals. Widows and widowers. Grieving children. Babies born in the months that followed to widowed mothers.

9/11 Is now first responders who lived that day now dying early from the bravery they showed.⁣
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Evie entered our lives on Sept. 10, 2010.⁣
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I recall holding my newborn all day long Sept. 11, 2010, thinking how selfish and misguided my thinking had been. Bittersweet joy and familiar grief flowed through me as I held Evie to me while watching 9/11 footage because Evelyn’s life was a sign of human resilience. The ability to go on, move forward, create a new life, and new hope. ⁣
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9/11 that year was Nora holding her new baby sister in a hospital chair.⁣
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Evelyn, a baby girl we had initially thought we might never have, continues to feel on every birthday like a symbol of God’s promises kept, and a sign of pure rebellion from a country of people who on 9/11 were told by terrorists that life as we knew it would be over.⁣
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And if you know, Evie, it kind of makes sense.⁣
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I never post her previous days birthday pics on 9/11, it still feels irreverent. But this year feels heavy. ⁣
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So here is some light.⁣
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1 Samuel 1:27⁣
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#september11 #america #faithhopelove #1samuel127 #dfwmoms #bealight #usa🇺🇸 #neverforget #amwriting #writingcommunity #hopewriters #hopewriterscommunity #writersofinstagram

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Sep 10

I would say this is extra....but it's Evelyn Georgia’s 10th (and golden) birthday we are talking about.

Which means, if you don't jump on board the party train, it's going to straight up run you over. ⁣

One more sleep until my little is big. 🤗😭⁣
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#DoubleDigits #TwoWholeHands 👐🏻 #BabiesDontKeep #AndThatIsDumb #signgypsies #signgypsiesmckinney

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Sep 8

If you feel like an alien when you observe the hills people are choosing to die on these days, know you are not alone.

If you are shocked at the silence of your Christian friends, and you hear they “will not be divisive” (like you), you are not alone.

We will all answer one day, and I will have my LARGE share of explaining to do (I mean, God WILL need shots of espresso to stay awake, and I don’t think He even sleeps).

But I do know God will care more about what I DID for my neighbor, rather than what my neighbor thought of me.

#EvolvingFaith #AgapeLove #KingdomLiving #dfwmoms
#EncourageActualMovement #SocialJustice #BeSalty #AndLighty #church #loveyourneighbor #peace

Source: @barnabaswpiper

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Sep 3

Do you think my husband feels most blessed by the calming vibes that I bring to our house?⁣
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So....what had happened was, I took apart our pantry. But I forgot to change who I am as a person, so I didn’t know how to put it back better any better.⁣
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Follow me for more home trends.⁣
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Also, I’m taking applications for a wife. ⁣
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#MostDefinitelyNotAnInfluencer⁣
#ThisIsHowIDo⁣
#PantryCleansing⁣
#AllTheTypeAPeopleCried⁣
#HomeDecorFall2020

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Sep 2

Swipe to see why I am investing in @embrace.action. Please follow our grassroots organization, and watch us grow!

#racialequality #embraceaction #nonprofitorganization #grassroots #systemicracism

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Aug 29

How life has changed since my solo adventure in L.A. one year ago.

Lyft/Uber drivers, like Jerry, took long routes through Los Angeles to show me “their” city (their words), while charging me the fares of the shorter route.
I told them I wanted to hear their stories, and they lit up and told me everything.

People love to be seen, especially in the places they love.

Thank you, Jerry! For seeing this White lady 😁.

#losangeles #taylorswift

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Aug 28

Evie. Keeping our hearts light since 2010.

#familygroupchatvibes

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Aug 28

Part 3/3. Race issues are messy. Life was messy for Jesus, too, & we love the stories told in that Book. As Christians, we proclaim that Jesus showed us how to live here bravely- using our lives to bring justice to the marginalized. ⁣
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As a Jesus follower, I offer the following:⁣
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We will not see the end of Jacob Blakes’being shot until we deal with the root problem. That's how issues work—physical, mental, emotional—they all require root work. We will not see the end of looting & rioting until we deal with the root problem.⁣
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What does the work look like? Like every one of us relearning our country's history, and this time we keep only the truth. We need to proudly hold in one hand the wins of our founding fathers. And in our other hand, we will carry the heinous acts. We need to boldly face BOTH & fight the urge to add a 'Yeah, but...' We celebrate our victories as a country. Why can we not accept our failures too? ⁣
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We neglect to understand how little time has passed. Unhealthy things happened in the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. MLK Jr, Anne Frank, and Barbara Walters were all born in the same year. The past is closer than we think.⁣
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After we embrace authentic history, we can notice how racism drips through every crack in our system today & once & for all turn that system on its head.⁣
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Until we heal this chasm, racism will continue to end with dead people.⁣
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White friends, we are drowning in the benefits of systemic racism today. I benefit DAILY. I can also tell you I’m tired of it ruining society.⁣
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We can’t keep covering it with prayer. We can’t keep repeating, "I grew up poor," or "I never owned slaves." Using escapism is weak. It makes our country vulnerable. We are a strong country, and I know we can embrace this work. ⁣
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So pick. Pride or reality? Dysfunction or healing? Rolling your eyes or joining a positive movement to educate our country and unravel this mess? Praying or prayer AND action?⁣ Maybe addressing those questions is what patriotism looks like in 2021.⁣
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Mostly I ask—what world do you want for your kids? Today's death & violence, and it's-not-my-problem thinking? If so, don't change a thing.⁣
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But let’s be clear, we have a choice.

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Aug 27

PART 2/3⁣ (This picture is from a place in Kenosha where we used to meet up with friends ~Wine Knot Bar and Bistro.)
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G.R. and I are watching as things back home in Kenosha/Racine come to a head this last week, not for the first time, but for the first newsworthy time, as our newsfeeds are flooded with pictures posted by friends from home.⁣
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I can tell you that area, nestled between Milwaukee and Chicago, has long been a racial pressure cooker. We have also watched this sequence of events happen in Minnesota, where I grew up, and we have watched it play out in North Texas, where we now reside. ⁣
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How have things felt in your surrounding area?⁣
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It is interesting to compare the photos taken by people we know to those released by media news outlets. Different perspectives are portrayed. ⁣
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We see pictures of protests, which are peaceful.⁣
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We see pictures of riots, which are violent.⁣
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Both Black and White people drive in for these events. Did you know that? ⁣
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In fact, three people were shot two nights ago, only one still surviving as I write these words. All three were shot by a White boy, who looked barely old enough to drive but is on film holding a rifle. How does he have that rifle? Was he planning for this before it even happened, waiting? Did you know his mother drove him from Antioch, IL to Kenosha, WI, so he could participate?⁣
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We watch it from here. We see college friends, now firefighters, working to contain blazes and protect the businesses we used to patronize. We see pictures of clean up, posts relaying information to help people. Most chilling, a picture of a boarded-up business with spraypainted arrows pointing to an upstairs apartment and the words "PLEASE: CHILDREN LIVE ABOVE THIS BUSINESS."⁣
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Behind the posts and pictures, we sense utter bewilderment and trauma. I get it. This feeling has become my current state.⁣
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So, I feel I need to say something. ⁣
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But what? And to whom? ⁣

#embraceaction #racialequality #racialinjustice #socialwelfare #socialjusticewarrior #socialjustice #domore #diversityandinclusion #kenoshawisconsin #jacobblake #antiracism #kingdomliving #createpeace #healing #racialreconciliation

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Aug 26

Part One: ⁣
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G.R. and I met in Kenosha. We went to college on the shores of Lake Michigan in Kenosha. This picture is from Carthage College. ⁣
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G.R. lived near where Jacob Blake was shot seven times in his back while his three boys watched. I practiced social work on that same street, providing services to people with chronic illness or disability through the Kenosha Aging and Disability Resource Center. ⁣
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I speak with certainty when I say that if I had been in the same situation on that same street, no one would have shot seven bullets into my back, spraying my blood onto my daughters in the back seat. It would not have happened. Not to this White, curly-haired mom of two.⁣
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We stayed in the Kenosha/Racine/Milwaukee area several years before finally moving to Texas. We bought our first home in Racine, and I left social work to become an admissions director in a local private school. ⁣
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Racism was an issue in that school. It was not because of some tension between Black kids vs. White kids but because of White adults. It is worth noting that though many Black people lived in Racine/Kenosha, we had no Black people on staff.⁣
And my office was big on needing 'the Black kids in this marketing piece.' We knew it was important to show our diversity. That diversity did not exist, though, because we only had handfuls of Black students, which made it relatively easy to find them for the pictures and the donor gatherings. Yes, I did that. I went along with it. I let that happen in a Christian school to kids I knew and loved. ⁣
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I will always need to be aware of that part of me. ⁣
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Does that scenario sound healthy? ⁣
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Does it sound like we felt 'they' were the same as our White students?⁣
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This is the stuff seeping through the cracks in our systems. It keeps racism hard to pinpoint but very much alive. ⁣
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#racism #kenosha #systemicracism #partofthesolution #socialjustice #peacefulprotest #peace #equality #faithandjustice #evolvingfaith #trauma #systemicoppression

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