This Blog, That Blog, What Blog?

So, my new project is actually another blog:
http://www.mormonspectrum.org/blog/

Have you guys heard of Mormon Spectrum?  It's absolutely my favorite thing to talk to Mormons about, when I have to talk about Mormon stuff.  I mean, mostly I just want to talk to my friends about normal stuff like their kids and cross country and work and parenting and even how their callings in the church are going.  But if other Mormon-y stuff has to be talked about, let's talk about Mormon Spectrum!

Mormon Spectrum is a site that is designed to help people find resources and community so that they don't feel so alone and helpless.  If there's one thing I'm passionate about in terms of Mormonism, it's that people need a heck of a lot more support than they're typically getting during a faith transition.  There's a lot of shunning, fear, and just simple non-support that happens.  I'd love for that to stop, and if I can be in a position to help create more love and support for transitioning Mormons, that's where I'll be!

To be clear, I think that there's a lot of shunning, fear, and non-support that comes FROM transitioning Mormons TO traditionally believing Mormons, too.  This is why I think that groups like Mormon Spectrum are so important.  If we can take the discussion out of a black and white world where A is Good and B is Bad, then we might get somewhere.  Why not just start with the idea that people are people and that means they need love and support?!  Forget who's "right" and who's "wrong."  Let's focus on supporting each other in a way that creates safety for everyone: believers, non-believers and everyone in-between.

What's not to love about that, right?!  

And it's really where my heart is anyway.  I want to be friends with everyone!  I won't do it at the expense of my sanity or self-respect, but if people are willing to work with me, I am so, so happy to continue relationships that are supportive and loving and real.  I am convinced there is a way to maintain relationships even while discussing hard things.  We can do this!

The other thing I love about this project is that it's not really mine.  I call myself a curator of the blog.  It's more of a community sourcing blog that I update with posts of all sorts.  I write some posts, I bug other people to write posts, I put links up about things that I think are helpful to the transitioning Mormon community, etc.  This also gets me in a lovely frame of mind where I'm not trying to spout off frustrations or even tell Tamra's story.  I'm trying to help create a safe space that offers love and support and possibly even healing - not add to controversy or pain!  The blog represents the best version of myself I've ever found.  That's the truest, purest Tamra, and I wish I could maintain that full time!  It's like feeling that deep peace during meditation and then wondering why you still yell at your kids.  Ha!

Anyways, if you're interested, you can go check it out.  Here's a blog post I wrote up for Mormon Spectrum about why I joined their team.

And if you'd like to write something up for the blog, or you have a good resource, or you read a good blog post lately that you think Mormon Spectrum would like to post about, let me know!  I'd love to get as many different voices on the blog as possible.  So many people with so many things to say.  No sense in me monopolizing it.

(I also post on their Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/MormonSpectrum/)

Peace.  Love.  Support.  Healing.  Let's go get it!

Summer Pictures

I present to you Summer 2016, in picture form:

My birthday party at the FC Cincinnati game.

Shots on my birthday with Evan, who was back for a visit.  Love that girl, and love Irish Breakfast shots.  Seriously, so good.

Celebrating Jeff's birthday, just a day before mine, with Deafies and Friends.

Exploring California with my brother Justin and his kiddos.

Geocaching with Budge, my brother, and Kevin, not my brother.

The ocean at Santa Cruz. Love this picture.

Geocaching took us to the world's largest Monopoly board.  So useful.

Tank and my Mom at Point Lobos, CA.

Dalai Lama in Indianapolis.  "Create inner peace from compassion."

Surprise (for all of us) visit to Boston to hang out with family for a few hours.

Picking up our new kitten in Connecticut.  Lots of cats to love on at the breeder's house!

Bringing him home.

Getting them used to each other.

Dyeing sweedish weave towels to make a wedding gift for a friend.

Turned out great, right?!

Falling Water.  A trip just for Elijah, who is fascinated with Frank Lloyd Wright.

Down the natural water slide.

We all had bruises to prove it.

Miciah's shirt matches her eyes.  Also, she is a ninja.

DC!  We couldn't lose the boys with those shirts on.  They stood out in the crowd!

The security guard wouldn't let me play on the checkerboard.  Which is just mean!  Why build something so fun and then not let people play on it?!  Rude.

Capitol Building at night.  Not that you can tell - we could be anywhere in this picture.

We got Taco Bell at the train station.  It took us just as long to walk to Taco Bell, buy food, and walk out, as it did for Rob to get through the line of cars outside the building.  Worked out well, actually.

We played cards and read outside the White House.  Very relaxing.

The middle school's Memorial Garden that we worked on for 25 hours over the summer.  I know it doesn't look like much, but you couldn't even tell there was a garden before we started.

The other section of it.  I don't know why Miciah took this picture at an angle.  I guess it's artsy.  ...  We also fixed the rain barrel, all the bird house things, and got the bench area ready so someone could actually sit there.  I'd say it was a fun family project, but Tank just whined about it the whole time.  Whatever.  I had fun.

Brewing beer for Keith and Tiffany's wedding.  They called it This Is the Cake.  Fun, right?!  The brewing process was fascinating.

Digging the pond.

Real Madrid came to play in Columbus and my brother took me to the game with him!  Brothers are the best!

Rock scrambling with Keith at Nelson Kennedy Bridges State Park.  Cool place but a long drive.  It made for a fun day with my brother!

Downtown Cincinnati with Miciah and everyone else playing Pokemon Go!  Do you see all those people in the background?!  It was odd / cool to witness.

Reds game with Bryant and families.