Kristin Hill Taylor

‘Satisfied’ is a truly satisfying book

June 18, 2021 by Kristin Leave a Comment

“Satisfied: Finding Hope, Joy, and Contentment Right Where You Are” by Alyssa Joy Bethke is truly a lovely book inside and out. It’s full of pretty pictures and beautiful Biblical truths. I truly enjoyed holding it in my hands and reading it.

I saw that it’s available as an ebook, but I don’t recommend that. This is the kind of book you’ll want to hold, read, display, and read again. The chapters are topical essays so you could even read whichever one seems right on any given day. The topics addressed include loneliness, grief, body image, social media, motherhood, anxiety, and fear. But they all come back to the beauty of faithfulness and goodness.

“Perhaps this life is made up of small miracles. Of looking for all the little ways the Lord loves us and is at work. Of how he is holding all things in his hands, and holds all things together.” — Alyssa Joy Bethke in “Satisfied”

This book points to Jesus, offers practical advice on living out your faith in your ordinary life, encourages women in areas that matter, and ends with some recipes I can’t wait to make.

About the book

In “Satisfied,” Alyssa Bethke shares a compelling collection of relatable essays that will help you embrace and cultivate beauty in your life. This book will provide you with the knowledge that you are not alone in your fight to be fulfilled. Alyssa shows you the ways in which you are enough — not only for those around you, but for yourself.

The book is divided into three parts and includes these chapters:

Longings Met
Holy Moments
His Love
Griefs Healed
Slow Miracles
Weary Hearts Rejoice
Trap of Comparison
Fighting for Faith
Oh, Hey Body!
Garden of Our Hearts
True Identity
Enough
Small Things
Learning Contentment
Laughter
Thankful Hearts
Joy in the Grind
My People

This 240-page hardcover book is published by Worthy Publishing (June 15). Learn more at the book’s webpage.

About the author

Alyssa Bethke is a mother to three children, Kinsley, Kannon, and Lucy, and a dog named Aslan. She and her husband, Jeff Bethke, live in Maui, and are bloggers, YouTubers, and hosts of The Real-Life podcast. Jeff and Alyssa are the New York Times bestselling authors of Jesus > Religion and It’s Not What You Think and Love That Lasts. They are passionate about encouraging and strengthening families at familyteams.com a program that brings families together with the idea of becoming a team.

*****

I received a free copy of this book from Hachette Book Group as part of FirstWords Bloggers in exchange for a review, but I truly love it. In fact, I’ve already spent my own money to buy it as a gift for one friend, and I suspect I will buy several more copies to share with friends.

Growing slow right here

May 12, 2021 by Kristin Leave a Comment

This spring felt normal. And normal is welcomed after the grief I walked through in 2019 and the social distancing we experienced in 2020. But normal also means house projects, plans, relationships, and responsibilities are in progress.

I have to remind myself progress is valuable and is where we spend the bulk of our life. Yes, of course, I’d rather the house be cleaned, all the outside property projects be completed, every conversation in my head to become reality, friendships to be secure, and my to-do list be wiped clean. I had a hint of being caught up in 2020, but only because plans and commitments were canceled, people were distanced, and normal pace was slowed. But 2020 also offered some internal healing for me — and I want to hold on.

I was to keep growing slow in my everyday life, regardless of the external circumstances.

“We need a way to recover from hurray sickness. Healing will come from the inside out, in our hearts, where Jesus dwells and where wild things grow. This Jesus actually sees us as we grow good things in our families, friendships, and faith journeys.” — Jennifer Dukes Lee in her new book “Growing Slow”

“Growing Slow: Lessons on Unhurrying Your Heart from an Accidental Farm Girl” is one of the few non-fiction books I’ve read this year and one I can’t get enough of. I got to read an early copy of the first six chapters as part of the launch team, but I’ve been eager for the actual book to show up in my mailbox (which it did yesterday!) so I could read more. I’ve got quotes and notes in my journal and I have no doubt I will have plenty more to add to them.

Jennifer Dukes Lee writes as if she gets me, because she does. She gets the pressures and expectations that I put on myself and understands there are seasons to grow and change and adapt throughout life. She tells stories and encourages readers as she shares about an entire year on her family’s Iowa farm.

Here in my life in Kentucky, I’m tempted to miss those days from last year, even though in the midst of them I longed for normal. The grass is always the greener, but all grass has to be mowed eventually. I’m just thankful we have grass that grows right where I am. And I’m trying to remember this season of normal is the rhythm of life right now and is bound to change again, so I might as well enjoy it and grow with it.

About the book

Jennifer Dukes Lee offers a path to unhurried living by returning to the rhythm of the land and learning the ancient art of Growing Slow. You can live the great life you want, but it’s not the way you think. It isn’t about chasing that life down, it’s about slowing that life down. Hurry says everything is a task to be attacked. Slow says that you get to decide what’s important, and you get to reprioritize life in a way that lines up with what matters most. Start by building the habit of slow into your life, one act at a time.

This book presents a message of encouragement with practical application and journaling prompts.

“Growing Slow” is a 272-page hardcover book published by Zondervan (May 11, 2021). It’s available most anywhere you buy books, including Amazon.

About the author

Jennifer Dukes Lee lives on the fifth-generation Lee family farm in Iowa, where she and her husband are raising crops, pigs, and two beautiful humans. She writes books, loves queso, and enjoys singing too loudly to songs with great harmony. Once upon a time, she didn’t believe in Jesus; now he’s her CEO. Find Jennifer at and on Instagram at @JenniferDukesLee.

*****

I did receive an advanced PDF copy of the first six chapters, but I paid for my copy of this book and will buy others as gifts. I truly am thankful for this message from one of my favorite authors.

Tale of a teenager with a cell

May 11, 2021 by Kristin Leave a Comment

I’ve long told Cate, who turned 14 last week, she could get an old-school flip phone when she turned 16. Well, I changed my mind. After much discussion and thought, Greg and I gifted her with a Gabb Wireless phone for her birthday.

When I thought about my concerns about handing my teenage daughter a smartphone, social media is the biggest no-no. I know, ironic, I blog and post on social media. Most days, I love social media. But I’m thankful I didn’t have to navigate middle school, high school, and college with social media.

There were some reasons I wasn’t opposed to thinking about getting a phone for a teenager. I want to teach Cate phone etiquette and give her an opportunity to connect with her friends. I want to be able to contact her if I’m not with her.

All of that’s why Gabb Wireless is the right fit for us right now. Gabb sells one phone that looks like a smartphone, but there are no social media apps or games. Cate can text and call her friends, take pictures, listen to music, set an alarm, and keep a calendar. I like that she can be more connected without being tempted by lots of other options on a more expensive phone.

Cate’s review of the phone: She likes that she can text her friends even if she isn’t connected to the WiFi at home and listen to her favorite songs we loaded on using a mini SD card. She does wish the photo quality was better and would like a notes app.

We have some boundaries in place already. The phone charges in the kitchen, is turned off at night, and isn’t really out when friends are over. Of course, my girl also has been reminded having a phone of any kind is a privilege and not a right.

Meanwhile, I’m constantly re-learning how parenting is full of seasons that require new decisions and adjustments. Having an age requirement to have a phone, even a basic phone, isn’t as important as knowing the child and having witnessed responsibility and good decision making. So, here I am ready to see where motherhood takes me next.

*****

This isn’t a sponsored post and nobody asked me to share my opinions on this product. This is just one mom to others about what is working for us. Of course, if you like the idea of a Gabb Wireless, I can save you $30 when you purchase the phone. Just use 2702936829 as the promo code at check out.