Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

  • Home
  • About
  • Books
    • Peace in the Process
    • Bringing Home More Than Groceries
  • Contact

{Five Minute Friday} Afraid

February 1, 2013 by Kristin Leave a Comment

SPRING 2012. 
My boy isn’t afraid of anything. Not even fish germs. When not kissing fish, he likes to jump in that lake. 

I’m participating in Five Minute Friday, a link-up writing prompt at Lisa-Jo Baker’s blog. This week the prompt is “Afraid …” 

I jumped off the high dive over and over again when I was a kid. I like when my husband drives fast on the jet ski while I lay on a tube attached to the back. I try to stay on, but, admittedly, being flung into the lake is fun. I even bungy jumped once.

But don’t put me in front an audience and ask me to speak. When I was a kid I didn’t like running into people I knew in the grocery store, so don’t even get me started about strangers. I grew up and became a reporter who asked question of whoever necessary. But I still don’t really even like playing Charades with friends who know the best and worst of me.

Change makes me nervous, but I’m slowly learning it’s good for my soul.

I look at my kids and I’m so glad they’re not afraid.

My boy isn’t afraid of anything. He may only be 3, but he’s been jumping off the dock into the lake and the side of the pool since he was 19 months old and I had to search for the right life jacket to properly keep his head afloat. He climbs and runs and races and jumps and sleeps on the edge of his big boy bed. He talks to anyone and I’m pretty sure he’d like to play the drums when he gets bigger.

My girl is more caution. She has to be talked into some things. But she’s not afraid to tell stories to anyone she meets. She makes friends easily and lives live to the fullest.

STOP.

Want to join us? Here are Lisa-Jo’s rules: 1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking. 2. Link back here and invite others to join in. 3. Please visit the person who linked up before you and encourage them in their comments. That is like the one rule we all really care about. For reals.

________

Want more? Subscribe to get “Insights” in your inbox. Or follow me on Twitter.

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Five Minute Friday, motherhood

Comments

  1. theunfinishedchild says

    February 1, 2013 at 7:49 pm

    Kristin,
    Stopping in from FMF… Change is scary, and it does make you grow… I know from personal experience. It's funny how outgoing I have been most of my life, but inside, I sometimes don't know if I'll be fearful in front of a crowd or not.
    It was great to meet yet another flashmob-writing blogger! Have a great day!
    Sue

    Reply
  2. Mandie McGlynn says

    February 1, 2013 at 9:17 pm

    I love your descriptions of your kids. My eldest boy is the picture of caution – sometimes to a fault. And my younger is the exact opposite; he has so little fear we used to wonder if he had any self-preservation instinct at all! 🙂 But it is good to see them living life, isn't it? And reminding us how to do it, too.

    Reply
  3. Shanae Branham says

    February 1, 2013 at 10:55 pm

    Hi again,
    I really meant to leave you a comment here, not on Facebook, so I will say I enjoyed stopping by.
    Cheers,
    Shanae
    My Five Minute Friday

    Reply
  4. Mel says

    February 2, 2013 at 4:05 am

    Love this. 🙂 Especially the description of your kids…I have learned so much from my daughter, the fearless toddler of the world. (Sounds like you have one of those, too!) 🙂 And just so you know, I think you are extremely brave for bungee jumping…I'm too afraid of heights and would completely chicken out. 😉 Have a great weekend!

    Reply
  5. Kristin says

    February 2, 2013 at 2:24 pm

    Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your weekend!

    Reply
  6. Kristin says

    February 2, 2013 at 2:25 pm

    It sure is! They are the best reminders of what really matters.

    Reply
  7. Kristin says

    February 2, 2013 at 2:26 pm

    Thanks for stopping by! You know, I love how kids don't even know to be afraid of fish germs!

    Reply
  8. Kristin says

    February 2, 2013 at 2:27 pm

    Bungy jumping was such a crazy free-falling feeling. Sometimes I surprise myself that I did it. 🙂

    Reply
  9. Debi @ FunkiPlanet.com says

    February 2, 2013 at 7:18 pm

    Great job. Thanks for sharing so much about yourself, as someone who doesn't sound like they like to do that very much. That was wonderful.

    Reply
  10. Kristin says

    February 3, 2013 at 2:26 am

    I don't mind sharing details about myself as long as it's not from a microphone or podium. 🙂 I'm a talker in groups and one on one. Plus this writing is my therapy! Thanks for coming by and reading!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Let’s Connect

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

About Me

Telling stories is my therapy and I love sharing them with friends on my porch.

The main characters in my stories are my entrepreneur husband, our high school girl who never forgets, our middle school boy who has no fear, and our joy-filled first-grade girl. As we live out our stories, we seek God as the author of them all.

Learn more about my story here.

Subscribe for Updates

Recent Posts

  • How to enjoy motherhood
  • How & why to travel with kids
  • From snow to sand
  • Books of 2022
  • How to enjoy winter days at home

Join the Conversation

Join the Conversation

On Instagram

I sat on my porch beneath a blanket and finished t I sat on my porch beneath a blanket and finished this book today. Yes, I’m fully invested in this Cuba saga involving the Perez family. “The Last Train to Key West” by @chanelcleeton is the third in the series. I have the fourth on hold at the library for pickup on Monday. 

I wasn’t sure I was going to love this one as much as I did Cleeton’s first two, but it was a slow-building story that turned stormy. I loved how the three women were in Key West for their own reasons, developed meaningful relationships as they navigated their lives, and managed to survive the storms of their lives and an actual hurricane. 

The historical fiction story offers hope:

“It’s strange how your life can change so quickly, how one moment you can barely eke by, desperation filling your days, and suddenly, out of the unimaginably horrific, a glimmer of something beautiful can appear like a bud pushing through the hard-formed earth. There’s so much broken around us; maybe all we can do is try to fix each other, do what we can to preserve these precious moments in a world where there is so much sadness and loss. … Maybe some would say my dreams are too small. Perhaps they would dream of railroads that go over the sea, great, wonderful things. Maybe others want riches and jewels, a chance to travel the globe. For me, this is enough: A corner of paradise in this wretched world that I am able to call my own.” — Helen in “The Last Train to Key West” by Chanel Cleeton

#KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #librarybooks #historicalfiction #weekending #favoritethings #choosingJOY #bookquotes #bookreview
This morning there are three “holes” in Wright This morning there are three “holes” in Wright Road after the creek flooded it overnight. The Calloway County road department responded quickly and is working to pack in various kinds of gravel so it will passable again soon. I’m thankful for their work, but these Band-Aids aren’t an actual solution. 

Wright Road needs a permanent solution for when Wildcat Creek rises. A bridge seems to be the best idea, so the creek can rise and flow beneath the road rather than flowing across it and washing out the gravel on top of the culverts. 

I know it’s an expensive fix and would take local government working with state government, but I wonder how many times the road has to break before it can be truly repaired.

#callowaycounty #kyweather #kentuckyweather #countyroads #countryliving #reallife #murrayky
In a week filled with all the parenting emotions, In a week filled with all the parenting emotions, God has provided conversation with friends who understand, new mercies, a few walks and talks with a friend, and cinnamon rolls on a rainy Friday afternoon. I’ve been reminded when we are vulnerable and share our real lives, friends bring truth and goodness — often in ways we don’t expect but bless us anyway. 

#bettertogether #createdforcommunion #reallife #momlife #weekending #parenthood #choosingJOY #favoritethings #livingfaithfully
People ask when I have time to write. The truth is People ask when I have time to write. The truth is I like to make time to write, but sometimes it happens in the cracks of my days — at Panera, in the Notes app on my phone, at the library before I pickup my kids, or while I’m waiting on kids at activities. This week I edited my manuscript while Rachel practiced soccer. 

#momlife #writerlife #selfpublished #bloggerlife #authorlife #soccermom #thirdchild #createdforcommunion #bettertogether #favoritethings
I needed this weekend. The UK Wildcats didn’t I needed this weekend. 

The UK Wildcats didn’t win this afternoon like I had hoped. But following our house full of people on Friday night, I’ve spent a lot of time on my couch, under a soft blanket, with a book, while I watch #MarchMadness. 

Yesterday I pulled “When We Left Cuba” by @chanelcleeton from my to-be-read stack and then realized it was the second in a series about the Perez family. Thanks to @libby.app, I was able to get “Next Year in Havana” immediately. 

I finished it today during commercials and timeouts. And now I’m going to start “When We Left Cuba” as another basketball game also gets going. 

#KHTreads #basketballseason #weekending #bookstagram #reallife #booklover #librarybooks #KindleOasis #Kindlebooks #favoritethings
What a fun night! Basketball is best with friends What a fun night! Basketball is best with friends and food. So thankful for all these provisions and others in my life. Oh and a Cats win is icing on the cake. 

#MarchMadness #weekending #basketballseason #bettertogether #choosingJOY #BigBlueNation
You know it’s #MarchMadness when Greg Taylor pos You know it’s #MarchMadness when Greg Taylor posts on Facebook — and a picture at that! — and puts his radio/TV degree to work figuring out how to improve the viewing setup. 

#reallife #basketballseason #wifelife #choosingJOY
I had no idea just how deeply I would be affected I had no idea just how deeply I would be affected while studying Genesis 1-2. Going back to the beginning and seeing how God created, ordered, and filled the earth has been exactly what I didn’t know I needed, especially as a mom. 

For quite a while now, I feel like I’ve been living a day at a time. I used to be able to see my life in larger chunks of time and anticipate and prepare accordingly. Now, I slap things on the calendar and then deal with them as they come. Navigating life with two teenagers and a first-grader is the best and hardest thing I’ve ever done.

Honestly, this moment-to-moment living has been good for me and helped me rely on the God who created the stars and rivers that still exist in our world. Focusing on where I am helps me take slower steps, trust God to provide, and remember I’m not in control. I’ve felt an internal shift with my relationships — with my husband, kids, and friends. I’ve felt behind on laundry and dishes and piles of papers. But I’ve also felt a refreshed nearness to God. 

I’m going to rest here while believing God created life and light when there was only darkness and continues to order my days. 

#livingfaithfully #choosingJOY #momlife #faithlife #preceptstudy #genesisstudy #genesis #beginnings #reallife #PorchStories
My friend @ashleelyoung told me about this memoir, My friend @ashleelyoung told me about this memoir, but I knew nothing about Sutton Foster or her story beforehand. She’s a TV actress and Broadway singer and dancer who processes her life — complicated family life, love, loss, spotlight, infertility, adoption, motherhood — by creating. She creates in the kitchen, on stages, with yarn, with paint, with her hands, and with her mind. But her story really is all the experiences and emotions that inspire her creative work. I enjoyed this one. 

#KHTreads #memoirs #bookstagram #booklover #audiobooks #audible #bookreview
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Favorites

Categories

Archives

Copyright © 2023 Kristin Hill Taylor | Design by Traci Michele | Development by MRM