Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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

Beneath the surface

June 25, 2013 by Kristin Leave a Comment

We played with my underwater camera last week at the swimming pool and came home with this gem as well as a few others. I soon after made this photo my Facebook cover. Makes me look like the fun mom, right?

Well, maybe. 

It certainly shows how fun my kids are, how they aren’t afraid to go under the water, how Ben prefers to swim with his eyes wide open, how Cate requires goggles to see, and how they’re quite cute swimming around.

But it doesn’t capture everything in my momma heart right now.

I feel God doing a work in me. It’s hurting a little because I’m having to let go of selfish desires and self-made plans. But it’s freeing to realize {slowly, I’m stubborn …} that I’m not in charge. It’s exciting to see how the Creator of the entire universe is tending to details in my life.

I sense God doing a mighty work in my husband too. He’s a businessman, an entrepreneur, but he manages to prioritize his family, seek out authentic relationships with other men, round up guys to play basketball almost weekly, and intentionally build a legacy and learn from those who have gone before him.

I believe God is here with us, changing us moment by moment, promising not to leave us the same.

I’ve talked about balancing work and play as God gives me opportunities to use my communication and organizational skills. This summer has been the epitome of balancing busyness from responsibilities with play that goes with summer. I’m a summer girl at heart. I want my kids to swim and eat snowcones. I want to take road trips and indulge in the togetherness that doesn’t happen in the school year.

So we go to the pool. It’s there I feel God reminding me to let go. He nudges me as if he’s saying, “Just jump in with them.” So I do. That day last week, I set down my Kindle and disconnected my insulin pump and got in. We had this fun, under-the-water photo shoot. I helped my girl practice swimming. I let Ben splash me.

The pool is an easy place for me to parent. The kids are easy there. They like to swim, sometimes together, sometimes with friends they make, sometimes with friends we plane to see, sometimes in their own corners of the pool.  Sometimes I sit there with my Kindle in head, soaking of words. Others times I get in with them. My kids are confident there. They don’t ask for much more than an over-priced Airhead from the concession stand. And when I tell them a few hours later that it’s time to go, they don’t usually negotiate because they’re tired.

We come home smelling like chlorine, a scent that takes me back to some of the best moments of my own childhood. Our skin is a tad tanner. They’re happy and tired. And I’m reminded that God does indeed meet us wherever we are, even beneath the surface of the water, because he wants us to know peace and joy that come from Him alone.

________

I’m linking up with Crystal Stine’s Behind the Scenes. I love the encouragement to share real life happening beyond what a photo shared on Facebook captures. Yet another way for this momma to embrace imperfection. I’m also sharing this post with Jen Ferguson’s Soli Deo Gloria party and Jennifer Dukes Lee’s #TellHisStory. 

crystalstine.me



Want more stories? Like 152 Insights on Facebook. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram. Follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’. Subscribe to receive “Insights in Your Inbox.”

  • 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: Ben, Cate, faith, motherhood, Soli Deo Gloria, summer

Comments

  1. Sarah Knepper says

    June 25, 2013 at 6:58 pm

    What great insight Kristin! I love that we both wrote about pool moments and how are children (and ourselves) can be changed while in the water. Great post!!

    Reply
  2. KristinHillTaylor says

    June 25, 2013 at 7:03 pm

    'Tis the season for inspiration at the pool. 🙂 Thanks for your encouragement!

    Reply
  3. Ceil says

    June 25, 2013 at 8:22 pm

    Hi Kristin! I feel God trying to work in me too, it's like we are spiritual twins or something! And there is always a lot going on 'under the water' isn't there?

    I am at your blog from SDG. It was my first post, and I hope not my last.

    I'll be following you on Bloglovin'!

    Peace in Christ,
    Ceil

    Reply
  4. Kim@onerebelheart says

    June 25, 2013 at 9:24 pm

    I L-O-V-E the smell of chlorine! And there is such freedom in letting go and admitting you're not in charge. I am a recovering control freak and God has had to show me over and over that my plans are not His plans and my ways are not His ways. And what He has for me is so much better than what I had planned! Great post!

    Reply
  5. KristinHillTaylor says

    June 26, 2013 at 1:22 am

    Chlorine and sunscreen = my favorite smells of summer! 🙂 Thanks for your encouraging words, Kim.

    Reply
  6. KristinHillTaylor says

    June 26, 2013 at 1:23 am

    I'm glad you linked up near me at SDG. It's a fun place to post! Thanks for the follow and your encouraging words too!

    Reply
  7. Mel says

    June 26, 2013 at 2:27 am

    This is great…I love reading about the memories you are making with your kids. You are inspiring me to be the best mama I can be to my girl…to put aside what I want to do and, instead, jump in the pool with her. Thank you for this, friend! Blessings! 🙂

    Reply
  8. KristinHillTaylor says

    June 26, 2013 at 2:39 am

    Trust me, some days I'm more attentive and involved than others. The pools gets me every time. 🙂 Thanks for your sweet words!

    Reply
  9. dukeslee says

    June 27, 2013 at 1:01 am

    Sounds like my day today, Kristin. I went from Kindle to pool to Kindle to pool. I smelled like chlorine and sunscreen. 🙂

    We've been talking a lot about work-life balance over at TheHighCalling.org this week.

    Reply
  10. KristinHillTaylor says

    June 27, 2013 at 1:58 am

    I loved your piece over there today. It's certainly a theme I have to continually work on improving. I'm glad I went back to work gradually with my freelance writing and projects. It's better for me to adjust easing into it. God is in the details, that's for sure!

    Reply
  11. KristinHillTaylor says

    June 27, 2013 at 1:58 am

    Thank you, Angie! Your words are kind. Thanks for coming by here.

    Reply
  12. Beth says

    June 27, 2013 at 2:17 am

    I'm so grateful for this —>"I believe God is here with us, changing us moment by moment, promising not to leave us the same." Good to read your words again. Even with a young adult child I still need to remember to let go and jump in with him. Blessings.

    Reply
  13. KristinHillTaylor says

    June 27, 2013 at 2:21 am

    Letting go was something I'm continually learning. Having kids has certainly brought it to the forefront, but I can imagine it's a lesson needed for every season of life. Thanks for your comment, Beth!

    Reply
  14. soulstops says

    June 27, 2013 at 4:43 am

    Adorable photo of your kids, and I love how you are seeking God, even when it is hard…what a fun mama you are, Kristin 🙂 I have been asking God for guidance re: writing.

    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 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
Also from the weekend: Shout out to @lifehousemurr Also from the weekend: Shout out to @lifehousemurray for putting on the fabulous @beautiful.you.conference with @meggpam from @shelivespurposefully. My girl and her friends had a great time together and my momma heart is thankful this is how they chose to spend a Saturday morning. 

#momlife #girlmom #teenagers #weekending #livingfaithfully #choosingJOY #latergram
Yesterday was one of my favorite kids of days with Yesterday was one of my favorite kids of days with some of my favorite friends. Kids played inside and out, the TV was never on, and new memories were made with old friends. Plus we ended the night with our ninth year of Little Hands Trivia Night. It was our worst finish ever, but we still had such a fun time! 

#bettertogether #weekending #livingfaithfully #choosingJOY
I’ve told you about Cate’s basketball season, I’ve told you about Cate’s basketball season, but we celebrated it (and the other middle and high school players) last night. What a joy, truly! She was surprise with the Lions Award for her overall approach to the game and her teammates. 

This context is basketball, but the bigger community and broader learning that happens are ultimately even more important. And, hey, middle school boys, you were also so much fun to watch! I’m so thankful Ben was part of that team. 

Shout out to the Schroeders for Tim being the coach of four teams and all the family time sacrificed as well as the other coaches and families who made it all possible. 

Give me a little break, and then I will be ready for more Lions and Lady Lions basketball to come! Scheduling for the fall and winter will start soon. 

I’m so proud to be part of New Covenant Christian Academy! 💛 @ncca.lions #momlife #girlmom #boymom #basketballseason #livingfaithfully #choosingJOY
Once again, I stayed up too late finishing a book. Once again, I stayed up too late finishing a book. 

“Half Way to You” by @jennifergoldauthor was my #FirstReads choice from Amazon this month and I dived right in. I loved it! This is a multi-generational story full of love, heartbreak, friendships that span decades, and travel. The story is told as a reclusive author shares her real story with a young podcaster who has personal and professional interest. The way the lives is woven together is brutal and beautiful. 

#KHTreads #AmazonFirstReads #bookstagram #booklover #KindleOasis #kindlebooks #readersofinstagram
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Favorites

Categories

Archives

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