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 Things I Learned in February

February 27, 2015 by Kristin Leave a Comment

1. A couple random TV/movies facts ::

Amber in “Parenthood” was Bernice in “Hope Floats” years earlier. Her real name is Mae Whitman. Before he was Cary Agos in “The Good Wife,” Matt Czuchry played a college boy in “Gilmore Girls.”

2. Christina Baker Kline is an author I love.

I read the popular “Orphan Train” in January and then “Desire Lines” and “Sweet Water” in February. I enjoyed them all. This month I also read “Bird in Hand,” which I didn’t enjoy but finished reading anyway. Kline is a great story teller who spans her suspenseful plots over two time periods, which isn’t easy to do well.

3. Making homemade BBQ can be easy.

I tried one of those Crock Pot sauces that is made to just be poured on the meat. We didn’t love the flavor. So I went to a recipe my longtime dear friend Katie shared. She shared it because of my love of Dr Pepper.

And now I’m sharing it with you. Because it was delicious.

  • 2-3 lbs pork tenderloin
  • BBQ rub of your choice (We used Stubb’s BBQ rub.)
  • 12 oz Dr Pepper (I used Diet DP because that’s what I had.)
  • BBQ sauce of your choice (Again, we used Stubb’s Sticky Sweet BBQ sauce.)


DIRECTIONS :: Put rub on meat. Put meat in Crock Pot and the. Pour can of Dr Pepper over it. Cook on low for 10 hours. Shred and drain meat and then put back in Crock Pot with some BBQ sauce. I probably added about a 1/4 of the bottle and then turned Crock Pot to warm and then added more sauce closer to serving time. Most people added some more sauce on their sandwich.

Easy, peasy. And delicious.

4. Counting joys really is freeing. 

I have a list on my phone of moments, conversations, happenings that brought me joy. It’s just a running numbered list I add to when I think about them, so I’ve probably neglected a few things. Here at the end of February, I’m at #108. Talk about perspective.

5. Sometimes a book begs for discussion.

I started reading “You’re Loved No Matter What” by Holley Gerth. By the end of chapter two, I wanted to talk to friends about what I was reading. So I started a Facebook group so we can have an online book discussion. We’re going to start discussing chapter one on March 16. You’re welcome to join us! {More details here.}

How’s your month been?

________________

I’m linking up with Emily Freeman at Chatting at the Sky. Read previous posts: {From 2013} June. July. August. September. October. November. {From 2014} January. February. March. April. May. June. July. August. September. October. November. December. {From 2015} January.

Want more insights? “Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family” is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’, or subscribe to receive “Insights in Your Inbox.”

This post contains affiliate links.

  • 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: books, JOY, movies, recipes, Things I Learned

Comments

  1. KristenStrong says

    February 27, 2015 at 2:38 pm

    You have some great book recommends that I will be adding to my list. Thank you! Also, can I ask how you keep track of your joys on your phone? Do you have an app or just use the notes feature? Inquiring minds wanna know. 🙂 Much love to you on this Friday, dear Kristin!

    Reply
  2. KristinHillTaylor says

    February 27, 2015 at 2:43 pm

    Hi, Kristen! I just use the Notes section and keep a running numbered list. I do separate by months, but keep the numbers going. So much love back to you!

    Reply
  3. Kailey says

    February 27, 2015 at 8:43 pm

    I love the Joy list idea!! I might try that! And I'm definitely looking up those books! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  4. Chelsea says

    February 27, 2015 at 10:26 pm

    I just learned about Mae Whitman! She's in The Duff with Robbie Amell. Love this list and the books you've been reading. 🙂

    Reply
  5. Breanne @ This Vintage Moment says

    February 27, 2015 at 11:45 pm

    I do love finding an author I love who has written several books. I'll be looking those books up. And thanks for the reminder to start a joy list, it makes a difference!

    Reply
  6. Helen Gaskins Washington says

    February 28, 2015 at 6:54 am

    So fun to visit your blog. I love the idea of your joy list on your phone. I need crockpot recipes as I am
    returning to work next week. This looks like a winner. Thank you!

    Reply
  7. KristinHillTaylor says

    February 28, 2015 at 2:12 pm

    I'm making my way through Gilmore Girls for the first time. I always figured I'd like it, but never watched it. I'm glad Netflix added it. 🙂 Parenthood was so good – the story lines were so real. I'll miss the show, but I'm glad it went out on a high note. I get annoyed when once-good shows linger too long and aren't good anymore (um, Grey's Anatomy!).

    Reply
  8. Mindy Whipple says

    February 28, 2015 at 6:28 pm

    So it's not just me with Grey's! It has been a favorite for years but I have been really disappointed so far this year (and much of last too).

    Reply
  9. Michelle Anderson says

    March 1, 2015 at 3:17 pm

    That BBQ sounds delish. Could you make it for me? I so hate to cook. 😉

    Reply
  10. KristinHillTaylor says

    March 2, 2015 at 1:53 am

    I haven't watched regularly in a few seasons, so, yeah, it's not just you. 🙂

    Reply
  11. KristinHillTaylor says

    March 2, 2015 at 1:53 am

    Sure thing! 🙂

    Reply
  12. Becca says

    March 2, 2015 at 8:37 pm

    Oh my goodness, that was Bernice! WOW! I read Orphan Train last year and liked it. I seemed to be on an Orphan/Foster Care theme (we did just adopt, so it is not shocking), but I absolutely loved the Language of Flowers and Dear Mr. Knightly, which is a lighter read 🙂

    Reply
  13. KristinHillTaylor says

    March 3, 2015 at 2:24 pm

    I'll have to check out those book suggestions. I'd love to hear more about your adoption story – our two kids are adopted too! Thanks for stopping by, Becca!

    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’ve had a couple of conversations this week wit I’ve had a couple of conversations this week with dear friends who are walking through hard things. I’ve been proud of them and sad about circumstances and weary of the brokenness and yet generally peaceful. 

Honestly, I feel like it’s a hard cycle to escape. Maybe I’m not supposed to. I never know how much of other’s burdens to carry. And how do I carry their burdens when my own feel heavy? 

I sat across the table at Panera with a dear friend who has tear-filled eyes, who has fasted and prayed and sought counsel. I hear another friend express her loneliness in subtle but deep ways. So many of my mom friends are in the trenches of anxiety, both within their kids and within themselves. I hear of tragedies and brokenness all around me. I feel all the pain, forget about mine for a moment, and want to fix it all.

Sometimes solutions are waiting and trusting. Sometimes action is exactly what’s needed. Knowing the difference is hard for me to discern. 

So I keep going. I do the things in front of that need to be done. I sit with my friend and send another text. I pray about them and about me. I hope I teach my kids enough about the right things. I try to rush less because then I miss what matters. 

Through it all, I am absolutely certain we are meant to walk through this life together. God created us to commune with him and one another. 

One afternoon this week we literally stopped on the country road. No cars were around and she wanted to take a picture. While she captures the landscape, I thanked God for a peaceful pause in a chaotic life and asked Him to continue to show His goodness. 

#livingfaithfully #choosingJOY #countryliving #momlife #faithlife #motherhood #createdforcommunion #PorchStories
The world feels heavy & broken because it is. Pare The world feels heavy & broken because it is. Parenting has me at my max emotional capacity because it takes much soul and mental work. Spring soccer season started in the cold tonight. 

Even so, God is good and wants us to live abundantly here on earth while we wait for heaven. This week that looks like church league basketball games, dinner with friends, apologies, sideline encouragement, prayers, middle school humor, theological conversations with friends, tears, and laughter. 

Now it’s time to rest and do it again tomorrow. These are the rhythms of grace and goodness, heaven and earth, sorrow and joy. 

#livingfaithfully #choosingJOY #soccermom #thirdchild #momlife #reallife #faithlife #PorchStories
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
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Favorites

Categories

Archives

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