Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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{Review & Giveaway} Team Us

February 2, 2015 by Kristin Leave a Comment

It’s the month of love. Yes, according to Hallmark. But it’s true in my own story too.

Greg and I met on Feb. 7, 1998 and then went on our first date a week later. Do the math. Our first date was on Valentine’s Day. Ah, how romantic. Well, yeah, it was logistically what worked out when we met one Saturday through a mutual acquaintance and then made plans for a date the following Saturday after Greg called mid-week.

Y’all that’s 17 years ago. That’s half my life.

We really had no idea what we were doing then. Thankfully, now, we’ve settled into each other, come to understand love languages, survived some hard seasons, and become better equipped to deal with life together.

GO, TEAM TAYLOR!

It’s true that sometimes we – all four of us – put our hands in the middle of a pretend team huddle and then raise them up while saying, “Team Taylor!” We’re sports fans, so this somehow makes sense to us. After knowing (and mostly dating) Greg for the past 17 years, being married to him for more than a dozen years, and now spending the past 7 ½ years parenting our two kids together, we get each other, still like each other, and truly do life together.

It’s taken many conversations, tears, fights, road trips, hard decisions, game nights, and laughs to get us here. But there’s nobody else I’d rather be here with.

That’s the sentiment Ashleigh Slater expresses in “Team Us: Marriage Together.” She tells her story and encourages other married couples to do life together as if we were gathered around a table together. She’s real and honest – and funny.

The last three of the 10 chapters – “The Parent Trap,” “The Friendship Inventory,” and “Finishing Well” – were my favorites. I could relate to them. As she talked about her husband’s tendencies and how here natural response is different than hers reminded me of Greg and me. I was reminded how relying on a team approach brings grace and peace, diffusing selfishness and frustration.

I appreciated her pop culture references, found myself nodding in agreement, and was encouraged to keep doing what we’re doing here at Team Taylor. I also liked the “Ted Says” tidbits throughout, offering perspective from her husband. And I thanked God for the past 17 years – the good days and the hard days, the seasons I understood and the times that couldn’t pass quick enough, and certainly all the ways he’s changed us as individuals and as teammates.

“We want to finish well too. Someday we want our kids and grandkids to look back and remember how we honored those sacred words ‘I do’ and ‘I promise’ and ‘I will’ that we vowed before friends, family, and, most importantly, God. We want our story to point others to Christ’s dramatic story of steadfast commitment to us.”


{Ashleigh Slater in “Team Us”}

Greg and I want that too. We haven’t arrived, but we are in this adventure together. We want our imperfections to spur us onto God, who can unify even the most stubborn hearts.

__________

ABOUT THE BOOK :: “Team Us: Marriage Together” offers couples practical ways to cultivate and strengthen unity in their marriages. Author Ashleigh Slater shares from her own marriage as she presents couples with realistic ideas on how to foster cooperation, deepen commitment, and exercise grace on a daily basis. 176 pages. Paperback. Official website. Buy at Amazon.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR :: Ashleigh Slater is wife to Ted and mom to four girls. She’s a regular contributor for several popular websites and blogs and has had articles published in magazines including Focus on the Family’s “Thriving Family.” Learn more at her website or follow her on Twitter.

GIVEAWAY :: And there’s a copy for one you! Use the Rafflecopter below for multiple ways to enter to win. If you’re married, I’d love to hear about how you’ve gone from an individual outlook on life to a team approach. If you’re not married, share something you’ve witnessed in another marriage. A winner will be selected randomly on Monday, Feb. 9.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

___________

Many thanks to FlyBy Promotions/Propeller Consulting LLC for providing me a copy of “Team Us” as well as one to whomever wins this giveaway. I received the book in exchange for this review. My opinions are my own. If you’ve won this prize on another blog you’re not eligible to win again. This post also contains an Amazon affiliate link. 

I’m also linking up with Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood’s Gathering and Anne Dahlhauser’s Front Porch Conversations. 

Want more stories? “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.”

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Filed Under: books, FlyBy Promotions, giveaway, Greg, marriage, review, Soli Deo Gloria

Comments

  1. Beth says

    February 2, 2015 at 2:27 pm

    Oh yay, another book I must read!! 🙂 Happy almost dating anniversary. xoxo

    Reply
  2. KristinHillTaylor says

    February 2, 2015 at 2:33 pm

    It's a good read. Add it to your pile. 🙂 xoxo

    Reply
  3. melody hester says

    February 3, 2015 at 12:27 am

    Sounds like a great book! I love the visual of doing life together around a round table. Togetherness forever! Whoo-hoo!

    Reply
  4. Joanna Sormunen says

    February 3, 2015 at 5:25 am

    Sounds like a really good book! Marriage is hard and all of us can use sound advice from time to time.

    Reply
  5. KristinHillTaylor says

    February 3, 2015 at 4:30 pm

    Yes, so true!

    Reply
  6. KristinHillTaylor says

    February 3, 2015 at 4:30 pm

    Yes, me too! I'm glad you entered, Melody!

    Reply
  7. Susan says

    February 3, 2015 at 8:42 pm

    Being in the adventure "together" is half the battle! Congrats on the anniversary of your first date!

    Reply
  8. KristinHillTaylor says

    February 3, 2015 at 8:45 pm

    Thanks, Susan! 🙂

    Reply
  9. patsy says

    February 4, 2015 at 4:55 am

    I married late and of course was used to deciding things on my own. But now I always make it a point to always make sure we decide things together.

    Reply
  10. KristinHillTaylor says

    February 4, 2015 at 6:41 pm

    I'm sure that's very helpful regardless of what stage in life and marriage one is in. Thanks for commenting here, Patsy!

    Reply
  11. Jen Ferguson says

    February 4, 2015 at 7:27 pm

    Oooh! Another marriage book! I love the sound of this one and I think there is SO MUCH wisdom in looking at your marriage as a team. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  12. KristinHillTaylor says

    February 4, 2015 at 7:32 pm

    I wish I had some of these books earlier in our marriage, but I'm always thankful for new perspectives. Glad you're here, Jen!

    Reply
  13. Elizabeth says

    February 5, 2015 at 8:20 pm

    Sounds like a great book!

    Reply

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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.

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Y'all have been so awesome celebrating my new book Y'all have been so awesome celebrating my new book! If you've had a chance to read it, I'd really appreciate you leaving a review. For authors, Amazon is the best place, but you can copy and paste the same review on Goodreads and Barnes & Noble too: 

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To live in communion with one another, means to sh To live in communion with one another, means to share meals, space, advice, and prayers. It also means sharing hope, disappointment, dreams, and forgiveness. 

We explore what this looks like in “Created for Communion,” along with other biblical foundations for friendships and community.

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So many of my Facebook friends shared lovely pictu So many of my Facebook friends shared lovely pictures of their daughters yesterday for the completely made-up National Daughters Day. Regardless, today I'm all in my feelings about my daughters. 

They're 16 and 8 right now. Both of their classes have been studying ancient Egypt and had a joint feast today. Sweet, huh? 

BUT THEN TIMEHOP GOT ME! Apparently, NINE years ago today, when Cate was a second-grader, her class had an Egyptian feast. I think about a particular picture of Cate and her friend Kilee from that day AND THEN IT CAME UP IN MY TIMEHOP TODAY. Facebook also told me that same day nine years ago, Monica and I became Facebook friends. We probably were at the Egyptian feast and decided we'd be friends because our girls were friends. Y'all, God has been so good to me through my friendship with Monica. Our families click in a special way with our three sets of same-aged kids, most of whom have been adopted. 

Anyway, my daughters. They're lovely, funny, and smart. I love that Cate helped Rachel with her Egyptian eye makeup this morning and made her a Nutella and banana sandwich. I love that they got to have a party today at school together. I love that even though they're eight years apart, they're sisters. 

I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I do. 💛

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In the blog post HOW TO TAKE THE TRIP, I share lots of links and suggestions on where to go, who can help you, and what to take with you. 

✨ https://kristinhilltaylor.com/2023/09/how-to-take-the-trip.html

Where do you want to go? What do you always take with you?

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“Between Two Strangers” by @katewhite_author had such an intriguing plot that pulled me right in. I was close to figuring out how it was all intertwined, but I didn’t quite get there through all the twists. Good, quick read!

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Recently, in random snapshots. This is a full life Recently, in random snapshots. This is a full life, but it’s a good life. 💛

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You’re a light wherever you go! And you like to You’re a light wherever you go! And you like to go! You’re always making friends, asking about our next adventure, wanting to know what’s next, and talking if you’re not singing. You’re the joy our family needed in 2015 and you continue to be the one who makes us laugh and love better than we did before we knew you. 

... You ask a million questions, know the words to thousands of songs, have so many ideas, and still try to sneak into my bed at night. You say I’m the best snuggler in this family. I’ll take it – and your hugs and love, although the middle of the night will never be my favorite time. 

Happy birthday to the girl who loves loudly! 

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