Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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Becoming is living

December 31, 2019 by Kristin 3 Comments

I’ve had a lot of feelings this year, and many of them have been hard to handle internally. I also have experienced deeper awareness of myself, husband, kids, dearest friends, and even a larger circle of friends — who we are individually and how we best fit together. In August, I started going to counseling again, probably several months later than I should have.

The year started with a conflict, involved many decisions about how to spend my time, and was marked by grief when my dad died and then when I had to shift some commitments and thinking in my life. I felt most myself in November, and I’m thankful for that after so many months of thinking and deciding and wrestling — most of those actions taking place in my own head. I’m grateful my very loud inner critic has quieted some and I’m more secure in who God made me to be.

When I chose faithful as my focus this year, I had some ideas of what that meant, but, of course, God went and created a whole new thing with it. He shifted and shaped me. He provided for me in ways I didn’t necessarily know I needed. He was faithful, even when I struggled to grieve during my favorite summer season and felt Him making me new when nature was dying for the winter.

Two years ago, I focused on how Jesus is my rescue. Then I learned more about living that out faithfully. Now it’s time to focus more on becoming more like Christ, which right now for me looks like …

… becoming more of who God made me to be.
… becoming more patient and kind.
… becoming more free from the irrational feelings and expectations that can hinder me.
… becoming more restful and peaceful.

I keep saying becoming more, but with that I really mean less. This world yells do more, build a bigger audience, and be you to everyone. I want to quiet the demands, serve faithfully where God has me, and be me knowing my capacity is smaller than I sometimes wish it was. So, yes, more God, but less of most everything else.

Becoming is about transformation. It’s an ongoing series of actions and decisions that come from a foundation established long ago. Becoming is living.

*****

Of course, I’ve put together a soundtrack for this season {BECOMING 2020}. And let’s revisit soundtracks from other years: RESCUE 2018. FAITHFUL 2019.

Here are some additional resources that have encouraged me to get where I am on this journey to becoming:

  • Jason Gray’s YouVersion devotional and “Order” album
  • “New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional” by Paul David Tripp
  • “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World” by John Mark Comer
  • “Becoming Us: Using the Enneagram to Create a Thriving Gospel-Centered Marriage” by Beth & Jeff McCord
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Filed Under: holiday, words Tagged With: becoming, books, faith, life, music, seasons

Comments

  1. Mandy Farmer says

    January 1, 2020 at 4:36 pm

    great idea build a soundtrack for your goals! I may have to do that

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      January 2, 2020 at 11:57 am

      It really helps me focus on whatever God is teaching me. If you make a playlist, I’d love to hear it!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The sounds of Becoming says:
    January 20, 2020 at 10:34 am

    […] opened his show with “Becoming” – one of those songs from the “Order” project. That’s my word this year. In 2020, I want to focus on becoming more like Christ, resting in real life knowing living […]

    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 ninth-grade girl who never forgets, our have-no-fear sixth-grade boy, and our joy-filled kindergarten girl. As we live out our stories, we seek God as the author of them all.

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… a few particular friends from whom I’m separated by circumstances, logistics, and distances. 

When I make a friend, I intend to stay friends forever. Of course, life doesn’t always work out that way. 

I don’t miss my kids being young, but I miss the ease of socializing with my friends during that season. It was easy then to meet at the park or go somewhere for lunch. Now there are so many schedules to work around. 

Scheduling time to lunch or get together is still my love language, it just takes a little more work, patience, and persistence now. And sometimes that’s exhausting. But it’s always worth it. 

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Old friends and live music are two of my favorite Old friends and live music are two of my favorite things, so having them together is the best. My friend Aaron and I went to multiple Dave Matthews Band shows together during our college years, so now two decades later it’s fun to do it again as grown ups with our spouses for a band that speaks truth into our lives. 

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… some shade to invite me to pick some more weeds around the house. But why doesn’t my Apple Watch count this as exercise? It felt like exercise to me! 

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