Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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Songs of Hope

February 17, 2021 by Kristin Leave a Comment

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.”

– Psalm 68:5-6 NIV

I want those who feel lonely to find rest in my home and companionship in our family. God’s ways as a father and defender were present as He built our family through three adoptions, but I don’t want us welcoming others in to stop there.

In the ESV translation of Psalm 68, verse 6 reads “God settle the solitary in a home …” This is about belonging. In other words, we are not meant to do this life alone.

*****

I contributed a devotional about Psalm 68 to “Songs of Hope (Vol. 2)“, which was compiled by fellow writers Keri Snyder & Sarah Frazier. This devotional spends 31 days in the Psalms.

We all need to sing some songs of hope, don’t we? Regardless of the disappointments and interruptions we face, we can still cling to hope. Of course, we want some rest from the weary, overwhelming parts of life. But so often we all seek the wrong answers.

“Songs of Hope” offers encouraging truth to bring hope to your weary soul. The devotional is a digital product so you receive the PDF immediately and can read it on any device. The purchase also comes with a 31-day reading plan and printable verse card. Right now, it’s on sale for $7 but will return to the usual $10 price soon. (Buy here!)

There’s also a first volume of this devotional book by the same name.

*****

In my contribution, I talk about how God built a sanctuary for me at our house in the country and how I want to share that with others. I end the devotional with these questions and a prayer:

  1. Where in your life can you invite others in with you?
  2. What places and peoples are places of refuge from loneliness for you?
  3. How has God been your father and defender?

Father God, let my home be a sanctuary where I draw nearer to you and a place where others can settle in. Set those who are lonely in meaningful relationships so we can go forth with singing. In Jesus’ name, amen.

*****

These links are affiliate links, so I will earn a small amount from your purchase, but I’m sharing this product because I’m proud to be a small part of this project that will encourage many.

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Let’s go where trust is without borders

January 22, 2021 by Kristin Leave a Comment

“Lord, lead me where trust is without borders …”

When “Oceans” was a popular worship song, I was annoyed by it. But one day when my kids were 8 years old, almost 6, and just a newborn, I heard the lyrics in a fresh way.

Maybe I didn’t like the song at first because trusting without borders is scary.

For several weeks after the day I decided I didn’t need to switch stations whenever “Oceans” came on the radio, I couldn’t get the phrase “trust without borders” out of my head. At the time, I was navigating a relationship with my youngest daughter’s birth mom. We adopted two times before, but the relationships are all different and change as the children grow.

Adoption built my family but it also built my faith, largely in part because there’s a lot of trusting and very few borders. I was able to take the lessons I learned from our adoption experiences and remember God’s faithfulness in other circumstances.

I was able to pray big prayers of faith because I’d seen God show up and show out so many times before.

“Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.” – Psalm 107:28-30  NIV

To trust God without borders means I need to surrender control, once again. It means I need to realize life doesn’t fit in a tidy box. Sure, sometimes storms far out of our control rage and overwhelm our lives, but God will lead us to a calm haven. Recently, God has reminded me of this truth over and over again.

*****

To read the rest, join me over at Lyli Dunbar’s blog, where I’m sharing as part of her Pray Big series. Oh, and Rend Collective’s version of “Oceans” is my favorite version, if you’re wanting to listen to this song.

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Becoming still

March 24, 2020 by Kristin 1 Comment

In the fall, fresh off a hard season of grief, I wrote down in my journal everything single thing I spent any amount of time doing: Laundry. Taxiing kids around. Paying bills. Sending emails for a local group. Volunteering here and there. Lunching with friends. Making dinner. Grocery shopping. Serving on my kids’ school board. Blogging. Social media. Reading. And, you know, the list goes on and on.

Then I got rid of some commitments, passed along some responsibilities to other people, and lessened the priority of other things. Honestly, it hurt. I find worth in my productivity and knew that needed to stop. I was rushed too much and knew I needed to slow down.

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know I am God.” I’ve heard this verse often, but it’s only been as a 40-year-old woman that I’ve really started to understand it. In this verse, “still” actually means “cease striving.” Being still in the presence of God is more than just not moving; it’s actually about our mental posture and being willing to surrender our stubborn wills.

In that season of letting go, I had to let go of some commitments I truly loved in the spirit of stillness because they were draining me and overfilling my emotional capacity. I was reminded of how sadness and joy can co-exist, how the same decision can hurt and heal.

I started this new year saying no to some of the same things and being aware that I might have to say no again so I can have time at home, capacity to be a good wife and mom, and space to be able to see God working in me and around me.

Then on Saturday, March 14, we started social distancing ourselves from almost everyone we usually see in hopes of avoiding the coronavirus. It’s like God took what He’d been doing slowly in my life and forced a deeper surrender. Now, a little more than a week into this unprecedented season full of so many unknowns, I’ve loved my time at home with my kids and our weekends with wide-open agendas.

Even the things I couldn’t and wouldn’t take off my list in the fall are now basically canceled: soccer practices and games, school pick-up driving, lunching with friends, volunteering, and kids’ dentist and pediatrician appointments. I went days without looking at my calendar, which is highly unusual. Yes, my kids are doing schoolwork at home, but we still have wonderful teachers pouring into their lives from a distance. I’ve gone to the grocery a couple of times to keep our fridge and pantry stocked, but I’ve loved the time to linger in the kitchen preparing meals and playing board games when we finish eating.

Truthfully, I’m feeling free.

Yes, I miss my friends and was happy to roll down my window and briefly chat with a few during the assignment drop-off and pick-up at my kids’ school. I’ve gone on a walk with my best friend and hung out at her house one evening. But I’ve mostly been in soft pants – as Cate as long called them – enjoying my people and our home.

Yes, of course, I hope we don’t get sick and sometimes have anxiety creep in when I think too hard about why we’re hunkered down at home. The first couple of days made me a little twitchy as texts, phone calls, and emailed canceled every detail of our normal lives. And, of course, the kids sometimes pick on each other and exploit their personality differences.

But I’ve seen evidence of God working in a long-time prayer request I’ve had for our family. I’ve witnessed simple goodness that offers a refreshing perspective. I’ve been able to keep in touch with people thanks to many technology options.

I’ve also seen evidence that when all five of us are here way more than usual, we produce a lot of trash and go through a lot of food and drinks. But we’ve also cuddled on the couch to listen to church, watch movies, and read books. For the record, in less than twenty-four hours, we watched “Freaky Friday” and “A Cinderella Story,” so just now I’m doing my part to introduce my kids to Chad Michael Murray. We previously watched all three installments of “High School Musical.” We have rotating crafts happening on our dining room table and I’m waiting on two puzzles I ordered to arrive from Amazon. Somehow the days go quickly.

I could go for a little more sunshine so we can take more walks in the woods, wander down by the creeks, and take advantage of our country living. Regardless, we’re going to soak in the blessings that come with surrendering, slowing down, and simplifying.

*****

This coronavirus-inspired social distancing really goes with the word {BECOMING} God has been teaching me about this year. I’d love to hear your stories about God working in these unprecedented circumstances. Rachel has been coloring many pages in this simple but great preschooler activity book and I’ve put together a list of our favorite board games.

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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 eighth-grade girl who never forgets, our have-no-fear fifth-grade boy, and our joy-filled preschool 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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I'm glad I was able to contribute to "Songs of Hop I'm glad I was able to contribute to "Songs of Hope (Vol. 2)", which was compiled by fellow writers @kerilynnsnyder & @sarah_e_frazer. This devotional spends 31 days in the Psalms. 

I share about Psalm 68 and how God built a sanctuary for me at our house in the country and how I want to share that with others. I end the devotional with these questions and a prayer:

"Songs of Hope" offers encouraging truth to bring hope to your weary soul. The devotional is a digital product so you receive the PDF immediately and can read it on any device.  There's a #linkinbio to buy this devotional and more info #ontheblog. #bloggerlife #authorlife #amreading #psalms #psalm68 #bettertogether #hope #KHTreads
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