Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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Six Things I Learned in April

April 29, 2016 by Kristin Leave a Comment

Ah, April, what an adventure you’ve been. You’re the introduction to my favorite month, so I like you. You’ve come and gone so quickly, but we’ve had fun. Before May arrives, let’s remember this month.

(AND if you haven’t signed up for my newsletter, you should do that before May 2, when my next one goes out. There’s a fun, free printable included with a quote I’ve been loving. Really, I welcome new email friends anytime, though! I’ve started updating my ebook and email subscribers will get peeks into that process.)

So, anyway, here are six things I’ve learned in April …

1. The Nashville Flea Market is great. Maybe all flea markets are great, I don’t know. My first flea market experience is in the books. And I hope I get to go back.

(The flea market was only one part of our recent Nashville road trip. We also saw Rend Collective in concert!)

2. Kayaks are good lake entertainment, even if getting them home from Walmart is an adventure.

Let me tell you about that adventure: I’d been thinking kayaks would be a good addition to our lake house. (It’s available for vacation rentals. Did you know that?) And then there they were, on display and on sale at Walmart. So we bought two. And then we realized they wouldn’t both fit in our mini van with two adults, two kids, and a baby … and a stroller, and all the other randomness in my van. So I took on kayak and the girls home, cleaned out the van, and the girls and I went back to Walmart to pick up the husband, son, and second kayak.

(Here are some pictures, if you’re interested.)

Both kayaks now happily reside at Shelter Point Retreat. And my daughter, niece, and nephew were happy to break them in.

3. I can be intrigued enough by a story to keep reading even when I don’t really like the book that much. 

“Everything You Ever Wanted” by Jillian Lauren was that for me. It’s an adoption story, and there were parts that were fascinating and interesting. But other parts I ended up skimming. Regardless, it’s brave to tell your story, especially when it has many hard parts, so I’m glad I read it, but I’m not sure I’d recommend it. Does that make sense?

4. A new strawberry patch opened just down the road. 

I love picking berries and now it’s even more convenient. If you live in Murray, be sure to check it out the next few weeks while the strawberries are in season. Maybe you’ll have an impromptu adventure like I did.

5. Adventure would be my word for 2016, if I had chosen a word. It’s all around me, as you can tell with my multiple references to it in this post alone!

6. I’m a communication nag. 

If I email you about an event or project, send you an invitation for a party, or ask for feedback … and I don’t hear back, then just wait, I will solicit a response in follow up emails, Facebook messages and texts. I’d say I’m sorry, but, really, there’s usually a reason I asked or invited or emailed in the first place, and the reason usually involves a response.

Perhaps you can blame the journalism degree with an organizational communications minor.

So, how was your April? Did you have any adventures?

_____________________

I’m linking up with Emily Freeman, who inspired this way of documenting life. It’s become one of my favorite practices. {Read previous Things I Learned posts here.}

Subscribe to get new posts and/or a monthly newsletter with content not available on the blog in your inbox. When you subscribe, I’ll send you a FREE #choosingJOY printable.

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Shelter Point Retreat

August 20, 2015 by Kristin Leave a Comment

“Brother, let me be your shelter.
I’ll never leave you all alone;
I can be the one you call
when you’re low.

Brother, let me be your fortress
when the night winds are driving on,
be the one to light the way,
bring you home.”
{Needtobreathe in “Brother”}

We want our lake house to be a refuge from the hustle of life. We want to make memories there with our friends. We want to step away from everyday routine and be refreshed. We want to appreciate a different pace.

And we want our lake house to be that for other people.

We had a hard time naming it. Wait, why does a lake house need a name, you ask? I guess it doesn’t have to have a name, but naming it seemed like the thing to do if we were going to invite people to rent it. With names, come identities, so I kept listing words that described what we wanted the lake house to be.

Greg was the one who threw out “shelter.” YES! I knew when he said that “shelter” was part of this house’s identity. I like the dual meaning and the fact I immediately started singing in my head Needtobreathe’s “Brother.” Of course a house is a shelter, literally, but I we want this house to be a figurative shelter – a refuge from the world where people can gather with their loved ones.

So, friends, let us be your shelter.

Shelter Point Retreat is now available to rent. On a point lot, the house has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, lots of windows in the kitchen and living room, and a beautiful view of Kentucky Lake. You can find out more about the house, rental rates, and availability at www.vrbo.com/741043. We also have a Facebook page or you can email me. {See pictures of the house here.}

“And when you call and need me near,
Sayin’ where’d you go?
Brother, I’m right here.
And on those days when the sky begins to fall,
You’re the blood of my blood;
we can get through it all.

Brother, let me be your shelter …”
{Needtobreathe in “Brother”}

_____________________

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.”

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Three Word Wednesday :: Life is Movement

August 12, 2015 by Kristin Leave a Comment

Is it possible this summer was the fastest in history? I’m going to say yes, even though I realize time is a steady measurement of our days. But, still, this summer was full of movement for our family.

And by movement, I don’t mean we ran all over the place – although on some days we did.

This summer marked some transitions, most of which y’all have heard about here on the blog.

In April, we sold a lake house we loved. But in June we got to buy a new one that we may love more. In May, we met the birth mom of our daughter who is expected to arrive in late September. A room is in the process of being prepared for Rachel Elizabeth, who officially as a crib, bedding, and a changing table awaiting her arrival. The high chair, swing, stroller, car seat are in boxes in her room, but they’ll be ready sooner rather than later.

Meanwhile, my best friend Jaclyn went back to full-time work, which obviously is a blessing for her, but an adjustment for our friendship. We befriended each other as single college girls, so our friendship is no stranger to transition. We were married the same summer, walked through seasons of infertility together, and then ending up having five kids who love each like siblings in five years.

Another dear friend has transitions of her own happening that will overflow into my life and God has orchestrated a newer friendship in my life I’m really excited about.

Oh, and Ben starts kindergarten today.

That means I’ll have about six weeks (probably) with Cate and Ben in school before Rachel arrives. I have big plans for those weeks – going to doctors’ appointments, getting my hair cut and colored, scrapbooking, finishing Rachel’s room, and lunching with some friends.

(Sure, I’ll let you know what those six weeks actually end up looking like!)

God knew I would need some wisdom in this season of transition because it’s no secret I’ve resisted change like the plague in the past. I want to embrace what God is doing here. The movement is evidence of the abundant life God promises. {Tweet that.} 

I can see how God is providing and answering prayers and offering opportunities to make himself known. Of course, all of this comes on the heels of our Guatemala mission trip, which is filtering everything in my life different than before.

Kristen Strong wrote a book that been exactly what I needed. Being able to be part of her launch team and read an early copy of “Girl Meets Change” was perfect timing. Stay tuned because there will be more to come on that when it releases next month, but for now, I wanted to share a quote:

“While we are called to rest when appropriate, the nature of life itself is movement. We can stand rigid against the movement and break, or we can lean into flexibility by bending and moving with it.”

{Kristen Strong in “Girl Meets Change,” page 76}

There has been some resting this summer. Hello, afternoons at the pool and waking up without an actual alarm clock. But there has been much movement too.

I’m learning the movement is evidence of life – literally, with new baby we’re expecting and in the ways God is making himself known. I want to bend and move with it. I want to remember moving boxes is hard work but it is part of letting God rearrange our lives. I want to rest in how God has prepared me for what he’s doing.

What kinds of changes are you experiencing in your life?

_____________________

152 Insights to My Soul

Some housekeeping for #ThreeWordWednesday friends: Please link up just ONE post. When you link up more than one, it seems to distract from the goal to have other people visiting each other with encouragement. Thanks for understanding!

An InLinkz Link-up

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.”

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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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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
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
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