Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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Worthwhile words for your weekend

September 19, 2014 by Kristin Leave a Comment

Happy weekend! It’s a beautiful day here in Kentucky. We’ve got soccer games and dinners with friends on the agenda. And I’m hoping the sun keeps shining so we can break in our new deck.

I’ve gathered some things I’ve read recently online that are worth your time …

“The Danger of Protecting Our Kids From Unhappiness” by Kristen Welch :: “We live in a culture that is obsessed with not only making our kids happy by giving them everything they want, but also by trying to keep them happy. It’s an impossible, exhausting task. I’ve tried it. Maybe you have too. But instead of making kids happier, it just makes them want more. And more often leads to more emptiness. Because deep down our kids long for authority and structure. They crave guidelines and rules because that’s one of the major ways they fill loved by us.”

“What Do We Do When Life Get Hard?” by Kayse Pratt :: “What do we do when things get hard? Will we run? Will we quit? Will we wallow in bitterness, insistent that we didn’t deserve this situation? I’ve tried that. It doesn’t make life any better. … He’s overcome it, friend. Whatever you’re going through, He’s already overcome it. That doesn’t always make the situation easier, but it changes our perspective entirely, doesn’t it? Because now, instead of feeling abandoned, we see how very loved we are. Loved enough that He’s made sure that the ending to our story is a happy one. A victorious one. Because our story ends in His triumph.”

“Light, for Your Darkest Days” by Jennifer Dukes Lee :: “It always feels like I am tripping over the hem of God’s garments when I have one hopeful eye pressed against a viewfinder. And maybe I am — for the Psalmist wrote how God ‘wraps himself in light’ as if it were his robe. The light does more than make a good photo. It preaches a sermon — one we might need to hear on days like these, in times like these. I found myself listening to the sky’s sermon the other day while barefoot on gravel, expectant and needy. The day before had been crammed with bad news around the world, and I craved light. And then, the sun rose, and I saw it anew: How light overcomes darkness, one glorious inch at a time, to gladden our barbed world.”

“A Memorable Melody Through the Proverbs“ :: Slugs & Bugs’ “Sing the Bible” CD is one of my favorites. Ever. My whole family loves it. Yes, it’s “children’s music,” but I’m 35 and love it too. Throughout September, 100 percent of the profits from “Sing the Bible” sales will benefit Restore Academy in Gulu, Uganda. The sale of just 40 CDs could cover the cost of an entire semester for one student. Here’s my earlier review of the CD, which has songs straight from the Bible, and not just Proverbs.

Have you read anything good lately? What are you up to this weekend?

________

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Words for your weekend

September 5, 2014 by Kristin Leave a Comment

Happy Friday, friends! Even with the short week, I’m glad it’s already the weekend, again. It’s going to be a busy but fun one for us, and, yes, we’ll spend some of it at the soccer field. We’re also going to have Greg’s office party at the lake and have a fund-raiser for my kids’ school. {If you’re local, we’d love for you to join us for the Birthday & Benefit Concert for New Covenant Christian Academy. Who doesn’t love the idea of classic rock for classical education?}

Meanwhile, I wanted to share with you some blog posts and book quotes that have encouraged me lately. Enjoy them as you head into your weekend!

“When matters of faith require action” by Kelli Stuart :: “I’ve long had a weary opinion of the Osteens. I do not believe in the idea of the prosperity gospel in any way, shape or form. I do not think that God is at all concerned with my happiness … . There is zero evidence in scripture to support such claims, and so I’ve always taken Joel Osteen quotes with a grain of salt. They are feel good fluff – kind of like cotton candy. Fun to eat, but will rot you from the inside out if you consider it nutritious. … God wants my yes. He wants my obedience. He wants me to give and love and pour myself out for others, not because it makes me feel good or look good or seem “good.” He wants me to pour myself out as a praise offering to Him – so that He gets the glory. I don’t want the glory – I really do not, because it would be a cotton candy faith that dissolves the second I’m faced with any sort of challenge.”

“Mel’s Amazing Black Bean Salsa” by Kristin Smith :: Really, I’ve made this recipe several times now, including twice just this week. It’s delicious. And easy. Both Kristin Smith and recipe creator Mel Schroeder are good ones to follow along on this big ‘ole Internet.

“Today I’m Starting a New Book: Present Over Perfect” by Shauna Niequist :: Well, this is exciting. A favorite author writes on a topic I’m always needing to learn more about. “Present over perfect, indeed. This is life, this is family, this is the great beautiful brave spectacular adventure that is plain old everyday life, and it promises to remind you over and over that perfect is a myth, and that perfect breaks our backs and breaks our hearts. Real life is in the homework, in the shattered glass, in the apologies and kisses and walks to the bus stop. And that’s what this book is about. … I’m aching to move from exhaustion to passion, from comparison to connection. I want to forgive myself for all the things I’m not, all the things I’ve been trying so hard to be. And I want to hold out my hand and invite the people I love into that same compassion, for ourselves, for one another. I want to be free to love wildly, to be silly, to fail and try again because bravery is worth infinitely more than staying safe on the sidelines, afraid to look foolish. I’m discovering, inch by inch, a new way of spiritual living–less striving, more receiving. More love, less hustle.”

“First Friday Book Faves” at Circles of Faith :: If you’re looking for some book recommendations, Circles of Faith writers (me included!) shared what we’re reading. Come join the conversation!

From “Memory Maker” by Carlos Whittaker :: “And that, my friends, is what Moment Making is all about — using time to create a story worth reading. Not everyone is going to write a book about their lives and sell it on bookshelves. But we all write a story through our lives that will be read by those around us. And through that, we have an opportunity to have an impact by touching just one other person. And that, by extension, will change the world.”

From “Breaking Free” by Beth Moore :: “A wide gulf lies between thanking God for our wonderful victories and pointing people to God as the One and only Sovereign victorious.”

Have you read anything good the past couple of weeks? What’s on your weekend agenda?

________

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Worthwhile words for your weekend

August 22, 2014 by Kristin Leave a Comment

The kids may be back in school, but we’re still soaking in some summer. This weekend we’ll be at Kentucky Lake with friends, where we’ll eat well, laugh much, swap stories, spent time on the water, and surely get in the water with a heat index that’s expected to be in triple digits.

We’ve been spoiled with a cooler-than-usual summer, so I feel bad even discussing this heat. But, you know, it’s hard to ignore when sweat is dripping down my back.

So, let’s move on. 

How about some worthwhile words for your weekend?

NEEDTOBREATHE has some great live music I found on the Internet this week. You’re welcome. {And, yes, now I’m way too eager to see NEEDTOBREATHE live in less than a month in Nashville!} I particularly love this version of “Something Beautiful.”

“… And the water is risin’ quick / And for years I was scared of it / We can’t be sure when it will subside / So I won’t leave your side, no I can’t leave your side

Hey now, this is my desire / Consume me like a fire, ’cause I just want something beautiful / To touch me, I know that I’m in reach‘ / Cause I am down on my knees, I’m waiting for something beautiful …”

And now for more somethings beautiful …

I really can’t get enough of Shauna Niequist right now. I’m reading “Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes.” And then there’s this refreshing blog post that supposed to be about what July taught her but encourages me in what God’s teaching me:

“Here’s the good news, new information for a girl like me: I can rest when I’m tired, read when I’m hungry for words, reach out when I’m lonely. I don’t have to be strong all the time, or on all the time, or working all the time. And under that, creating a deep foundation for that, more good news: God made us, he loves us, and he’s inviting us into a way of living that’s drenched in grace, in true rest, in connection and communion with him and with each other.”

Speaking of books, the ever-encouraging Holley Gerth has a new one out. It’s a devotion called “What Your Heart Needs for the Hard Days.” I have no doubt it’s packed with truth and wisdom. My copy is in the hands of the U.S. Postal Service somewhere. You can get yours from DaySpring, where the code HGFRIENDS will give you 20% off, or Amazon.

Meanwhile, I can’t stop listening to “Greater” by MercyMe. My kids know I will turn it up every single time it comes on the radio and may even have it on repeat when they get in the car after school.

“Bring your tired / Bring your shame / Bring your guilt / Bring your pain / Don’t you know that’s not you’re name / You will always be much more to me

Every day I wrestle with the voices / That keep telling me I’m not right / But that’s alright /‘Cause I hear a voice and He calls me redeemed / When others say I’ll never be enough / And greater is the One living inside of me / Than he who is living in the world …

Bring your doubts / Bring your fears / Bring your hurt / Bring your tears / There’ll be no condemnation here / You are holy, righteous and redeemed …

There’ll be days I lose the battle / Grace says that it doesn’t matter / ‘Cause the cross already won the war …”

You can listen here.

What’s on your weekend agenda? Have you read or heard anything worth sharing?

________

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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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🎶 All throughout my history / Your faithfulness 🎶 All throughout my history / Your faithfulness has walked beside me / The winter storms made way for spring / In every season, from where I'm standing / I see the evidence of Your goodness / All over my life … 🎶 @joshbaldwin in “Evidence”

I love summer. But my summer has started off busy: appointments, book edits deadline, establish new habits with the kids at home. All that’s necessary and good, it just cuts into my down time beside the pool. 

Today we have two open gyms for our basketball players, my book study with a few friends, a new weekly high school girls’ book study at our house, and a monthly dad-son character study. 

I long for a little more white space on the calendar, but I also wouldn’t change a thing because the kids are only 16, 13, and 7 once. This summer will only be this summer once. And I’ve already learned time flies with big kids. 

So here we are finding out footing, singing praises with church friends on our porch, grilling delicious chicken, and squeezing in the wide-open spaces when we can. This is evidence of the good stuff. 

#84daysofsummer #poolpeople #momlife #momconfessions #faithlife #livingfaithfully #favoritethings #choosingJOY #countryliving #reallife #PorchStories
The Hill family reunion at @shelterpointretreat ha The Hill family reunion at @shelterpointretreat has become a favorite tradition to kick off summer! The weather was perfect and everyone enjoyed one another. 

#familyreunion #lakelife #kentuckylake #kylake #getoutside #familytime #memorialday #memorialdayweekend #favoritethings #84daysofsummer #summerisbest #choosingJOY
Hello, #84daysofsummer! ☀️ #TeamTaylor #girl Hello, #84daysofsummer! ☀️ 

#TeamTaylor #girlmom #boymom #momlife #reallife #summerisbest #siblinglove #countryliving #poolpeople #getoutside
First of all, who else has read this book? The plo First of all, who else has read this book? The plot was promising as a thriller and the setting really worked. There were some good twists, and then there were ridiculous twists. I skimmed the end only because I wanted it to make sense. And it didn’t. It was too weird for me. 

But this made me wonder: how do we know if a book is going to be weird, contain elements we don’t like, or go places that don’t make sense? I don’t like to read much about a book before I read the book. Usually, I do a better job of picking books for myself. 

#KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #donotrecommend #bookofthemonth @bookofthemonth
I needed this low-key weekend that was pleasant we I needed this low-key weekend that was pleasant weather, a mixture of productivity and rest, and had plenty of wide-open space to enjoy our property and each other. 

#weekending #TeamTaylor #poolpeople #countryliving #favoritethings #choosingJOY #maydays
And that’s a wrap on soccer season! I love watch And that’s a wrap on soccer season! I love watching them both play. 

#soccermom #weekending #springtime #momlife #girlmom #boymom
On Mothers Day, I wanted to sit by the pool with a On Mothers Day, I wanted to sit by the pool with a book, but I didn’t know what I wanted to read. Whenever I have indecision about books, picking up a thriller usually helps because of the story’s pace. 

“The Only Survivors” worked well because there was a lot happening! Lots of creepy, mysterious moments. Only so many people could be guilty of infiltrating a small group who had lots of secrets! 

I loved the timeline of this one. The back story about an accident was told in seven one-hour segments. The present mystery was told in seven days. 

#KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #latergram #bookofthemonth @bookofthemonth #poolpeople #mothersday
Y’all we are very ready for summer. ☀️ And Y’all we are very ready for summer. ☀️ 

And when I say summer, I mean we are ready to shake up the routine, mentally regroup, turn off the alarms, establish some new habits, soak in the sun, and catch up with friends we’ve been crossing paths with too quickly. 

I want to savor the #84daysofsummer and I want to embrace this new season. And it’s almost time. Three more days of school. (Deep breaths.) 

Meanwhile, I’m going to keep collecting the moments — the hard, hurried, happy, and heartfelt. The seasons do change, but this is the life we are living. 

“The moments you collect may not be loud or flashy. They might be quiet or covered or a far-off view you were lucky to catch. But this I know to be true: A moment savored says to your soul, ‘You have lived something beautiful.’ And it keeps you buoyed. It sustains you when you’re running empty. It lifts you up and carries you forward.” — Joanna Gaines in @magnolia summer 2023 journal issue no. 27 

#momlife #reallife #momconfessions #livingfaithfully #summerisbest #teenagedriver #choosingJOY
I’ve read quite a few World War II novels, but t I’ve read quite a few World War II novels, but this one by Soraya M. Lane focused on three nurses, their friendships, and how the war changed their lives. It’s a hard story, but it’s full of love and hope despite the destruction around them. 

And it’s the second historical fiction audiobook I’ve listened to in a row! #KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #audiobooks #Audible #KindleUnlimited #historicalfiction
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