Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

Glory is just around the corner

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“Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.” — 1 Peter 4:12-13 (The Message)

Adoption built my faith and my family.

As I became a momma in this way I didn’t expect, I prayed for God to use our story to encourage others. While we were navigating the adoption process the first two times, I knew hardly anyone who had adopted or was adopted. Now, a momma of three kids who came to us through private, domestic adoptions, I also have a community of moms who understand.

This online community is the answer to my prayers. Yes, it’s one of the ways God is using our story, like I prayed for, but it’s also been a blessing to me as I navigate parenting. Within this community, I’ve often quoted 1 Peter 4:13 from The Message: “This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.”

Regardless of where people are in the process, I want these other moms to remember we’re in these adoptions and this life together. And the glory really is coming. This online community has been a safe space where we share prayer requests, resources, and updates. Some of us get to gather around real-life tables for lunches and watch our kids befriend one another.

That’s how I began the devotion I contributed to “Faith, Hope, & Connection: A 30-Day Devotional for Adoptive and Foster Parents.”

About the book

Are you a foster or adoptive parent needing hope for this complex and sometimes lonely journey? Do you love your kids but feel discouraged? Are you misunderstood by people around you?

In “Faith, Hope, & Connection: A 30-Day Devotional for Adoptive and Foster Parents,” you’ll find real, often raw, stories from adoptive and foster parents in the trenches; scripture and faith-filled hope, pointing you to Jesus; and honest reflections speaking courage to your soul and reminding you that you are not alone.

This devotional is written by 30 authors, all foster and adoptive parents, who offer a window into their own lives and families. You’ll recognize yourself time and time again in their words. “Faith, Hope, & Connection” is a treasure-trove of wisdom and grace for foster and adoptive families.

This 141-page paperback was independently published by The Adoption Connection for The Refresh Conference in February 2019.

About the editors

Melissa Corkum is an adoptee and adoptive mom. She and her husband are parents to six kids by both birth and adoption. Their open door policy has blessed them with lots of honorary family members along the way. They are Empowered to Connect Parent Trainers. She hates cleaning and loved extra-crispy fries. Find her online at her website, The Cork Board.

Lisa Qualls is a birth mom and adoptive mom. She and her husband have 12 kids by birth and adoption and even more through foster care. As a Trust-Based Relational Intervention practitioner, she walks alongside families with kids from “hard places.” She loves hosting big family dinners but hates grocery shopping, which is a problem. Find her online at her website, One Thankful Mom.

Together they host The Adoption Connection, which includes a website, podcasts, and Facebook group to support adoptive and foster families.

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I received a free copy of this devotional for being a contributing author, but I’ve already recommended it to others because I believe we are better when we encourage each other with our stories. If you’re looking for other adoption resources, I compiled a list of those too.

Creating conversations that matter

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The conversations Cate and I have had lately about technology, friendships, and school are important, but I’m realizing I need other people to echo the same truths. Yet I’m picky who speaks into my kids’ lives. When I find a resource that works well, I want to share it, so that’s what I’m doing today.

I can’t really remember how I first met Nick & Bethany Calhoon, but our paths have crossed various times in our small town. He is the student pastor at what I call my bonus church – it’s not where we attend, but I go to Bible study there, Cate is going to camp this summer with some of her school friends who go there, and my big kids have been to VBS there. I’m happy he’s here today to introduce you to his new podcast that’s created for teenagers and their parents.

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In our family, we have a saying: “See a need, meet a need.” In my experience working with students and their families as a pastor, I noticed a great need and thus we created The Minivan Moments Family Podcast.

This podcast was designed with both parents and teenagers in mind. When we surveyed the current state of families, one trend was the family was no longer communicating the way that it had in the past. Parents and their children have become content in being “around” one another but not really engaging with one another. With chaotic schedules, families are busier than ever and the result is families that are disengaged and at the same time wondering, “How did we get here?” However, we knew there was a time and place that families are together regularly that could begin to refresh the communication amongst families. That place … THE CAR! That’s right, families are in the car more than they are around the dinner table, so we have designed this podcast to meet families where they are and to help them redeem that time in their cars.

How is this podcast different than others? Well, we have good news! This podcast will be a weekly podcast that will be NO MORE than 10 MINUTES! That’s right, 10 minutes or less is our guarantee. We know you’re busy and we can say everything we need to say in that short window of time. It’s also short enough that you can listen to an entire episode in one trip in the car.

So every week we are going to tackle engaging cultural and biblical topics to promote conversation. How are we going to do that, by ending every episode with a question. That’s the best part about this podcast. We want to provide helpful information on a variety of topics that are related to both parents and teenagers, but then we make sure to allow time for you to discuss as a family. We pray that you would use this podcast as a regular part of your routine and begin to redeem that time in the car so that you cannot just survive as a family, but rather begin to thrive!

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Nick Calhoon is the student pastor at Hardin Baptist Church. He’s married to Bethany, and they have three beautiful children – Brooks, Ellis, and Atticus. He is a graduate of Murray State University and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Find the podcast on SoundCloud or iTunes.

Saying yes to March Madness

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Hello, March Madness!

In the winter, we plan our social life around the Murray State basketball schedule. We meet friends for dinner before the games. We have friends who travel with us to a few away games – sometimes in a 14-passenger van we borrow and now my eight-seater Pacifica is an option with another family that most often joins us.

I know sports aren’t everyone’s form of entertainment, but Greg and I both would choose a college basketball game over an art museum, a college football game before a musical at the theater, and a Major League Baseball game instead of any sort of dance recital. We both grew up watching sports, so it naturally became something we did together.

We have season tickets to Murray State basketball and football games. We try to go to a St. Louis Cardinals baseball most seasons. We also like University of Kentucky football and basketball, and occasionally make our way to Lexington for a game.

Then we had kids – and we kept doing it.

But the Racers are our favorites.

I have pictures of Cate and Ben sleeping at MSU basketball games. Rachel doesn’t fall asleep like they did because she doesn’t want to miss anything, but like her siblings, she is learning to spell R-A-C-E-R-S! She recognizes both the mascot and the logo around town. Cate is old enough to have memories of players she’s loved watching and each season becomes more invested and interested. Ben asks more questions about the rules and strategies and loves playing sports. He filled out his first March Madness bracket this week.

With sports come stories of perseverance, achievement, and sometimes loss. In a culture where everyone thinks they deserve a participation trophy, it’s good for the kids to see the world keeps turning after your team loses. And, of course, it’s fun to celebrate with teams we’ve come to know from our seats.

It’s been an exciting season for Racer fans.

Murray State only lost four games in the regular season – two by very few points to Alabama and Auburn, both bigger programs in the Southeastern Conference, and then two to conference foes when our best player was nursing an ankle injury.

Speaking of the best player, point guard Ja Morant has gotten much national attention this year. He’s dunked over people and landed himself and the rest of the Racers on SportsCenter more than once. He’s expected to be among the first few picks in the NBA Draft. He’s been a joy to watch because he truly looks like he’s having the most fun. He celebrates his teammates and this town.

The Racers shared the regular-season championship with Belmont and then went on to beat the Bruins in the conference tournament. With the tournament trophy in hand, the Racers also clinched an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. They play Marquette today, and we’re hoping this isn’t the last game for this team that’s been so fun to watch. We wish we were in Hartford, Connecticut to watch, but we’ll be watching from our living room with friends.

Basketball games give me a chance to say yes, introduce my kids to other towns, and let go of our bedtime routine. Naturally, I’m a rule follower who wants everyone to follow my rules, but I’ve had opportunities to give the kids treats and grace. Those things don’t come naturally to me, so being a sports fan has helped me keep perspective on life.

Being a sports fan has helped me be a yes mom
and provided a backdrop for making memories.

{Tweet that.}

March Madness is the best in our sports-loving world. And now we get to root for our favorite team to be the Cinderella of The Big Dance. Pass the popcorn.