Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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Being a summertime girl in the winter

January 23, 2019 by Kristin 12 Comments

You probably know I’m a summer girl. I like the longer days, the sunshine, and freedom to let routine go. I love being on my porch and in my pool.

But the reality is summer is a season. It comes and goes and comes again. I’ve been reminding myself of this as the temperatures are cool, the daylight is short, and the skies gray. Plus we had a snow day on Sunday! (And I thank God for every random 65 degree and sunshiny day we’ve gotten this month!)

I turn 40 this year and I’ve spent a good portion of the year before this learning to appreciate seasons. I can long for summer while still enjoying winter. I can look back with fondness on summer while I take joyfully what spring and fall have to offer.

I’m no expert and am still learning the value and relief of seasons, but here are some ways I live faithfully in the winter as a summer person:

1. Read fiction books set on the beach or in lake towns. Often reading fiction is like a miniature vacation for me, so why not choose a setting I love?

2. Live with the mentality that the to-do list doesn’t have to be finished by noon Monday. Naturally, I am a work-before-play girl, but for some reason I’m easier going in the summer. I’m trying to bring that mentality into all the other seasons.

3. Have social plans that bring people in. The porch isn’t always suitable for these short, cold days, but we can still have friends over to play board games or watch basketball. We can meet friends for dinner and carpool to watch our alma mater’s basketball team. Even when it’s not the holidays, establish traditions that bring joy to a season that may not otherwise be your favorite.

4. Remember summer is coming. I can enjoy the present season, reminisce about past seasons, and look to the ones to come with a grateful heart. Likewise, I can remember God’s faithfulness through them all.

So here’s the winter, at least temporarily, because I don’t want to miss what God has for me in each season on the calendar and in life.

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I’ve got a new installment of Hospitality Matters coming out to my email friends next week. Be sure you’re signed up so you can be included with this seasonal series. Plus all subscribers get a FREE guide to serving your community with your family.

And while you’re clicking around, make sure you enter to win a copy of the beautiful, encouraging (in)courage Devotional Bible.

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God’s forever on our side

January 18, 2019 by Kristin 4 Comments

“Oh I don’t know / What’s around the bend / Oh, all I know / Is that my love / It knows no end / All these pieces they fall in line / Because I’m forever on your side / Take my hand when you can’t see the light / Cause I’m forever on your side / I will carry / You every time / Because I’m forever on your side”

– Needtobreathe’s “Forever On Your Side”

My mind hasn’t wanted to turn off this week. I’ve been processing news in lives of people I care about, parenting three kids in different seasons, and navigating a hard conversation. So many perceptions and feelings can influence my mind, distracting me from all the good around me.

One evening this week my mind was dwelling on this and that and this again. I couldn’t shut it off long enough to fall asleep so I got out of bed and folded five loads of laundry while I watched “New Amsterdam” on the DVR. The show had a storyline that made me think of a friend of mine. But instead of letting my mind spiral into all the stuff again, God influenced my perception. He reminded me to be still and trust him as God.

I have hope & disappointment side by side in my hands. I know joy and grief at the same moment. I truly believe God uses it all when we love him and are called to his purpose (Romans 8:28). In a world of factions and sides, conflict and change, surprises and distractions, I’m grateful God is forever on my side. And I’m grateful for the ways he brings his truth into our lives through others who follow Christ. That’s the kind of influence we all need.

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I’m joining the Five Minute Friday writing crew with this post. The prompt this week was INFLUENCE.

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How to make time for books

January 16, 2019 by Kristin 23 Comments

I’m not great at goals and resolutions. I’m an all-or-nothing girl who does really well with immediate efficiency but stumbles around long-term goals. Maybe it’s a little bit of fear of failure and a little bit I don’t want to put myself in a box.

This year as I focus on being faithful, I want to establish new habits. I’ve been making my bed, trying to drink more water, walking on the treadmill or outside on the random warm days, and reading books instead of mindlessly scrolling.

In 2018, I read 52 books. That total was 47 in 2017, 53 in 2016, and 43 in 2015. I don’t know how many books I’ll read this year, but I already love the four I’ve finished the first two weeks of this year. I’ve been sharing about them on social media and will continue to share book roundup posts, but I want to answer a question I’ve gotten over the years:

How do you manage to read so many books?

“So many” is relative because I know some people read more books than me. But, hey, I like to watch TV too. Anyway, I thought I’d share some ways I manage to read books while also mothering my children, who are currently 11, 9, and 3.

1. I read on a Kindle.

Say what you will about missing the physical turning of pages and the smell of an actual book, a Kindle is convenient. I can have hundreds of books at my fingertips wherever I go. And when I finish one, my next ones are right there.

I do read actual books, especially when I get them free. (See #2.) And I write in them, just in case you’re wondering. I usually also then type all the marked passages into a Word document so I have them to reference later. (Call me a nerd, whatever.) When underlining on a Kindle, Amazon saves these quotes online, which, honestly, is amazing.

Also, Prime members get a free book each month as part of the First Reads perk. In January, I was given TWO BOOKS and those are among the ones I’ve read this year. (They were “Rock Needs Rivers: A Memoir About a Very Open Adoption” by Vanessa McGrady and “The Forgotten Hours” by Katrin Schumann. And in case you’re wondering, the other two I’ve read this year are “Letters to the Church” by Francis Chan and “The Sacred Enneagram” by Christopher Heuertz.)

2. I review books on my blog.

I get quite a few free books through launch teams and blogger review programs. The deadlines that come with the review process keep me reading too. Plus reviewing books helps me process them and connect with other readers.

3. We spend a lot of time poolside.

I devour some fiction books at the pool. In the summer, I’m easier going when it comes to chores and household tasks. (I’m trying to adopt that mentality year around, though!) Just one more chapter and then I’ll move the laundry to the dryer and start a new load in the washer!

4. I read when I’m waiting or sitting …

… at the doctor’s office, at the school pickup line, and when I eat breakfast. I’ve been known to buckle in my youngest and show up at the big kids’ school early just so I can read. Plus I’ve been consistent on the treadmill, so that gives me another window of reading time.

5. I stop reading books I don’t like.

There are way too many good books to waste time on the ones that aren’t working for me. For real, ain’t nobody got time to wait and see if a book might get good.

6. I read what I’m in the mood to read.

Typically, I read one book at a time, but I started the year with about three books going because they were different. One I needed to read slowly to digest, another was also non-fiction but easier to read quickly, and another was a memoir that I read in two sittings. I tend to go through fiction binges. I don’t pressure myself to read through a list. I choose my next book when I’m done with this one.

7. I keep a wish list of books.

I love book recommendations, so I have an easy-accessible list on Amazon. I add to it often, order from it sometimes when prices drop, and consult it in the library, especially in the summer when I check out a few fiction titles at once. I also keep an Amazon list of good reads to share with others. As much as I like reading, I certainly also like talking about books.

Fellow readers, what would you add to your list about how you make time to read?

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This is an edited and updated version of a post from a few years ago.

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About Me

Telling stories is my therapy and love sharing with friends on my porch.

The main characters in my stories are my entrepreneur husband, our fifth-grade girl who never forgets, our have-no-fear second-grade boy, and our joy-filled toddler 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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  • How an actual fire helped refine my faith
  • Let’s live with heaven in mind
  • Don’t give up on doing good
  • Stories from the Porch in January
  • Being a summertime girl in the winter

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