Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

Stories from the Porch in November

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November included some of my favorite traditions – Friendsgiving and our Christmas Tree Hunt. Surprisingly, it also included a snow day. November also means Thanksgiving, Ben’s birthday, and National Adoption Awareness Month. This month’s view from the porch is actually my son throwing a snowball at the kitchen window while I was watching the kids enjoy the early snow that gave them a day off school.

Highlights

In 2011, we started cutting down our own Christmas tree on my mother-in-law’s land. Then we moved to the country and continued the tradition on our own property. Thing is, these trees weren’t raised and trimmed to be Christmas tree, so we’ve had unruly trees right in our living room. Despite all my Type A ways, I really love the perfectly imperfect trees. They help me enjoy the holiday season more.

The perfectly imperfect one from 2013 may have been my favorite tree. You can read about the adventures from 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2016 too.

With November having five Thursdays, we have more time after Thanksgiving before December begins. This is the earliest we’ve ever put up our tree, but that’s just how the calendar worked out. And I’m not sad to ease into December.

Earlier in the month, went to see Zach Williams and Matt Maher in concert. It’s one I’ll remember for a long time. Of course, I shared about that in a post too.

In honor of National Adoption Awareness Month, I shared about our past Novembers, offered a free download of the Kindle version of my book (that 173 of y’all downloaded!), and welcomed two friends to share their stories on my blog. (If you missed those, Kelli shared about how waiting for and adopting her daughter gave her passion for other mommas that she’s turning into a ministry and Michaela shared about how God unites families for his glory.) I also got to see “Instant Family” with some of my dear friends.

Favorite things

Good Grit magazine – I heard about this on That Sounds Fun because Annie Downs was the guest editor of the November/December Beholden issue. It’s a beautiful magazine filled with so many lovely stories. The actual magazine even feels beautiful. I’m happy I subscribed. Magazines in general have been among my favorite things this year. I currently also subscribe to Southern Living, the Magnolia Journal, and the Pioneer Woman’s magazine.

Canvas pictures – I really love documenting our memories on our walls. My new canvas is a favorite addition. And I’ve actually added a couple things to the gallery since I took the picture in this post and have another canvas (which I got free during Black Friday sales!) on the way.

Thirty-One’s Casual Carry-All – I’d been on the hunt for the right everyday bag. I wanted it to be big enough for my planner, Kindle, and all the normal purse things, cross-body strap, pockets, and durable. I don’t change purses often, so I wanted to find the right one. And I did!

Lego Table – For Ben’s birthday, I wanted to give him a huge Lego table that would fit in his bottom bunk, and I love how it turned out! Greg got a piece of wood cut at Lowe’s that would sit down in the bunk bed. I ordered enough off-brand base pieces to cover that piece of wood and glued them down. Greg trimmed the edges with a Dremel tool. Ben told me it was the best birthday present ever, and I’m happy the Legos now live off the floor.

From the bookshelf

“Secret Daughter” by Shilpi Somaya Gowda – I bought this paperback at a book sale for 50 cents this past summer. I wish I’d picked it up sooner because I really loved this fiction story about family that spans two countries. The story provides bittersweet peeks into culture in India, international adoption, and motherhood.

“The Storm-Tossed Family: How the Cross Reshapes the Home” by Russell Moore – Usually I read quickly, but I’ve been taking this one slow over the past several weeks because there is a lot to digest. Moore’s perspective on marriage, children, and church family is encouraging, convicting, and thought-provoking.

“Come Let Us Adore Him: 24 Daily Advent Devotional” by Paul David Tripp – I’m excited to read this devotional as Christmas approaches.

On the screen

“Manifest” – Greg and I have been binging the episodes we had on our DVR. We’re caught up and totally intrigued.

“Grinch” – On Thanksgiving evening, we went to see this new movie in the theater. I love going to the theater and I especially loved watching this one with my youngest, who laughed at all the right parts and ate her body weight in popcorn.

How’s your November been?

When the past & the present collide

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Nineteen years ago as a college sophomore, I walked into the Murray Christian Fellowship house on the edge of campus. I had learned about MCF while compiling a list of campus ministries for the student newspaper. What the campus minister had said during a brief phone call intrigued me. I didn’t know anyone, so I dragged some friends with me because I wanted to go.

Three years later, I graduated with a bachelor’s of science and walked away from that MCF house with a deeper understanding of my faith and some the dearest friends a girl could have.

On a recent Sunday in August, the current student leaders from MCF fill a row of seats near us in church. I held the college memories in my heart as my 7-year-old boy still let me hold his hand in church that same morning. My almost-2-year-old girl was eager to go the nursery and my oldest, who is somehow already 10, sat on my other side. Even so, I remember so much of college like it was yesterday.

God collided what He did long ago
with what He’s doing now.

{Tweet that.}

We’ve introduced our kids to the MCF house recently because our small group painted the front porch and started to haul out trash from the leaking basement. We’ve gotten to know a couple of the current students and hope to spend more time with them. Meanwhile, we are still missing the former student who was my kids’ babysitter but understandably graduated, moved away, and got married in recent years.

I’m grateful our church – which was started out of that same campus ministry more than three decades ago – is still in a relationship with the organization God used to teach me and love me when I was finding my way as a new believer. I sat there in the row of chairs Sunday morning with my kids while others prayed over MCF’s student leaders.

I prayed silently in my head:

Thank you, God, for prompting me through a newspaper assignment to walk the couple blocks from my dorm to the MCF house. Thank you for meeting me there that day, many days in the following three years, and even times since. I love how that ministry and our current church are intertwined and how nobody hesitated to join those students with prayer. Thank you for giving my family the opportunity to serve these kids as they serve you and their peers. Be with the students as they begin a new school year. Let them shine lights and love others for you, God. Let them hold onto the truth of what you’re doing now so they can remember your faithfulness later. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

*****

I love living in a college town! I shared yesterday about welcoming college students to my hometown (and wanting to mother some boys I crossed paths with in Kroger). You can also read the letter I wrote last year to Murray State freshmen.

Visiting our roots

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I’ve been thinking about roots.

Perhaps the fact my 20th high school reunion is approaching in a few weeks has me nostalgic. Or maybe having a girl in double digits prompted reflections. My youngest is closer to 2 than 1. My middle boy is growing up before my eyes. Greg and I are going on 15 years of marriage.

And we’ve put down roots.

We’ve developed traditions and habits. We have preferences that bind us together. We have the memories that unite us and the stories that make us laugh. We like to visit other places but are always eager to come home together.

Roots are the foundations that give freedom to
visit other places and the security to belong.

{Tweet that.}

That’s what I want my kids to know. And that’s what I need my own heart to know too.

*****

If I were to pick a soundtrack to this post, it would be Zac Brown Band, especially “Roots” and “2 Places at 1 Time” from the newest ZBB album.

*****

I’m also joining Kate Motaung and the Five Minute Friday writing crew with this post inspired by the prompt VISIT. It’s the last link up at Kate’s place as FMF has its own new home. You should visit us there.