Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

  • Home
  • About
  • Books
    • Peace in the Process
    • Bringing Home More Than Groceries
  • Contact

Being faithful in 2019

January 2, 2019 by Kristin 18 Comments

Happy new year, friends!

When I chose to focus on living rescued in 2018, I knew what I thought that meant. Of course, God took things to his own level and interrupted my plans. But he wove that theme into my heart through books, devotions, conversations, podcasts, and everyday life. He knows I need repetition to truly learn and he was faithful to teach me.

I’ll never be an expert on living rescued because I’m too quick to want to make a plan and solve a problem. But I believe God knows who I am in all my first-born, recovering perfectionism ways and won’t give up on using my natural disposition to lead me to him.

I reflected on 2018 and have been anticipating 2019 with my friend Kayse Pratt from Anchored Women. She hosted #reflectandrefresh2018 on Instagram and the prompts were just what my heart needed. Thinking through and documenting those eight posts led me to my word for the year when I didn’t expect to have one. I really assumed God was still working on the RESCUED theme in my life. And he is. But he’s also reminding me of how living rescued leads to faithfulness in all areas.

I want to say yes to the moments that interrupt my plans, to the little voices in my house even when they’re loud and constant, to loving people well even when they’re hard to love, to drinking more water and taking more walks and eating more vegetables; to moments that seem small because they matter in the big picture.

I want to say no to listening to voices that aren’t rooted in the same principles on which Greg and I are building our lives, to defending choices I know are right for our family, to guilt and shame and doubt, and to trying to please people who will never be satisfied.

I want to be faithful in all the small ways in my everyday life as a wife, mom, daughter, sister, friend, and, most importantly, Christ-follower. I want to live believing the small steps have great value in the current season and the ones to come.

Being faithful is about being loyal and steadfast,
true to the original, who is Jesus, the only one
who can and will faithfully rescue and redeem us.

{Tweet that.}

*****

If you want to see my #reflectandrefresh2018 posts that inspired this word FAITHFULNESS for 2019, here they are:

One thing I’m grateful for in 2018
The best new discovery in 2018
One book that impacted my year
Something that went well in 2018
Something that was a challenge in 2018
One thing I’m saying yes to in 2019
One thing I’m saying no to in 2019
One big dream for 2019

I also shared some highlights, favorite things, books, and TV shows from December, if you want to check out that last post of 2018.

*****

Kristin Hill Taylor - Porch Stories

Inlinkz Link Party

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Raising my hand in surrender

November 14, 2018 by Kristin 15 Comments

I stood between my husband and my best friend with my hands raised as Matt Maher and Zach Williams closed out their concert with a song together.

“Love will hold us together
Make us a shelter weather the storm
And I’ll be my brother’s keeper
So the whole world will know that we’re not alone …”

Raising my hands was an act of surrender because that’s not my usual style. Sometimes I’m too distracted to give myself fully to God at that moment. Sometimes I worry too much about what others think. Sometimes I just don’t want to draw any additional attention to myself.

But this time I needed to surrender and let go of all the thoughts and worries and striving. Raising my hand was a physical act of what was happening in my heart.

Matt Maher has taken me into the presence of God as I’ve driven around my small town or cooked dinner in my kitchen with the usually messy floors. He’s been on my list of who I’d like to see in concert for a long time. I like Zach Williams’ music and message too.

Concerts are my love language. Being at this specific concert with my husband, my oldest daughter, my best friend, and her two daughters was so good for my soul. Then twice Matt Maher had a video from Guatemala scrolling behind him. Seeing the church built on a hilltop, the children who look like ones I’ve met on other Guatemala hillsides, and the scenery that reminded me of where we were in June. The whole night was a perfect merging of people and places I love.

For the past year or so, God’s really been teaching me about living rescued, which is rooted in surrender. (Here’s where I introduced RESCUED as my focus for 2018 and explained what God was teaching me.) The songs I heard at the concert really spoke into that freedom that comes because God has already established his kingdom and welcomed us in through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Living rescued is about letting go and living in God’s truth rather than striving for impossible standards in our own power.

Living rescued allows us to lay down our
burdens and be burdened for what matters.

{Tweet that.}

Matt Maher talked about laying down our burdens so we could be burdened for what burdens God. I have to be rescued from my selfish ways every day if I want to truly see others. I have to be rescued from my own plans if I want to be willing to go with God. I have to be rescued from all the distractions if I want to remember the truth.

I walked out of the Carson Center that night feeling lighter from being in God’s presence with some of my very favorite people. I told Greg I wanted to go back to Guatemala. I told Cate I was glad I finally got to see Matt Maher in concert and enjoyed Zack Williams too. And I thanked God for rescuing me over and over again.

*****

If this idea of living rescued speaks to you, earlier this year I shared Five Practical Ways to Live Rescued. I also wrote about another concert that prompted this season in my heart of living rescued. Like concerts are my love language, so are playlists, so I have a playlist about the rescuer.

*****

Kristin Hill Taylor - Porch Stories
 Loading InLinkz ...
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Hope from Our Rescuer

October 23, 2018 by Kristin Leave a Comment

I cracked open Holley Gerth’s new devotional recently and scanned the Table of Contents. I loved how each devotion has a one-word or short-phrase title that reference ways God cares for us. Of course, I zeroed in on the word “rescuer,” which keeps weaving its way into my life and turned to page 166 to read a story that starts at Niagara Falls where someone fell in and ends up in my own heart.

“I keep picturing those rescue workers. So diligent, so intent, so determined that the outcome would be one of victory. They could have said, ‘This is too much to ask of us. He’s on his own.’ They could have stood along the railing and just shook their heads. But no, they changed the ending of the story. And this is what our great God does too.” –Holley Gerth in “Hope Your Heart Needs“

Other titles in “Hope Your Heart Needs” that caught my eye were Author, Tear-Catcher, Holy-Maker, Sustainer, Grower, Advocate, Perfecter, and Purpose-Giver. Right there at the beginning, Holley gives God names rooted in truth she so beautifully shares through her words.

This is definitely a devotion that will be near so I can reach for it when I needed to be reminded God does indeed care for each one of us.

About the book

Understanding more of God’s character and how he loves us changed bestselling author Holley Gerth’s life in beautiful, powerful ways. She realized that she didn’t have to settle for “I’m fine” when there was someone whispering to her in every moment, “You’re mine.” The hope, joy, peace, and purpose she longed for were already there, in the heart of God.

Now in 52 devotional readings, Holley shares with women the answer to the restlessness they feel in their hearts that keeps them hurrying, striving, pushing. She shows them that “the God who scattered stars like diamonds across the velvet of the universe, the keeper of every sparrow, the maker of us all, is inviting us to draw closer to him. He is the place where our hearts can go on the hard days and the happy ones, in the highs and lows, when we are sad or frustrated or downright giddy. He is what we’ve been searching for all along.”

“Hope Your Heart Needs: 52 Encouraging Reminders of How God Cares for You” is a 256-page hardcover devotion that perfect size to carry around with you. It’s published by Revell (Sept. 18, 2018).

About the author

Holley Gerth is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, certified life coach, and speaker. She loves connecting with the hearts of women through her popular blog and books like “You’re Already Amazing” and “Fiercehearted.” She’s also cofounder of (in)courage and a partner with DaySpring. Holley lives with her husband, Mark, in the South. Connect with her at her website.

I’m a longtime fan of Holley’s work and have reviewed several of her books here (“You’re Already Amazing,” “Fiercehearted”) as well as talked about a sweet in-person time with her. She even kindly endorsed my book.

*****

I got a free copy of this devotional in exchange for a review, thanks to Revell Reads, but these opinions are my own and I happily included it in my list of favorite devotionals.

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
Next Page »

Let’s Connect

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

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 ninth-grade girl who never forgets, our have-no-fear sixth-grade boy, and our joy-filled kindergarten girl. As we live out our stories, we seek God as the author of them all.

Learn more about my story here.

Subscribe for Updates

Recent Posts

  • Brave Ben & his broken heel
  • Fifteen
  • Help kids have healthy eating habits
  • How to organize your home
  • Let’s come before the throne

#PorchStories button

Join the Conversation

Join the Conversation

On Instagram

Honestly, I probably wouldn’t have picked up thi Honestly, I probably wouldn’t have picked up this book had a dear friend who always comes in clutch with book recommendations let me borrow it. My mind has been swirling this week. Just lots of life happening all around me. 

I picked up this book while Ben was at his counseling appointment and read most of that hour, then again that evening, and then again the next day. This book could be read slowly because the words are lyrical and lovely, but I couldn’t put it down. The scripture, stories, and songs were balm for my soul right when I needed it. 

“Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!” — Psalm 43:3

This book is about that invitation from God. Songwriter @sandramccracken  tells us how she’s accepted the invitation, lived in the light, and brought others with her. 

I started taking notes on the very first page, but I will leave you with this, for now:

“There will be a full telling of our stories, a reckoning of every injustice, and a mending of every broken system. This is the good news, the promise of peace, working backward from that future reality, bringing that healing light-filled promise to bear on our lives, to shine on our present sorrow and on our yet-unanswered questions. He is with us. It will be all right in the end. If it’s not okay, then it’s not the end.”

#KHTreads #bookstagram #recommendedreads #livingfaithfully #reallife #choosingJOY #storiesmatter
“Darkness does not define us. It attends to us, “Darkness does not define us. It attends to us, surrounds us in regular intervals, but it does not have the last word. God limits the darkness. He has authority over it and is not bound by it.” 

— @sandramccracken in “Send Out Your Light”

#KHTreads #countryliving #livingfaithfully
What is saving my life … My home is a refuge an What is saving my life …

My home is a refuge and shelter from the loud, crazy world. I love being here. I’m thankful for a break from the routine and busyness. I like a chance to have slow mornings and not much of a plan for the day. I’m also grateful for the chance to host others in our home. 

And, of course, books. I love reading and seeing those around me reading too. Stories are also such a refuge for me. 

#OneDayMay #maydays #reallife #88daysofsummer #choosingJOY #KHTreads #momlife
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom.” - @brenebrown attributes this quote to Viktor Frankl

Months ago, I made a counseling appointment for today. And it certainly came at the exact right now. 

Honestly, the transition into my favorite season has been rocky — and I’m not totally sure why. I know some circumstances that are contributing to that, and I also know my responses haven’t been what I want them to be. But I’m not entirely sure what to do about it. 

Slowing down, listening to my body and mind, setting boundaries, being honest, and counting the wins and gifts should help. At least those are the things my counselor and I discussed when I talked for every minute of our session. Sometimes I go not knowing what we will dive into. Today I knew. She said these were good conversations. She reminded me of what I know to be true, that what I’m doing matters. Intentional parenting matters every single day even though there are no results to quantify. 

Many things are stimuli in my life. Yours too, I’m sure. I don’t leave even space between the chatter, lies, responsibilities, burdens, gifts, and routines to respond kindly and gracefully. I’m quick to be angry and anxious. I want to slow down my brain and give myself more space to truly live. I’m pretty sure that’s the space where God grows pretty things. 

📷: Cate Taylor, 15

#OneDayMay #maydays #livingfaithfully #choosingJOY #reallife #momlife #flowerphotography #summerisbest #88daysofsummer
@emilyhenrywrites is really good at writing romanc @emilyhenrywrites is really good at writing romance novels that go deeper than a cheesy love story. Her characters navigate grief and disappointment that comes with real life. In the cleverly titled “Book Lovers,” Nora and Charlie work through a lot as people and a couple to discover what they’re happy ending looks like. Plus it’s set in a Hallmark-movie-like town that works well for this story for people who love books and lovers. 

#KHTreads #bookstagram #recommendedreads #favoritethings #amreading #Kindlebooks #kindlepaperwhite
Oh, Monday. It’s the first actual week of #88day Oh, Monday. It’s the first actual week of #88daysofsummer and it feels like fall out. That would be lovely, except my people and I were ready for pool time. 

One kid got up way too early and was having all the feels. I subsequently got up way too early and came out of my bedroom ready to implement morning habits and conquer boredom. Nobody else was very excited about my strategy. 

By 10 o’clock this morning, I suggested one kid take a nap and retreated to my own room with my phone, my Kindle, and lots of thoughts. I had a small revelation that helped me better see my kids as the individuals they are. 

I made plans to walk with a friend and later dragged all my kids along. Yep, even the one in a boot and on crutches for at least a few more days. You see, that injured kid also started Summer Break with his third strep diagnosis since February. He certainly needed fresh air after a couple of days stuck inside the house. 

We all needed fresh air, fresh perspectives, and a fresh start to the day. Today the walk outside is what helped. Another day there may be a different strategy, but I’m thankful I found way through all the feelings and disappointments this morning and can feel a little sunshine in my day, even if it’s only the figurative kind of sunshine. 

#momlife #maydays #reallife #kentuckyweather #kyweather #confusedweather #summerisbest #poolpeople #choosingJOY #thirdchild #monday #mondaymood #momconfessions #PorchStories
I miss … … a few particular friends from whom I miss …

… a few particular friends from whom I’m separated by circumstances, logistics, and distances. 

When I make a friend, I intend to stay friends forever. Of course, life doesn’t always work out that way. 

I don’t miss my kids being young, but I miss the ease of socializing with my friends during that season. It was easy then to meet at the park or go somewhere for lunch. Now there are so many schedules to work around. 

Scheduling time to lunch or get together is still my love language, it just takes a little more work, patience, and persistence now. And sometimes that’s exhausting. But it’s always worth it. 

#OneDayMay #maydays #bettertogether #livingfaithfully #reallife
School’s out FOR THE SUMMER! #88daysofsummer #mo School’s out FOR THE SUMMER! #88daysofsummer #momlife #siblinglove #summerisbest #maydays
I’m proud of myself for … … surviving and t I’m proud of myself for …

… surviving and thriving this school year. I resist change almost all of the time, and the past nine months have been full of so many transitions for our whole family. I know, that’s life, but these changes seem like the kind that will mark us forever. 

My kids navigated new beginnings in kindergarten, middle school, and high school. As a mom, sometimes I’m too close to see the growth, but this year it happened in each of them right before my eyes. They navigated friendship hurdles, embraced new friends, and settled a little more into who God created them to be. Middle school isn’t for the faint of heart, but I feel like I’ve come out of this year closer to my son, so I will take it. 

I’m proud of myself for leaning into where God has me. I’ve grown deeper friendships, invested in my kids’ school as a board member and business manager, and seen God work in our ordinary days. 

Y’all know I’m a summer girl, so I’m proud of myself through getting through the winter and coming into summer stronger and braver. 

#OneDayMay #maydays #livingfaithfully #choosingJOY #momlife #summerisbest #bettertogether
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Favorites

Categories

Archives

Copyright © 2022 Kristin Hill Taylor | Design by Traci Michele | Development by MRM

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.