Life at the Farm

Photography by Brigette Bilups

A couple months ago we had a team of guys working underneath our house to fix some structural damage we had discovered. It was actually a pretty intense process because our house was “sinking” at an alarming rate. To the point where they conducted an investigation to make sure we were not sitting on a….sink hole. Which is story for another day in itself. Spoiler alert: no sinkhole. But still a lot of damage that needed to be fixed.

So one of the workers comes up to ask if we had a potted plant somewhere because there was water POURING down in the crawlspace. Well I can assure you there are no potted plants in our house causing that type of leak…but we do have a frig - and that frig was leaking.

Within a couple of hours the floors were ripped up in my kitchen, the island was moved and fans were placed to try to dry out the subfloor. The good news was we would be getting new floors. The bad news was we would need to move out.

We were all set to go with the new floors when the “big bad sickness” hit. Suddenly the thought of people coming in our home didn’t seem like the best idea. So we pushed the construction time back and lived with a kitchen half hardwood half subfloor for several months. Until insurance called and told us to find a place to live so they could get moving on it. Because of the “big bad sickness” we needed to be out for a month. And that’s where the farm comes in.

We were able to spend the entire month of May at the farm. It didn’t take long for it to feel completely like home. Since we had to completely move out of our current house, we brought several of the girls toys and their cribs with us to the farm. While it felt like a lot, I’m glad we did it and I think it really helped the girls settle into a new place quickly.

We were greeted each morning by the sun, there are no trees around the barn so the natural light was stunning all day long. Most days I would forget to turn on the kitchen lights because the windows in the main room are amazing. We would have breakfast at the little nook to the side of the kitchen or out on the porch. The girls and I would walk down to the river in the mornings and then swing on the downstairs porch. Jane Taylor and I spent a lot of time just playing in the barn. I think all that covered space was a dream to her. And we did a lot of watching of the cows. Seeing them shift from one side of the farm to the other. It was so much fun.

The unique thing about the farm is you are still very close to town but you feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere. I loved the sense of rest that came with being there. It was a great place to just reconnect as a family and have a change of scenery.

Jane Taylor still talks about “our farmhouse” and says “we will go back when our house breaks again!” Now I am not hoping for our house to “break” again, but I can say the farm is a place we hope to visit again soon. We drive by and check on the cows every once in a while. And I thank God for the extended time we got to spend there.

So if you are coming to visit Tennessee, or just need a staycation with a change of scenery. I highly recommend The Farm. You know a place is special when you are sad to leave because it feels just like home.

God & Golf

First lesson I learned about hosting a Sunday in the Shed:  don’t schedule it at the same time that a major golf tournament is wrapping up. If you do, you will get about a half dozen phone calls or text messages asking something like, “Are you still having Sunday in the Shed…don’t you know the Masters are on?” Or, “Are we watching the end of the Masters at this thing?”

It ended up as a blessing. We hosted a Masters watch party/Sunday in the Shed. And as it turns out, God & Golf can go hand and hand. I’ll admit, the second Jordan fell behind enough for the other guy to win, I quickly switched that TV over to the Sunday in the Shed event. We didn’t get to watch the “green jacket ceremony”.  I know that the jacket is a symbol of tradition, but don’t you think it’s time that they invested in a slim fit? I mean, that is the latest fashion trend these days.

But, enough about golf.  Let’s focus on the main attraction, which was Sunday in the Shed.

To kick off Sunday in the Shed, I stood up and said a few words about what we would be watching. I forgot half the points I had planned to cover during my mini-spiel – even after practicing several times. (I decided that I’m much better at speaking in front of 9-year-olds than my peers). 

For Sunday in the Shed, I chose to watch a message from Cross Point’s OMG series called “Unwavering Faithfulness.” It took awhile to pick the message I wanted to share with my friends. I picked this particular message because of what it meant to me. To read more about that you can click HERE.

While the event was full of fun, food, laughter, and the cutest little 9-month-old, it was what happened after the event that has made me realize the impact God can have in our lives when we all get together.

My friends were of course supportive and encouraging for the whole event. Most of them asked to be included in the next Sunday in the Shed. But I can’t tell you how many people have asked about it – even people that didn’t attend the event.   

It was so special to have a conversation with a co-worker who I would have never thought would be interested in something like Sunday in the Shed – much less my church. I felt like it opened the doors for us to have that conversation, and it even ended with a, “I might need to give that place a try.” It is amazing what can happen when God is in control. 

I am counting down the days until the next Sunday in the Shed. God is already doing big things through this process. I can’t wait to see what He has in store for the future. I have no idea how this is going to play out, but I do know that I am growing in my faith and becoming a stronger person.  For that, I am forever grateful.

I am Clean.

We all know the feeling of getting into a bed with freshly cleaned sheets. So welcoming.  So inviting.

Or, maybe you only wash your sheets once a year, and a bed covered in clean sheets doesn’t mean much to you. Even though we are very different people, I am sure I can see past your cleaning habits (or lack thereof). No judgment here.

Ever since we refurnished our bedroom, I find myself constantly wanting to be there. I used to be content hanging out in the living room or on our back porch, but not anymore. It’s probably the newness of the items that adds to the excitement; but, nevertheless, it is my happy place – my place of comfort and rest. 

Before we got new furniture from West Elm and Joss & Main (which, by the way, I immediately fell in love with… probably because the price and quality was on point), we were using Adam’s bedroom furniture that was literally like 20-years-old. No joke. And this lovely bedroom set went from being in his room growing up, to his apartments in college and law school, to our townhome, and to our current home. So, when Restore for Habitat for Humanity came and took it away, I did not shed a single tear. Trust me, I was grateful for the fact that we didn’t have to invest in furniture right after we got married.  Instead, we were able to save for what we wanted. But, adding a little of my design to the room, and incorporating my favorite shades of gray and white, has been a blast – and a long time coming. 

These days you can find me here. In the comfort of clean sheets and new bedding. One happy girl I am.

The best part is that this clean feeling doesn’t come solely from taking those sheets out of the wash each week.  Rather, this clean feeling is something our Savior, Jesus Christ, offers every day.  In fact, each morning, He gives us the ability to hit the ground running with a fresh, clean start.   No matter what the day before brought or what the day ahead will bring, He provides hope, love, and forgiveness.

Image from Thorn + Sparrow

Because Christ died for us, we can have that clean feeling each and every day we spend here on Earth.  He loves you. His love is so great for you that He forgives you for your sins even when you don’t deserve it (like when you don’t wash your sheets for a year!). I wish I could explain the amount of love He has for His children. But no description will ever do Him justice. I am amazed by how He shows His love for us through the people around us and the miracles we witness each day.

There is a song that no matter where I am or when I hear it, it sends a wave of peace through my soul. No exaggeration.  Yesterday, as I was taking an afternoon run (oh please, it was a walk for the most part) down the beach, the song, Clean, by Natalie Grant popped up on my playlist. I have probably listened to this song a hundred times. Maybe it was the fact that the ocean was washing up on my feet, but the song moved me to open my arms and sing along (quietly, of course, since my voice would certainly butcher this beautiful song). But it was a moment with God that brought me a great sense of His love. It’s these words in the song that get me every single time:

“Washed in the blood of your sacrifice. Your blood flowed red and made me white. My dirty rags are purified. I am clean.”

I don’t know how you plan to celebrate Easter. Maybe it’s with friends.  Maybe it’s with family. Maybe it’s at church.  Or, maybe it’s from the comfort of your home. I don’t know where your heart is or what it is feeling, but I do know that God loves each of you, and God showed His love by giving us His only son. My prayer for you is that you feel that love tomorrow and for all the days ahead. Remember, you are clean. 

- Taylor Ann