Happy Dance

There are moments in life that should be followed with a “happy dance.” Get off work early (especially on a Friday)… happy dance. No line at Starbucks… happy dance. Finding out the new shoes you wanted are on sale… happy dance. Making it through a work day with your students following every set of directions… happy… yeah, that never happens.

When it comes to clothing, finding a good romper usually causes me to break out a happy dance. And when I say, “good,” I mean that I don’t have to spend the whole night either pulling at the bottom OR the top of my outfit; there are not a million straps to maneuver through when putting the thing on; everything stays in place with no tape required; but, most importantly, a good romper doesn’t cost the same amount as my future first born child’s college tuition.  Because let’s be honest, you are only going to wear that romper for one Instagram picture.  So, why pay an arm and a leg for it?

This romper is a good romper. It is comfortable, easy to put on, decent length, and….wait for it….under $50. I strolled into Fab’rik boutique last week and was so impressed with their selection – particularly, the quality and price! It also helps that it is a super cute, Snapchat worthy setting for shopping. If you are in the Cool Springs area, I recommend a visit. 

Since all of my readers are not in the greatest city in the world (Nashville, of course), I have linked some of my other favorite rompers at the end of this post to be worn in your "just ok" cities.

In addition to having the opportunity to wear my good romper this weekend, I witnessed an event that caused me to jump into my “happy dance” and even shed some happy tears.

As I was sitting on the beach with my family, I looked up to see this… 

Two young men carrying a cross down the beach. I was amazed at the sight. My mother, being the detective that she is, walked up to them to ask questions. If you know my mom, you are not the least bit surprised by this. But, I was glad she did, and I even followed along to see what these guys were all about.

We found out that the two men are members of the LEAD Institute  in Lakeland, Florida. One was 18 and fresh out of high school, while the other was 27. Both were planning to go into some type of ministry and were completing the program to hopefully obtain answers about where their respective paths might take them. The way they described the program sounded intense. This is not surprising. Our church leaders often have more on their plates than we can even begin to imagine – much less appreciate.

I thought I got a lot of emails being a teacher. Think of the emails you get being a preacher.

I digress. They told us they started their journey in Daytona Beach and were walking as far as they could until Sunday. (Side note: we were in Cocoa Beach, which is at least a 1.5-hour drive from Daytona). They didn’t have any speeches to give and were not going to say anything to anyone unless approached. Their plan was simple: just carry this big heavy cross down the beach as a reminder, encouragement, and invitation to the peace only Christ can offer. “Spreading the word without saying a word.”

I don’t know how many people stopped to talk to them, or how many lives they touched along the way. They probably won’t even realize the effect they had on people that day. But they did it just the same.

You can do it too. You can spread the love of Christ to the people around you. You don’t have to carry a cross or even wear one around your neck. You can spread the love by being an example of love to those around you – reminding, encouraging, and inviting them to feel the L.O.V.E God offers. Hopefully, this will result in a happy dance in a good romper. 

- Taylor Ann

Ready to Romper?

Nordstorm || Lulu's || ASOS || Old Navy || Riff Raff 

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

Are you listening?

Photo by GiventoLove on etsy.com

News flash! I am busy. So are you. So is your boss. Your dog even has a busy schedule. We live in a busy, crazy, non-stop world. A world that encourages us to do more, be more, earn more. I realize this is brand new information for most of you.

So, when I get a day where I have nothing on the schedule and could technically just relax…guess what happens… I fill it up with things to do and people to see. Even on a day of leisure, I still watch the clock, plan out each hour, and try to be home at a “decent” time. 

But, as we are often told, plans don’t always go as expected, and this particular day was no exception. I ran into Whole Foods to grab dinner around 4:00. I remembered thinking, “Ok, I will be home by 4:30 with plenty of time to check off a few items on the to-do list.” While wandering around the hot bar, trying to avoid the oh-so tempting mac & cheese, and searching for something Adam might want for dinner, I bumped into a dear friend that I hadn’t seen in months.

With the way we started to talk and the topics we began to cover, you would have thought we had never missed a beat – all while standing smack dab in the middle of the hot bar.  I mean, we were literally talking about universal health care and how the government is dropping the ball while holding our paleo, organic, overpriced (yet worth every penny) dishes.

I was so excited to see this friend, but I knew that once we started chatting, there was no way I would be home at 4:30 like originally planned.

Instead of letting the hands on the clock get to me like they normally would, I decided to just let it be. Everything that I needed to get done at home could wait until tomorrow.  Being in the moment was where I needed to be. So I sat down with my friend and just listened.

Sometimes all we need is to just be still and listen. We need to fend off the distractions of the world and be present. I think that’s the lesson God was trying to teach me that day. Not just with this particular friend, but with a lot of encounters I had that day. I had the time, so I needed to make that time count. Life doesn’t always have to be about staying on schedule. Life can be sporadic, yet still be intact.

It’s easy to miss the important moments. Some of the moments are with friends. Some of the moments are with family.  Some of the moments are with God.  It’s usually not on purpose, but staying focused on doing things our own way can cause us to miss what He is trying to say.

What would your life be like if you took just 5 minutes each day to listen to God? To have some time with just you and him? I have been asked this question before, and I will admit (although its absolutely horrible) that my first response (in my brain of course) was “I don’t have 5 minutes to spare”. Terrible. I know. But it’s the truth. 

So, now, I am challenging you… and myself… to take 5 minutes each day to listen to what God is trying to teach you or where he might be leading you. I try to complete at least one devotion a day in order to focus on His love for me. I have linked some of my favorite daily devotions below. 

No matter how you listen to Him, know that He is talking to you. He wants to be there to guide your path and answer your questions. He is love. 

Go-to Devotions

First 5 - an app that will wake you up (literally, it has an alarm) with a different devotion each day

Jesus Calling - A classic. I have both the app and the book. 

Savor - I can't say enough good things about this devotion. I love the way she challenges you and comforts you all at the same time. It also comes with recipes!