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!  

I scream, you scream, we all scream for...comfort

There is something so comforting about ice cream. It is often craved on hot summer days when you need to cool off, or as an after dinner treat to satisfy your sweet tooth.

It’s a big hit in our family. My husband is ice cream’s biggest fan. If ice cream had an Instagram account, he would be its number one follower. One place that we particularly love is Jeni's in our local 12th South neighborhood of Nashville.

It’s not uncommon for us to pop in for a waffle cone on any given day. In the past, when we lived about a half a mile away, Adam would hop on his bike and tell me he was going for a “quick ride,” only to return 20 minutes later with a whole pint of Brambleberry Crisp in tow. “What? I exercised while getting my ice cream,” he would say as I gave him the look of crazy when he returned.

While Adam and I may not see eye-to-eye on what constitutes a workout, we can agree on our love for ice cream. 

My personal favorite is Salted Peanut Butter with Chocolate Flakes – formally known as the Buckeye State. They had to change the name because most people in Tennessee didn’t know what they were talking about when using the word “Buckeye” to describe ice cream. This is Big Orange Country, after all! While The Buckeye State is my number one pick, I do explore other flavors – The Green Mint, Black and White Cookies, Vanilla Bean. All are delicious, worth the calories, and oh so satisfying. But, there is just something special about the Buckeye State. 

Just like we have our favorite flavor of ice cream or dessert, most of us also have a favorite Bible verse – one we resort to when we need that little reminder that God is with us. That verse that provides us the comfort of His love that satisfies our soul.

Proverbs 3:5-6 has been my go-to verse for years. Since high school, that verse has been my soft landing in times of trouble and happiness. I love when it pops up in places where I am neither expecting nor looking for it. It is almost like God is sending me a secret message that only He and I know about. My heart flutters when I hear it in a message on Sunday, or when I see it in a book I am reading.

I think I love it because it is so straight forward. As someone who worries (a lot), I need that reminder often. This verse is clear and to the point.

“Trust in the Lord your God and lean not on your own understandings. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path.” – Proverbs 3:5-6

While I have a favorite flavor of ice cream, there are other flavors that I turn to from time-to-time. And while I also have my favorite verse, there are other verses that I turn to for guidance and comfort for a number of reasons. Here are a few:

For Friendship:

“A friend loves you all the time, but a brother was born to help in times of trouble.” – Proverbs 17:17

For motivation:

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12

For grief:

“I’ll refresh tired bones; I’ll restore tired souls” - Jeremiah 31:25

For love:

“Every good and perfect gift is from above” – James 1:37

For celebration:

“People cannot understand the wonderful things God does. His miracles are too many to count.” – Job 5:9

What’s your go to verse? What’s your favorite go-to ice cream? 

- Taylor Ann 

Besides the ice cream and I am also loving this chambray dress from Soca Boutique. I've linked some other chambray options below.

Jcrew (currently 25% off) || Lulus Dress One || Lulus Dress Two || Lulus Dress Three || Forever 21 || Target || Nordstrom

Here goes nothing...

So here it is. The first ever post on this brand new blog. How exciting! How thrilling! How….much I truly hate it. I mean it’s the first post. Right now, my friends and family are probably the only ones reading it.  Well, and my husband…but let’s be honest, I have already read and reread this entire post to him about a million times. No matter who you are, thank you for stopping by for my introduction into the blog world. I am grateful for you.

Do you know how badly I want to already be settled into this blog?! I wish you were opening this website to hundreds of posts that represent my vision. But all you get, my lucky first time readers, is one. One little post where, if I took the traditional path, would most likely cover what this blog is all about.

But I am not going to do that. In time, you will see where I am going with this dream of mine. Of course, if you really want the 411, you can always just click right here.

No, I am going to dive right into it. Post one and all! It just so happens to concern everything I am currently feeling. Or lack there of...and that is patience. 

Patience is a word that a lot of us are probably wrestling with right now. For some, it’s a more “in your face” type of patience. For others, it's just your day-to-day life. Maybe you are struggling with basic patience, like when you are sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic or waiting for the barista to finish your apple/kale/ginger juice at Whole Foods (doesn't everybody drink kale!?). It’s patience that you know you need to work on. It’s those moments where you realize that you are getting frustrated too easily. But overall, patience is just another everyday human struggle.

Then there are those who are struggling with the tough patience. The kind that really gets to you. Where you know deep in your heart that all you can do is throw up your hands and quote Carrie Underwood - "Jesus take the wheel."

Or, you could just sing the song on your drive home, blast it through your speakers, and try to hit that insanely high note. No judgement here. 

I will admit that I am someone who likes to rush the steps. Instead of valuing the path God is taking me on, I want to arrive at the final destination before we get started. Instead, I should spend the time learning, laughing, and growing from the small moments He gives me while on each journey. But, far too often, I spend that time looking ahead to the next part, the next step.

I mean, can you blame me? I am a third grade teacher -- my job is to constantly be ten steps ahead of the twenty-three kids looking at me to provide them their entertainment (much less, education) each day. While that skill is useful in my job, its not the best to practice in my faith. 

Just like with this blog. I want to already be up there with the "big shots." So I am trying (very hard) to slow down and patiently let God lead the way. I know what he has called me to do, and I know he will lead me in the right direction. His way will probably not be on my time schedule, but at some point, I will get there.

My prayer for you today, friends, is to trust God to lead you to whatever event, result, day, moment, or person that you are (im)patiently seeking.  Try not to miss the "little" things that lead up to the "big" things because sometimes it's the small moments that make the biggest impact. 

"There is a right time for everything, and everything on earth will happen at the right time." - Ecclesiastes 3.1

- Taylor Ann