What I'm Reading Wednesday

How clever is the title for this blog post? Pretty catchy, huh?  I thought so. In all seriousness, though, I just love to read. And some books are definitely worth sharing with others. Hence, my inspiration for this week’s post. 

The book I’m writing about today makes the cut for one of the funniest books I’ve ever read. It’s that kind of humor where you catch yourself laughing out loud and blurting out expressions such as, “YES! So true!”  The author, Jen Hatmaker, writes the book in such a way that you think she is literally sitting next to you with a glass of Chardonnay saying, “Listen. Hun. This is how it is.”

As it turns out, the treadmill is not only good for increasing your heart rate. It’s also one of my favorite places to read. So, when I recently worked out at the local YMCA while reading Jen's book, you can only imagine the looks I got from the people around me when I busted out a loud, “HA.” I really wanted to turn and read them the part of the book that caused me to make this (and possibly other) unusual sound(s) of joy mid-workout. I mean, we all know that laughter is best shared with others. That said, the more rational side of my brain told me to remain normal and not engage in such outbursts!

While this book brings lots “ha ha” moments, it also brings those “ah ha” moments. This is an excellent combination.

Photo from The House of Plaid Fuzz

When I first started reading the book, I wasn’t sure I was going to actually finish it. There was a chapter about yoga pants and youth fashion. I now realize the point Jen was trying to make, but it confused me at first. Honestly, I was so close to texting my friend, who provides me with most of my reading material, and saying, “Have you read For the Love? I am not sure how much I like it.” 

Yes, this book does talk a lot about “mom things.” But that wasn’t the reason I wanted to stop reading. I am a teacher after all, and I can relate to any kid topic in a story since I share my office each day with 23 of them. Reflecting back, however, I can now say that even if you don’t have kids or are no where close to having them, this is still a great book for you to read. If you have kids, you will laugh even harder. 

So, anyway, I was about to put the book down and call it a loss. But, I had about 12 minutes left in my workout and had unknowingly fought for a machine with a TV that didn’t carry Bravo! (oh, the horror)! So, what do I do?  Keep reading. 

I am so glad I did. 

It was the very next chapter that hooked me.  I first started reading this book while in the midst of my biggest “NO battle” regarding my hopes and dreams for the future. “NO, you don’t have time for that.” “NO, that will never be you.” “NO, this isn’t going to work.” I was feeling defeated and confused.  I was reaching the “I’m about to quit” stage that we all have entered at some point in our lives. 

Yet, in those last 12 minutes, I read this:

Gosh, we were just born to to do stuff, weren’t we? God truly built gifts into our lives. Everyone is good at something…. God created an entire package. It all counts. There are no throw away qualities…How many trot out that tired cliché – "I’m waiting for God to open a door" – and He is all, "I love you, but get going, pumpkin, because usually chasing the dream in your heart looks surprisingly like work. Don’t just stand there, bust a move." (God often sounds like Young MC).

Sometimes a little tiny sign from God that we are moving in the right direction is all we need – a small push towards that next step. Reading those pages gave me the strength I needed to defeat the NO battle and push forward. It also caused me to complete the book and be truly sad when it ended.  Thank the good Lord that I had those 12 minutes left. 

What are your gifts? Have you ever stopped to think about that? Where can they take you? 

I hope that whatever it is that you are running towards, you are doing so knowing that God is running right next to you. I need that reminder everyday. As Jen says, “We were made to run. RUN. I’m grinning at you. We all are.”

And For the Love, give this book a try.

You can purchase this print from MOTIDEA at Etsy.com

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