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

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