February 10, 2020

Where you at? - Life & Blog Update

February 10, 2020/ Taylor Ann Dietrich

PHOTOGRAPHY by Brigette billUps || OutFits linked here

Whenever Jane Taylor gets on the phone with anyone she always ask “where you at?”. Usually she answers before the other person can. “Hi Dada. Where you at? Are you at work?”. It’s hilarious and wonderful.

It also got me thinking that maybe I should update y’all on where I am - with my personal life and with a TAD more faith.

This blog used to be a consistent place of content. However, in last two years (basically the life span of Jane Taylor) this blog has been a little all over the place. One week I’m totally motivated - instagrams are being posted, blogs are getting published, emails are being sent. Then the next week I’m so exhausted from trying to catch up that I throw my hands up and say “I’m taking a break”. And by break I mean until whenever I get motivated to start up again.

I realize it’s not the best practice to growing my blog. When I first started a TAD more faith I was putting up a blog post every Tuesday & Friday like clockwork. And my blog grew quickly. I also loved it. I loved writing. I loved putting the post together. I loved interacting with my readers. It was the perfect creative outlet.

Everyday. Every single day I think about my blog. My mind is flooded with content I could share, ideas I could pitch to brands, series I could start but I never follow through because I am one of two things - exhausted or scared. Exhausted because two kids can bring out a lot of emotions during one full day (shoot, one full hour) and the idea of sitting down to write just felt down right draining. Scared because I bought into the lie that my words wouldn’t matter. That what I have to say is unimportant.

I came to the realization that if I can’t stop thinking about it, then it’s probably time to get back into it. I’ve also prayed about it for months on end. But if I’m being honest I don’t have the capacity to get back into blogging like I was before.

My blog is going to look different. Yes, I will still share about my faith - that will never go away. Sure, I will talk about fashion - wearing clothes isn’t going away either (at least I hope not). But it’s also going to include more children centered content. I want my blog to grow with me and my family. It’s also not going to be as consistent as I would like. I hate to admit it but it’s the truth. Life is busy for me just like it is for everyone. While this blog is important, my family is the most important. Balancing time between them and the blog isn’t something I’ve mastered just yet and might not for a while.

Speaking of family, ours grew in 2019 with the arrival of Lampley! She is such a blessing and growing so fast. I feel like she just got here but at the same time can’t remember life without her. Adam started a new job that keeps him super busy. Jane Taylor has grown so much and talks all the time. The stuff she comes up with is so entertaining. And me, I’m doing my best to mother my girls while also keeping up with all the other parts of life. It’s the greatest job in the world and one I thank God for every single day.

So here is to a new chapter for a TAD more faith. I’m grateful for those of you who have stuck with me, who are growing with me, and who are here for a brand new start. My prayer for this blog is the same, that you will leave here with just a tad more faith.

“He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water” - Isaiah 49:10

April 12, 2019

More For Mom

April 12, 2019/ Taylor Ann Dietrich

About two summers ago I attended a Christian women’s conference called She Speaks. It was the opportunity of a lifetime to get to hear from so many great authors, obtain new tools for writing, and to connect with new people. But the best part about She Speaks was getting to hear everyone’s why for attending the conference and watching these women cheer each other on to get there.

It was at She Speaks where I met Kristin Funston, and we both shared our dream for publishing a book. So when the opportunity to REVIEW her book presented itself I jumped all over it!

This past weekend Adam and I got away to the beach, just the two of us. It was my first time to ever leave Jane Taylor for longer than a couple of hours. I was a mix of emotions. Happy to be headed to the beach, but sad to be leaving my girl. So reading More for Mom couldn’t have been more perfect for my time away.

This book reminds you how to give yourself more. Not more in the sense of more time for yourself. More of Jesus. She teaches you how to “workout” your brain so that you can keep your thoughts focused on the Holy Spirit and what Jesus wants for us. She encourages you to dive into the word and learn more about Him. She helps you to love people, all people, but to do so wisely. She reminds you to keep dreaming.

Her book isn’t for just the mom who goes into the office, or the mom who stays at home, or the mom of little kids. This book is for all moms. It is an encouraging read that I highly recommend.

About the Author

With a passion for writing, Kristin Funston encourages women in a way that is relatable and practical, with a healthy dose of humor. She has a master’s degree in Communication Studies from New Mexico State University. She is a member and employee of Hope Presbyterian Church and works as the Marriage and Family Coordinator and a leader in the women’s ministry. She is also a regular contributor to multiple blogs including The Better Mom, City Moms Blog, TODAY Parenting, and Scary Mommy. Funston resides outside of Memphis, TN with her husband and three daughters.

Learn more at MoreforMomBook.com. She is also active on Facebook (KristinDFunston) and Instagram (@kfunston).

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January 11, 2019

Free to Go

January 11, 2019/ Taylor Ann Dietrich

When we focus too much on what we are wanting to hear we can miss what God is actually trying to say (3).jpg

The other day Jane Taylor was walking around the playroom with a pink blanket. She kept putting it over head, pretending to hide, and thinking it was wildly funny whenever she reappeared from under it’s cover. Like any fearless child, she took the game to a new level by putting the blanket over her head and instead of just sitting there, she began to walk. She did this over and over again, allowing herself to move blindly around the room without a worry of if she would bump into anything, or trip over something. She just went – trusting that I was there to guide her and move her along the way. Which, OF COURSE, I did. Her only job was to laugh.

While she was walking around with no view of what was in front of her I found myself saying “I wish I could do that.” I wish I could walk forward not worrying about what I might run into up ahead. I wish I could do it with laughter instead of with fear. I wish I was as confident in the fact that someone is watching over me the same way I was watching over Jane Taylor in that particular moment.

The thing is God calls us to do this very act every single day. He is always asking us to move forward, without being able to see what comes next. Not only is He asking us to move, He is asking us to trust Him along the way. To know that if we fall down, He will pick us back up. If we get hurt, He will heal our wounds. If something blocks our path, He will redirect us to another one. He wants us to take steps blindly, full of trust, in the direction He is calling us to go.

In the book of Genesis, Noah is asked by God to grab his family, some animals, and to hop on an ark. Just get on an ark, float around for a while, and one day you will send out a bird, it wont return, then you can get off. Sounds pretty simple. Right? But what do you think Noah thought during that time? Do you think he had moments of fear? Do you think he ever worried when a week went by, it was still raining and they were still floating along? Or did he have so much faith and trust in God’s plan that he was able to sit back and not worry with each day that passed where he was surrounded by water?

My word for 2019 is trust. I want to be able to put my full trust in God and His plan for me. It is something I know I should do – but being a person who likes to be in control I’ve had a real hard time handing that job completely over to Him. Especially when God’s plan and mine don’t match up. He has never failed me and I know that He won’t. Knowing it, and believing it are two very different things.

My prayer is that we will all be able to walk confidently through each day knowing that the Lord is in control. That even the messy parts of His plan for us are perfect. That through the good and the bad He is shaping us to help be a light in His kingdom. That we are free to go forward, blanket over our head and all, because He will always guide us along.