LeeAnn G Taylor - Embracing the Mosaic Life

Trusting our broken pieces to the Ultimate Artist

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Angry? 3 Things To Do Before You React

August 31, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

I listen as my 5 year old lists her favorite things about the first week of kindergarten.

Art. Gym. Library. Recess. Spanish class.

My heart is filled with joy as I recognize she’s entered a new stage and so far, she’s loving it!

But me?

It only took two days of public school for me to find myself very angry with a newly implemented school policy.

2 days.

My joy-filled heart over my daughter’s love of school turned foul quickly after listening to a simple school-wide voicemail and I knew I had to get a handle on my emotions – and quick!

Time for an adjustment to my perspective.

While I certainly don’t get this right every time, I’m sharing three tactics to use for maintaining perspective when you find anger rising up in your heart.

angry

1. Reach In

When I experience those first feelings of anger, I know I have just a split second to decide how I’m going to react. It’s that initial trigger that stops me in my tracks and helps me start to reframe the situation to gain perspective.

reflection

Andy Stanley, in his book Enemies of the Heart, describes anger as a situation in which we feel like others owe us something. When you start to feel anger bubbling up inside, take a minute to consider what you feel like the other person or organization you’re angry with might owe you. Then decide whether or not that’s actual truth or your heart lying to you.

This pause gives you time to use the other two tactics and prevent overreacting and doing or saying something you’ll regret later.

2. Reach Out

After recognizing my anger with the school policy this week, the next step I took was to call my husband. He’s my rock and the one I turn to when I need a hefty dose of perspective.

holding hands

photo credit: Josep Ma. Rosell via photopin cc

Maybe for you reaching out to another person might be a trusted friend or mentor, but regardless of which wise person in your life you choose, reaching out is essential. While this is not the time to gossip about a situation, a wise godly person will help you talk out a situation, calm down a bit, and help you plan your steps moving forward before you act in anger.

In my situation, my husband helped me slow down, reassess the situation, and realize there was a simple solution. In mere minutes, my anger subsided!

3. Reach Up

When we’re angry, why do we often forget to reach up to our creator, the God who made us and knows us inside and out?

reach up

photo credit: ce matin, un lapin via photopin cc

I’m learning (ever so slowly) to reach up to God and remember that it’s His Spirit living within me who gives me power to do things I wouldn’t have the strength or power to do on my own.

When we take the time to remember The Comforter is with us, living IN us, it takes our anger down a notch and begs us to reflect on God’s truths instead of the lies we may be believing in the midst of our anger.

When my anxieties multiply, your comforting calms me down. Psalm 94:19

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What about you? What do you do when anger rises up in your heart to make sure you don’t overreact? Share in the comments so we can all grow together!

Sharing today with Five Minute Friday {Reach} and Essential Fridays. Note, this post contains affiliate links. If you click the link and make a purchase, our family receives a small percentage of your sale (at no cost to you). We’re in the middle of radically trusting God in our finances, and every little bit helps toward our goal of financial freedom so we can faithfully follow God’s lead in our lives. Thanks for your support!

When God Wakes You Up: A New Approach to Mornings

July 30, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

When God Wakes You Up: A New Approach to Mornings

photo credit: demandaj via photopin cc

I’m not a morning person. As a teenager, my mom had a terrible time getting me out of bed. Even after Chuck and I got married, there were times when he literally had to pull me out of bed in the mornings. What can I say? I like my comfy bed!

Even now, my night owl self can stay up until the wee hours of the morning to get things done. 

when God wakes you up

photo credit: Fosforix via photopin cc

There was a point a few years ago though that I realized I was missing out on an opportunity for the most productive time of the day – the morning!

It is no surprise that this realization came right around the time I had settled into a routine with baby #2. Staying up late at night was no longer a viable option when I was getting up multiple times a night to nurse and comfort a hungry baby.

The hour before both kids woke up was often my only distraction-free time during the day.

when God wakes you up

photo credit: Matthieu Luna via photopin cc

At the same time, I realized in order to stay connected to God and continue to build my relationship with Him, I needed focused time in the Word. In my current situation, that was happening sporadically at best.

That’s when I found Hello Mornings. Kat Lee (most wonderful encourager of moms!) from Inspired to Action published a free e-book called Maximize Your Mornings. After a quick download and review of the book, I realized I’d found something that might work for me.

coffee in the morning

photo credit: marfis75 via photopin cc

Sometimes we want something to change in our lives but we don’t take the needed steps to make the change happen.

After years of telling myself I just wasn’t a morning person, I changed my approach and started praying for God to wake me up in the mornings. I joined an accountability group through Hello Mornings, set out my Bible and journal each night, and set my alarm.

You know what happened? God woke me up!

When I purposed in my heart to draw closer to Him, He was faithful and woke me up.

When we purpose in your hearts to draw closer to God, He will wake us up!

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His word is true:

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:8a

Today, I challenge you to start drawing near to God and make a decision about the time you intentionally set aside for growing your relationship with Him.  

If you need a new approach to your mornings, try these steps:

1. Download the FREE Maximize Your Mornings ebook. Kat walks you through the steps of a morning routine in a grace-filled way that will set you up on a path to success.

2. Pray for God to wake you up! See Matthew 7:7.

3. Join a Hello Mornings accountability group. Registration for the next 6-week session starts August 4th and the official start of the session is August 11. Groups check in with each other in a variety of ways – Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. There’s a community for everyone!

If you have questions about my morning routine or Hello Mornings, feel free to email me at contact (at) leeanngtaylor (dot) com. 

And for today’s Worship Wednesday, I’ll leave you with the song that God woke me up with THIS morning! And a fun fact…in college, I was in a multi-cultural (but traditionally black-gospel style) gospel choir called Voices of Praise. This was one of the songs we sang on tour.

Today, I pray that God wakes you up! Remember His love never changes and He never fails!

If you’re reading in an email or blog feed reader, click here to see the video.

Hezekiah Walker – Wonderful is Your Name


All of my life I’ve never known You to fail
You remain the same and wonderful is Your name 

You woke me up this morning 
And You started me on my way
You put food on my table
You brought joy to my day

I’m glad Your love has never changed
And wonderful
And wonderful
And wonderful, wonderful is Your name.

Sharing today with Meredith at Woman 2 Woman, Saturday Linky Love, and Faith Along the Way.

You Are Loved Beyond Measure {Sunday Scripture}

July 27, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

On this day of rest, may you settle into God’s presence and seek His face, allowing Him to fill you to overflowing. Let your guard down a bit and soak up the truth of His passionate, expansive love for you.

Remember your strength comes from His word, the roots of your faith, and commit to making it a priority in your life this week.

As you offer your broken pieces and allow Him to craft your life into a work of art, His masterpiece, this is my prayer for you today:

I ask that he will strengthen you in your inner selves from the riches of his glory through the Spirit.

I ask that Christ will live in your hearts through faith.

As a result of having strong roots in love, I ask that you’ll have the power to grasp love’s width and length, height and depth, together with all believers.

I ask that you’ll know the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge so that you will be filled entirely with the fullness of God.

Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us; glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus for all generations, forever and always.

Amen.                                      

Ephesians 3:16-21

You Are Loved Beyond Measure

photo credit: passionandgrace.blogspot.com

Do you have a friend who needs to hear that she’s unconditionally loved by God? Maybe she needs a reminder that God can do infinitely more than what she ever could imagine possible in her situation.

Take a minute and share this message of hope. Let’s continue building up one another with encouraging words daily!

Parenting With Purpose: Creating a God Centered Home

How To Embrace Life Like a Child

July 18, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

She stoops, intent on finding just the right treasure to share with me. Her tiny frame all but disappears against the green grass.

green grass

She is my oldest, my first born, my precious child.

She’s my snuggle-bug, my sweet girl, the one who insists on living life right next to me.

Salem and mommy

Even in her youth, she sees beauty in the everyday and determines to share it.

Her offering today? A bunch of tiny purple blooms.

They’re not Pinterest perfect and this bouquet won’t ever show up in a Southern Living magazine, but it’s what she has to offer and she does it with such enthusiasm.

purple flower offering

Her purpose is to make me feel special, to show love with what she has, today, in the moment.

What if we did that as adults?

What if we looked around, embraced the gifts we were given and shared our lives, just where we are?

What if we took the opportunities presented and made the best of them? What if we did it now with what we have instead of waiting for the illusive perfect moment or situation?

Today’s challenge? Live life like a child.

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. In other words, bloom where you’re planted.

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. Bloom where you’re planted.

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do what you can,  with what you have, where you are

 

How will you embrace the challenge today? Share in the comments and let’s encourage one another!

*This post is part of Lisa-Jo Baker’s 5 Minute Friday series, where she empowers bloggers to write for 5 minutes each Friday on a specific topic. Free writing. Writing just for the sheer joy of it. Today’s topic was “Bloom“. Also sharing with Essential Fridays, Faith Filled Friday, Fellowship Friday, Family Fun Fridays, The Missional Weekend, The Weekend Brew, and Taste and See.

Saying “YES” to God in the Middle of Our Mess {And a Giveaway}

May 2, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

The weather was beautiful, warm with the perfect spring breeze, and I muscled the Sit N Stand stroller to the front door to go pick up Salem from preschool. I noticed something unusual with our door and called my husband to inquire.

{Important side note: Our house is for sale and has been for many months. It’s only been shown once.}

It was only then he decided to tell me about the realtor who had called the day before at 3:05 wanting to show our house at 3:30 the same day. Both of us were at work.

Now you tell me…do you normally leave your house in “okay to be shown to a potential buyer” condition when you leave for work on a Wednesday morning? Ok, me neither.

I cringed to think about the laundry piled in baskets on the floor, our unmade bed, the towels on the bathroom counter, Salem’s bedroom littered with an array of random “treasures” and the pallet on the floor she’s been sleeping on for the last few nights to “campout”. It occurred to me there might have even been a wet diaper on my son’s changing table. {cringe}

living room mess - the mosaic life

“You have got to be kidding me!” went through my head, along with a variety of other comments I wanted to make to my husband, but refrained for the health of our marriage.

Some stranger just entered our house and viewed our mess in all of its imperfect glory. Not okay in my book.

Sure, we had friends over on Sunday night and the house was far from perfect – piles of winter clothes graced the hallway waiting to be stashed in the attic for next year. The kitchen floor would have seriously benefited from a broom in the capable hands of my husband, the resident sweeper, but who were we kidding? Between the two of our families, we have 3 kids under the age of 5 who were going to dump half of their food on the floor before we were finished with dinner anyway.

kitchen mess the mosaic life

 

When my friend Brittany called our house a “judgement free zone,” I knew I was on the right track. Sure, I like to tidy up before people come over, but even if there’s not time for that, our friends are welcome.

I’m learning to relax in the company of my closest friends and let them into my “mess”.

Ya’ll. This is new for me! I’ve spent years, years, making sure our house was just so before inviting people over. If it wasn’t for some reason, my stress level would go through the roof. But I’ve declared war on perfectionism, so not anymore!

I’ve learned that it’s building relationships that counts, not what my house looks like!

Lately I’ve embraced The Nester’s motto about our home: It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. And it’s true. I’m a recovering perfectionist and this is a struggle for me. My soul just feels more at peace when the dishes are done, the floor is swept, the counters are clear, and my bed is made. But what if I waited for everything to be just perfect to let people into our home, into our lives? Yep, it would never happen!

Yes, our mess drives me crazy sometimes but I have to be careful not to allow it to keep me from fostering and nurturing one of the most important things in our lives – loving people and sharing our lives with them.

But what if I waited until all the stars were aligned and everything in my life seemed perfectly ready for me to do what God is calling me to do?

I’d never make a difference. And my life would never shine His glory. And friends, Matthew 5:16 tells us that’s what it’s all about!

God wants you right in the middle of your mess because it's the perfect place for Him to shine.

Oh, what a tragedy to miss out on something as extraordinary as the ministry of Mercy House, a maternity home in Kenya providing alternative options for pregnant girls living in the streets of Kenya. Mercy House aids them in education, nutrition, housing, prenatal care, Bible study, counseling and job skills for sustainable living. Incredible!

No, that’s not what God is calling ME to say “YES” to, but it IS God’s dream for Kristen Welch and her family.

A self-described “ordinary” person with struggles, brokenness, fears, anxiety – the whole bit – Kristen did one thing differently than many of us. God asked her to use her ordinary life – mess and all – and turned her obedience – her “YES” – into something “extra”ordinary.

One step at a time, one prayer at a time, one “yes” at a time, God used Kristen’s life to change the world. She tells the story in her new book Rhinestone Jesus: Saying Yes to God When Sparkly Safe Faith is Not Enough.

Rhinestone Jesus by Kristen Welch

Rhinestone Jesus is a peak into Kristen’s heart as she shares candidly how God turned her from a “good girl,” a teenager on fire for God but content to live a “safe” Christian life, into a woman broken through life’s challenges and unexpected experiences, now willing to say “yes” to God and trust Him in each moment, regardless of the outcome.

The book is a call to authenticity in the Christian walk. She challenges us to push through the fears of “what if” and instead to ask “what next God?” as we move forward one step at a time in faith.

Kristen shares her personal struggles in ministry, motherhood, and marriage and paints a picture of God’s incredible redemption through it all.

Not just a memoir, the book will walk you through your own journey of learning to say “yes” to God’s call by providing thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter that beg for reflection and action.

And for this recovering perfectionist momma, I love this quote from the book:

Saying yes isn’t really about doing it all, it’s about saying yes right where you are.”

That’s it. That’s the answer. I don’t have to get everything right, the stars don’t have to align, and my house doesn’t have to be spotless. I just have to say “yes” in the middle of my mess to whatever God puts in front of me today. One foot in front of the other. One step at a time, saying “yes” to living out my faith authentically.

yesinmymess

I am thrilled to have been part of Kristen’s launch team for her book and her publisher Tyndale House has given me a copy to review and a copy to give away to one of you! The giveaway will be open until May 8th and there are several ways to enter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*This post is part of Lisa-Jo Baker’s 5 Minute Friday series, where she empowers bloggers to write for 5 minutes each Friday on a specific topic. Free writing. Writing just for the sheer joy of it. Today’s topic was “Mess“. And NO, this definitely didn’t take me the prescribed 5 minutes…but my fellow Five Minute Friday gals encouraged me that there is grace in the mess and to post it anyway!  This post also contains affiliate links {full disclosure}.  Also sharing with Women of Worship, Fellowship Friday, Beauty Observed, and Sunday Stillness.

Beauty in the Mess

April 11, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

Her little brother is visiting his Mimi for the week and my 4 year old jumps at the opportunity for a rare uninterrupted moment to paint.

Hunched over the 1970s era leaf table with a wide swath of drawing paper taped down, her paint brushes littered among the homemade sticky paints, she diligently creates her work of art.

photo credit: ) via photopin cc

photo credit: via Eiimeon photopin cc

To me, it looks like a big sticky jumbled mess. Colors are everywhere; paint is on her hands, the table, the floor, her hair…and a bit on the paper.

I know better than to ask “What is it?” and instead say, “Tell me about it, doodle.” {Doodle has been her nickname since the beginning. My little artist.}

“It’s a rainbow mommy. You know, like God’s promises.”

Indeed it is.

Her sweet voice and messy art reminds this weary soul of the truth of God’s work in our lives.

Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)

Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11

photo credit: TEBart via photopin cc

He is the promise maker and the promise keeper. He takes our broken pieces, our messy, and turns it into a masterpiece used for His glory.

Although we may not see the rainbow in the messy art, it’s not our job to see the full picture. The Bible tells us we can’t see the scope of God’s work, its fullness.

Instead, it’s our job to trust the artist and walk with Him one day at a time. And He will reveal the rainbow, the beauty in our mess, as we say “yes” to Him.

*This post is part of Lisa-Jo Baker’s 5 Minute Friday series, where she empowers bloggers to write for 5 minutes each Friday on a specific topic. Free writing. Writing just for the sheer joy of it. Today’s topic was “Paint.” Also sharing with Essential Fridays, Fridays Unfolded, The Weekend Brew, Recommendation Saturday, Sacred Speco, Beauty Observed, and Sunday Stillness.

Also…while we’re on the topic of saying “yes”…

I just started reading the new book by Kristen Welch, Rhinestone Jesus: Saying Yes to God When Sparkly, Safe Faith is No Longer Enough. It’s a pre-release review copy and the book launches May 1 (although you might can find it in stores sooner & pre-order on Amazon). I started crying in the Introduction ya’ll, so I know this one’s a good one that will challenge me in ways I need it. Can’t wait to share more about it with you once I finish! In the meantime, a whole tribe of people are sharing how they’re saying “yes” to God in the middle of their mess – check it out on Twitter.

Rhinestone Jesus by Kristen Welch

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