LeeAnn G Taylor - Embracing the Mosaic Life

Trusting our broken pieces to the Ultimate Artist

  • About
    • About LeeAnn
    • Community
  • Contact
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Purposeful Living
    • Becoming Your Best Self
    • Advocating for Others
    • Marriage
    • Money & Possessions
    • Parenting
  • Perspective
    • Embracing Freedom
    • Recovering from Perfectionism
    • Releasing Control
    • Releasing Fear
    • Rest, Renewal & Reflection
    • Worship
  • Parenting With Purpose
  • Books
    • Books I’ve Read
    • My Writing

Life’s Struggles, Control, and Embracing Truth

August 5, 2015 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

If you’ve ever wondered if opposites truly do attract, my husband and I are living proof. We are as opposite as they come!

He’s an extrovert. I’m an introvert.
He’s gregarious and funny. I’m quiet and matter-of-fact.
He’s a “feelings” person. I’m a thinker.
He relies on his intuition. I rely on logic.
He’s never met a stranger. I get overwhelmed in groups of people I don’t know.

chuckleeann

While we knew when we were dating that we were different, after we married it quickly became apparent that these differences could very easily drive us apart. It seemed with each decision that arose we just did not see eye to eye.

My structured, controlling nature collided with his free-spirited, fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants nature on a regular basis. Our perspectives were so different!

As we navigated challenging situations in our early years of marriage including job loss, mounting debt, medical problems, church planting, relationship conflicts, the miscarriage of our first baby, and more, I struggled to trust God in both the day-to-day and in the larger narrative of our lives.

My husband’s faith, however, seemed to only grow stronger as a result of the same challenges that left me feeling like our lives were spinning completely out of control…

…read the rest of our story about life’s struggles, control, and truth at Reclaiming a Redeemed Life.

 

Doubt, Control and Rest

March 23, 2015 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

Have you ever wondered if God is real?

To some “good church-going Christians,” the thought of even asking that question may send them into a panic.

But while we may never verbally express this type of doubt, sometimes the way we live our lives is evidence of our struggle in this faith journey.

Real Life and Rest

I’ll share an example from my own life this week.

I’ve been blessed to be a part of a ladies Bible study at a local church and we’re currently using Priscilla Shirer’s video series and journal, Breathe, to dig deeply into the concept of the Sabbath rest.

Some of us are so busy going from one thing to the next each day that the idea of rest seems impossible. Others of us can’t let go of the perfectionistic tendencies and our desperate desire to have things just so.

God stopped. He rested. And He prescribes the same for you and me. ~ @PriscillaShirer #SabbathRest

Click To Tweet

I was convicted that my lack of willingness to stop and rest is evidence of my lack of trust in God.

While I might be concerned about ALL. THE. THINGS. around the house, with Chuck and the kids, responsibilities at work, paying off debt, selling our house, plans for the future, etc., what I’m truly revealing is my lack of faith that He will redeem that “lost time” for those of us who have a production mindset.

What about you? Do you also struggle with trying to control your time or do you remember to have a mindset of rest?

What tips do you have for remembering to take time to rest your mind, your body, and your soul?


This post is part of Five Minute Friday {Real} where we’re given a writing prompt and encouraged to write for five minutes of free writing. It’s a beautiful community of women sharing their words and wisdom each week! This post contains affiliate links {full disclosure}. Income from the blog helps fund Eva, our sponsored child through Compassion International.

My Plan or God’s Plan?

March 14, 2015 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

I’m a planner by nature.

I like order, lists, and knowing what’s going to happen.

My Myers-Briggs personality type is ISTJ. If you look that up, you’ll see words like:

  • organized
  • methodical
  • logical
  • fact-based

Despite a crazy schedule and a house full of energetic kids, my notepads for list making, a variety of productivity iphone apps, and a long list of Google calendars keep me organized and ready to tackle my to-do list for the day.

desk-notebook-notes

So it’s no surprise that releasing my {perceived} control over everyday situations is a challenge for me.

If you check out a portrait of an ISTJ, you’ll see the words “The Duty Fulfiller” prominently displayed at the top of the page.

There is no question that I relate my performance, fulfilling all of my self-imposed “duties”, to my value as God’s child.

Here’s the thing though.

It doesn’t matter how much I plan my days, weeks, months, or years, as a Christian, it is God who gives my life value. It is HIS vision for my life that is played out through my actions when I surrender my life to Him, moment by moment.

Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
    but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.  Proverbs 19:21

I’d do well to remember to defer to God’s plans, not my own, as I seek to live a life full of purpose and meaning.

How about you? Do you struggle like me to remember to seek the Lord as you make plans for your life?


This post is part of Five Minute Friday {Plan} where we’re given a writing prompt and encouraged to write for five minutes of free writing. It’s a beautiful community of women sharing their words and wisdom each week! Also sharing with the Weekend Brew, Fellowship Friday, and Faith & Fellowship. This post contains affiliate links {full disclosure}. Income from the blog helps fund Eva, our sponsored child through Compassion International.

3 Things God Didn’t Promise

February 24, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

 

It was a small, thin book. I’m not sure where it came from but I remember clearly the words on the front: God’s Promises for Women.

As a teenager in high school, every few weeks when I was feeling insecure about something I’d pick it out from among the various books piled indiscriminately on my bookshelf. A quick flip to the topic list would send me meandering down the path of figuring out my confused, hormonally driven feelings.

God’s promises. They were the list of things I could count on. I read slowly and my heart centered on promises of security, safety, strength, and salvation.

3 things god didn't promise

God’s Promises – photo credit: 55Laney69 via photopin cc

Each time after closing the little book’s pages, my heart was filled with confidence that God would take care of me, that He loved me, and that his son Jesus offered the promise of salvation and a home in heaven.

Oh, how I wish now I could go back to my insecure 14 year old self and offer a new perspective on the Christian life. One that reflects a truer picture of the scope of the daily experiences we live through as disciples of Jesus.

Although maybe it’s good that I didn’t fully understand.

Maybe by God’s grace he protected me from comprehending that growing as a Christian, the working out of our salvation, doesn’t always feel secure, safe, or full of strength.

But now. Now I am beginning to understand.

Understanding for me has been delivered to the doorstep of my heart, wrapped up in diverse packages.

Understanding has looked like:

  • Wandering through the process of developing my own faith in college
  • Suffering a miscarriage at 12 weeks with our first baby
  • Undergoing emergency surgery while 6 weeks pregnant with our second baby
  • Living under crippling anxiety for months while pregnant with our third baby
  • Learning how to trust my husband after years of struggles with pornography
  • Planting a church and the ups and downs of ministry in a church setting
  • Experiencing financial instability for the last two years as my husband has started his own business

While I truly now treasure the growth these situations have provided, I don’t know that I realized that this life of struggle and pain was what I “signed up for” when I decided to become a Christian.

I was a mere 10 years old and while I knew the right actions to take and the right things to say to make that decision, I certainly didn’t fully understand the calling of a Jesus follower. And maybe that was okay too since we all have to start somewhere on the path.

But as I move forward in my Christian walk, I want others to know that there are things that God does not promise and while confusing, they are the true blessings that offer opportunity for growth and development not possible any other way.

3 Things God Didn’t Promise

1. God did not promise days without pain, but he did promise strength for the day.

Isaiah 41:10 

So don’t be afraid. I am here, with you;
don’t be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, help you.
I am here with My right hand to make right and to hold you up.

2. God did not promise laughter without sorrow but he did promise comfort for the tears.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

All praise goes to God, Father of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. He is the Father of compassion, the God of all comfort. He consoles us as we endure the pain and hardship of life so that we may draw from His comfort and share it with others in their own struggles.

3. God did not promise sun without rain but he did promise light for the way. 

Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp for my steps; it lights the path before me.

3 things God didn't promise

My prayer today is that we will all recognize and embrace the potential for growth and spiritual maturity that comes through suffering and challenges instead of seeing them as merely obstacles.

Don’t run from tests and hardships, brothers and sisters. As difficult as they are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line—mature, complete, and wanting nothing. James 1:2-4

 

What experiences have you had that have allowed your faith to “blossom under pressure”? Did you ultimately find joy in them? Share in the comments and let’s encourage one another!

Scriptures are taken from The Voice translation. The above image is a vinyl decal I found on Amazon. 

This post contains affiliate links {full disclosure}. Sharing today with Sunday Stillness, Inspire Me Monday, Mommy Monday, Titus 2 Tuesday, Unite, Titus2sday, Teaching What is Good, and Fridays Unfolded.

Are you enjoying these posts? You can follow my blog with Bloglovin or sign up in the sidebar (or footer on mobile devices) to have new blog posts delivered right to your inbox.

Leaving Doubt Behind & Choosing to Trust {Psalm 28:7}

February 16, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

At times, I feel like a red bird in a snowstorm.

I am this bird, a beauty designed uniquely by God with a plan and a purpose but desperately seeking shelter from the harsh conditions. A creature searching for any sign of food and aching for spring, the time of renewal and abundant sustenance, yet only feeling cold and the darkness of the storm.

The winter has been long and hard, swirling and cold, the winds kicking up fear that it won’t ever end.

But there is hope.

It finds me in a simple scripture. A love song to the red bird in the snowstorm.

red bird in snow Psalm 28:7

Psalm 28:7 The Voice
The Eternal is the source of my strength and the shield that guards me.
When I learn to rest and truly trust Him,
He sends His help. This is why my heart is singing!
I open my mouth to praise Him, and thankfulness rises as song.

And so, my heart is singing as my thankfulness rises in song. Today will be different.

Today I’m choosing to trust.

Oh, I’m sure I’ll continue to try at times to control my life, thinking through every possibility as if I can create a certain outcome by having the ‘right’ answers. But today I’m making the choice to sit in the arms of Abba, my spiritual daddy. To embrace the truth that his plans for me are good, that he has prepared the path ahead of me, and that he will be with me every step of the way. {Jer 7:23, Romans 8:28}

Today I’m leaving doubt behind.

Oh, I’m sure it’ll follow me, trailing behind like a sad puppy dog wanting to be petted and welcomed into my warm home. But today I’m making the choice to close the door and sit at the banquet table inside with the Father. To embrace the truth that his provision for my life is not just sufficient but abundant. {John 10:10}

So my heart is singing. He has sent his help!

Dear friend, today I am praying that you also would embrace The Eternal as the source of strength and the shield of protection in your life. I pray that you will learn to rest and truly trust Him and know that He has sent help in the form of his Spirit living inside of us. And sing. I pray that your thankfulness will rise in song as your heart is set free. 

May you be blessed by His invitation to Come. He is all we need. {Music from Bethel Music The Loft Sessions}

Sharing with Faith-Filled Friday, Essential Fridays, Recommendation Saturday, Still Saturday, Spiritual Sundays, The Sunday Community, The Weekend Brew, Scripture & a Snapshot, Beauty Observed, Sacred Speco and Sunday Stillness. This post contains affiliate links {full disclosure}.

When Life Is More Than You Can Handle

January 24, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

It was not as picture perfect as we might imagine.

Mary, visited by the angel to share the good news that she would carry and give birth to Jesus, God’s son, who would redeem the world.

She was a teenager! Confused and scared.

The angel had to specifically tell her not to be afraid.

So instead of fear, Mary chose to trust. With no other options, she could only act in obedience and trust God to provide. And provide he did – Elizabeth for companionship and Joseph for support.

But what about us?

We’re not visited by an angel when we’re in the midst of an overwhelming life situation. Instead, we comfort ourselves with the common Christian saying, “God doesn’t give us more than we can handle so he must think I can manage this on my own.”

Oh friend, this is so far from the truth!

I’m convinced that God DOES give us more than we can handle so that we will have to rely on Him. [click to tweet]

 

This week I had lunch with a dear friend. As I recapped my year, she was quickly able to see how challenging life had been on a day to day basis for our family – finances, relationships, spiritual life – the whole bit.

As I poured out my heart, I realized the only way I made it through that tumultuous year was by releasing my firm grasp on my illusion that I can control my life and instead embracing faith that God really does keep his promises and would take care of us. There is no other explanation.

Moving forward, I’m learning the joy of freedom in not knowing all the answers but trusting the one who does.

Like Job, I had heard of the Lord, but now I see him. (Job 42:5)

My ears had heard about you, but now my eyes have seen you. Job 42:5

My ears had heard about you, but now my eyes have seen you. Job 42:5 image credit

*This post is part of Lisa-Jo Baker’s 5 Minute Friday series, where she encourages bloggers to write for 5 minutes each Friday on a specific topic. Free writing. No edits. Writing just for the sheer joy of it. Today’s topic was “Visit“. Also sharing with Essential Fridays, Faith Filled Fridays, and Beauty Observed.

I pray today that you will choose to experience the joy and freedom of releasing your grip of {perceived} control on your life and instead allow God to control you from the inside out and give you unfathomable peace. 

Love the topic of moving from fear to freedom in Christ and pursuing purposeful Christian living? Sign up in the side bar to receive blog posts by email.

Next Page »

Blog Topics

Recent Posts

  • The Legend of the Sand Dollar – An Easter Object Lesson
  • Happy New Year!
  • 10 Ways to Teach Your Kids About Easter (at Home — COVID-19 Edition)
  • You Have the Power…it’s IN You!
  • Sequin Sparkle and Change Bible Review
  • She Reads Truth Bible: Review
  • Love Does for Kids: Book Review & Giveaway
  • Ellie Claire Art Journals: Cultivating Creativity
  • The Study Bible for Women: CSB Version | A Review
  • Family Honor Plate & Table Thyme Discussion Cards Review

Disclosure Policy

Copyright © 2023 · Beautiful Pro Theme - Site Design by Mosaic Media