A New Thing

I didn't plan it this way, a fresh look for the blog just as God is doing something fresh in me.

When I started this blog, the title Live and Move came to me pretty quickly. Acts 17:28 was a verse that was important to me at the time. My original concept for this blogged involved me being a lifestyle blogger, encouraging creativity in me and in my readers.

I mentioned in a recent post that the original concept wasn't my idea of successful. Blogging felt like an obligation and a constant striving to "make it."

 And that's where God stepped in. It's a long story that includes scratched cars, Instagram, and a brand new journal. Suffice it to say: I've toyed with writing mostly about my faith on the blog for a while. I didn't for a number of reasons-- not feeling worthy, being afraid to talk about my faith boldly in a space that my friends and family read, and just plain laziness. Those days are over. When your cup overflows, you just have to share it with friends.

Live and Move is still a lifestyle blog. My idea of what lifestyle means has just changed. Posts will still come as the ideas do. I plan to write vulnerably about the things that matter to me. I'm praying that these internet acts of boldness will help me to live fearlessly in the everyday.

I'm learning to bloom where I'm planted, and Live and Move is my little garden plot. We'll see how it blossoms.

Share the love,

Taylor

P.S. How great does this new space look? I can't recommend Catherine Grace highly enough!

Vain Hopes

I, like so many other Americans, love the idea of picking myself up by my bootstraps. I'll work harder, stronger, and longer to overcome adversity. A strong work ethic is honorable, but this week I was convicted of rely on myself more than on God.

"A horse is a vain hope for deliverance." Those words echoed through my head. For a day or so, I just meditated on that portion of the verse, reminding myself that only God is the true Deliverer.

Finally, I flipped to the back of my study Bible and sought out the context. Psalm 33. The chapter was already well-loved. It had a star, underlines, and brackets. Psalm 33: 16-22 has my favorite part.

16 No king is saved by the size of his army;
    no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
    despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
    on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19 to deliver them from death
    and keep them alive in famine.

20 We wait in hope for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.

These verses reminded me just who this God I serve really is. He is my help and shield. His love is unfailing. He can be trusted. Why would I want to depend on myself when "He who gathers the waters of the sea into jars" tells me that He is working for my good?

Living these truths out it never easy. I'm praying verse 22 for myself and for you this week.

Share the love,

Taylor

Little Truths: Worry

“If you have fear of some pain or suffering, you should examine whether there is anything you can do about it. If you can, there is no need to worry about it; if you cannot do anything, then there is also no need to worry.” ― Dalai Lama -

About that tattoo of mine

Those of you who follow me on Instagram may remember a certain post about me getting a tattoo in Spain. It's been called a "v", a pen mark, and not a real tattoo (all jokingly!), but for me it's a reminder.

I spent spring break in Nice with one of my best friends. I journaled through 30 Questions to Ask Your heart and wrote about the kind of woman I want to be. All of my thoughts centered around two things: A woman whose love for God is evident and a woman whose love for others is undeniable.

Two verses kept whispering to me:

John 3:30 "He must become greater; I must become less."

Philippians 2:3-4 "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others."

Those thoughts turned into a tattoo idea--a greater than sign that has me as the less than side of the equation. This tiny reminder gives me daily conviction and encouragement as I watch God create change in my heart.

What is God doing in your life lately?

Share the love,

Taylor

The NOT Wedding

It's been a while, friends. My summer in bullet point form:

• Family
• Internship
• Freelancing
• Dreaming

I guess it's fitting that my last summer be the fullest. I'm growing and my relationships are blossoming. I hope yours are too.

Anyways, I have exciting news. I'm volunteering at the Chicago Not Wedding this August. It's basically a bridal fair in the form of a wedding. You get to see all of the vendors doing what they do best. 

As part of the position, I get to give away tickets to five lucky couples. If you know (or are part of) an engaged couple in the Chicago area and they're free on August 14th, let me know! I can't wait to share my tickets for what is going to be the first event of its kind in the Chi. 

Share the love (and the news about the tickets!),

Taylor

If I'm Being Honest

If I'm being honest, I've avoided the space for a number of reasons: a broken keyboard, end of semester craziness, and most recently, a lack of purpose. I started this blog after reading blogs regularly. It was a chance to be creative. Somewhere along the way, creativity turned into worrying about readership and numbers and why I could never quite "make it" in the blog world.

So I took a hiatus. I was actually considering ending Live and Move altogether. Then last night happened. It was a tear drops staining my laptop kind of night. And my response? I wrote. I let myself be creative and poetic without any outside pressure. Once again, writing brought me pleasure.

I don't know what Live and Move will be in the future. It may last another week. Maybe it has years left in it. But it will reflect me. I'm the girl who craves deep conversations and authenticity, the girl who hates being told what to do, the girl who obverses, who wonders, who barely edits her blog posts, the girl who sometimes needs to write just to be okay.

I'm glad we can be formally introduced. These are my thoughts.

Share the love,

Taylor