Kaitlyn E. Bouchillon's Blog, page 12

When You’re Unsure and Overwhelmed, Remember This

Do you see the mountains? They were clear as day in person, but I just about missed them as I scrolled back through my photos from Israel. You may have to squint, but they’re right there in between the blue water and the blue sky. And forgive me for turning everything into a lesson, but as I stared at this photo and tried to find the missing mountains, it was as if He said “just because you can’t clearly see something doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist.”

Sometimes, maybe more often than not,...

Thoughts from Israel (Warning: Big Feelings Ahead)

Slowly but surely, I’ve started sharing pictures and stories from Israel. After completely filling up Instagram Stories every day while we were there (I make no apologies, and also — big thanks to the hundreds of you who followed along and replied with excitement at the pictures and videos each day), I’m taking my time as I process what I’ve seen, heard, experienced and learned.

I read once that traveling makes you speechless and then turns you into a storyteller.

Here are a handful of storie...

What I Learned This Spring

Hey hey, a little note before the post to say that it’ll be quiet here for the next few weeks because… I’m on my way to Israel by way of London! I leave this afternoon and will be, fingers crossed, posting to Instagram often throughout the trip. If I’m able to connect to wifi, I’ll do my very best to take you along via Instagram Stories. I’d love to connect with you there!

One of the ways I intentionally practice appreciating the beautiful but so-very-ordinary stuff of real life and regular d...

You Have Nothing to Prove

Just over a month ago, I shared the news that I signed an important contract, becoming one of ten new (in)courage contributors. Today, my first post as a contributor goes live, and I’d love for you to read the excerpt below and then join me over at (in)courage for the full post — it’s linked at the bottom. I’ll be honest, it took hours upon hours to wrestle these words down. But I hope that to those who are striving, who need to hear the truth of where their worth and identity come from… I ho...

13 Can’t-Miss Books Coming in 2018: May-August

2018, y’all. It is filled to the brim with incredible books releasing. For the first time, I’ve split the Can’t-Miss List into three posts: January-April, May-August, and September-December.

Every time I curate a new list, I’m amazed at the number of shares, pins, comments and personal emails letting me know what books you’re most looking forward to. Your excitement makes all the behind-the-scenes work totally worth it!

If you want to skim lists from 2016 or 2017, feel free to check out 12 Ca...

A Signed Contract and a New Chapter

I signed an important contract a few weeks ago.

I’ve been sitting on my hands, trying to keep myself from saying a word about it until the light turned green and I received the go-ahead. Today? Today is the day.

The funny thing is, it’s one small sentence. But it means so much more than you know, and in many ways it’s a full-circle picture of redemption that has me both honored and humbled.

I’ve accepted the invitation to be one of the ten new (in)courage contributors!

It’s a new chapter in a...

On Slow Growth and Deep Roots

The man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed. He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8

The flower bulb was wrapped in tissue paper, placed gently inside a gift bag. Just as fall began to exit and winter announced its arrival, I found myself shopping for soil.

The bulb, a thoug...

4 Free (Easter) iPhone Lock Screens

This past weekend, I spent a few hours designing several new prints for email subscribers. And then I realized… I really wanted to see the words of Truth throughout the day, right on my phone. Enter: lock screens.

One of my favorite things to do is create free gifts for you that encourage, inspire you to share your story, and are beautiful reminders of Truth.

(That’s one of the reasons I included artwork in my book, one printable introducing each chapter. Those prints are shared only with em...

My 3-Word Prayer When Life Is Incredibly Difficult

The phone lit up — way too late at night — as a text came through that I never wanted to read. My breath caught in my throat as my fingers quickly moved across the screen, anxious to reply and find out more information.

I remember thinking “This is not what’s supposed to happen. It shouldn’t be this way.”

I remember praying “God, help. Please. Do something. Spirit, breathe. Do what only You can do.”

And then I’d begin the refrain again. “God, help. Please.”

Circumstances beyond my control fel...

stories on the shelf

At any given point, I have five or six books piled on my nightstand. If you take into account the overflowing bookshelf, the three stacks of books under the bed, the overloaded Kindle app and the email from the library that just came in saying my requested books are now available, well, you might say that I have a bit of a problem.

Over the past two months, I’ve read thirteen books. (And I have no intention of slowing down any time soon.)

I love words, I’m a bookworm, and I believe in the pow...