Hi, my name is Taylor.

So, tell us something about yourself.

Vague words. Open-ended question. What kind of answer do you expect?

I suppose you start with the basic nutritional facts.

I’m a twenty-something. Tallish. Blond hair, blue eyes, fair skin that burns easily on a sunny day.

Only child. Grew up in a neighborhood in Portland. Played kickball till someone lost the ball in the woods. Always had clay caked under my fingernails. Never passed up an offer to sing and dance in public – even outside of an Olive Garden.

My mom and dad were my best friends. They taught me how to tie my shoes, use my voice, the importance of coming around the table for dinnertime, no matter how much homework I had.

I love to listen. I love to help people share their stories. I think that each one of us has a story, a God-given story, and that you have a purpose.

I wander. Numbers don’t mean much to me. Sometimes I cry when I see Mt. Hood.

I went to school. I work for a newspaper I grew up reading as a little girl. I cook dinner every weekend with my friends and never miss breakfast.

But what if all those things went away. Who would you be, then?

Because none of those things get to the core of who I really am.

My name is Taylor, and the God who created me smiled from the day He wove me into being.

I am a daughter of my Abba Father – the God who made the heavens and the earth, the rhinoceros and dandelions.

I live my life as a song of praise to Him. I am humbled each day by the blessings He graciously pours out on this earth. I am thankful for His gift of life when I wake up each morning.

I am flawed, I’m stumble and I’m clumsy. Sometimes I speak too quickly and I’ve been known to let worry clip its leash around my neck.

But I know that I am more than sin, more than lies and more than fleeting material or beauty or gunk.

I am Taylor and no matter what I do, where I go, what I have or don’t have, I will always be my Father’s daughter.