Less complaining, more gratitude: A look ahead into 2016.

Holly and Kelly: As the end of 2015 nears, we wanted to share some of our thoughts on what we are planning to accomplish...or hopefully accomplish. Overall, this was a really great year for the two of us; new jobs, a new place (again), new love interests?????????? and a lot of growth spiritually. As for what lies ahead in 2016, neither of us are sure. We hope to be at our jobs still, and maybe love will come our way for good. Who knows? Only God does, and we are trusting that He will give us whatever we need in the year to come.

On the way back driving from Ohio after spending a couple of days with the parents, we were talking about what our goals were going to be for the year. The blase "go to the gym" or "be healthier" or "just do better" really didn't seem to cut it anymore, as they are all avenues we have explored and to be honest, didn't really yield a lot of tangible change. So for what's to come we decided to keep it simple, as it is the title of this blog. Less complaining. More gratitude. Practicing an attitude of gratitude is entirely Scripture-based, and let's face it, how many times do you or I find ourselves getting wrapped up in drama and negativity? There's enough of it ANYWAY, so this simple goal of ours is to try and combat just a small part of what we see and experience on a day to day basis. So every day, for the next year, we are going to think of one thing, just ONE thing we are grateful for and keep it locked in our minds for the entire day. Just to see what happens. We're curious and are thinking that it is really going to change us. And how we are going to keep hold of our daily gratitude is going to be...well, clever. You'll all see soon enough.

So that's all we really have to say. Yay 2015! We hope you all had a wonderful year and have a wonderful year to come. Prayers for blessings, peace, joy or whatever you are seeking at this time. Be safe, and remember God loves you and so do we! :)

Remember that you are loved. Remember where you came from, and remember that you have a world of infinite potential and possibilities at your feet. And remember the little things, all those seemingly insignificant moments and memories that will, just as quickly as they appear, disappear and become an afterthought. Remember to smile, remember to laugh, remember to cry if you need to, or even if you don't, and remember to breathe. 

NYE fun at Paddy Wagon! 

Fear and joy and Christmas

Holly: Merry Christmas, dear readers! I hope that wherever you are in the world that your Christmas has been full of smiles, laughter, good food and family, and the comfort of memories that will keep you cheerful for weeks and months to come.

Kelly had to work today so I spent the better part of the day by myself with the kitties.  To be honest though, it wasn't bad. Life has been busy and full of people and merry gatherings lately, and it was nice to have the day to myself with some Doctor Who and making a small but nice Christmas dinner. Of course that I wish that we could be in Ohio with our family, but that's life: full of obligations and commitments that we sometimes can't ignore. I've been reading a lot of negative stuff on social media lately. People getting frustrated over little things, people worried about what others think of them, people complaining about their circumstances, their job they hate, their living situation they hate...I think you know what I'm talking about.

Guys, it's Christmas. And yes, I know that this day and this time of year tends to inherently bring out the best in others, but what I don't understand is why it's just these few days out of the year that we're somehow obligated to be nice to those around us. We, and especially we as Christians, ought to be spreading Christ's love and joy all the time, regardless of whether or not we "feel" like it. It's sometimes a challenge for me too, but I'm thankful for grace, and for those in my life who are struggling just like the rest of us.

I'm going to end by sharing something that I wrote on my Facebook earlier today:

While sis is at work today bringing Christmas cheer to those at her work who no doubt need it, today it's just me and the kitties celebrating the holiday. This is the second Christmas we've spent in Kentucky, and while I honestly wish we could be in Ohio with our parents and brother, I realize that there are those around the world, and even in our neighborhoods, who also are unable to be with their families today, but for circumstances much worse than the temporary "inconvenience" of a job. It's easy to lament our circumstances, our funks, and celebrate negativity. It's easy to let fear, frustration, and disappointment steal our joy. But today I choose just that: JOY! How can I not? Today I choose, as was the message at Vineyard last night, to celebrate! Today I celebrate not just the birth of Christ, but all the ways, the sometimes seemingly insignificant, ways that God has blessed me! And once you do that, well....to me, there's no more room for all that other negative stuff.

"O come, let us adore Him!"

Kelly: I just got off work actually. I was a bit saddened at first upon finding out I had to work at first, because I asked for it off and didn't get it. Oh well. I accepted it and realized it was something I wasn't able to change. And with the exception of nearly having to break up a fight at the end of my shift, it wasn't a bad day at all. It seemed like the Christmas spirit hit everyone today, which was a good thing. Not to mention I wore jeans and my TARDIS kitty shirt! And time and a half pay...holla! Last night was wonderful as well; spending the evening with friends, new friends, and children. It was a bit loud at times, but it reminded me of how loved I really am. The gestures were not big and grandiose by any means, just simply getting invited to Christmas Eve service and then dinner with our pastor and family. Nothing fancy, huh? Again, feeling the love. 

At church last night, one of the things that the pastor said was "do not let fear steal your joy." Fear....fear of what? What in the world are we all so afraid of? Sis and I were talking about this not too long ago, and it seems like that society is crippled with it lately. And I came to the conclusion that if we let fear run our lives, then we'd never leave our houses. So as this Christmas comes to an end and eventually as we see the end of 2015, the question that was asked was this; what or who are we following? Are we following fear, something else, someone else, or Him? I know who I'm trying to follow. 

Schtuff twin girls say, volume 8

A few special guests this time around...enjoy! (Warning: a minor and censored expletive below)

Holly: (to her computer) Why do you suck so much?

Kelly: Sis, did you just pour your water into the cat's bowl?
Holly: So? He likes it.
Kelly: Of course he does. He's a cat (I continue to ramble for a bit)
Holly: Kelly, your pizza isn't spinning.

Holly: What do you think cats pray for?
Kelly: Wiley probably prays for more food.

Kelly: Oh, you mean the 456? Don't they just throw up when they don't get their way?

Holly: How was your pumpkin spice latte? Hope it sucked.

Kelly: (while having girl's night). Can someone capable of adulting open the wine please?

Holly: by the way I'm texting boy right now. 

Kelly: (impersonating general Strax) BOY!!!!!

(Holly proceeds to bust out laughing)

(Kelly was explaining cat scratch fever)
Holly: Isn't there something like that that you can get from dogs?
Kelly: Rabies

Holly: I'm about to turn my computer on. Say a prayer for me.

Kelly: (talking to the parents). Yeah...we had to fire the maid. 
Dad: B****....(we lost it)  

 Kelly: I'm not irate. I promise (I wasn't.)
Dad: (in faux angry voice) WHAT DO YOU MEAN????!!!!!  

Bonus from church choir:
Holly: Alan (our church choir director), you were a music major. Didn't you have to learn how to play the piano?
Alan: Get out! (Followed by a series of laughter and defenses from other music majors and 'there's no way you could learn every instrument in 4 years.' And all were kidding.)
Alan: I was a music major. Don't you know how to play the BASSOON??? (more laughter)

Kelly: Look at this pile of nothing I have to do today.

Kelly: (enters the room with a pudding cup) It's the rise of the Pudding Brains!
(Holly dies laughing)

For God, in God's place with God's people: A night of worship with Rend Collective and Chris Tomlin

Kelly: Sunday night Holly and I trekked an hour and a half to Newport to partake in a concert night that will be hard to top. I had been awake since 6 that morning and didn't go to bed until almost midnight; I was at work all day prior to the concert, and the latter part of the day was not one of the greatest. I was on edge, with the weight of not only patient safety but staff safety as well as a patient became belligerent, hostile and very threatening. I was very concerned for the safety of the entire unit, and it was very emotionally draining; constantly being on pins and needles and tip toeing around controversial questions, such as what to do and how do we keep everyone safe. I spent half of my required off the clock break in the supervisor's office tackling a game plan. In the end all was well, but some of us were a little more relieved to clock out at the end of that day. And each time I kept trying to leave, I kept getting interrupted, which only added to my frustration, since I was trying to leave at a timely manner to go to the concert. On the way home, I just prayed that even though my thoughts and attitudes had not reflected one of a follower of Jesus, I just prayed that God would tune my heart and mind into one that was wide open and ready for a night of worship.

If someone ever tells you that God answers prayer, believe them. He really does.

For the entire 2 hour concert, most of it didn't even feel like a concert. It felt like being in church. One of the things Chris Tomlin said really just resonated with me for the rest of the night: how great was it to sing about God, in God's house in the presence of God's people? There was so much love, passion and energy in that stadium last night. There's nothing like truly getting lost in the presence of God; where minutes pass by and you don't even realize it because you are just so encapsulated by Him. I had several of those moments there, and I have to be honest, that's something that hasn't happened in a long time. Suddenly, the fears and troubles of the day were just lifted away, and I didn't think about them for the rest of the night. I really listened to the words of those songs that I have known for years, and I felt them, believed them, and felt them. I don't know what's going on in your all's life; I know some things. But I would encourage each and every one of you to take a moment for yourself to just be in God's presence. If that means locking every door and getting into some Scripture, or rolling down every window in your car and singing P&W music at the top of your lungs, or if it just means sitting quietly with nothing around you for a few minutes every morning. It's something I'm going to try and be a bit more intentional about. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens.

Holly: Never mind the fact that we had a three hour round trip and that I had to be at work at 8am on a Monday morning, there was ABSOLUTELY no stopping us in going to this concert. We sort of went on a whim, but if you're a fan of Chris Tomlin and his music, you know that it's going to be an awesome, God-honoring show.  And it was.  It really was.

I have to echo Kelly's comment: it was church, church with 10,000 of my brothers and sisters in Christ, and it was awesome, you guys.  Just awesome. The last time we saw Chris Tomlin was ICHTHUS back in 2006, if my memory serves me correctly, so it'd been a while. Man, he knows how to rock out for God's glory- high energy, passionate, so full of the Spirit that it was contagious! He played all of my favorites, and it was so powerful to hear every single person in the audience sing along too.  Rend Collective was a perfect opening band! They are such a blast! I'm also obsessed with one of the songs they performed, and I think it's threatening to drive Kelly crazy :)

One of the reasons I love Christian concerts is not only the fact that they don't feel like concerts, but you leave feeling so much more encouraged and rejuvenated than before you came. I don't want to say I've been in a  "rut" lately spiritually, but I do feel my quiet time is not necessarily quiet because it's sometimes hard for me to shut my mind off.  I really needed that concert, because I was able to just let go and freely worship, my mind attuned entirely to Him! It reminded me that I can get there, and that I will get there.  I'm working on it, and in the meantime I'm thankful that God doesn't just leave us to our best guesses. I'm thankful that God speaks to us in many ways...for me, especially through music!

All things Halloween!

Holly and Kelly: Happy Halloween! If you are going out with your family/children trick or treating, please be safe and enjoy yourselves! Our parents are going to the block party back home...which will be interesting to hear about. Anyway, we had some fun this year. Yesterday, both of us had to work and we were allowed to dress up. It was a lot of fun; Holly went as the 12th Doctor and I went as a Hobbit. Also....me and a co worker had some fun with fake mustaches.

The Doctor will see you now. 

Took this when I got home. Furry Wiley too :)

This is probably why we're both still on the market :P

So like I said, we had a lot of fun yesterday. Today being the actual day, as per usual, we helped at an event at church called Hallelujah Harvest. It involves a lot of children packed into the fellowship hall at church with games, some food and a ridiculous amount of candy. It's amusing that a couple of weeks before the event everyone's always like "we need candy!" Yet there's always an abundance and we always have a ton left over, so we took some for us; that miniature hoard is now sitting at the kitchen table. And now Wiley is watching all the children around our neighborhood go trick or treating; we forgot :( Every year at Hallelujah Harvest, sis and I do a duo costume...makes sense, huh? A few years ago we did Holmes and Watson, and last year we did the 10th Doctor and Rose Tyler. Well, this year we were struggling to come up with something to do. Finally, at like 10:00 at night I was like "Holly, we should just dress up as each other." So she wore a set of my scrubs and I wore one of her Grow App shirts and threw one of her scarves on and we were opposite twins for Halloween. Now tell me, aren't I a clever girl? 

Honestly, we're not really into Halloween that much. We went to a Halloween party one year and had lots of fun, but we've never hosted one. It's just fun for us to dress up, be silly and get lots of candy. So in other words, we just act like big kids....which is what we do anyway. So there you have it. Have a good one, you all and remember to have fun and act like your kids too. 

Who knew twins were reversible? 

You're the Inspiration!

Holly: No, we're not about to break out into song here...although who doesn't love Chicago? Anyway, a little off topic here. Happy October, everyone! Is it just me or is 2015 flying right by? It seems like just yesterday we were all digging ourselves out of substantial amounts of white stuff, and now it seems like a distant memory, one I'm sure many of us wouldn't mind forgetting.

Life is pretty swell for us lately. It definitely hasn't come without its share of bumps, but that's another set of stories for another day :) Part of the swellness of life for us is our work, and that's where my story begins...

Today I attended a workshop that catered to, admittedly, mostly Berea faculty, but there were Development staff present, as well as myself and one of my bosses. The topic, along with many other sub-topics, was philanthropic fundraising: identifying donors, relating to donors on a personal level, some strategies, etc etc etc. I won't bore y'all, but one of the "kickers" was sharing stories that inspire. I was seated next to a current Berea professor and we both marveled at the fact that Berea draws in a crowd that has some pretty incredible stories. This professor was telling about a current student of his: how she'd come from a poor family in Alabama, how she'd had numerous travel and internship opportunities, how she was doing "exceptional work" (his words), and that she was working multiple jobs even as a student. And, he concluded, "she's still not done yet." I was immediately struck by something, and I verbalized it almost immediately, "I love this story," I said, "I mean, I could be here all day going on about the professors that inspired me, but it's so cool- the professors are inspired by the students too." He agreed, but then commented that he didn't think that he made an impact on his students- it was the joy of seeing his students thrive and realize their potential that made the difference.

But that's where I [mentally] disagree. If you don't think you've made an impact, or been at least some degree of inspiration, that is not true. For me, anyway. Even with the classes that I absolutely HATED (and there were a few), I still learned something. I was still challenged in some way, be it through an assignment, or even a way of thinking. And with those professors that immediately stick out in my mind having been the most influential to me, both personally and professionally...I could fill volumes. There is something to be said about attending a college in which the opportunity to build a relationship with a professor, both in and out of class, is not only more than just an idea; it's a living, tangible, meaningful reality. From way too many after-class conversations about EVERYTHING, to just learning how to deal with people when they weren't at their best, I graduated from Berea College with more than just a Bachelor's degree.

Kelly: I was sitting in the chair of my department's office, crying. Graduation was 3 months away, and I was dead set in my head that I was going to fail the program in my last semester. I was pouring my heart out, verbalizing feelings of "feeling picked on," like a failure and feeling like I was miles behind my 12 classmates. After I got it all out, she first said that I was past the point of failing. The second thing she said to me I still remember to this day.

"You can do this, and you're going to do this."

So I did. I made it through, graduated, and passed the boards the first time around. I feel like I owe part of my career and the nurse that I am to Berea College. They pushed me and all of us not because they didn't care, but because they did care. I feel like at any other college they would just be like "well too bad" while still taking my money. Now that I'm a working nurse, I find myself hoping that I say or do something to inspire my patients. But 9 times out of 10, it's them who are inspiring me. I have learned so much from these people, because that's who they are before patients, they are people. Just recently, I was thinking about my time at Berea, which is something that I still do from time to time. One professor came to mind, and ironically it wasn't one I had for one of my nursing classes. I took this class with this specific professor on the recommendation of Holly and also, quite frankly, I just needed the filler so the college wouldn't get mad at me and drop me to only part-time status. It turned out to be one of the most challenging, yet fulfilling courses in my time. Completely disregard the fact the professor had bipolar disorder and....yeah.....part of my career goes there too. That class and the teaching and the all of it also spear-headed me to being where I am.

The point I'm trying to make through all of this is that you never know whose lives you are changing, and whose changing your lives. Think of those in your life that have inspired you. Is there a possibility that you've inspired them as well? My answer is probably.

All for God's glory

Kelly: A friend of ours shared this article on her Facebook, and Holly mentioned that we should share it on here. So that's exactly what I'm doing!

I used to write a lot of poetry as a kid and draw. I had such a creative imagination (still do!) and have always loved music. Music, I've heard, is something to be felt, not heard. I could not agree more with that statement. So below is the article; give it a read. It's really good stuff!

Why Christians should paint, compose music, etc...

Enjoy!

What (another) beautiful wedding!

Holly and Kelly: This past weekend was a dear friend's wedding! The three of us have been friends for about 11 years (and counting). We met when we were freshmen in high school; she's a year older than us. Right before Christmas, she asked us if we would be bridesmaids in her wedding, so of course we jumped on the opportunity! The kicker? The last time (other than this weekend) that we all saw each other was 4 years ago.

Yup. You read that right. If THAT doesn't stand the test of true friendship, I don't know what does!

The wedding was yesterday, and we couldn't have asked for a greater day weather wise. It was cool, sunny and breezy. Since it was in September, we were a bit worried about how the weather was going to cooperate, but it was perfect! I (Kelly) was worried about how much stress was going to be involved in being a bridesmaid and of course with nuptial drama (which there was very little), but it was actually one of the most low stress and low key weddings we've ever been to. Never mind the fact that the both of us were in the wedding too! There weren't a lot of people at the ceremony, too. It was outside on some guy's farm that he owned and uses for weddings and other things (it's called the Willow Tree in Tipp City, Ohio. Give the pics a look!)

Overall it was a really awesome weekend! It was great to reconnect with old friends and meet some new ones along the way. We adore her now hubs and could not have asked for a better fit! We'll put some pictures up and possibly share some more stories as they come up along the way! As our mom would say, it was a 10+ weekend!!!!!

:) 

To have or not to have (kiddos/wee ones)

Kelly: DISCLAIMER: WE LOVE OUR MOM FRIENDS AND YOUR CHILDREN! THIS POST HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH "MOM BASHING," OR BRATTY KIDS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. ANYTHING SHARED IN THIS POST IS PURELY OUR OWN THOUGHTS, FEELINGS AND CONVERSATIONS THAT THE TWO OF US HAD. SO MOMS AND OUR MOM FRIENDS, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, BECAUSE YOU'RE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB!!!!! OK???? OK!!!

I am 25 years old. I am a nurse. I love my family, friends, my job and doing what I do. I hope one day that God will give me "the one," and that I will get married and live happily ever after (that's a good one) with my future husband. I pray that I will find a Godly man who loves God first, supports me in whatever I decide and remembers daily the promise he made to me and before God. If/when I meet "the one," this truth I am about to reveal may be a deal breaker, and I've come to terms with that.

I don't want children.

I have absolutely nothing against my mom friends or moms in general, like mentioned in the above disclaimer. Now before you try to say "oh but when you meet the one you'll change your mind," or "when the time is right you'll want them."  I will say thank you and smile. But I'm not going to change my mind; I'm just being honest. And this isn't something that I've thought overnight, no. This has been my way of thinking for years now. Quite a few years. I've honestly just never seen myself becoming a mother. I've never had that desire. Please don't be sad on my behalf, please. I really do like kids. I've enjoyed watching the kids grow up at my church and become mature and responsible young men and women. I enjoyed babysitting in high school (and still do!). I enjoy some of my mom friends sharing their funny stories on Facebook about their kid stories. There are a lot of reasons why I don't want children, and that right now is not the point of this post. Why am I sharing this? What's the point of this? I don't know; this is something that's been weighing on my heart to share for a while now. I honestly don't know why now. But now you know.

And yes, maybe one day I will change my mind. I've always been open to that possibility. And if I do change my mind, I hope to be as great of a mom as my mom is.

Holly: First off, I would like to echo Kelly's statement, and that is do not be sad for her.  There is SO MUCH more to life than having children (Although kids are great and I'm sure they bring fulfillment and joy and all kinds of other stuff to your life) I wouldn't know because we do not have any.

I don't share the same side as Kelly, in the sense that I honestly don't know whether or not I want children. My mind changes often, and it flip flops so much because although I am completely and totally amazed and in awe at the concept of being pregnant and all that comes during and after, it's the after that is just a mind-boggling amount of responsibility that, quite frankly, scares me. There is no room for selfishness. You have to invest hours and hours and hours of time, love, nurturing and sleepless nights with absolutely no idea of the outcome (All you can do is the aforementioned and pray that your child doesn't turn into a total monster).

I hope to be married someday, and when I think about my life with my future husband, I picture us traveling together, sharing life together, doing all the crazy stuff I do with Kelly, together! I love the idea of sharing my life with my "soulmate" and the one that God has intended for me to be with, rather than sharing my life with my "soulmate" and one or two mini "us"es. I guess the bottom line is that I won't be devastated if my husband and I don't have children. But if we do, well then...adventure is out there! :)

There's a whole lot more to our kid conversations, and perhaps we will share those at another time.  Regardless of whether you are a mom or not, let's focus on what is the "right now" in our lives, instead of "what could be" or what someone else has.  You'll find you're a lot more blessed than you think!

4 years and counting...

Kelly: I'm going to tell you all a story.

Once upon a time, there were two twin blondes, who after each of them spending time in Europe, decided to write a blog together. Nothing was really done for a while, just a lot of talk. Finally, they decided to write it, and they called it The H and K Chronicles. They didn't know where this blog would take them or how long they would have it. But here now, 4 years later, and H and K is still going! They are so happy by the fact it's still going and hope for 4 more years and beyond. The End.

4 years! I still can't believe it. Unfortunately this has been a slow year for us and blogging, as we haven't done much. But it's been incredibly busy filled with good and awesome things, and for that we are extremely blessed and grateful! I hope that some of you have been encouraged and blessed by what you have seen us write, because looking back we have been the same way! So once again, thank you! Thank you for sticking with us and journeying on our lives with us. We don't do this for fame, attention and whatnot; we just do it because we enjoy it and we want you all to enjoy too if you wish. So here's to 4 years and hoping for many more!

Holly: Man, times flies when you're having fun!!!

Like Kelly said, this has been a pretty light blogging year for us, and we are sorry about that.  It's just been a whirlwind of a year and sometimes I still feel like I'm trying to catch up! When we started this blog 4 years ago, we didn't have a plan, really. We just decided to keep writing and go with it, and here we are still going with it! I'll admit, there were a few times when we did talk about possibly stopping, just because of life craziness, but we just couldn't. We don't do this for followers, we don't do this to see how many comments we can get, we don't do this to link-up or "get ourselves out there", so to speak.  We do this because we love writing and we love sharing what's going on in our lives with those who care about us (And we've realized that there's A LOT of you, and for that, we are so grateful!!! ^_^ )

It's shaping up to be a pretty exciting rest of the year, so stay tuned, and thanks for hanging out with us these past four years!

August 20, 2011: date of blog launch

August 20, 2012: one year after blog launch

August 21, 2013: two years and one day after blog launch

August 21, 2014: three years and one day after blog launch

August 23, 2015: Taken 4 years and 3 days after launch. 

Clueless Americans on the half shell

Kelly: I have been back in the states for a little over a week now. I was recently on a mission trip to Peru, and it was incredible! If you want to read more about the trip, please refer to my own separate blog, which you can find the link for in the "where to find us" section on the home page. Ok, that's enough of my shameless plugging. Anyway, since I've been back, I've realized I've harbored a bit of resentment. Resentment towards Americans and our society as a whole. Yesterday, after reading the same junk I read on Facebook day after day, I got sick of it and took a hiatus from it for the rest of the day. In that time, instead of complaining about it, which is what I wanted to do, I prayed and listened to Third Day. And I felt better. The resentment is just geared towards cluelessness in general. We just don't get it. I was at Kroger after a 3 hour work training and a lady was complaining to an employee then to me that a small head of broccoli was being sold by the pound. She then proceeded to tell me, in not so many words, that I was essentially getting ripped off because the particular broccoli I had chosen had "just stems." I said it wasn't a big deal and just walked away. It really wasn't a big deal to me, and I thought to myself I have bigger fish to fry than to worry about $1.39 broccoli.

Sis and I have been rewatching the latest series of Doctor Who, and The Doctor puts it exactly the way I feel; "the human race is never satisfied." Truer words have not been spoken. It seems like someone just has to complain about something. Or post or talk about the same stinking thing day after day on the same subject. It's just downright exhausting if I'm going to be honest. Yesterday I couldn't get those Peruvian people out of my head. They would simply love what we just carelessly complain about. It's challenged me to just be cognizant about my thoughts and ask myself if what I'm thinking or feeling is really worth getting so worked up over. Is broccoli being sold by the pound really worth getting worked up over? Is yet another "terrible two" worth, or spat with your family, or another "I hate my job", worth getting worked up about? In 2 days is it going to matter? Is it going to matter in a couple of hours, or a couple of years down the road? Chances are? Probably not. Hey, this is just for myself as it is for anyone who decides to read this. I'm just saying, I think we can all do a bit better in just being aware of our audiences and what's going on around us. There's enough negativity and drama in the world as it is.

Holly: The title of this post does seem a bit harsh, but it's only because Kelly and I are just as clueless as anyone else.  We have SO MUCH to learn from our brothers and sisters living in poverty, in third world countries, even those living next door to us.

Something I haven't been able to get out of my head is something that was said at church last week: We have absolutely no idea how to have relationships with people anymore, actual face-to-face, personal relationships without devices. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about: the couple at the restaurant or coffee shop, sitting across from each other completely absorbed in their phones. The individuals on social media who constantly post things like "My [spouse/significant other] is the BEST at everything, all the time, he/she is so awesome because he/she does this and this and this..." To the couple at the restaurant or coffee shop, put the phone down and realize what an amazing opportunity you have in front of you: the chance to share life with someone, the chance to spend time with someone you care about.  To the social media posters, I'm sure that your spouse/significant other is the BEST at everything all the time and is so awesome because he/she does this and this and this: Please tell them that, and tell them often.  We don't need to know that.  THEY do.

I actually sat down and wrote two letters last week.  Yes, actual pen-to-paper, catching up on life and sharing life with a friend I haven't seen in a while, and a friend that could be something more.  The people that Kelly interacted with in Peru have nothing, literally, nothing. But what they do have is each other, and that is so much more valuable than complaining on Facebook, or $1.39 broccoli. Kelly has been challenged to be more cognizant of her thoughts, and I'm taking the challenge as well. Because, chances are, we really do have it a lot better than we realize. 

Welcome to our new home!

Holly: Hey everyone, it's just me today! Kelly is currently day 5 into a 10 day mission trip in Huancayo, Peru! She will tell you all about it once she returns.

I'm on my lunch break right now, and since taking a break outside really isn't much of an option thanks to all the bloody rain we got last night/this morning, I figured I would share a few pictures of our new place. Aside from having to come home to just myself and the kitties every night for the past almost week, I am quite pleased.  We think it's an older building, and it has a few quirks, but again, I am pleased! The location is very ideal- I can make it to work in just under 20 minutes, same will be for Kelly too. It's about 5 minutes away from the first Richmond exit off the interstate, which is where a lot of our Richmond favorites are located.  A little more than 5 minutes the other way, and you're in downtown! We're pretty fortunate! :) Plus, it's QUIET, and it's a beautiful neighborhood! I've been there almost a week and haven't heard a peep from our neighbor, and the only other noise is perhaps a few late-night rabble rousers out hooting and hollering, but that is it! Now if the cats would stop getting into stuff in the middle of the night, I'd be golden.  The unpacking process has been slow, but it'll get done when it gets done.  It's liveable right now, which was my goal from the start.

Anyway, onto the very brief tour.  More pictures to come once more gets unpacked and put away! :)

This is the living room as of Monday evening, so barely 48 hours after everything had been moved in. It's a little small, but it's cozy. This is the view from the bottom of the stairs that lead upstairs.

Living room as of yesterday! A bit more has been unpacked, but not too much has changed, with the exception of some Time Lords and hobbits on the wall :) Notice my two helpers completely unaware they're getting photographed.

Living room from the kitchen view. This still isn't all of it.  Again, small, but cozy.

The kitchen, which is the perfect size, honestly. I was not sold on the border at first but now it's growing on me. I love the cabinet colors too!

The bedrooms aren't pictured yet; there's 2, and they're HUGE. They're also still full of packed-up stuff, so stay tuned! There's also a little patio space (currently occupied with empty boxes and totes), and a little side yard.

So there you have it, folks, our new little humble home! God gave us what we need, even if it isn't necessarily what we wanted at first! In the long run, we'll be saving money, which is always a good thing, and we hope to have people over soon.  If you would like our new address, let me know :)

A Richmond chapter begins

Disclaimer: There is a lot of talk about God in this post.  We believe we can ONLY give the credit to Him! Once you read this, you will see why. If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to speak to us privately about them.  Otherwise, enjoy the story, and if you feel inspired, praise with us! :)

H: Wednesday we found out that moving into the house was no longer an option, without any real concrete explanation.  Disappointed and frustrated didn't even begin to scratch the surface as to how we felt.  I wrote in my journal for a long time, pouring out my frustrations and anger to God.  Yes, I was angry.  I don't like being angry, and I even apologized.  There was no holding anything back.  At one point I wrote, "I've learned in the journey of becoming a follower of Jesus is that we still have an obligation to show Your love, even if we don't feel like it."  Quite frankly, I didn't feel like it.  We had spent the last two months praying, putting our faith in people following through, only to be left empty-handed and disappointed.  I went to bed unhappy that night, utterly defeated and spent.  I'm surprised I got any sleep at all.

Kelly was due to come home from Ohio Thursday, so I shared with our house church members that we would not be there, so we could spend the evening catching up, relaxing, and discussing our next steps.  But what I didn't mention was that Thursday morning, I heard that still small voice, something, in my gut say, "You shouldn't go to church tonight."  I couldn't explain it.  (That was the first God moment, although I didn't know it at the time)

We went out for Chinese and we'd barely been home five minutes when Kelly got a Facebook message from a co-worker of hers, saying she had spoken to somebody about a duplex available in Richmond (God moment #2). On the phone, she said that a couple was going to look at it the next day, and asked if we could look at it that evening.  We dropped everything and drove up there.  Yes, it was that split-second of a decision! We had no trouble finding the apartment and were immediately taken to the location and the quietness of the neighborhood, despite it being right off the interstate.  Kelly's co-worker arrived a few minutes later and we asked how she knew the landlord.  This was her response (another God moment):

"Oh, I just talked to her on the phone just now.  I've never met her before.  I was just driving through here and I saw the sign out front, and I thought 'This is for Kelly. I want her to be in a safe neighborhood.'"

We were like ARE. YOU. KIDDING. ME.

Jennifer, the landlord, arrived a few minutes later.  In addition to her infectious personality, she mentioned that a police officer lives down the street and that her niece works at the preschool nearby (Remember the talk about a safe neighborhood?) We helped ourselves to looking around, and, admittedly, it is a downgrade in terms of size and space, but we've learned over the last year that we've had too much space.  The rent is more than $100 LESS than what we're paying now, and the place was near immaculate, there was new carpet, a small patio outside, plenty of parking, a washer and dryer hooked up (!!!), and, most importantly, Yoda and Wiley are welcome! :) Needless to say, it was not a difficult decision.  By the end of the night, a key was given to us and we had signed the lease!

The drive home was a combination of a daze and utter exuberance. God had shown up! Big time.  If we had gone to church, we would have missed the Facebook message and, ultimately, the phone call, the apartment would have been shown tonight and probably taken, and we would still be stuck waiting until the end of next month.  But now, there is no more waiting, and we have a cute new duplex in Richmond waiting for us.  All thanks to God!

K: While reading this, I thought of Holly. Gave up a UK, full-time benefited job for what she does now for the sake of being happier and less stressed out. I also think about getting my first job; that moment and time when I was just ready to give up was when I got the magic phone call. That's what happened here last night; God gave us what we needed, not what we wanted. I remember so many times praying "God just get us this house. Just get us this house." I'm not going to say it was as if my prayers were falling on deaf ears, because I don't believe that. Rather I just felt that this house we were seeking so hard for was just not going to happen. I always had this small notion in the back of my head that it was just going to not work out. Perhaps that was God's way of saying that He had something better for us. Because let's face it, the last thing we actually needed was MORE space and more money to be given for rent.

I truly believe that God talks and shows us what we need in a lot of mysterious yet awesome ways. I remember walking into that duplex and was like "this is it." That "aha!" moment. I don't believe in coincidence. I think coincidence is just one of the many ways God speaks to us. Though I can't hold claim to actually hearing His voice, I can hold to the fact that His fingerprints were ALL OVER THIS. There's really nothing more I need to add to this. It's all been said. We are excited to begin this new adventure and see where else He will take us. My ending is this; if you're waiting for something and feel like throwing in the towel, that's usually when a corner will turn. Sometimes it's not a good corner, but in our experience it usually is. Keep the faith, and remember that God is good.

House stuff, other stuff and what we've learned

Kelly: And once again, we apologize for the extremely large gap in between posts. Life has gotten somewhat in the way again, in good ways though. For starters, I'm getting ready to leave for Peru in a few weeks. Has it really been that long since an update? Yes! Anyway, I'm going to Peru in 2 weeks. A few folks from church, myself and a cohort in Georgia are getting together to do medical missions/children's ministry. We leave on the 1st and will be gone for 10 days. Wee bleep! So preparations for that have taken up a bit of my time, and there's still a few things I have to do but I foresee they will not be too terribly demanding.

As most of you all know, we are still in the process of getting ready to move into our first house...hopefully. Just for clarification, we are NOT buying. Still renting, but it's a nice house and for the price per month it's a pretty good deal. We looked at it last week, met our landlord and his wife, filled out our application and are now waiting. The wife was not too keen on the idea of us bringing along the fur babies, but we said leaving them behind was just not an option. She didn't come right out and say we couldn't have them, rather "preferably not." So now we're waiting and hopefully we will hear something soon. Throughout this entire process, it's been a series of just waiting. Waiting for answers, waiting for God's direction, waiting. And learning how to be patient and be ok with waiting. And learning and doing my best to maintain a positive attitude while getting things here packed up. Seems like some creepy-crawly bug freeloaders want to come along too, but I've had to give them a few smacks, sucks in the vacuum and a big firm no they are not allowed. That in and of itself is a whole other ordeal for another time. So yeah. Lots of waiting, but God has really shown us how to basically handle that, even though we feel like going crazy 99.9% of the time. It really does hold true that God doesn't give you patience; He gives you circumstances and scenarios in which you have no choice but to just be patient. And wait.

So there you have it. It's been exciting, knowing that something great is going to happen. Not knowing when it will happen has caused a bit of anxiety, but I keep telling myself it'll be worth it. Having a sense of humor throughout this process has helped greatly too, because if I wasn't laughing or trying to get sis to find the humor we'd probably be crying. Thanks for hanging with us, and we are looking forward to many many house parties!

Holly: And here I am, a couple of days late! I shared this entire process with the small house-based church we've been attending, and there was a comment that said "It's a good thing we're all so patient, right?" I WISH! Some days, I must admit, are much easier than others.  Some days it takes everything in me to not just take a flamethrower to the entire place and dance upon the ashes when it finally burns to the ground. But we can't do that (And we definitely shouldn't do that). Some days, most days, I just grin and bear it and deal with it, silently praying that one day, ONE DAY, we WILL hear something and we WILL be in a much better situation. Like Kelly said, though, God has shown us a lot through this waiting game.

I've been reminded one of the points from a sermon a couple of weeks ago, and I'm probably butchering it to kingdom come, but it was something to the degree of that you don't have to necessarily like your circumstances to keep trusting God. Do I like that we're basically sitting ducks? No, I don't.  I wanted to be out of our apartment months ago! But, unfortunately, life doesn't work that way. I'm just really fortunate that I have my faith in Jesus in the first place, because if I didn't have at least that hope, I really don't know what I would do. I'm also really fortunate that I have such a strong network of people that are cheering us along, encouraging us, also making us try to see the humor in it all, praying for us, offering to help us move, and so on.  It's good to have people! :)

So that's where we are right now.  Hopefully the next time we post it will be with a moving date and plenty of pictures and happiness galore! Thank you all for journeying along in this craziness with us!

ALEP Mid-Summer: A continued family reunion

H and K: Howdy! You get both of us again!

It's been a little while since our last post.  Can't believe how June has just seemed to slip right through our grasp.  Heck, next week is the 4th! We've been rather busy, traveling and going here and there. Unfortunately we still have not heard any word on our house-to-be, but we are keeping the faith and holding out that we will hear something soon.

But enough of that. Almost two weekends ago we went back to the Shire! Yes, that's right.  You may remember how all of this ALEP craziness started back in September. This gathering was not official, not planned, just whoever was available to escape for a weekend of unplanned relaxation, conversation, and generalized merriment.  And all of those it certainly was!

It's hard to capture the atmosphere we've come to love in this ALEP group.  We all come from such vastly different walks of life, from vastly different parts of the country, even (a few traveled from as far as Virginia, Texas, and even Canada!).  But what's so amazing about this time, these ALEP reunions, is that, for just a few days, there is no worry.  No stress.  No negativity, pessimism, or stress of any kind.  It simply ceases to exist as soon as you see the signs welcoming you into the Shaker Village. The laughter, the cheerful conversations, the food (oh. my word!), the time we cherish and spend together...it's the best form of therapy that we can possibly imagine.

The next event is in April of 2016. While we won't be able to go for the entire weekend (these fun gatherings do cost money), we will definitely return for a day.  Because even just one day is worth it!

Until next time! :)

ROBERT!!!! <3 

:) 

Sunset in the Kentucky Shire 

The meatless results (and a house update?)

H and K: It has been seven days since our last post, and if you remember, we took it upon ourselves to go one week without meat.  So...how did we do?

Honestly, we didn't find it too challenging.  Some days, it was hard walking up Main Street and catching a whiff of the cafe's burgers, or resisting devouring an entire order of chicken wings from Papaleno's.  We did have one "cheat" day, Saturday, in which we attended a cook-out sponsored by Kelly's work.  We didn't go too crazy, though, in the sense that we both had just one chicken wing. Fried rice became a good friend of ours. Our weight didn't really change either, which we kind of expected, but that's ok, considering that wasn't the end goal.  We were just curious...and a little bit broke.  So will we do it again? Probably.  We had to get pretty creative with some of our recipes, but overall we enjoyed incorporating more veggies into our diet. The drastically reduced cost of groceries for the week was a good incentive, too!

And this concludes our one week without meat.  We learned a lot, had a good time...but honestly, if anyone would care to drop off a couple of steaks or a rotisserie chicken, that would be pretty amazing.

Switching gears a little, and we're just going full disclosure here, because we can do that here.  In case some of you are a little behind, we are in the process of moving, this time into a house.  We do have a house lined up, although we've only seen it from the outside.  However, here's where the situation gets a little hairy: The family that is living in the house now is waiting on a closing date for a house they're buying.  Once they get their closing date, they will move out, and we will move in. We are not buying, we're renting (Just in case that wasn't clear).  We do not know when this closing date will be.  It's been two weeks since we first made contact with our eventual landlord.  When I called him last week, hoping to affirm my fear of him not giving the house away to someone else, he informed me that they still had not reached a closing date, but that he still had our contact information and would reach out to us when they closed.  That was a week ago.  We still have not heard anything.

Honestly...it's been hard.  Our many frustrations with our current living situation, for reasons we don't wish to discuss at this time, have nearly reached a tipping point.  Let's just say it's gone on too long. Period.  In addition, it's just the waiting...the waiting and waiting for a phone call.  My (Holly) hopes soar every time my phone rings, and plummet when it's someone else besides the phone call we're anxiously waiting for.  It's the doubt...the doubt of wondering, nearly agonizing ourselves, if this is ever going to happen at all.  It's discouraging- another day that passes with silence, with no news. But through all of this, we've learned a lot about grace, and we are thankful for that. I (Holly) read Proverbs 3:5-6 recently, and I've been heavily meditating on that, relying on that promise in God's word.  We've been praying.  We've been praying a lot.  And still waiting.

So that's where we are right now.  If you feel led to pray for us, please do so.  And pray for the family that is waiting on a closing date; it's probably just as frustrating for them, if not more so, than it is for us. But we KNOW that something better is coming, and we KNOW that God is faithful.  It's just that some days are easier than others, and we thank God that He can handle our joys and our frustrations as well.  Thanks for following along with us, as always.  We hope to hear something soon.

The H and K Food Experiment: 1 week of Meatless

Holly and Kelly: On the way home from grocery shopping, in which we grossed in approximately $56 for about a week's worth of food, we decided to partake in a wee experimentation of food challenges. The first one? One week with no meat. However, it's not entirely without meat; we currently have two meals planned, one with fish and the other with eggs in it. Other than that, no meat. Nothing. No chicken, no red meat, no bacon, nada. No. Meat. You might ask, why are ya'll doing this? Well, we've read numerous web studies and through word of mouth have heard that not eating meat supposedly makes you feel better, have more energy, and not to mention meat is expensive these days.

We're just not eating meat. We're not changing any other of our activities of daily living, which means Holly is still going to walk to work and we're still going to do ReFit on Monday nights. And we're going to a work potluck for Kelly's work and have decided to not eat meat there, which we are certain will be quite challenging. So there you have it. One week without meat. At the end of the week, we will report back and see how it went. How we felt, how tempted we were to sneak in a cheeseburger, that sort of thing. We're going to see if our weight changes as well. Wish us luck; the challenge begins tomorrow!

A Generalized Life Update #2

Kelly: So I've been at my new job gig for a little over a month now, and so far things are going really well. Our patient numbers (census) have been high for a while, which has made things crazy but so far nothing catastrophic or earth-shattering has happened. For the most part everyone has been calm, somewhat happy and haven't made any ridiculous demands. I really enjoy the staff I work with and we all have a good time and love what we do. I really enjoy the patients too, and gone are the days of constantly feeling like walking on eggshells. When working in psych, things were so unpredictable all the time, and you just never knew what may set someone off. So there's that. It's pretty smashing.

Secondly, Holly and I have been in the process of trying to find a house to rent. We can't quite afford swinging to buy one yet, but it's time for a change. We've been at our townhouse for a little over 2 years now, and a series of circumstances have left us ready to go. It's been overall a somewhat frustrating process, in terms of finding a house and making phone calls to prospective rental companies/landlords. We've learned the term "single family" does not apply to twin sisters, which sort of stinks for us. Neither one of us can really afford to live on our own, nor do we want to. We've had a lot of closed doors, but as of today two more prospective options have opened up. I'm not really trying to keep my hopes up, but there's a part of me that is optimistic that one of these two will work out. On the way home after just driving by to look at a neighborhood in where one of them are, we prayed while driving, and soon after came across the number of another house to rent. God is good! I'm going to make a phone call tomorrow to this other house and hopefully things will be in our favor. So that's what's going on in our lives for the time being. Thanks for hanging with us!

Holly: I spent all of last week traveling for work-related events: building two high tunnels and a VISTA training/networking/catching up weekend in Pikeville, KY.  Got to reconnect with a lot of VISTAs from my Atlanta training, and meet some more, all of who are doing some pretty awesome things in northern and eastern Kentucky. Speaking of VISTA, things are going very, very well; I am still really happy there and I'm learning more and more as every week passes.  I have about three and a half months to go until my term ends, and I feel like the second half has just flown by! As for post-VISTA....well, they liked me so much they decided to offer me a full time gig!! Yep, you are totally reading that correctly! :) I've known for quite a while now but have been essentially sworn to secrecy, but I think I've kept it a secret for long enough! I am beyond excited to transition into this new role and I am still blown away at just how much God has worked for good when He called me to do this crazy thing almost a year ago! I don't know any of the logistics yet, but...yeah, there it is!!

Yoda and Wiley (our pet babies) have been with us for three years now.  We still love them to pieces and they still drives us insane.  They've brought us so much joy and have kept us ridiculously entertained.  Neither of us are in relationships still, and we're still ok with that (Although I'm plotting...) And lastly, we're spending Memorial Day weekend in Indiana! You may remember when we went to their wedding almost four years ago! Yep...their little girl is due in July (their first!!!), and we are all BEYOND excited :)

So that's basically it.  Pray God will have His will as we continue to search for a house, and that all will go well for our dear Ashley and her little Nugget :) Thank you all for continuing to journey on this crazy road with us!

And just in case you need a laugh, which I'm sure you could always use one, you can watch this video that Kelly and I can't get enough of!

A Nurses Week post

Kelly: This was actually Holly's idea! Today begins Nurses week, a celebration of nurses past and present. It starts today and ends on the 12th, which is the birthday of none other than Florence Nightingale. It means I'll get a nice spiel at work about how appreciated I am and a lovely present (there is NO sarcasm in that previous statement whatsoever) :) It was Holly's idea to come up with our favorite nurses, real and fictitious. Since we share the same favorite fictitious ones, I figured I would share my favorite real ones! I honestly have too many to name; 4 come to mind, and I hope they know who they are. Due to privacy reasons I'm keeping their names anonymous. Unfortunately, because of my schedule change I no longer work with these awesome nurses anymore, but I am indebted forever to these individuals. They've taken me under their wings, mentored me, challenged me, and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with them. Some have become strictly colleagues, while some have become very close friends of mine. I've learned so much from them, and they've learned some from me too....I hope. Hahaha! So cheers to the four of you I have in mind; thank you for being there for me and helping me grow not only as a person but as a professional too!

Holly: We have two fictional nurses that we admire, one of which has been with us for a while, and one who has just recently entered our lives. 

Our first shout-out goes to Carol Hathaway, from the show ER.  I personally love Carol because although she is really good at what she does, she has a big heart for her patients and their families, which sometimes gets her into trouble.  One of my favorite episodes, and the last one to feature her as a show regular, involves a woman with end stage cancer. Carol violates her DNR order, just so her two young daughters can say goodbye.  This particular situation causes Carol to evaluate some of her own choices, and in what is quite possibly the most romantic notion ever, she gets on a plane to Seattle, just to find out if Doug still loves her (Guess what? He still does, and they live happily ever after!) 

And secondly, we would like to honor none other than Abigail Morgan. We met Abigail, honestly, just a couple of weeks ago; she can be found in the show Forever.  Abigail was the wife of Henry, the show's main protagonist, and she was an army nurse treating prisoners of concentration camps during WWII.  Unfortunately, her story does not have a happy ending and, without revealing any major plot spoilers, we discovered that Abigail possesses a fierce and loyal love for her family, despite Henry's immortality. And bravery. Oh, was she brave.

So there you have it, folks! Remember to take some time this week (and every week!!) to thank the nurses in your lives! They do a lot :) 

As for me, I'm pretty stinking proud of this "real" nurse on the right of me :) 

The Christian Music Industry: The Grrs and the Greats

Holly: Just in case you didn't get any recent memos, we're pretty into music.  Or, more specifically, Christian music. Duh. I think we first sort of really got into it after attending ICHTHUS for the first time. Kelly will mention it later, but if you don't know what that is, you should educate yourself: it's glorified worshipful insanity at its absolute best. Since getting out on our own, we've also had the great fortune of attending quite a few Christian concerts, and I've noticed several very positive attributes and trends towards them. First off, the ticket prices are very affordable. Example 1: we attended a K-LOVE sponsored Christmas concert (where yours truly finally got to meet the one and only Jeremy Camp, a long sought-after dream of mine since about the tender age of 14), and it was $28 for him and three other artists.  It cost us $25 to see Matt Maher and I Am They last week, and it was $10 for Winter Jam last month.  We saw for KING & COUNTRY in Winchester on the 4th and it didn't cost us a penny!! DID I STUTTER? Plus, everyone else who performed at the Christmas concert stayed afterwards to talk to fans. Which brings me to my next point: Every single concert we've attended, someone has stayed afterwards. Did you hear that? Every. Single. Concert. It's awesome! Do you really see that anywhere else? I'm willing to bet not.

He was really nice, and he gave me a hug :) 

We found out (while attending Winter Jam, actually), that the Eagles were going to be in Lexington in July. We thought it'd be a fun surprise for our folks, so we looked up tickets.  Imagine our surprise when we found it was going to cost us, for the worst possible seats, a pretty $185!!! Say. What?! Actually, while writing this, we checked prices again: anywhere from $188- $426. You have GOT to be kidding me! And with the experiences and moments we've had at our shows...you can't put a price on those, especially to the tune of three flipping figures!

Kelly: I generally find the Christian music industry very appealing. We have been blessed to have attended several concerts over the years which have been super amazing! Case and point, ICHTHUS. If you don't know what that is, you should definitely get into that; it's a weekend of music, speakers and camping! It will change your life. However, it's frustrating when I'm listening to the radio driving to work and I hear one song then turn it back on driving home and hear the exact same song again. One time I was driving to and from Richmond in a span of about 4 hours in between being in and out of the car and I heard one song three times. Really? Is that how it works? Yet I remember hearing a few songs that I only heard once or twice and was like "hey, what happened to that song?" I'm the first to admit that I have no idea how radio stations pick their music, but perhaps maybe a little bit of variety every now and then would be nice. Most of the time I find myself getting bored with the same selections that I hear over and over and over.

I've also found that I'm not alone in my thoughts of this as well. To be fair though, that's why I have a lot of my own saved on Spotify, Pandora or my iPod. Yet sometimes I even find my selections a bit redundant. On the flip side, there is some AWESOME Christian music out there!!!! I find myself sometimes when I'm listening to a certain song, it just gets me at the right time and I just find myself totally immersed in the presence of God. I just have to stop whatever I'm doing and just worship. Still I have songs I hear that give me goosebumps. There's so much power in that, and I can't describe it any other way. And that's all I have to say about that. I love Jesus music, but I think it's important to remember to love Him before the music.

The first time we met Joel :) 

Choosing to choose

Kelly: Sometimes I take mini social media breaks. It's good for my health, hence I threw in the "internet safety" label in this post, the safety being for me. It seems like every day I see more and more negativity posted, and I'm kind of at my breaking point. I've had enough, so I don't feed into it anymore. It just makes me wonder about the choices we make, I make in my day-to-day life. And lately it seems like poor choices are glorified more often than good ones. I think we actually wrote about something similar to this, and the question we posed was why is it bad to be good? Anyway, I'm digressing a bit, but I want to share a small tidbit of something from my nursing school days.

I was working with a nurse and she had been working at her current job for a while. I asked her if she enjoyed it and she said she had always wanted to work with kids but felt "stuck" doing what she was doing. I asked why she not pursue working with kids; she didn't answer. The way I see it is this; we are all victims to stuff happening, good stuff or bad stuff. We can choose to be victims of the bad stuff and we can choose to display all the good stuff every day, multiple times a day. Or we can choose to have a bit of modesty, ask God to help during the bad stuff and praise Him for the good, instead of spraying it all over social media like a hay-wire sprinkler. On our birthday, which was just this past Thursday, I posted a selfie and mentioned I was going to get ready for some fun. 46 likes on Facebook. A while ago I posted something about reading the Bible and how much it meant to me. 2 likes, maybe 3. Choices, there is such power in them. We can choose what grabs our attention, and it can influence us in good ways or not. As for me, I'm more conscientious over what I post on social media and ask myself  "do all my friends/followers really need or want to see this?" or "is this going to encourage them and make them happy?" Am I glorifying my Maker or something else? Choices, like I said, it's a power we have, free will. Choose wisely though.

Holly: "If you're free to choose, then you're free to accept the consequences of your choice. Be wise in making decisions & responsible in owning them." 

The above is a retweet from Tony Nolan's 18-year-old daughter Christy.  Talk about wisdom beyond your years! I think this tweet sums up perfectly general decision making, whether they're good decisions or not-so-good ones.  I do agree with Kelly in that poor decisions do seem to be encouraged and praised more than good ones...here's our thoughts on why it's "bad to be good."  While we're at it, here's our thoughts on selfies and other social media stuff. 

I've recently adopted a philosophy that if you don't like something in your life, then change it.  I read a lot of stuff on Facebook about how person X hates their job, person X hates where they live, person X is just pissed off for no reason, really, person X has a co-worker/roommate/significant other/friend that drives them crazy/makes them mad...I don't really need to go on.  Trust me, I know what it's like to not be happy with your current circumstances.  But I believe life is too short and too much of a gift for it to be spent being miserable or otherwise unhappy, and I don't understand why anyone would want to live that way.  Is it really easier living in your own unhappiness/drama than deciding to take the time to try and change that one thing or things? What makes these situations worse is enablers, or others who just feed into it.  Allow me to give an example (bear in mind this is just an example; Kelly is quite happy and content with life right now): 

Kelly: Angsty status about general life unhappiness/work drama/traffic jams.
me: Oh sis, you must be irate right now.  They all suck anyway! 

All right, I think ya get the idea, because you've probably seen it at some point or another.  I don't have a valuable solution for stopping enablers/negativity, so I just choose to ignore it and do my best to spread my joy in my little social media circle.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.  I read somewhere that life is 10% what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it.  How will your circumstances and attitude influence the choices you make? How will YOU choose to choose?  

Jesus and NUMB3RS

Holly: About four and a half years ago (ish) I came across a Facebook note I wrote after I watched one of my favorite episodes of ER.  I tied in the plight of the episode to that of Christ's sacrifice on the cross.  You can read the whole thing here...and if you can't for some reason...well, sorry about your luck :P

Fast forward to last night.  I still binge on ER every now and then, but last night I was watching another one of my favorites, NUMB3RS.  Kelly and I have mentioned it on here a few times.  I was watching one of my favorites, "Friendly Fire", and again, I couldn't help but notice a parallel between my faith and this show that I really enjoy.  I jotted this down not long after.  Every day I'm learning that God really is in all things :) Enjoy, and happy Easter!


Good Friday, 2015.  Sometimes it’s hard for me to see the “good” in it.  This is the day that Christ gave up His life.  To sit and watch Christ die a most terrible death is something I don’t think I’ll ever be able to wrap my head around.  So much heartbreak.  Thank goodness that this particular story has a happy ending!  I am so thankful that because of Jesus, death doesn’t have the last word! 

I think so many of us, myself included, forget that Jesus walked this earth as a human.  He was human! I think there’s such a strong sense of fragility and vulnerability in this.  I was reminded of just that- the fragility of being human- this evening, while watching one of my favorite episodes of Numb3rs.  I think I’ve seen it half a dozen times by now.  A longtime mentor of Don’s, Fox, is under suspicion after a bank robbery that ends up with two federal agent fatalities.  Don backs him and defends him 100%...until the end, when the data Charlie has drawn up becomes too overwhelming to ignore- things are stacking up against Fox, and definitely not for the better.  In a stand-off between Don and Fox, Fox’s true colors come forth and the complete truth behind the robbery is revealed.  For the first time in years, we see Don’s guard drop and his coming to grips with reality- is someone he’s looked up to for so long really capable of such things?  As Fox reloads his firearm, he says that he can’t and won’t go down for this, this that would most assuredly end his career as he knew it, and he would rather take matters into his own hands than allow Don to turn him in.  I won’t reveal what happens next, but let me just say that it destroys Don (And me too!).  The armor finally cracks.  For five seasons we’ve seen Don shouldering the weight of his team stoically and effectively, burying any and all emotion for the sake of justice and doing his job.  But the end of this particular episode, maybe the last 5-10 minutes, it really does something to me.  It’s so powerful, yet there’s a moment subtle enough to miss if you’re not paying attention.  It’s a heart-wrenching reminder that we are human.  We fall.  We break.  We are rattled and moved by events in our lives and sometimes there isn’t anything else to do but let our guard down.  That moment just stops my heart.

The truth is that we are broken people, much like Don at the end of “Friendly Fire”.  We are not immune to tragedies that may occur in our lives, and we are not immune to how we may deal with said tragedies.  However, I’m thankful that I can run to God when life becomes too much.   I’m thankful that He understands the humanity within us.  He knows!  There are plenty of circumstances in this world that warrant apologies, but you should never have to apologize for being human.  Like I said, God understands, and He can handle it.  Newsflash: No one expects you to hold it together all the time.  I need that reminder often.  And that includes you too, Don!  (Anyone else felt like giving him a hug at the end there, or was it just me?)