H and K: In case you haven't heard, seen, or read lately, the world is going a little bit crazy. Ok...it's straight up lost its mind. We're all holding our breath until November, wondering what dubious schemes or outlandish comments our incumbent presidential candidates will throw out next. We grieve with complete strangers as yet another story breaks the news of a shooting. We think of our Christian brothers and sisters in the Middle East and their constant living in terror and fear of persecution.
The worlds within our own four walls seem to be going crazy too. We pray for our friends who are dealing with death, loss, sickness, hopelessness, uncertainty, We pray for our own family as we deal with aging grandparents and the roller coaster rides that come with that. We pray for each other as we walk through this (hopefully soon ending) season of waiting and anticipation. We recently passed another anniversary of the loss of a dear friend.
Life just seems to be hard right now. We're willing to bet that some of you wonder if God is even really there, if He's even listening at all.
He is.
And for us, He's lightened the heaviness in our hearts by providing us peace when we wouldn't normally have had it. But more than that, He has put some amazingly supportive and kind friends into our lives, many just this year. When we moved to Richmond almost a year ago (whaaat??), for a time we both struggled with loneliness; even though Richmond is only 15 minutes away from Berea, we didn't have any friends close by anymore, and that was hard. It was just within a few months of moving that we re-reconnected (we never really lost touch but life had us all in different directions for a while) with some friends of ours, and now they and their three "kids" have warmed their way back into our hearts and lives again. Some of our fondest memories of 2016 have involved them and we are just so, so thankful, for that and for the future. The story is kind of serendipitous, in a way...it's how Holly met Justin. :) And then we've made a new friend who lives in Richmond (yay!!!), she's so bubbly and fun-spirited and full of life and Jesus and we just love spending time with her.
And there are others...so, so many others, who have sent us cards for no reason, who have sent us texts just to say they were thinking of us, who have stopped by the house with little "just because" gifts, who have embraced us with so many hugs, prayers, lunch dates, and kind words that sometimes we believe it's so much more than what we deserve.
For me (Holly), I believe that God sometimes manifests Himself through the people He has put in our lives. Think about it: The closeness we feel when we are with those we love. That one word, affirmation, or piece of advice/wisdom from a friend, right when you need it. When your friend or loved one finally reveals that their long-time struggle is over, and you can directly remember praying over that same struggle. Just think about it.
The truth is that we need each other. Plain and simple. The way we interact with those around us...well, it sets an example. It shines the light of Jesus into a world that seems to be plunging deeper into darkness. Being kind or loving those in our lives certainly isn't going to change the world or stop all the violence and nonsense taking place. But it will help make our corner of the world a little brighter. Worry less. Complain less. Compare less. Pray more. Thank more. Practice gratitude more. Encourage more. Love more. Our spirits have been lifted by the company we keep. What can you do to uplift those in your life, even if everything seems to be going fine for them? How can you encourage someone this week?
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. -1 John 3:18
Showing posts with label blessings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blessings. Show all posts
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Sunday, March 9, 2014
God Moments: part 3
Kelly: Today's post is very different from our other ones with this title. In light of recent events, we felt it would be appropriate to share a very near and dear God moment we have both had the wonder of experiencing.
The Family That Became
In February of 2009, I, along with Holly, joined the church choir at Berea Baptist church. This process took a series of arm twistings by some friends of ours who were already in it. I remember we were eating dinner and these two friends came up to us and said "Holly and Kelly, you're coming to church choir with us." So we reluctantly came, joined, met some of the members and the rest is history. My oh my how 5 years seems to pass so very quickly. I walked into a church I had barely gone to, sat down, met some people and now am honored and so very blessed to be a part of this every other Tuesday (God's calling at my job keeps me away from time to time but it is all well and understood).
As I posted on my Facebook just recently, to be a part of something that not only changes other people's lives but continues to change mine Sunday after Sunday. It is a blessing, an honor and a privilege to worship God the most high with countless others who love Him too. That's it. I really don't have anything else to say. It's all been said before.
Holly: I remember not even 2 weeks after we had joined we went on a choir retreat to Gatlinburg. As I was literally dragging my stuff up the street from my dorm to church, I was thinking something like: I must be out of my mind. Here I am, I JUST joined this choir, and now I'm going to spend the weekend with all these crazy people, none of whom I really know save a few, on a bus for 3 hours there and back, in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, way up in the mountains, it's freezing, I have all this homework to do, I don't want to do this.
I wish I could travel back in time and smack myself across the face. I'll save all the details, stories, testimonies, etc, but I will say that I will never, ever forget that weekend. Ever.
I had no intention of staying with this choir for five years, but alas, God's intentions are greater than my own. This choir is a part of my life now. It's my family. We're family. We are all part of something that is more beautiful and bigger than we ever will be. I can't speak for everyone, but it's made me better because of it. I count myself incredibly blessed to be a part of this body of believers. God has done amazing things with us, and I wouldn't change any part of it for the world. I thank God every week for this ministry and I sincerely pray it continues to change lives as much as it has changed mine.
The Family That Became
In February of 2009, I, along with Holly, joined the church choir at Berea Baptist church. This process took a series of arm twistings by some friends of ours who were already in it. I remember we were eating dinner and these two friends came up to us and said "Holly and Kelly, you're coming to church choir with us." So we reluctantly came, joined, met some of the members and the rest is history. My oh my how 5 years seems to pass so very quickly. I walked into a church I had barely gone to, sat down, met some people and now am honored and so very blessed to be a part of this every other Tuesday (God's calling at my job keeps me away from time to time but it is all well and understood).
As I posted on my Facebook just recently, to be a part of something that not only changes other people's lives but continues to change mine Sunday after Sunday. It is a blessing, an honor and a privilege to worship God the most high with countless others who love Him too. That's it. I really don't have anything else to say. It's all been said before.
Holly: I remember not even 2 weeks after we had joined we went on a choir retreat to Gatlinburg. As I was literally dragging my stuff up the street from my dorm to church, I was thinking something like: I must be out of my mind. Here I am, I JUST joined this choir, and now I'm going to spend the weekend with all these crazy people, none of whom I really know save a few, on a bus for 3 hours there and back, in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, way up in the mountains, it's freezing, I have all this homework to do, I don't want to do this.
I wish I could travel back in time and smack myself across the face. I'll save all the details, stories, testimonies, etc, but I will say that I will never, ever forget that weekend. Ever.
I had no intention of staying with this choir for five years, but alas, God's intentions are greater than my own. This choir is a part of my life now. It's my family. We're family. We are all part of something that is more beautiful and bigger than we ever will be. I can't speak for everyone, but it's made me better because of it. I count myself incredibly blessed to be a part of this body of believers. God has done amazing things with us, and I wouldn't change any part of it for the world. I thank God every week for this ministry and I sincerely pray it continues to change lives as much as it has changed mine.
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| Easter 2013- combined program with First Baptist London |
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| Easter 2013- we look sleepy :) |
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| The retreat that started it all |
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| Choir picnic (I believe this would have been spring 2009...?) |
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| Corn Maze- fall 2010 |
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Family Matters
Holly: I fail to be clever on demand. Sorry. This week has taken forever and it STILL isn't Friday. haha.
Our parents came to visit us this past weekend. We only get to see them a few times out of the year now, and they usually have to come to us. They're both retired, so they have the flexibility that they so need after both working 30+ years in their respective fields. After they leave I always miss them. But this time was different. I was left thinking about the relationship between kids and parents nowadays. I have a great relationship with my parents and my family in general. Yet I know so many of my friends who don't. Some of my friends haven't spoken to their parents in years. Some of my friends don't know their mom or dad. Some of my friends don't even know how to fit in with their own family. That makes me really sad.
The friends I do have who are still in contact with their folks don't have many good things to say about them. Most of the time they say they're not supportive, or they shoot down their dreams. Which makes me even MORE sad. This is a glimpse of what we had growing up: We were never given everything we wanted, we always had to work for it (I'll let Kelly share a story about that). There was always a home cooked meal, and if Mom or Dad made something and we weren't sure about it, we had to try one bite. If we didn't like it we didn't have to eat it. Mom and Dad weren't afraid to show their affection in front of us kids (although it grossed us out at times! haha). They told us they loved us and they told us often. They've ALWAYS supported Kelly and I, and tell us they're proud of us, and tell us often. My mom has bailed me out (mostly financially) more times than I care to admit. If something awesome happens in my life, Mom is the first person I tell! My Dad is so goofy; I get my silliness from him, for sure. In my 23 years of life, I have never felt not loved, not supported by my parents. In fact, I think I've grown closer to my folks since being on my own. Yeah, they're not perfect, and in their almost 32 years of marriage and 3 grown kids later, there's been issues, of course. But I love them so much and I'm proud of where I come from. I hope that if I ever have kids I can be half the parents mine are.
Kelly: I always remember when I was growing up that we weren't "spoiled" by any means. We didn't have everything we wanted, but we weren't skimped out and we got by. We weren't filthy rich but we weren't dirt poor either. My parents valued working hard for what you had, and they definitely passed that onto us. As kids, Mom would get us something (usually a season of Smallville) and instead of giving it to us we had to work for it. This usually meant cleaning our room (and not just throwing everything in the closet...I mean HOURS of cleaning) or practicing our instruments when were were in our band years. And I'll admit; we were good kids because we had good parents. Sure us 3 kids fought, but to my knowledge it was never anything physical. We never laid our hands on ANYONE because Mom and Dad never laid their hands on each other or on us as punishment. Yes, you heard me; none of us were ever spanked. Now I'm not against spanking, but I do think that people can take it too far. We were never grounded, snuck out of the house, ran away from home or endured any of the classic "teenage rebellion." Why? Well A, we had nowhere to go and B, we learned very early in life that it's just not ok to run away from your problems or blame someone else for something you did. When the time came for us to go to college, mom and dad always said that we had the choice to go wherever we wanted and that they would help us provide the financial means as best as they could. Again, we weren't skimped out. And we were honest and real with one another; we could all talk to each other about EVERYTHING. We didn't get our driver's licenses until we were 19 years old, because Holly and I told our parents at 16 that we did not feel comfortable or mature enough to operate a car. At Christmas time, we were always at our house together; now if family or friends wanted to join us they were always welcome to do so.
How I've been raised has allowed me to reflect on how I want to raise my own children, should I ever get to that point. My future children, like I was, will learn to respect authority, all authority. I want them to be responsible, accountable for their own actions and want them to do not only what is right within them but what is right in God's eyes as well. I want my children to march to the beat of their own drums and to not necessarily do what is "normal" or "easy" or "in." I want to be a parent, but I also want to be a friend. I'm just thankful for the family I had, and still do have, because I know that one day we will all depart this Earth. Be thankful for your family; whatever your definition of family is.
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| Little twins. We're 7 in this picture :) |
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| Holly, our brother Kip and me. Family friend did a photo shoot of us kids. |
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| Holly's graduation, May 2012 |
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| Our wonderful parents! :) |
Sunday, August 18, 2013
What we are thankful for.
Kelly: In Sunday School this morning, at the end of our class, we were asked to write down some things that we are currently thankful for. This is what we both wrote (mine's short because we ran out of time). I have more and MANY more things that I am so thankful for, but this is just what I wrote down:
*God, *My Bible, *Family, *Friends, *my relationship with Christ, *church, *my job, *my co-workers, *my house, *my health, *my cats, *my car, *love, *food, *my church family, *open-mindedness, *cleanliness, *my phone, *my patients I care for, *hope in Christ, *joy, *being positive, *optimism, *perseverance, *healing, *grace.
Holly: I actually managed to write down 30 things, although there could have been so many more. I just wrote these as they came to me. Blessings are all around! Take the time to seek them out and enjoy them! :)
*God *my relationship with Christ *my relationship with Kelly *family, Mom and Dad *my friends *my job at UK *my job at Old Navy *Yoda and Wiley *my car *my apartment *the power of music *coffee *Berea Baptist Church *church choir *my Berea support network *H and K Chronicles *sharing life with people *the hard times in my life *the power of prayer *reading *Lord of the Rings *sleep *nature *clothes I love and feel good in *the Bible and how it speaks to me *love *joy *laughter *my personality and enthusiasm *our Europe trip in 2 years
*God, *My Bible, *Family, *Friends, *my relationship with Christ, *church, *my job, *my co-workers, *my house, *my health, *my cats, *my car, *love, *food, *my church family, *open-mindedness, *cleanliness, *my phone, *my patients I care for, *hope in Christ, *joy, *being positive, *optimism, *perseverance, *healing, *grace.
Holly: I actually managed to write down 30 things, although there could have been so many more. I just wrote these as they came to me. Blessings are all around! Take the time to seek them out and enjoy them! :)
*God *my relationship with Christ *my relationship with Kelly *family, Mom and Dad *my friends *my job at UK *my job at Old Navy *Yoda and Wiley *my car *my apartment *the power of music *coffee *Berea Baptist Church *church choir *my Berea support network *H and K Chronicles *sharing life with people *the hard times in my life *the power of prayer *reading *Lord of the Rings *sleep *nature *clothes I love and feel good in *the Bible and how it speaks to me *love *joy *laughter *my personality and enthusiasm *our Europe trip in 2 years
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Car Talk
Kelly: Today Holly and I were talking about this past week and what has gone on. These conversations occurred driving home from church as we headed out to dog sit for a couple from church who were out of town this weekend. Anyway, this past week has had a few bumps for me. On Tuesday as I was heading out the door to church choir, I received a phone call I was not expecting. To make a long story short, because of some nursing skills I had failed to not complete yet (the day I originally intended to complete them I was sick. Boo), I was pulled out of clinicals until I completed them. (I'm completing them this week and will be returning on site this Thursday.) Anyway, this news upset me. I became angry, threw my phone, said a few choice words, cried a little, but still went to church choir like nothing happened. Prayed a lot to God that night, cried myself to sleep that night, was questioning why this was happening. I woke up Wednesday morning, eyes sore and not ready to face what was coming. But by the end of the day, my mindset had completely changed. Funny how that works, isn't it?
As I continue my walk with the Lord, one of my hang-ups I'm still trying to work on is control. I tend to let myself get out of control when things...don't really go as planned. I was talking to Holly about this regarding what happened Tuesday evening. I told her now that that has happened I realized that now I acted and said things that did not reflect that God is in control. Yet I have the audacity to claim that I follow a God who controls my life and everything about it, yet I let myself go out of control when something I wasn't expecting happens. Then I think....well I shouldn't have done that or said what I did. Smack. But as we continued to talk, we both came to a realization. These things happen. A few bumps are going to happen. God allows these things to happen and it's up to us to figure out what to do. He gives us the freedom to choose whether or not to scream, cry, throw things or to lift up our hands and say "God, take it. I'm giving it to you because I don't want to depend on anyone but you." I'll admit; sometimes it's hard to make that choice because I think in the moment we WANT to be angry, hurt, frustrated, upset, or sad. And I'm not saying that's bad. But I think that if we continue to let those feelings grow and hold them in, then that becomes bad.
I'll close with this; today Pastor Kevin talked about the two greatest commandments in the Bible (Matthew 22:37-40 for an FYI). We are to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. Something that he said....just put everything into a new lens to look at. "You can fail at your education. You can fail at your business. You can fail at your financial goals. But if you love God with all that you are and love your neighbor as yourself, then you have done what you have been called on Earth to do." Or something close to that. All I can say is sometimes things happen that we don't expect. But if we claim to carry the name Christ, we can't let the love and joy He's given us ruin that! It's something I'm trying to work on. Challenge accepted.
Holly: One of the big questions that was asked was "Do you ever feel like a failure?" I think, without even hesitating, Kelly and I answered "Yes". Because, from the outside looking in, I'm not accomplishing much with my life. I'm almost a year out of graduating from Berea. The longest I've held a job (to date) is six months. Since losing that job I have yet to find another job that has anything to do with my major (Biology, for those of you living under a rock). That was in November of 2012. It is now almost March of 2013. So what am I doing now? I work at Old Navy. I'm lucky to get three shifts a week. Yep, this Biology major graduate from Berea College is working in retail. Folks, I have to admit that in more instances than I care to admit, sometimes I drive up and I wonder aloud "What in the WORLD am I doing? Why am I doing this with my life? How has my life ended up in this way?"
But there is so much more to life than this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And today reminded me of that.
Honestly, my life have gone in directions that I couldn't have even anticipated, and yet, I finally feel like things are coming together. I sincerely do my best to share love with others; be accepting instead of refuting, laughing with my co-workers who come from such different walks of life than I do, offering a smile to a stranger. And God has been way too good to me to not love Him! It's God. It's all God! And I'm doing my best to have faith in Him and to trust in Him despite my circumstances. I'm not saying that all days are cake, but it definitely does change my perspective on the way I view hardships and things that come my way.
I know some of you out there are questioning as to whether your life has meaning, purpose. Let me close with this: Toward the end of the message this morning, Kevin said that you are either good soil or bad soil; meaning: Has your walk with Christ changed because of someone you know, and vice versa? Please know that I GUARANTEE that you have influenced my life in one way or another, and I just wanted to say thank you. I sincerely pray that I will influence someone's life just by me being in it. It's time for our society to be selfLESS, not selfISH. :)
As I continue my walk with the Lord, one of my hang-ups I'm still trying to work on is control. I tend to let myself get out of control when things...don't really go as planned. I was talking to Holly about this regarding what happened Tuesday evening. I told her now that that has happened I realized that now I acted and said things that did not reflect that God is in control. Yet I have the audacity to claim that I follow a God who controls my life and everything about it, yet I let myself go out of control when something I wasn't expecting happens. Then I think....well I shouldn't have done that or said what I did. Smack. But as we continued to talk, we both came to a realization. These things happen. A few bumps are going to happen. God allows these things to happen and it's up to us to figure out what to do. He gives us the freedom to choose whether or not to scream, cry, throw things or to lift up our hands and say "God, take it. I'm giving it to you because I don't want to depend on anyone but you." I'll admit; sometimes it's hard to make that choice because I think in the moment we WANT to be angry, hurt, frustrated, upset, or sad. And I'm not saying that's bad. But I think that if we continue to let those feelings grow and hold them in, then that becomes bad.
I'll close with this; today Pastor Kevin talked about the two greatest commandments in the Bible (Matthew 22:37-40 for an FYI). We are to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. Something that he said....just put everything into a new lens to look at. "You can fail at your education. You can fail at your business. You can fail at your financial goals. But if you love God with all that you are and love your neighbor as yourself, then you have done what you have been called on Earth to do." Or something close to that. All I can say is sometimes things happen that we don't expect. But if we claim to carry the name Christ, we can't let the love and joy He's given us ruin that! It's something I'm trying to work on. Challenge accepted.
Holly: One of the big questions that was asked was "Do you ever feel like a failure?" I think, without even hesitating, Kelly and I answered "Yes". Because, from the outside looking in, I'm not accomplishing much with my life. I'm almost a year out of graduating from Berea. The longest I've held a job (to date) is six months. Since losing that job I have yet to find another job that has anything to do with my major (Biology, for those of you living under a rock). That was in November of 2012. It is now almost March of 2013. So what am I doing now? I work at Old Navy. I'm lucky to get three shifts a week. Yep, this Biology major graduate from Berea College is working in retail. Folks, I have to admit that in more instances than I care to admit, sometimes I drive up and I wonder aloud "What in the WORLD am I doing? Why am I doing this with my life? How has my life ended up in this way?"
But there is so much more to life than this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And today reminded me of that.
Honestly, my life have gone in directions that I couldn't have even anticipated, and yet, I finally feel like things are coming together. I sincerely do my best to share love with others; be accepting instead of refuting, laughing with my co-workers who come from such different walks of life than I do, offering a smile to a stranger. And God has been way too good to me to not love Him! It's God. It's all God! And I'm doing my best to have faith in Him and to trust in Him despite my circumstances. I'm not saying that all days are cake, but it definitely does change my perspective on the way I view hardships and things that come my way.
I know some of you out there are questioning as to whether your life has meaning, purpose. Let me close with this: Toward the end of the message this morning, Kevin said that you are either good soil or bad soil; meaning: Has your walk with Christ changed because of someone you know, and vice versa? Please know that I GUARANTEE that you have influenced my life in one way or another, and I just wanted to say thank you. I sincerely pray that I will influence someone's life just by me being in it. It's time for our society to be selfLESS, not selfISH. :)
Monday, December 31, 2012
"Enjoy the journey of life and not just the endgame." -2012 in review
Kelly: Great quote by a great individual. Starting tomorrow is 2013. WOW!!! It is amazing to me how fast this year has gone by! So many wonderful blessings have been achieved by this year that I can't even begin to comprehend. Moving into our own place, falling in love with 2 of the greatest kitty cats in the world (just a bit biased), getting introduced to Sherlock and LOTR, and for me, being one more semester closer to graduating with a BSN degree!!!!! May 5 is the day! Almost four months to go.
Now normally, next would follow a list of cookie-cutter resolutions, such as I want to lose weight, get closer to God, save my money, etc. I'm not doing that for 2013. I have resolved to not make any resolutions. Instead of resolving, I am going to ENJOY. Enjoy what God has given to me, how He has blessed me and I am going to enjoy growing in Him more as a follower instead of merely a fan. I'm going to enjoy being healthier, because I am healthier, but I'm going to enjoy a treat every now and then and not feel guilty about it. I'm going to enjoy my last semester as an undergraduate and not just seek the end result which is to walk across a stage for 10 seconds, shake Dr. Roelof's hand and have him give me my degree. No. I'm going to do my best to enjoy my last semester and take advantage of every opportunity to be joyful and to thank God for His joy that comes through knowing Him.
I'm ready. I'm ready for what 2013 has in store for me. Though I'm not entirely sure what it will bring, I am prepared for whatever may come my way, good or bad. If the good comes, I will do my best to give credit where it is due. If bad comes my way, I will do my best to not run from the situation but instead face it and rely on God and my own strength to get through it. I refuse to be stagnant, go through the motions and blame others for my own wrong doings. I will be responsible for my words and my actions. But most importantly I will continue to grow as the daughter in Christ I am destined to be. How will I do that? I don't know yet, but He knows. And I have resolved to give everything to Him. Ready or not 2013, here I come!
Holly: We have come to the end of another year. I think this one has gone faster than any I can remember in a long time. When I started out the year I was still in school. Since then I've graduated, gotten my degree, bid "see you later" to some pretty amazing people, moved out on my own, had a couple "real" jobs.
I did note some resolutions at the beginning of the year. I honestly don't remember them (all except 1...ask me about it, it will give you a good laugh! lol). I could do that now, but like Kelly, I'm not going to. Instead, like her, I'm going to enjoy LIFE!!! I'm going to smile, laugh, cry, be enthralled, swept away, mesmerized, scared, worried. I'm going to make time for my friends, both near and far. Saying "please", "thank you", and "I love you" go SO far! There are people in my life who have inspired me, challenged me, in numerous ways...I want to tell them! I'm going to read an ACTUAL book! Or several, Lord willing. I'm going to thank God every day for what I have and ask for His mercy to shower those who are not as fortunate as I am. I'm going to wait with bated breath for the return of Sherlock and our first glimpse at Smaug. I have several potential job opportunities awaiting me even as I type this; I'm going to get my bearings, investigate, and move forward, always seeking God's will. I don't know if that includes Old Navy. We will just see. Most importantly, I'm going to do my absolute best to live like Christ.
I honestly don't know what awaits me in 2013. Maybe I'll get a job I could have never imagined...or there's one waiting for me right now and I just don't know it yet. Maybe I'll meet my future husband. Who knows? But I'm 22, I'm still young and eager for life! 2012 was such a great year for me; 2013 can only get better! :)
I hope that all of you who read this are able to look back at 2012 with smiles, laughter, and even perhaps a few tears. In 2013 I hope that if you are weak, you will look to those you love for strength. I hope that if you are weary, tired, that you will get rest. I hope that if you have been in the despairing shadow of unemployment, opportunity will come. I hope that if you have been faced with some difficult circumstances, that you will summon your inner strength to accept them with grace and move on.
Be safe, everyone. Thank you for an amazing year. See you all when the ball drops. :)
Now normally, next would follow a list of cookie-cutter resolutions, such as I want to lose weight, get closer to God, save my money, etc. I'm not doing that for 2013. I have resolved to not make any resolutions. Instead of resolving, I am going to ENJOY. Enjoy what God has given to me, how He has blessed me and I am going to enjoy growing in Him more as a follower instead of merely a fan. I'm going to enjoy being healthier, because I am healthier, but I'm going to enjoy a treat every now and then and not feel guilty about it. I'm going to enjoy my last semester as an undergraduate and not just seek the end result which is to walk across a stage for 10 seconds, shake Dr. Roelof's hand and have him give me my degree. No. I'm going to do my best to enjoy my last semester and take advantage of every opportunity to be joyful and to thank God for His joy that comes through knowing Him.
I'm ready. I'm ready for what 2013 has in store for me. Though I'm not entirely sure what it will bring, I am prepared for whatever may come my way, good or bad. If the good comes, I will do my best to give credit where it is due. If bad comes my way, I will do my best to not run from the situation but instead face it and rely on God and my own strength to get through it. I refuse to be stagnant, go through the motions and blame others for my own wrong doings. I will be responsible for my words and my actions. But most importantly I will continue to grow as the daughter in Christ I am destined to be. How will I do that? I don't know yet, but He knows. And I have resolved to give everything to Him. Ready or not 2013, here I come!
Holly: We have come to the end of another year. I think this one has gone faster than any I can remember in a long time. When I started out the year I was still in school. Since then I've graduated, gotten my degree, bid "see you later" to some pretty amazing people, moved out on my own, had a couple "real" jobs.
I did note some resolutions at the beginning of the year. I honestly don't remember them (all except 1...ask me about it, it will give you a good laugh! lol). I could do that now, but like Kelly, I'm not going to. Instead, like her, I'm going to enjoy LIFE!!! I'm going to smile, laugh, cry, be enthralled, swept away, mesmerized, scared, worried. I'm going to make time for my friends, both near and far. Saying "please", "thank you", and "I love you" go SO far! There are people in my life who have inspired me, challenged me, in numerous ways...I want to tell them! I'm going to read an ACTUAL book! Or several, Lord willing. I'm going to thank God every day for what I have and ask for His mercy to shower those who are not as fortunate as I am. I'm going to wait with bated breath for the return of Sherlock and our first glimpse at Smaug. I have several potential job opportunities awaiting me even as I type this; I'm going to get my bearings, investigate, and move forward, always seeking God's will. I don't know if that includes Old Navy. We will just see. Most importantly, I'm going to do my absolute best to live like Christ.
I honestly don't know what awaits me in 2013. Maybe I'll get a job I could have never imagined...or there's one waiting for me right now and I just don't know it yet. Maybe I'll meet my future husband. Who knows? But I'm 22, I'm still young and eager for life! 2012 was such a great year for me; 2013 can only get better! :)
I hope that all of you who read this are able to look back at 2012 with smiles, laughter, and even perhaps a few tears. In 2013 I hope that if you are weak, you will look to those you love for strength. I hope that if you are weary, tired, that you will get rest. I hope that if you have been in the despairing shadow of unemployment, opportunity will come. I hope that if you have been faced with some difficult circumstances, that you will summon your inner strength to accept them with grace and move on.
Be safe, everyone. Thank you for an amazing year. See you all when the ball drops. :)
Thursday, December 27, 2012
The Band Years
Kelly: Maybe it's because it's Christmas. Or maybe it's the fact that I'm graduating college in almost four months. I'm not entirely sure why, but Holly and I have been thinking a lot about our marching band years. We strapped on ridiculously hideous and hot uniforms, piled onto a small school bus and traveled all across the state to football games and/or competitions. And we did this willingly. Every Friday and/or Saturday from the end of August until the beginning of November for 6 years. And we LOVED it.
I remember when I was a little girl, getting dragged to high school football games. I would only go to see the band play. "Mom, I want to be in the band!" I remember seeing the local college at their homecoming parade. "Mom, I want to be in the 110 someday." In 7th grade, Holly and I both had a choice to make. Prior to 7th grade, we had both done gymnastics for a few years. The choice was ours; either continue with gymnastics or quit and pursue marching band. When I look back on it now, I realize that the choice was obvious...since I didn't think I was that good at gymnastics. I was not meant to be a gymnast; I was meant to be a band geek! So many fond and wonderful memories of high school were usually associated with the time I did marching band. The places we traveled to, the conversations we had, the sometimes drama that occurred, the friends I made and the experiences I gathered. Nothing can even hold a candle to what I experienced for those number of years. It's sad to say though, now that I'm in college I don't think about band as often as I used to; I haven't picked up my clarinet in almost four years. I'm not even sure I'd remember how to play it. As I look it's still sitting in its case behind my bed. It's not that I've forgotten about band, but I'm sad to say that that part of my life is over and has been for quite some time now. But I have not nor will not forget all that I did and the wonderful fun times I had. When I graduate in May, I'm writing something very special on my hat that I have carried with me.
"DO IT!"
Holly: We managed to summarize six years of insanity into a navy blue three-inch binder, packed with programs from competitions, our show music, pictures, random fliers, etc. We call it our band book. It's in our pile of stuff that's going back with us to Berea.
We endured horrendously hot uniforms, unflattering polos that were at least two sizes too large, uncomfortable shoes that were at least a size too small; shoes that felt every crack, crevice, stone, and grass. We waited on "the band guy" whenever there was a ding, scratch, or missing key in our instruments (I particularly relied on him after I literally fell on my flute.....THAT'S another story! lol). We heard the Mountain Dew story about 15 times. The crazy weeks at band camp, staying up way too late and doing stuff that need not leave the walls of the dorms. Blistering sun, pouring rain, snow, hail, freezing cold...sometimes all in the same day (Riverview, anybody???). A concession was deemed good if it had something other than hot dogs and burgers (Cowtails, large dill pickles, and Sour Skittles were our favorites). If your throat wasn't sore and raw by the end of a competition night, be it from screaming or laughing, you weren't doing it right. We bagged on Waterford all the time. Our leadership meeting senior year wasn't much of a meeting...it was comprehending how in the world we were going to carry on our Fed Hock band legacy without our "Big Papa" and his tent. It was at a football game in Belpre my junior year when I found out that one of my best guy friends liked me back. We met our best friend through band; almost 10 years later, we're still friends. The small door of the RCA Dome in Indianapolis opened for the first time as we stepped onto the field for our pre-show at Bands of America Grand Nationals, and all of us wondered how we ended up there. That dang dog whistle will forever be the bane of my existence.
I don't really know how to close all of this, other than the fact that the stories we could tell would go on for years on end, and the memories will last even longer.
I remember when I was a little girl, getting dragged to high school football games. I would only go to see the band play. "Mom, I want to be in the band!" I remember seeing the local college at their homecoming parade. "Mom, I want to be in the 110 someday." In 7th grade, Holly and I both had a choice to make. Prior to 7th grade, we had both done gymnastics for a few years. The choice was ours; either continue with gymnastics or quit and pursue marching band. When I look back on it now, I realize that the choice was obvious...since I didn't think I was that good at gymnastics. I was not meant to be a gymnast; I was meant to be a band geek! So many fond and wonderful memories of high school were usually associated with the time I did marching band. The places we traveled to, the conversations we had, the sometimes drama that occurred, the friends I made and the experiences I gathered. Nothing can even hold a candle to what I experienced for those number of years. It's sad to say though, now that I'm in college I don't think about band as often as I used to; I haven't picked up my clarinet in almost four years. I'm not even sure I'd remember how to play it. As I look it's still sitting in its case behind my bed. It's not that I've forgotten about band, but I'm sad to say that that part of my life is over and has been for quite some time now. But I have not nor will not forget all that I did and the wonderful fun times I had. When I graduate in May, I'm writing something very special on my hat that I have carried with me.
"DO IT!"
Holly: We managed to summarize six years of insanity into a navy blue three-inch binder, packed with programs from competitions, our show music, pictures, random fliers, etc. We call it our band book. It's in our pile of stuff that's going back with us to Berea.
We endured horrendously hot uniforms, unflattering polos that were at least two sizes too large, uncomfortable shoes that were at least a size too small; shoes that felt every crack, crevice, stone, and grass. We waited on "the band guy" whenever there was a ding, scratch, or missing key in our instruments (I particularly relied on him after I literally fell on my flute.....THAT'S another story! lol). We heard the Mountain Dew story about 15 times. The crazy weeks at band camp, staying up way too late and doing stuff that need not leave the walls of the dorms. Blistering sun, pouring rain, snow, hail, freezing cold...sometimes all in the same day (Riverview, anybody???). A concession was deemed good if it had something other than hot dogs and burgers (Cowtails, large dill pickles, and Sour Skittles were our favorites). If your throat wasn't sore and raw by the end of a competition night, be it from screaming or laughing, you weren't doing it right. We bagged on Waterford all the time. Our leadership meeting senior year wasn't much of a meeting...it was comprehending how in the world we were going to carry on our Fed Hock band legacy without our "Big Papa" and his tent. It was at a football game in Belpre my junior year when I found out that one of my best guy friends liked me back. We met our best friend through band; almost 10 years later, we're still friends. The small door of the RCA Dome in Indianapolis opened for the first time as we stepped onto the field for our pre-show at Bands of America Grand Nationals, and all of us wondered how we ended up there. That dang dog whistle will forever be the bane of my existence.
I don't really know how to close all of this, other than the fact that the stories we could tell would go on for years on end, and the memories will last even longer.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Why we are so excited about The Hobbit (AKA Tomorrow night!!)
Kelly: As you all know, Holly and I entered the Tolkien fandom rather late in life...as in this summer to be exact. This time tomorrow, we will be in Lexington awaiting to see The Hobbit movie at midnight!!! We are SO EXCITED! Now, here's a bit of news as to why we are excited.
*I am in love with the story line. If you haven't yet, PLEASE read the book! I've read it twice! P.S. If you want to borrow it from us let us know as we have a copy. It is such a terrific tail of an unlikely hero who gathers with unlikely friends and goes on an unlikely journey in his life. He doesn't know it at the time, but this journey is pivotal in the life of Bilbo Baggins. I cannot wait to see this pivotal journey on the bigscreen.
* Martin Freeman!!!!!!! Need I say more? I have really enjoyed learning about him more as an actor and from reading interviews he got into the storyline late too, just like us. I encourage you, all of you, to see some of his other work. We particularly like his work in Sherlock, but there are others of his we like too :] (Um...that's a lie. We pretty much like everything he's in. Hi Martin, we're not psycho, we swear. Let's have tea sometime. ~Holly)
* Since we started into the Middle Earth journey so late, we missed out on seeing LOTR on the big screens. In fact, we saw the extended edition DVD's before we even read the books! Never saw them in theaters; we were 13 when Return of the King came out into the theaters. So yeah. This is our first Tolkien trilogy we are seeing on the big screen! And yes we are going to go all out!!! Better late than never, eh?
* If you really pay attention to some common themes, there are some Christian themes. I know!! It's not just about kicking butt, killing orcs and being invaded by dwarves. There's love, friendship, compassion and grace intertwined into the souls of the pages and the lives of the characters! To me it reflects Tolkien's character as well. So yes. This is why I'm excited about it. I hope you all get to enjoy it as much as we will! :]
Holly: FAR OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVER, THE MISTY MOUNTAINS COOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLDDDD!!!!!
Sorry. I'm a bit slap-happy. I'm sure you can figure out why. :D
And I completely agree with all of what Kelly said. Mostly I'm excited because of the experience of Middle Earth in the form of theatrical premieres. We entered this fandom recently and later in life. We weren't the fans who grew up with the books and movies, or had parents who did the same. We didn't even watch the movies and read the books until a few months ago. And we completely missed the Lord of the Rings trilogy and all the hype surrounding it. Now we're going to be getting a little taste of what that's about, and it's pretty exciting. And we get to enjoy it with two of our rockin' awesome friends. And Martin Freeman, of course. He's lovely.
We watched the live stream of the London premiere this afternoon, and during an interview the guy asked Martin Freeman to give a message to all the fans who were watching from all over the world. He said "I dare you to be disappointed." I know I won't be. So many people have waited months, even years, heck, some probably even their whole lives, to see Bilbo Baggins on his grand adventure with the baker's dozen of dwarves come to life on the big screen. For me, the anticipation has been unreal. I'm looking forward to a return trip to Middle Earth. The anticipation is insane, the fandom is going crazy. I'm so ready!
Below are a few pictures I've collected over the last few months. Enjoy.
*I am in love with the story line. If you haven't yet, PLEASE read the book! I've read it twice! P.S. If you want to borrow it from us let us know as we have a copy. It is such a terrific tail of an unlikely hero who gathers with unlikely friends and goes on an unlikely journey in his life. He doesn't know it at the time, but this journey is pivotal in the life of Bilbo Baggins. I cannot wait to see this pivotal journey on the bigscreen.
* Martin Freeman!!!!!!! Need I say more? I have really enjoyed learning about him more as an actor and from reading interviews he got into the storyline late too, just like us. I encourage you, all of you, to see some of his other work. We particularly like his work in Sherlock, but there are others of his we like too :] (Um...that's a lie. We pretty much like everything he's in. Hi Martin, we're not psycho, we swear. Let's have tea sometime. ~Holly)
* Since we started into the Middle Earth journey so late, we missed out on seeing LOTR on the big screens. In fact, we saw the extended edition DVD's before we even read the books! Never saw them in theaters; we were 13 when Return of the King came out into the theaters. So yeah. This is our first Tolkien trilogy we are seeing on the big screen! And yes we are going to go all out!!! Better late than never, eh?
* If you really pay attention to some common themes, there are some Christian themes. I know!! It's not just about kicking butt, killing orcs and being invaded by dwarves. There's love, friendship, compassion and grace intertwined into the souls of the pages and the lives of the characters! To me it reflects Tolkien's character as well. So yes. This is why I'm excited about it. I hope you all get to enjoy it as much as we will! :]
Holly: FAR OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVER, THE MISTY MOUNTAINS COOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLDDDD!!!!!
Sorry. I'm a bit slap-happy. I'm sure you can figure out why. :D
And I completely agree with all of what Kelly said. Mostly I'm excited because of the experience of Middle Earth in the form of theatrical premieres. We entered this fandom recently and later in life. We weren't the fans who grew up with the books and movies, or had parents who did the same. We didn't even watch the movies and read the books until a few months ago. And we completely missed the Lord of the Rings trilogy and all the hype surrounding it. Now we're going to be getting a little taste of what that's about, and it's pretty exciting. And we get to enjoy it with two of our rockin' awesome friends. And Martin Freeman, of course. He's lovely.
We watched the live stream of the London premiere this afternoon, and during an interview the guy asked Martin Freeman to give a message to all the fans who were watching from all over the world. He said "I dare you to be disappointed." I know I won't be. So many people have waited months, even years, heck, some probably even their whole lives, to see Bilbo Baggins on his grand adventure with the baker's dozen of dwarves come to life on the big screen. For me, the anticipation has been unreal. I'm looking forward to a return trip to Middle Earth. The anticipation is insane, the fandom is going crazy. I'm so ready!
Below are a few pictures I've collected over the last few months. Enjoy.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Change thinking to change feelings
Kelly: The last few weeks I have noticed a change in myself. And no, it's not just the 8 pound weight loss. This again is another change for the better. I have been happier. Much happier than I was this time last year. I remember thinking about this time last year; I was so on edge. About everything! The littlest things set me off and it was because I was just so...burned out, stressed out, worn out, worn down, and exhausted. Getting up at 4AM on Tuesdays was extremely draining and it was just go, go, go 24/7. No rest for the weary. And now? I'm not stressed (as much), I'm not tired, and I can't even remember the last time I had a genuinely bad day. What does that even mean anyway, to have a bad day? It's all relative. Anyway, but everyone keeps asking me what my secret is? How did I lose 8 pounds? Why am I so happy and cheerful?
It's GOD.
It was, it has been and it will be. Every morning when I wake up I consciously think in my mind "God, I'm here now. I want you to shine so brightly through me that people notice. I want to have a smile on my face and pass it on." Those thoughts vary daily, but for the most part I start my days with God just changing and transforming my mind. And let me tell you it is AMAZING how good I feel!!!! I smile more, I laugh more and I think positively more. This is also benefiting me because I have more time to PRAISE instead of PLEAD. Not that pleading to God is bad, but I can think of more times when I've said "Dear God, thank you for now" instead of "Dear God just get me through this!" There have been times when some troubles have come my way but I've learned (and am still learning) to just deal with them as they come. And I pray ALL the time "God have Your way in this situation." I don't ask to take it away because we might miss something if we just lock up all our stresses and worries in boxes and pray that they just disappear. I've EMBRACED those challenges and saddled up the courage to face them. Finally. Now bear in mind, these changes I've made have taken many many months of pre-meditating, thinking and praying. But also these changes have come from inside me as well. I've had to pluck up courage from my strength (which comes from God) to just GO. To just go and live, because it is not God's will for me to live in bondage of all that holds me down. And here's something else; words are just words. Make a plan, pray about it, think about it, and follow through.
Holly: But God...
I am speaking from experience, as well as in concordance with Kelly, but every single word she says is true. This way of thinking has completely revolutionized my day-to-day ways of looking at things, situations, bad drivers, work issues, scary bills, crappy attitudes, cats that won't chill out, etc etc etc...But ever since I've taken the focus off of me and MY schedule, and MY current feelings, and all that I have to do for the day, and turning it into "Hey, God, um, thanks for EVERYTHING, I'm not sure what's going to happen today, but I totally trust You," things have just gotten better. By all rights I should be having a conniption fit. I don't have a job in two months, I have student loans to pay off, we're getting zero help from the college in terms of living expenses next semester...there's just a lot stacked against us. I have hardly zero anxiety. Seriously. Because I rest and stand firm in the simple fact of all that God has brought us through, and I strongly believe He will not have brought us to Berea, to here right now, only to just be like, "Well, just kidding." No. That's not the God I serve and love.
The thing about faith, though, is that even though God has more than enough faith for you and me, sometimes we have to have faith in ourselves. I've had lots of conversations with people about how stressed they are, how they're not sure they're going to make it, and they trust God, I can see that....but maybe it's themselves that they don't trust. Let me tell you: there were plenty of times in my last semester of school where I wasn't sure if I was going to pass this one class. I decided to shift my focus on GOODDD, saying, God, you've brought me through four years of school. I'm giving this class to You! I did that, but I also just kept telling myself, Holly, you're going to make it. You are. You have to! You have so many people rooting for you!!
If you haven't been reading a word of this, please read this: YOU. ARE. NOT. ALONE. Someone out there is rooting for you. Someone has faith in you. Please know this. :)
My challenge is this: just try to shift your perspective, the way you think. It takes time, believe me. But it's worth it, I promise. Let us know if you need encouragement, prayer, etc.
"You have to change the way you THINK in order to change the way you FEEL." -Robin Roberts
It's GOD.
It was, it has been and it will be. Every morning when I wake up I consciously think in my mind "God, I'm here now. I want you to shine so brightly through me that people notice. I want to have a smile on my face and pass it on." Those thoughts vary daily, but for the most part I start my days with God just changing and transforming my mind. And let me tell you it is AMAZING how good I feel!!!! I smile more, I laugh more and I think positively more. This is also benefiting me because I have more time to PRAISE instead of PLEAD. Not that pleading to God is bad, but I can think of more times when I've said "Dear God, thank you for now" instead of "Dear God just get me through this!" There have been times when some troubles have come my way but I've learned (and am still learning) to just deal with them as they come. And I pray ALL the time "God have Your way in this situation." I don't ask to take it away because we might miss something if we just lock up all our stresses and worries in boxes and pray that they just disappear. I've EMBRACED those challenges and saddled up the courage to face them. Finally. Now bear in mind, these changes I've made have taken many many months of pre-meditating, thinking and praying. But also these changes have come from inside me as well. I've had to pluck up courage from my strength (which comes from God) to just GO. To just go and live, because it is not God's will for me to live in bondage of all that holds me down. And here's something else; words are just words. Make a plan, pray about it, think about it, and follow through.
Holly: But God...
I am speaking from experience, as well as in concordance with Kelly, but every single word she says is true. This way of thinking has completely revolutionized my day-to-day ways of looking at things, situations, bad drivers, work issues, scary bills, crappy attitudes, cats that won't chill out, etc etc etc...But ever since I've taken the focus off of me and MY schedule, and MY current feelings, and all that I have to do for the day, and turning it into "Hey, God, um, thanks for EVERYTHING, I'm not sure what's going to happen today, but I totally trust You," things have just gotten better. By all rights I should be having a conniption fit. I don't have a job in two months, I have student loans to pay off, we're getting zero help from the college in terms of living expenses next semester...there's just a lot stacked against us. I have hardly zero anxiety. Seriously. Because I rest and stand firm in the simple fact of all that God has brought us through, and I strongly believe He will not have brought us to Berea, to here right now, only to just be like, "Well, just kidding." No. That's not the God I serve and love.
The thing about faith, though, is that even though God has more than enough faith for you and me, sometimes we have to have faith in ourselves. I've had lots of conversations with people about how stressed they are, how they're not sure they're going to make it, and they trust God, I can see that....but maybe it's themselves that they don't trust. Let me tell you: there were plenty of times in my last semester of school where I wasn't sure if I was going to pass this one class. I decided to shift my focus on GOODDD, saying, God, you've brought me through four years of school. I'm giving this class to You! I did that, but I also just kept telling myself, Holly, you're going to make it. You are. You have to! You have so many people rooting for you!!
If you haven't been reading a word of this, please read this: YOU. ARE. NOT. ALONE. Someone out there is rooting for you. Someone has faith in you. Please know this. :)
My challenge is this: just try to shift your perspective, the way you think. It takes time, believe me. But it's worth it, I promise. Let us know if you need encouragement, prayer, etc.
"You have to change the way you THINK in order to change the way you FEEL." -Robin Roberts
Friday, August 10, 2012
The love that only few can understand
Holly: I almost totally lost my cool today. I'll get to why later...in hindsight, it's silly. But I've learned in my life to have a network of people you can count on whenever you lose your cool in various situations. Like I said, the person you run to when you're coming unglued depends on the situation; that's the case for me, anyway. 99% of the time, though, that person I go to is my sister.
At work this morning we got started late (hey, it's Friday y'all), and I swore to her up and down that I would be on time to pick her up. However, later in the afternoon my boss had to bail in order to run an errand, leaving three person work for two people (myself and another co-worker). In haste I called Kelly and told her that I would, in fact, be late picking her up, and after apologizing over Facebook chat, I thanked her. And I quote: "Thank you for being so understanding. Thank you for being obsessed with Martin Freeman with me, because you're one of the only things that's keeping me from completely losing my s*** right now." (Yes. I did swear. We all slip up, and I'm not perfect, nor do I ever claim to be. End of story). Although blunt, it's true. I honestly can't imagine the person I would be without my sister.
I'll be frank, 99% of the time Kelly and I partake in mind-numbingly boring and stupid activities. I'll disclose the sister obsessions...let's just say it involves a LOT of Brits! lol! What blows me away, and what Kelly pointed out earlier today, is that at 22 years of age and living together for basically that length of time as well...we never run out of things to talk about. We just GET each other. But the mind-numbingly boring and stupid activities we do together are the things that we're going to remember when we're in our 90s in a nursing home. Our relationship is unique. I'm not saying that every day is puppies and rainbows...we do fight and argue, mostly about stupid stuff, but never anything physical. But I'm grateful that we're as close as we are, and I can honestly say, although I do love going out just as much as the next girl, I would much rather watch YouTube clips with Kelly and eat moose tracks ice cream.
Kelly: I remember coming home from clinicals and the first thing I would do when I got in the van was start to text Holly. First off to let her know I was heading home and second I wanted to talk about my day. Hey, she was genuinely interested. A lot of times a few of my classmates would be like "who are you texting?" "Why are you texting her?" "Aren't you going to see your sister in like 45 minutes?" Uh...problem? Most of the time I just ignored it. The thing about being us is that having Holly in my life builds up my relationship with Christ. We build up each other in Christ. We hold each other accountable. We pray for each other and we pray together. We talk about Scripture together and we talk about how God is working in our lives. We share in our triumphs and our tribulations. I know some of you are thinking "well shoot I have FRIENDS to do that." Yeah. So do I. But it's different...I can always have that face to face time with a fellow Christian if I need it. And the fact that we are blood related just adds to the bonus.
There are so many things about us that are out of the "norm." We'd rather, like Holly said, eat ice cream and watch YouTube videos than go to a nightclub for drinks. We'd rather talk and giggle about gorgeous Brits and God than about who's with who and who broke up with who. We'd rather stop the negativity than continue to fuel it. I know not everyone is like that, please don't misunderstand me.
On TV, I've heard of stories of people not hearing from or talking to their brothers/sisters for years. YEARS. Ok, let's think. I'm 22 now...gosh. I couldn't even imagine. Could not even IMAGINE not hearing from Holly for years. Now I'm not trying to put our relationship on a pedestal, but I'm merely sharing how special my sister is to me. She can make me laugh as easy as she can tick me off. But it's the way we are. We're human beings who just happen to have the same DNA. But to me it's so much more than shared DNA. It's those moments of laughter, crying, talking and so on that keep us both going. It's those moments that we will remember and thank God for. It's that love that people may try to find but only few actually get.
At work this morning we got started late (hey, it's Friday y'all), and I swore to her up and down that I would be on time to pick her up. However, later in the afternoon my boss had to bail in order to run an errand, leaving three person work for two people (myself and another co-worker). In haste I called Kelly and told her that I would, in fact, be late picking her up, and after apologizing over Facebook chat, I thanked her. And I quote: "Thank you for being so understanding. Thank you for being obsessed with Martin Freeman with me, because you're one of the only things that's keeping me from completely losing my s*** right now." (Yes. I did swear. We all slip up, and I'm not perfect, nor do I ever claim to be. End of story). Although blunt, it's true. I honestly can't imagine the person I would be without my sister.
I'll be frank, 99% of the time Kelly and I partake in mind-numbingly boring and stupid activities. I'll disclose the sister obsessions...let's just say it involves a LOT of Brits! lol! What blows me away, and what Kelly pointed out earlier today, is that at 22 years of age and living together for basically that length of time as well...we never run out of things to talk about. We just GET each other. But the mind-numbingly boring and stupid activities we do together are the things that we're going to remember when we're in our 90s in a nursing home. Our relationship is unique. I'm not saying that every day is puppies and rainbows...we do fight and argue, mostly about stupid stuff, but never anything physical. But I'm grateful that we're as close as we are, and I can honestly say, although I do love going out just as much as the next girl, I would much rather watch YouTube clips with Kelly and eat moose tracks ice cream.
Kelly: I remember coming home from clinicals and the first thing I would do when I got in the van was start to text Holly. First off to let her know I was heading home and second I wanted to talk about my day. Hey, she was genuinely interested. A lot of times a few of my classmates would be like "who are you texting?" "Why are you texting her?" "Aren't you going to see your sister in like 45 minutes?" Uh...problem? Most of the time I just ignored it. The thing about being us is that having Holly in my life builds up my relationship with Christ. We build up each other in Christ. We hold each other accountable. We pray for each other and we pray together. We talk about Scripture together and we talk about how God is working in our lives. We share in our triumphs and our tribulations. I know some of you are thinking "well shoot I have FRIENDS to do that." Yeah. So do I. But it's different...I can always have that face to face time with a fellow Christian if I need it. And the fact that we are blood related just adds to the bonus.
There are so many things about us that are out of the "norm." We'd rather, like Holly said, eat ice cream and watch YouTube videos than go to a nightclub for drinks. We'd rather talk and giggle about gorgeous Brits and God than about who's with who and who broke up with who. We'd rather stop the negativity than continue to fuel it. I know not everyone is like that, please don't misunderstand me.
On TV, I've heard of stories of people not hearing from or talking to their brothers/sisters for years. YEARS. Ok, let's think. I'm 22 now...gosh. I couldn't even imagine. Could not even IMAGINE not hearing from Holly for years. Now I'm not trying to put our relationship on a pedestal, but I'm merely sharing how special my sister is to me. She can make me laugh as easy as she can tick me off. But it's the way we are. We're human beings who just happen to have the same DNA. But to me it's so much more than shared DNA. It's those moments of laughter, crying, talking and so on that keep us both going. It's those moments that we will remember and thank God for. It's that love that people may try to find but only few actually get.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Happiness and Joy: trying to reclaim them both.
Kelly: Earlier today, Holly and I were driving to get our electric bill straightened out. Not to worry...just a wee bit of confusion, but all is well now. Anyway, while we were in the car, we started talking about church yesterday and the sermon. Though its entirety was quite excellent, there was one particular part about it that we talked about, which talked about reclaiming the joy in our lives. For me it required a bit of thinking: where is the joy in my life? What makes me happy?
So I started thinking about it. There are A LOT of things that make me happy, but the joy in life comes from having God in my life. This morning I woke up, still dead tired but I uttered half-asleep but half awake "God. Thank you that I woke up this morning to live another day." Simple. And despite hearing some rather frightening news, I've been ok. I got out of bed happier and was not grumpy today. At all. Not even a bit. Well...no. No I wasn't. And that was God. That was all God and nothing else. Now I'm not trying to preach, but it's really true. I think that finding joy in your life involves making choices. Some choices will be big, others just small and subtle. But if you really think about it, in my opinion it really isn't that hard. You can choose the minute you wake up what your attitude is going to be like. If you wake up grumpy and pissy, then you're going to be grumpy and pissy until either the day ends or you eventually snap out of it. Harsh truth, I know. I'm not trying to be harsh, just genuine. So anyway, there actually is a point to all of this. For me, I think about things or people that make me happy and focus on them. There's too much negativity in the world as it is, and I'm trying to not let the weight of it bring me down. So far I think it's working. And trust me, people DO notice. Sometimes not right away, but they do. I cannot tell you how many times people have told me that I am a joyful person. Someone once said Holly and I have "contagious" personalities...interpret that however you wish.
One of my favorite movies is "The Bucket List." If you have not seen it, please do. Anyway, one of the last spoken lines is actually a letter that was written. One of the lines read says this simple phrase: find the joy in your life. Simple? Yes, actually it is. Another favorite movie of mine is Amazing Grace. Again, definitely worth a look. One of my favorite parts in the entire movie is when William Wilberforce is sitting on the dewy grass in his backyard, despite the fact he has a busy day. Anyway, he's about to start a prayer when he is interrupted by his butler or cook. He asks if he's ok, and Wilberforce's response is this:
It's God. I have 10,000 engagements of state today but I would rather prefer to spend the day out here getting a wet arse, studying dandelions and marveling at...bloody spider's webs. His butler then replies "You found God?" Wilberforce replies "I think He found me." Joy. Joy from the simple things even if you have a crazy day ahead of you. My challenge for me is to let God find me so that I may get lost in the joy of life and the little things around me.
Holly: "My challenge for me is to let God find me so that I may get lost in the joy of life and the little things around me." I could not have said that better myself.
It's suffice to say that Kelly and I have A LOT of apartment-related issues/things not getting taken care of. Aka absolutely nothing to do with us and entirely out of our hands and control. While on our short drive Kelly and I were debating on what we think the difference is between joy and happiness. To me, happiness is sort of just a feeling. Like I see stuff that makes me laugh, or a dog at work licks my arm...oh, that makes me happy. But joy is more of a choice. I was saying that it's a choice...DESPITE all the ^%@#$%^& going on, I'm choosing to have joy because the joy of God is my strength. I also gave us a new mindset challenge: to look at every day as if it is a miracle...because....if you really get down to the nitty-gritty of it, IT IS!! Back at Berea when Kelly and I were in our gospel choir (we've blogged about it many times), our learless feader/phenomenal woman of God would always say that we have to look at each day as if it is precious, because somebody went to bed last night and didn't wake up to see the new day. Somebody didn't wake up this morning. Somebody didn't make it home from work this afternoon. Some little kid didn't make it home from school. That's just the sad reality of it.
Earlier today I learned that a dear friend, mentor, and mother figure of mine had a heart attack last night. I had just spoken to her yesterday morning at church. My heart stopped, and it made me realize that life is way too freaking short and precious to have a bad attitude all the time. And it all comes back to joy. And people do notice. It sets you apart from everyone else. You become a light in such a dark world, and people reach out for just a glimpse of that light. Make sure to not burn it out!
I have a challenge for you: Have joy. Yes, I have absolutely no idea what is going on in your life, and I won't bore you with the details of mine. But I urge you to look at each day, and thank God/whomever you thank. Look to each sunrise and say "Thank you for a new day, a new start. I'm still HERE!" :)
We're still here.
"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." -Thorin Oakenshield, "The Hobbit"
So I started thinking about it. There are A LOT of things that make me happy, but the joy in life comes from having God in my life. This morning I woke up, still dead tired but I uttered half-asleep but half awake "God. Thank you that I woke up this morning to live another day." Simple. And despite hearing some rather frightening news, I've been ok. I got out of bed happier and was not grumpy today. At all. Not even a bit. Well...no. No I wasn't. And that was God. That was all God and nothing else. Now I'm not trying to preach, but it's really true. I think that finding joy in your life involves making choices. Some choices will be big, others just small and subtle. But if you really think about it, in my opinion it really isn't that hard. You can choose the minute you wake up what your attitude is going to be like. If you wake up grumpy and pissy, then you're going to be grumpy and pissy until either the day ends or you eventually snap out of it. Harsh truth, I know. I'm not trying to be harsh, just genuine. So anyway, there actually is a point to all of this. For me, I think about things or people that make me happy and focus on them. There's too much negativity in the world as it is, and I'm trying to not let the weight of it bring me down. So far I think it's working. And trust me, people DO notice. Sometimes not right away, but they do. I cannot tell you how many times people have told me that I am a joyful person. Someone once said Holly and I have "contagious" personalities...interpret that however you wish.
One of my favorite movies is "The Bucket List." If you have not seen it, please do. Anyway, one of the last spoken lines is actually a letter that was written. One of the lines read says this simple phrase: find the joy in your life. Simple? Yes, actually it is. Another favorite movie of mine is Amazing Grace. Again, definitely worth a look. One of my favorite parts in the entire movie is when William Wilberforce is sitting on the dewy grass in his backyard, despite the fact he has a busy day. Anyway, he's about to start a prayer when he is interrupted by his butler or cook. He asks if he's ok, and Wilberforce's response is this:
It's God. I have 10,000 engagements of state today but I would rather prefer to spend the day out here getting a wet arse, studying dandelions and marveling at...bloody spider's webs. His butler then replies "You found God?" Wilberforce replies "I think He found me." Joy. Joy from the simple things even if you have a crazy day ahead of you. My challenge for me is to let God find me so that I may get lost in the joy of life and the little things around me.
Holly: "My challenge for me is to let God find me so that I may get lost in the joy of life and the little things around me." I could not have said that better myself.
It's suffice to say that Kelly and I have A LOT of apartment-related issues/things not getting taken care of. Aka absolutely nothing to do with us and entirely out of our hands and control. While on our short drive Kelly and I were debating on what we think the difference is between joy and happiness. To me, happiness is sort of just a feeling. Like I see stuff that makes me laugh, or a dog at work licks my arm...oh, that makes me happy. But joy is more of a choice. I was saying that it's a choice...DESPITE all the ^%@#$%^& going on, I'm choosing to have joy because the joy of God is my strength. I also gave us a new mindset challenge: to look at every day as if it is a miracle...because....if you really get down to the nitty-gritty of it, IT IS!! Back at Berea when Kelly and I were in our gospel choir (we've blogged about it many times), our learless feader/phenomenal woman of God would always say that we have to look at each day as if it is precious, because somebody went to bed last night and didn't wake up to see the new day. Somebody didn't wake up this morning. Somebody didn't make it home from work this afternoon. Some little kid didn't make it home from school. That's just the sad reality of it.
Earlier today I learned that a dear friend, mentor, and mother figure of mine had a heart attack last night. I had just spoken to her yesterday morning at church. My heart stopped, and it made me realize that life is way too freaking short and precious to have a bad attitude all the time. And it all comes back to joy. And people do notice. It sets you apart from everyone else. You become a light in such a dark world, and people reach out for just a glimpse of that light. Make sure to not burn it out!
I have a challenge for you: Have joy. Yes, I have absolutely no idea what is going on in your life, and I won't bore you with the details of mine. But I urge you to look at each day, and thank God/whomever you thank. Look to each sunrise and say "Thank you for a new day, a new start. I'm still HERE!" :)
We're still here.
"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." -Thorin Oakenshield, "The Hobbit"
Monday, May 28, 2012
Change EVERYBODY can believe in!
Kelly: No, this has nothing to do with politics, I promise. It actually has to do with, well...us. Last night, Holly and I stayed up until the wee hours talking about everything. Everything on our minds, and our hearts. The conversation started with me, pondering over a very powerful sermon that was spoken. When I was about to go to sleep, I was thinking to myself about my walk in Christ. Ever since I re-affirmed my faith in Christ over three years ago, I as well as others have noticed a change in me. A positive change. But in the midst of yesterday's sermon, I realized that "a good change" isn't enough anymore. I have to be perfect. If we want to live a Christ-like life, then we ALL have to be perfect.
Sure, easier said than done, right? That was the first thing that popped into my head. Well gee, thanks for lowering my self-standards to the point of almost non-existence. HELLLLOOOOOO!!!!!! The flashers went off in my head. This life, that I am living, is NOT. ABOUT. ME. It never has been!!! People, readers, it's about choices. I by myself cannot be perfect, but with God I can. It says in His word: "With man, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Now please don't misunderstand me. I am in no way trying to preach. We are just sharing what is going on in our lives and what we are going to do about it. Anyway, while sitting in church, I realized that I do the "big things" as a Christian and I do them well, well...you know what I mean. But then I thought of the "little" things; in my opinion the things that should matter. Then, it hit me again; accountability. I've never really asked for it. Ever. Many times in the past I have gotten these ideas of how to be a "better" Christian and what I can do. Everything goes hunky-dory for about a week or two, then all of a sudden I can feel myself slipping back into my old ways. Nobody was there to keep tabs on me, so for me it was just really easy to forget about what I was wanting to change. Before I knew it, I let myself take over again.
This is where you (the readers) come in. The changes we are making, though are important, are between us and God. If you are interested in what they are, please feel free to ask and we will be happy to discuss them with you. However, our request is simple; every once in a while, however often you feel led to do so, if you wish to do so, just see how we're doing. Doesn't matter how you ask, but this is something we would really appreciate. Think about it, consider, and if not, well then, now you know what's going on in our world. :]
Holly: Something else that's been weighing on us for a bit, and this is especially for our Christian readers (but if you're not and still would like to contribute, by all means please feel free...any advice is sound and considered), is how we should read our Bibles. Is there a right way? Is there a wrong way? How often? How do you know what to read? The thing is, I've tried the lists, the devotionals, but to me, it encourages passivity and the act of merely "checking things off a list". aka TOTALLY missing the point of growing in the Word. I've also tried reading whatever is on my mind for the day, and it goes ok for a bit, but then 2, 3, 4 days pass with nothing. Are we making this more complicated than it needs to be?
Friends, please do not misunderstand us. I love that my faith is being challenged right now. I don't think you should EVER stop questioning what you believe in and why you do what you do. That's my advice to you all: never stop questioning!
I cannot emphasize with Kelly enough: GET ON US ABOUT THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please. And pray for us. The change thing is going to take some time, and our lives are going in very different directions now. Thanks all. :)
Sure, easier said than done, right? That was the first thing that popped into my head. Well gee, thanks for lowering my self-standards to the point of almost non-existence. HELLLLOOOOOO!!!!!! The flashers went off in my head. This life, that I am living, is NOT. ABOUT. ME. It never has been!!! People, readers, it's about choices. I by myself cannot be perfect, but with God I can. It says in His word: "With man, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Now please don't misunderstand me. I am in no way trying to preach. We are just sharing what is going on in our lives and what we are going to do about it. Anyway, while sitting in church, I realized that I do the "big things" as a Christian and I do them well, well...you know what I mean. But then I thought of the "little" things; in my opinion the things that should matter. Then, it hit me again; accountability. I've never really asked for it. Ever. Many times in the past I have gotten these ideas of how to be a "better" Christian and what I can do. Everything goes hunky-dory for about a week or two, then all of a sudden I can feel myself slipping back into my old ways. Nobody was there to keep tabs on me, so for me it was just really easy to forget about what I was wanting to change. Before I knew it, I let myself take over again.
This is where you (the readers) come in. The changes we are making, though are important, are between us and God. If you are interested in what they are, please feel free to ask and we will be happy to discuss them with you. However, our request is simple; every once in a while, however often you feel led to do so, if you wish to do so, just see how we're doing. Doesn't matter how you ask, but this is something we would really appreciate. Think about it, consider, and if not, well then, now you know what's going on in our world. :]
Holly: Something else that's been weighing on us for a bit, and this is especially for our Christian readers (but if you're not and still would like to contribute, by all means please feel free...any advice is sound and considered), is how we should read our Bibles. Is there a right way? Is there a wrong way? How often? How do you know what to read? The thing is, I've tried the lists, the devotionals, but to me, it encourages passivity and the act of merely "checking things off a list". aka TOTALLY missing the point of growing in the Word. I've also tried reading whatever is on my mind for the day, and it goes ok for a bit, but then 2, 3, 4 days pass with nothing. Are we making this more complicated than it needs to be?
Friends, please do not misunderstand us. I love that my faith is being challenged right now. I don't think you should EVER stop questioning what you believe in and why you do what you do. That's my advice to you all: never stop questioning!
I cannot emphasize with Kelly enough: GET ON US ABOUT THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please. And pray for us. The change thing is going to take some time, and our lives are going in very different directions now. Thanks all. :)
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Things are going to get better.
Kelly: Because eventually...they just have to. I am a firm believer that overtime so much bad comes our way that only good can be left. Bottom line. Like today for example...on Friday I'm heading to the 3rd outside consultation for my ankle problems that I've had for almost the past two years. Why? Because I know myself better than anyone, and NO ONE should have to be in constant pain for as long as I have been. Overtime, I've just gotten used to it that basically it's just the norm. More time goes by, and eventually I just stop thinking about it. But recently, the little voice in my head has resurfaced with that whisper of "ok, you can't just ignore this." So Friday...I go again. 1:45. I will update as soon as I am able.
Now comes the good stuff...I was feeling unsure about all this stuff that was going on with my ankle, and on top of that my best friend at home has been struggling with some issues. I won't mention them for privacy's sake, but...it's been really hard for all of us. But she's strong and she can handle it, and so can we. Anyway, so I was thinking about all that, on top of being in the ICU for clinicals all day which was super busy. I had just walked back into my dorm when I got a phone call from Holly. She was really quiet, and I thought she was upset. So now I'm uber freaking out, but then she told me "guess what I'm holding in my hand?" The rest is history...
Holly: I walked out of a test this morning feeling less than confident about it. I spent over an hour on the phone today with my best friend from home, who is going through hell and back again. I hung up the phone with her and broke down crying for about 10 minutes (which, if you know me...it takes quite a lot to get to me); I mostly just prayed "God, I don't know what to do anymore. About anything!" Decided at about 12:30 to check my CPO (which, again, on Tuesdays, because I don't eat lunch at food circus...I never do). And out of ANY DAY OF THE WEEK/MONTH that the Colin and Brad tickets decide to be happily sitting in my CPO...it's today!
If that isn't a sign that things aren't going to get better, then I sure as heck don't know what is. I have hope. There's hope. There always is. :)
Now comes the good stuff...I was feeling unsure about all this stuff that was going on with my ankle, and on top of that my best friend at home has been struggling with some issues. I won't mention them for privacy's sake, but...it's been really hard for all of us. But she's strong and she can handle it, and so can we. Anyway, so I was thinking about all that, on top of being in the ICU for clinicals all day which was super busy. I had just walked back into my dorm when I got a phone call from Holly. She was really quiet, and I thought she was upset. So now I'm uber freaking out, but then she told me "guess what I'm holding in my hand?" The rest is history...
 | |||||||
| The reason for our happiness!! |
If that isn't a sign that things aren't going to get better, then I sure as heck don't know what is. I have hope. There's hope. There always is. :)
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Ode to Berea
Holly: So Kelly and I have been wanting to blog about Berea College for a while now. But today, I was absolutely insistent upon it because I am a senior!!!!
First off, a few tidbits about Berea: Founded in 1855 by an abolitionist Methodist minister. Has a student body of just over 1700 (that is not a lie), 18% acceptance rate, student/teacher ratio of about 11:1. Located about 40 minutes south of Lexington, couple hours away from Cincinnati, Ohio. For Kelly and I, it's about a 4 hour drive, so not terrible. The main kicker: Berea charges no tuition (also not a lie). Makes up for this by having a ginormous endowment. That's a very basic rundown. Now...
Up until the end of my sophomore year of high school, I had never heard of Berea. A dear friend of mine and Kelly's, however, took a visit with some others from our school and absolutely fell in love with it! She applied and was accepted within a few months; we were all so excited!!!! Fall of 2007 our friend went on to Berea and I started senior year of high school. Every time I talked to her, I was always, "tell me about Berea, what's going on at Berea? Tell me about your Berea friends." Kelly and I had our first visit in March of 2007 (spring break of our junior year). As predicted, we absolutely fell in love with it, and I fell in love with it fast! I literally stepped on the grounds, proceeded through the tour, and was like, "This is it. This is where I'm supposed to be."
It took a while for application materials to get organized, but Kelly and I applied sometime in December of '07. The waiting was HORRENDOUS! I tried to get on with my life as best as I could, but I just could not get that little school in Kentucky out of my mind. We did apply to several other schools, but Berea was unanimously our first choice. Finally, in March of 2008 (yes, that's a four month wait), I got the letter that, literally, changed my life: I was accepted!!!!! However, the joy was short lived, and....I'll let Kelly share that with you.
Being at Berea has been such an enormous blessing to me: I have literally had some of the best (and probably some of the worst) times of my life here. It is a miracle that I attend a college where my professor knows me. It's a miracle that I attend a college where my professor knows my name!!! Some of my greatest life influences I can now, without a doubt, include some of my professors I've had here. I don't think they'll ever know the amount of influence they've had on me. Some of the best friends I've EVER had I met here, and I don't think they'll ever know how much of a joy it was to be a part of their lives. Thank God we still keep in touch! :) MANY of my greatest academic challenges have been from classes here, homework assignments, papers, presentations. I have never laughed so hard or cried so much here. If it weren't for Berea, I never would have found a church that I consider more of a home than I could have possibly imagined. I never would have had the opportunity to study abroad in England! And the list goes on and on and on and on...
The fact that I am approaching the end of my time here is exciting, heartbreaking, and terrifying all at the same time. But I don't really want to think about that right now.......I'm still trying to have as much fun as possible! :) Berea is an amazingly awesome place, and I really cannot imagine having gone anywhere else for my education!
Anyway, if you haven't visited Berea, I strongly recommend you do so! If not, then...well, you know enough by now! :)
Kelly: I am not just a number. I am not just another student. I am not in a class with 400 students. I am...me. That is how this institution recognizes me. If I had a nickel for everything that I love about Berea, I could quit nursing school and do whatever I wanted. I remember the day that Holly got accepted....but on that day I also received some news. No, it was not news of my acceptance; it was news that I was put on the waiting list. Did I think I was going to get in? Actually, for a while, I didn't think I would. But Holly and I sat down after she got her acceptance letter. It was a talk that we had never really had to worry about, or one that we never had to have before. Though I don't remember the extent of the conversation, I do remember telling Holly "look, there is a great possibility that I may not get accepted. No matter what happens though, you HAVE to go here. You cannot turn down this opportunity." And she didn't. Then, for me at least, the waiting game continued.
On top of Berea, I had one other school that practically gave me a free ride, Ohio University in Zanesville (OUZ for short). I had heard great things about their nursing program, so I applied and got accepted. The only problem was that on OUZ's campus there isn't any housing, so I'd have to find my own place to live. Also, I didn't have my driver's license at the time, so I would have had to get that, get a car and get a job. I was progressing further into OUZ's application and didn't hear anything for a while, so I just assumed I wouldn't hear anything. On May 6, 2008, I had my deposit for OUZ sealed. I was literally going to drop it in the mailbox that morning saying "yes, I am coming here. Hold a spot for me." But when I walked to the mailbox, I had a letter from Berea in the mail. That was it. It was my acceptance letter. I ran back inside, jumped up and down, ripped up my OUZ deposit and threw it away. The wait was over...and the rest is history.
As a senior now, I do not regret the decision I made to come here instead of OUZ. I have absolutely NO regrets, and I am just marveled at all the opportunities I have had to grow here. Very distinctly, I still remember moving into Elizabeth Rogers residence hall on August 21, 2008, ready to be on my own for the first time. Once all our stuff was unpacked, I remember looking at Holly and saying "well....now what?" Again, the rest is history. I've made some wonderful friends that I will cherish, unfortunately most of them have graduated and are on to bigger and better things. Then there's the friends I have made within my major. There's only 19 of us in my class right now, so we've all been forced together for the remainder of our time here, but I get along with everyone and we have such great times, even while studying. I still remember saying to my mom the first time we visited "Mom, we HAVE to come here!!!!!"
So now, here I sit...and like I have said, the rest is history. Though I have one more year left, I am very looking forward to more new and exciting opportunities to grow not only in my major, but also in my faith in Christ, my relationships with friends, and my personal skills when I begin the baby steps of the professional nursing field. I praise God for a college such as this, and like I've said countless times, I have NO REGRETS. Ok, I'm going to stop rambling about how awesome Berea is...it's the old tour guide in me and the tired me who's been up since 3:30...AM. Enjoy this post, readers! Cheers!!!!
First off, a few tidbits about Berea: Founded in 1855 by an abolitionist Methodist minister. Has a student body of just over 1700 (that is not a lie), 18% acceptance rate, student/teacher ratio of about 11:1. Located about 40 minutes south of Lexington, couple hours away from Cincinnati, Ohio. For Kelly and I, it's about a 4 hour drive, so not terrible. The main kicker: Berea charges no tuition (also not a lie). Makes up for this by having a ginormous endowment. That's a very basic rundown. Now...
Up until the end of my sophomore year of high school, I had never heard of Berea. A dear friend of mine and Kelly's, however, took a visit with some others from our school and absolutely fell in love with it! She applied and was accepted within a few months; we were all so excited!!!! Fall of 2007 our friend went on to Berea and I started senior year of high school. Every time I talked to her, I was always, "tell me about Berea, what's going on at Berea? Tell me about your Berea friends." Kelly and I had our first visit in March of 2007 (spring break of our junior year). As predicted, we absolutely fell in love with it, and I fell in love with it fast! I literally stepped on the grounds, proceeded through the tour, and was like, "This is it. This is where I'm supposed to be."
It took a while for application materials to get organized, but Kelly and I applied sometime in December of '07. The waiting was HORRENDOUS! I tried to get on with my life as best as I could, but I just could not get that little school in Kentucky out of my mind. We did apply to several other schools, but Berea was unanimously our first choice. Finally, in March of 2008 (yes, that's a four month wait), I got the letter that, literally, changed my life: I was accepted!!!!! However, the joy was short lived, and....I'll let Kelly share that with you.
Being at Berea has been such an enormous blessing to me: I have literally had some of the best (and probably some of the worst) times of my life here. It is a miracle that I attend a college where my professor knows me. It's a miracle that I attend a college where my professor knows my name!!! Some of my greatest life influences I can now, without a doubt, include some of my professors I've had here. I don't think they'll ever know the amount of influence they've had on me. Some of the best friends I've EVER had I met here, and I don't think they'll ever know how much of a joy it was to be a part of their lives. Thank God we still keep in touch! :) MANY of my greatest academic challenges have been from classes here, homework assignments, papers, presentations. I have never laughed so hard or cried so much here. If it weren't for Berea, I never would have found a church that I consider more of a home than I could have possibly imagined. I never would have had the opportunity to study abroad in England! And the list goes on and on and on and on...
The fact that I am approaching the end of my time here is exciting, heartbreaking, and terrifying all at the same time. But I don't really want to think about that right now.......I'm still trying to have as much fun as possible! :) Berea is an amazingly awesome place, and I really cannot imagine having gone anywhere else for my education!
Anyway, if you haven't visited Berea, I strongly recommend you do so! If not, then...well, you know enough by now! :)
Kelly: I am not just a number. I am not just another student. I am not in a class with 400 students. I am...me. That is how this institution recognizes me. If I had a nickel for everything that I love about Berea, I could quit nursing school and do whatever I wanted. I remember the day that Holly got accepted....but on that day I also received some news. No, it was not news of my acceptance; it was news that I was put on the waiting list. Did I think I was going to get in? Actually, for a while, I didn't think I would. But Holly and I sat down after she got her acceptance letter. It was a talk that we had never really had to worry about, or one that we never had to have before. Though I don't remember the extent of the conversation, I do remember telling Holly "look, there is a great possibility that I may not get accepted. No matter what happens though, you HAVE to go here. You cannot turn down this opportunity." And she didn't. Then, for me at least, the waiting game continued.
On top of Berea, I had one other school that practically gave me a free ride, Ohio University in Zanesville (OUZ for short). I had heard great things about their nursing program, so I applied and got accepted. The only problem was that on OUZ's campus there isn't any housing, so I'd have to find my own place to live. Also, I didn't have my driver's license at the time, so I would have had to get that, get a car and get a job. I was progressing further into OUZ's application and didn't hear anything for a while, so I just assumed I wouldn't hear anything. On May 6, 2008, I had my deposit for OUZ sealed. I was literally going to drop it in the mailbox that morning saying "yes, I am coming here. Hold a spot for me." But when I walked to the mailbox, I had a letter from Berea in the mail. That was it. It was my acceptance letter. I ran back inside, jumped up and down, ripped up my OUZ deposit and threw it away. The wait was over...and the rest is history.
As a senior now, I do not regret the decision I made to come here instead of OUZ. I have absolutely NO regrets, and I am just marveled at all the opportunities I have had to grow here. Very distinctly, I still remember moving into Elizabeth Rogers residence hall on August 21, 2008, ready to be on my own for the first time. Once all our stuff was unpacked, I remember looking at Holly and saying "well....now what?" Again, the rest is history. I've made some wonderful friends that I will cherish, unfortunately most of them have graduated and are on to bigger and better things. Then there's the friends I have made within my major. There's only 19 of us in my class right now, so we've all been forced together for the remainder of our time here, but I get along with everyone and we have such great times, even while studying. I still remember saying to my mom the first time we visited "Mom, we HAVE to come here!!!!!"
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| Freshman year!!! (circa sept. 2008) |
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| Sophomore year. Nov. 2009 |
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| May 2011. |
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| Some of our bestest frainds!!! Dec. 2010 |
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| Team TOMS!!! Sept. 2010 |
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