Fear and joy and Christmas

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

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

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

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

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

"O come, let us adore Him!"

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

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

Because God first loved

Kelly: I have recently discovered that I sometimes do my best thinking while I am driving to work. This happened yesterday. Until now, I have refrained from sharing any thoughts about this Berea Fairness Ordinance that did not pass. I will disclaim right now and say that I did not vote for it or against it; in fact I am choosing to keep my opinions about the ordinance itself out of this, or I'm going to try to. I didn't even vote for it at all. I shot myself in the foot in this one because I honestly didn't really know much about it. But what I have written below is not about the ordinance; it's about love. Love of people, God's family.

Once again, it seems to me that politics and opinion have gotten in the way. The fact that this ordinance was a solution to any problem troubles me. To be sure I'm not entirely sure what the problem was. But, we had to let politics step in because we as a city simply disagreed on a very basic principle; love. When you take away the essence of this ordinance, that's what it boils down to, or at least that's what I think it boils down to. The fact that this ordinance was suggested should trouble Christians. We really had to have the city possibly pass a LAW that basically states we have to be nice to everyone? Am I the only one who sees this problem? Instead of turning to bias, opinion and other people, we should be turning to God and His word! In there you will find His commandments on how to act around other people. 

My point is this; when we get to Heaven our views, words and opinions won't even matter. When we face God on judgment day, He's going to ask us all how well we followed, obeyed and loved His son, and how well we treated His body. His family. If anything, this ordinance should tell us Christians to step it up a bit! These are our brothers and sisters! These are people; people that God loves and created, just like He loves you and me. I know I have a lot of work to do.

Holly: I'm going to keep my peace very brief on this.  Like Kelly, and it's purely on account of my own ignorance, but I am not very well read in this Fairness Ordinance.  All I know is that this proposed ordinance did not pass.  Here's what I have to say on that, and it's a two-fold piece, really:

1. Like Kelly said, these are our brothers and sisters.  To be honest, I was shocked at the reactions I read on Facebook.  I won't get into them, but....yeah, I was shocked.  We ought to be reaching out to them with love, as with ANY of our brothers and sisters.  Instead, some of us were celebrating the passing of the ordinance.  So now our very neighbors, THE ONES THAT CHRIST CALLS US TO LOVE AS OURSELVES, are now disadvantaged, possibly distraught, defeated...and we're celebrating? My opinion does not hold much merit, I see that, but to me, that is NOT Christ-like behavior.  Period.

2. WHY in the name of all that is pure and holy are we getting SO BENT OUT OF SHAPE regarding basically any and all mentions of homosexuality, homosexual marriages, etc?  Christians, and non-Christians, are getting mercilessly persecuted, slaughtered, demoralized for their faith and beliefs, but HEAVEN FORBID someone brings up gay marriage, and suddenly everyone has an opinion.  Really?  I mean...really?  Yes, I know what the Bible says about gay marriage.  I know what the Bible says about sin.  But why is THIS always on a pedestal?  What about cheating?  What about lying?  What about adultery, these Hollywood marriages lasting six months or less...why are those getting overlooked?

We're just going to end with this...

Three cheers for H and K!!

Holly: Ach!! That magical all-elusive date has come and gone again!  How time just seems to march right on by.

Yesterday was August 20th, THE THREE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF OUR BLOG!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D YAAAAHHHOOOOOOYAAAAAAYYY!!!

I still can't believe we're chuggin' along, and that we are.  They say "what a difference a year can make" and what a year it has been!  It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating 2 years of this blogosphere of wonder and now here we are again, 3 years strong.  3 years of not running out of stuff to talk about.  Imagine that! So much has happened this year and we still have so much more to look forward to!

I think we're going to keep at it.  In fact, there is no "I think"; we ARE going to keep at it.  Thank you all, once again, for chuggin' along with us.  Here's to many more years!

Kelly: Trying to type this with a kitty on my lap (a Yoda kitty to be more specific) will be most interesting. Like I say every year when this comes up, I never thought it would make it another year. This has been the first full year of our lives we are both working "full time" and neither one of us are in school. It's been fun and awesome and by far the most crazy! Hard to believe how fast the time seems to go, and it feels like this year went by the fastest. But yeah. 3 years. This blog idea was born after the two of us came home from our respective abroad endeavors and decided this would be not only fun for us but a bonding experience too. We have enjoyed coming back to this blog, even though we haven't been able to post as much in a while, but still. This isn't just for us, but all of our readers too. We want this to be a safe place to read our thoughts and to explore your own thoughts on the topic at hand. We don't do this to get it out there and see how many people will follow it in one day, no.

That's one of the great things about this blog and the fact we write it together; there's always something to talk about! Often I see stuff on the news or hear something on the radio and still after all this time tell myself "that would be good to blog about." And we do this too with conversations we have. So there you have it. Three years! Here's to hoping we'll have a four year post next year!

August 20, 2011- date of blog launch

August 20, 2012- one year after blog launch

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

Today! August 21, 2014- three years and one day after blog launch.  With Yoda :)

You don't have to try

Holly: Guys, I was just shown this video.  I'm floored.  Completely floored. 

This goes out to the ladies reading this: If you do not do ANYTHING else today, please take 4 minutes out of your day and watch this.  I'm serious.  Please just do yourself a favor and watch this video. 

It's time to stop being ashamed of ourselves.  It's time to love ourselves again.  And again.  And again.

30 Days of Doctor Who: Favorite Couple

Kelly: This took me a while to deliberate, but my favorite are the sweet, lovable and adorable Ponds!

Maw!!! Don't you just love them? :))))) 

I think I love them so much because they remind me of me; it took them a while to realize they were more than friends, found something, had some problems but got back together. Though I'm currently not in a relationship....there has been something stirring around in my life for a wee bit...stay tuned on that. They then let the Doctor into their lives and house when he has to solve the mystery of the millions of small cubes...ahh another one of my favorite episodes. Plus Rory's a nurse...like me!!! Like many of the Doctor's companions, he helps them, but I think that though he doesn't know it, they help him too. I hope one day to find someone who loves Amy the way Rory does. A man who would wait 2,000 YEARS for the woman he loves is a keeper, whoops. Spoilers.

Holly: If Amy and Rory were any sweeter, I would have diabetes.  Fo shiz.  I'm going to talk about a fairly popular combination.........drum roll please................

You probably guessed it a long time ago :)

Ah yes, Ten and Rose.  I loved them within the first five minutes of them being on screen together (granted, Ten was newly regenerated and mostly in a comatose-like state), but I digress.  Rose was his first companion, and over just the one season with Nine we went from MAJOR uncertainty, almost a brashness, to a deep caring, on both parts.  Rose was devastated to lose Nine, and it took a while for her to warm up to this completely different Doctor.  And then we lost Rose......man, that still gets me after all this time.

I don't care what anyone else says, plain and simple, they loved each other.  Heck, Rose was the ONLY companion to tell the Doctor "I love you".  Traveling with the Doctor changed Rose, definitely, but it's only until later when we realize that traveling with Rose changed the Doctor as well.  "You made me better," he tells her towards the end of "Journey's End".  She saved him from himself, and he saved her from a life full of "what ifs".  And then some.  I think, secretly, they both made us all better.  The end of their story, of course, is nothing short of heartbreaking, but I think that in any love story there is some element of tragedy, loss.

I love their story, I love watching them together.  I don't think I'll ever grow tired of it.

30 Days of Doctor Who: Least Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress

Kelly: The first one...it's not nice. I don't have a least favorite. Really. I think everyone who has ever been on the show has done an excellent job, even if they were given obnoxious or just downright awful roles. That is all. When it comes to my favorite actress, I really had to think about this one. I think all of the actresses who have been companions/guest stars/whatever have all done a wonderful job. Each has played their role so well, so this was a hard choice. But the winner for me is....Karen Gillan.

Amy Pond. :) 

After 10's run, it took me a while to REALLY warm up to not only the 11th Doctor, but a new cast, new producer, new writers, etc. I have yet to see any of Karen's other work, but I have a few things on my list that I will be checking out within the next couple of months or so. I think she did such a good job of portraying Amy as someone that is easily identifiable; I relate to Amy in a lot of ways. She's married to a nurse (!!!) and for a while is torn between following the Doctor or settling down with a husband and a domestic life. But in the end, she chooses her husband, even though the circumstances were quite tragic...SPOILERS. Plus, I love the fact that she and Matt are still good friends. :) So yeah. Like I said, this was a hard choice for me, but don't knock change; you may end up really liking it!

Holly: So I also have to agree with Kelly on the "least favorite actor" bit.  Honestly, this show employs some incredibly, incredibly talented actors.  I truly feel each and every one of them give 110% in their roles.  There's some big names on this show and they all just do an awesome job!  Seriously.  Major props from me to them.  Anywho, that's that.

In terms of favorite actress, while I also utterly adore Karen Gillan (seriously, I follow her on Twitter and she is just so stinkin' cool and down-to-earth.  I would love to have coffee with her sometime), I am surprised at how much I fell in love with Jenna Coleman's portrayal of Clara.  She's only been on the show for a short time, but she, like the other companions, has the utmost of devotion for the Doctor.  And I love that.  We watched "Day of the Doctor" last night (!!!!!!!!!!) and there's a scene towards the end where the three Doctors literally have their hands on a button to destroy their home planet and everyone and everything else on it.  But it's Clara who gets through to Eleven and says "No.  These are your people."  She just gets him; she's almost motherly to Eleven. She's the Impossible Girl.  She comes on as strong and snarky, but doesn't really let on just how unsure she is, especially since Eleven seems to know A LOT more about her than he lets on.  I am really excited to see her in her first full season with a new Doctor.

In addition to all of that, Jenna Coleman is just beyond adorable.  I love her energy and her attitude; it's a lot like me! :)

30 Days of Doctor Who: Favorite companion

Holly and Kelly: Once again, all together now...ROSE!!

And no, it's not just because she's blonde (although that definitely helps...ha).  We love how she loves; for crying out loud, she's the only soul in existence who has pity for a freakin' Dalek.  And that's saying something, y'all.  She's sweet, she's funny, we think she brings out the best in Nine, and we LOVE her relationship with Ten.  She's us, in a way: strong but stubborn, loving, compassionate, and loyal.  Her loyalty to the Doctor is unmatched and rare.  Very rare.

And we also think she's the companion that the Doctor loves, truly loves.  Just watch her run if you don't believe us :)

"I've seen fake gods and bad gods and demi gods and would-be gods- out of all that, out of that whole pantheon- if I believe in one thing, just one thing, I believe in her." -Tenth Doctor, "The Satan Pit"

Spring (and change?) in the air

Holly: It goes without saying that spring is my favorite season.  Ahh, ok...scratch that.  I love fall.  But spring is a very, very close second.

Isn't that just beautiful????

One of the reasons I love spring is its transitions.  Think about it: We're in all this cold, dreary, snowy, wet crap, and then we're into warm breezes, blue skies, birds singing, flowers blooming, almost as if life is reawakening once again.  To me, this burst of new life and color is also symbolic of something else: change.

Change can be scary and unpleasant, and, to be frank, bring out the absolute worst in people.  I remember the summer before our senior year of high school.  I and Kelly and several other upper-class students met one afternoon, just prior to the start of our marching band season, and had a bomb dropped on us: our director had resigned and was leaving.  I was totally devastated; I had grown up with him, my entire marching band career had been with him, and now someone else was going to be taking over.  Of course, there was an array of mixed emotions, but one that surprised me was anger; students were angry that he was leaving.  I was shocked; of course, I was devastated, but he was doing what he believed was best for him and his family, and the school was unpredictable, at best; I couldn't resent him for that.  But many did.  And when the new director arrived, I'll admit, things just fell apart.  We weren't the same band we once were.  I didn't expect to be, of course, but I didn't expect what happened to happen either.  Some just weren't ready to accept...the change.

Tomorrow is Easter.  Our church choir has been practicing for months now and tomorrow we will share our music with the congregation and thank God for His son and for the new life found in Him.  We will worship together.  Inside, though, we will be terribly saddened: we are losing a major foundational member of our choir family (see this post here).  Tomorrow is his last "official" Sunday.  We all thank God for him and what has become of our choir family, and we are all preparing for this change.  I was telling Kelly after our dress rehearsal this morning that I sincerely hope we don't fall apart, much like our senior year of band.  But I know we won't.  We owe it to this ministry to give whoever God gives us to lead us EVERYTHING we are, even though it will never, ever be the same again.

Yes, change is in the air.  But I challenge you to see whatever changes you have coming in your life as spring, rather than something to be scared of.  Spring is new life, new color.  Easter is death overcome and a promise of new life!  Can you see why I love spring so much? :)

Kelly: I think of the verses in Ecclesiastes 3 in where it starts "to everything there is a season." And it's true. Sometimes we have to change either support a family, ourselves or to follow what one believes is God's calling. Holly and I have had to do all of the above, and at times it hasn't been easy. But I've found that when I trust God, really trust God, those changing seasons are a little easier to weather. I remember being that frustrated high school senior and hearing my peers vent their anger in the situation. They were mad he was leaving, but I couldn't be. My feelings weren't going to change the circumstances, and neither were theirs. 

Now that Easter is over and the singing and praising is done....well...no. The praising and singing is never done if you're a follower of Christ. It's a very noble and sincere cause when someone does something for His cause. I've known people who've given up everything to do what they feel He has called them to do, yet some are living for Him right from the comforts of their home. And that's been the cases in the two experiences we have mentioned in today's post. In my life I get reminders often that I am where God wants me to be. He changed me in so many ways to get me to where I am right now, and I praise Him for those changes. Yes some of them were bad, but I think that that has to happen sometimes, that way you learn to stretch those faith muscles. Yesterday was Easter, and what a blessed time it was. Quite an emotional day, but in a good way. During one of the songs at church, I was deeply moved quite suddenly. Sometimes, like Holly said yesterday, God just grabs me at random times....hard. I consider it a privilege that He does that to me, to all of His followers. Reminds me what He's brought me through and how good He is to me. 

Oh the blood of Jesus washes me

Oh the blood of Jesus shed for me

What a sacrifice!

That saved my life. 

Yes, the blood. It is my victory. 

H and K have church...but not in the way you'd think

Holly: Church was cancelled this morning...well, last night, actually.  Anyway, we didn't go to church this morning.  Instead, we slept in, had pancakes and coffee, put on some praise and worship music and just talked: about God, about how older Christian music is better, about work, about Doctor Who.  And then this came up.  The following is an excerpt from my journal writing on Saturday evening, shortly after watching the third season finale of Doctor Who (and random excerpts will continue cropping up):

I can't help but think of this particular exchange: Here's the Master, who's corrupted all of planet Earth, who's forced Martha's family to watch countless people suffer terrible demises, who's tortured the Doctor and transformed him into a pitiable state.  But through the redemptive power of the human mind and spirit, and Martha's courage and love for the Doctor, the Doctor is regenerated back to his present form, where he is able to meet the one who understands him probably better than anyone.  2 Time Lords.  Given all the Doctor knew the Master had done, he could have banished him to any one fate.  Instead, he tells the Master "I only have one thing to say to you.  I forgive you."  God, Your forgiveness to us, your sin-filled children whom You love dearly, is NO different.  Because, let's face it, the Master didn't deserve the Doctor's forgiveness.  And we don't deserve Your forgiveness.  

Guys, forgiveness and love changes lives.  So often we choose to take the easy way out, which is to hold onto with ever-increasing strength whatever grudge we have, whatever bitterness we've been harboring, whatever pride we can't let go of, what have you.  But I truly believe that that is not God's will for us.  God sent his son into this broken world and broke the chains of all the junk we hold onto.  We ought not to live in bondage to our mistakes and our sin; it doesn't have the last word!  You do!  And you speak love: love that surpasses understanding, breaks barriers, changes hearts and minds, brings people together, drives them apart, and it goes on and on...Forgiveness is scary, sure.  The Master cowered in fear from the Doctor as he put his arms around him and said "I forgive you."  The night before he died, Jesus pleaded for another way out.

And then there's love.  There's a quote somewhere, and I'm butchering it, certainly, but it's something like how Jesus was on the cross in the way he was and that was him saying "I love you."  The Bible says we love Him because He first loved us.  The sad irony of the end of that Doctor Who episode is that the Master died in the Doctor's arms.  There has to be an extraordinary amount of love in there somewhere to literally hold your enemy until his last moments.  Pretty powerful.  I'm thankful for those who lead by example: in this case, Jesus and the Doctor.

"Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in love."  -Romans 12:9-10

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." -1 Peter 4:8

Kelly: While I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with all that has been said above, there is one more element I want to add that I think is equally important; trust. It too can make or change lives for the better or the worst. The quote as old as time goes "it takes years to build up trust and seconds to destroy it." But one thing I definitely admire about Martha as a companion to the Doctor is her unending trust in him. On a whim, she decides to put her trust in this man that she barely knows but something tells her to take a chance. As the series progresses, she gets to know him better. I think of the verse in Isaiah where it says "Here I am, send me!" It's the true heart's desire of a servant of Christ; to lead where He goes without really knowing what the plan is. It's how I felt when I first started following God; I didn't know Him all that well, and I didn't trust Him that much. But as I got to know Him and spend time with Him, that trust has continued to build. (Proverbs 3:5-6). In the 3rd series finale, which was a very powerful episode, there was one part that made me think about my relationship with God. It made me think that perhaps I was meant to find this show. In a scene, Martha is talking to a group of refugees as the world is about to end. She is telling of her experiences with the Doctor. Just read this below and see what I mean:

...But if Martha Jones became a legend, then that's wrong because my name isn't important. There's someone else. The man who sent me out there. The man who told me to walk the Earth. His name is The Doctor. He has saved your lives so many times, and you never knew he was there. He never stops. He never stays. He never asks to be thanked. But I've seen him. I know him. I love him. And I know what he can do. 

I mean...WHAT? You read that and you Christians, tell me. Have you EVER felt that way about Jesus? I know I have! That night, before I went to bed, I thanked God and told him that even though I may not see Him with my eyes, I know Him with my heart. He has saved my life so many times, and sometimes I knew it, sometimes I didn't.  It may sound silly, but I truly do believe God can speak to us in so many ways, even in Doctor Who. You may not want to trust God sometimes, but something tells you to take a chance, like Martha did with The Doctor. Listen when it does. Your life may never be the same.

Take a chance.  Your life may never be the same. 

Love. 

Relentless love

Holly: The following is my Facebook status from this morning: 

Thought of a couple things on this rainy Wednesday morning:

1. Last night at choir, there was mention of a young man in Rockcastle County who attempted suicide.  Praise God he is still with us, but he is 15, and while he is physically healing, the spiritual and emotional damage is probably so much more extensive than we can even begin to imagine.  Granted, my life was not perfect at 15 (although better than most, I must admit), but I can not imagine wanting to take my life at that age.  At 15, you're still a kid; there's still so much more out there.  As I was praying in the car this morning, I prayed that we would be aware, that we would reach out, that we would show love, RELENTLESSLY, to others, because we never know what we are going through.  Sometimes it's one encouraging word, a smile, a silent prayer, that keeps someone from going over the edge.

2. I love the concept of a subtle witness: There is a shuttle driver that drives UK employees from the stadium to campus, and right as he pulls up and opens the doors, he ALWAYS says "Have a good day, and may the Lord bless you."  EVERY time.  It never fails to bring a smile to my face.  

Doing my best to think of others and to be that subtle witness, today, and every day.  :)

The first part, the young man, has been heavily on my heart since yesterday.  The word that kept running in my mind was "relentless".  We ought to NEVER stop showing love and compassion for one another.  Guys, it's still hard for me.  I know the words above probably disagree with that, but it's true.  The more I think of this, the more I realize that life isn't about me.  I was not put here on this earth for me.  I was put on this earth to love God and to love people.  I have hope, and every day I do my best to live out that hope.  I fail, I know I do, and I accept that, and I accept God's amazing grace and I try again tomorrow.  But I've said this before and I'll say it again- I sincerely desire to impact someone's life just by me being in it.   

For the life of me I simply cannot imagine getting to a point in life where you think the only way out is taking your own life.  I just can't imagine the pain, the loneliness, the fear, the despair that one must feel.  Especially with these young people; it just destroys me.  Feeling like there's absolutely no one and nothing...you're so, so alone.  I think at some point, we hit the lowest of valleys, but I have been blessed with an amazing support system, and I know that there are those who love me and support me and pray for me (And God knows I need it!).  But some people do not have that.  That destroys me too.  We weren't meant to do this life thing alone.  We're stronger together than we are apart.  I think it's high time we show people the human side of humanity, instead of all this nastiness and bitterness everyone is so hell-bent on broadcasting.  

Even darkness must pass.

Kelly: Where I work, I would say the most common report I get from patients is "I feel hopeless", "I've hit rock bottom" or "If (insert situation) doesn't get better, it will kill me." They feel like there's no hope. Some of these patients I've encountered don't have any family, or even a place to call home and no one to call friend. Some have all of the above and still feel hopeless, and that's when they come to us. Sadness, hopelessness, loneliness and fear, it doesn't discriminate. I've dealt with 18-year-old suicidal people and older suicidal people. My reaction is always the same; I hurt. I told a co worker on Monday that at one point or another I'm sure everyone has gone through some sort of depression in their life. I have. I KNOW I have. But never, not even for half a second did I ever even consider taking my own life. 

But some people have. Some people succeed and some don't. I remember this song from high school and some of the words are "how do you get that lonely? How do you hurt that bad?" That's why I do what I do; just try to love especially when someone doesn't feel loved. And the love that I share comes from Christ alone. That hope, joy and peace I have comes from Him too. I often wonder if my words of encouragement to others falls on deaf ears, but I'd like to think that what I say is what someone needed to hear at just the right time. I left early for work yesterday and a patient asked me to unlock his door. I jokingly said "you just want me to stay don't you?" He didn't say anything for a while, but he said "yeah, I do." It's the little things. 

Friends, I don't know what you all are going through. I'm sure some of you are going through the most unimaginable circumstances. I sincerely hope and pray that your situations, whatever they may be, will resolve soon. But when someone tells you they are thinking/praying for you, I hope it encourages you and lifts you up, even if it's for just a little bit. A sliver of hope goes a long way. 

Get up all "in your face" or just live like Jesus.

Kelly: A few weeks ago, Holly and I touched on the subject on the two greatest commandments that we are to obey as Christians (Here is the post we are referring to). Today's is not necessarily a follow up of that post, but it is something similar, or at least I think it is. xtyz (oops, Yoda got a hold of the keyboard again). I feel though that in light of some recent conversation, comments, the sermon today and whatnot, I am going to throw out a disclaimer right now: the topic at hand we are discussing today has multiple sides, and we acknowledge and are aware of them. However, today, we are choosing to focus on just a few of the sides on this multi-faceted topic of discussion. This morning in Sunday School our discussion was about being more intentional about who we come in contact with. The Scripture we referenced was when Jesus met with the Samaritan Woman. The consensus we reached was that He didn't bump into her on purpose; He knew her story and He knew she'd be there at the time that He was there too. One of the questions that was asked was what are some of the most ineffective ways to tell others about Jesus. I gave the example of someone knocking on your door and getting all in your face, seemingly shouting "excuse me, do you have a moment to talk about Jesus?" or "Hey, I'm here right now to tell you about Jesus!" Now PLEASE do not misunderstand me; I am not against those means of evangelizing. I'm just saying, they have not worked for me. It made me uncomfortable, a bit uneasy, and obliged to initiate a response. Once they left, that was it. There was no room to get to know the actual person. I felt like just another check mark on their list of people to reach. We were then asked what were some of the most effective ways of telling others about Jesus. Holly said just being real with people. I followed up and said that Jesus got into the heart and soul of everyone He met, like Zaccheaus, the Pharisee and the Samaritan Woman. He knew their stories, and if He didn't, He learned them. He didn't intimidate them or scare them. No. He was real with them.

This leads into the next part of my portion. Today's sermon was about respecting humanity. The main point that was driven home was simple: it DOES NOT MATTER where any person, ANY PERSON, has come from, what they look like, who they love, where they're from, we as Christ's body are to give them, ALL of them the love and respect that they not only need but deserve. Did I stutter?

Holly: There was a story about Union Church (a non-denominational church in town) on the news a couple of nights ago.  If there are any of you non-Bereans who are reading this, one of the things that stands out about this church is that right out front there's a very large banner with a rainbow flag that says something to the degree of "ALL are welcome! No kidding! No exceptions!"  We posted the video below- please take the time to watch it if you feel led to do so.

What really gets me (and this was said this morning in the sermon) is that so many of us, including Christians, totally forget or disregard the second part of the greatest commandment, which is "love your neighbor as yourself."  It's simple concepts, really: Show compassion to others.  Treat others the way you want to be treated.  Freaking BE NICE to people.  And yet somewhere along the way the lines get blurred.  I've stated my views on love and acceptance and respect many times before, so I won't share them again.  But one of the ways we do that is by relating to people.  Just sharing life with others!  Being the hands and feet of Jesus by reaching out to those who are already on the outside looking in.  Heck, even those that aren't.  I feel that regular, every day conversations can turn into the spiritual, meaningful ones over time if we relate to people on all areas of their lives.  For me, like Kelly said, that doesn't involve loudly proclaiming "HEY YOU NEED JESUS RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW NO IFS ANDS OR BUTS!"  The truth is, we ALL need Jesus.  There's a quote that says "You may be the only Bible that someone ever reads."  We ought to be sharing messages of love, acceptance, and hope; something this society so desperately needs.  I posted on my Twitter today that the message at Berea Baptist is one that needs to be preached but probably isn't.  Let's live like Jesus with our lives and words.  Let's reach out to ALL people.  No exceptions.  

Union Church story

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.

Little twins.  We're 7 in this picture :)

Holly, our brother Kip and me. Family friend did a photo shoot of us kids. 

Holly's graduation, May 2012

Our wonderful parents! :) 

The Two Greatest Commandments

Kelly: A few nights ago, Holly and I were having an interesting conversation, as is the starter of the majority of these blog posts. As you all know, we are followers of Christ, or at least we claim to be. By the way, if you see or hear us acting not in such a manner, please let us know. Sometimes we are not aware of our own words or actions, am I right? Anyway, in Matthew Jesus answers the question what the two greatest commandments are. Simple. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul mind and strength. The second is like it; love your neighbor as yourself. In today's world, it seems to me we need to go back to basics with the latter.

I've heard before ad nauseum, especially from these other "churches" who say "we love God and He is our Savior, but you all are burning to hell because of xyz." Yes, I'm talking about the latest people population that has been targeted; gays. Now please don't misunderstand me, I am in no way shape or form discriminating against anyone who is gay. In fact, some of my friends are gay and I love them dearly. The question that Holly and I posed while we were having this conversation is can you love God without loving other people? ALL people? My answer? No. I don't think you can. Jesus didn't discriminate against ANYONE, therefore we shouldn't either, whether or not you claim to carry the name Christian. If one is selective about who they want to show love to, then in my opinion you're missing the message that Jesus was trying to carry. But it's not just the gay population that is being targeted, no. Again, like I said, I feel like the world needs to go back to basics. I think some people have just forgotten how to simply be nice. I was reading on Yahoo! news that this family received a letter stating that their mentally challenged young son was a disgrace to their neighborhood and that the parents were shameful for letting him play outside.

Ironically, Holly and I viewed Lee Daniel's The Butler this evening. There was one line that President Kennedy (as portrayed by James Marsden) is watching the TV and footage of African Americans being relentlessly beaten on the streets. He sinks his face in his hands and says "I can't believe that this is my country." Sadly, this is what our country was and unfortunately what our world is becoming. Ya'll, this is the point I'm trying to say; it doesn't matter what your views are on Christianity, gay rights, etc. Just show some common courtesy to ANYONE you meet. You don't know what they're going through.

Holly: We love because He first loved us.  ~1 John 4:19

Jesus dying for the sins of the world on the cross- how much more of a powerful way can you say "I love you?'  He also makes very clear the two commandments: love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.  Nowhere is there any subtext that says love your neighbor as yourself....EXCEPT if he's gay, black, weird, pink, straight, yellow, male, female, a dog....NO.  There are no exceptions.  Period.

I've mentioned this in a post or two previously, but I think love just goes beyond love.  I believe love also comes with acceptance.  Jesus loves who we are, everything about us, flaws and all.  I don't think you can love somebody without accepting all of them.  Now that goes without saying that you don't have to fully adopt their lifestyle choices- no.  That's not it at all.  But stay open-minded and be respectful.  Eventually you look past all the things that originally turned you off from them and you see them for who they really are; a child of God, a living, breathing human being.  If you really think about it, when you boil everything down, we are all essentially the same.  We are all created in the image of God.  I know I need to remember this when I yell at the questionable drivers I encounter on a daily basis (I have terrible road rage).

I'm caught thinking of Westboro Baptist Church.  This is an institution that is supposed to be proclaiming the love of Christ.  Instead, they spread nothing but utter hate and ignorance and oppose anything that threatens their little box full of blasphemy that they've sadly put themselves in.  They absolutely refuse to listen to any reason whatsoever and they believe they are perfectly valid.  I do not consider them a church.  I do not consider their members to be Christians.  Heck, I don't even know if the life I'M living will be considered Christian when I am judged by God at the end of my earthly life.  But it's spelled out as clear as day: we are called to love.  And I'm doing my best to do just that.  Please let me know if you see me doing otherwise.

A true Berea gem

Holly: I'm actually getting a little sad writing this.  Tillie really is one of a kind.

We first met Tillie our junior year at Berea.  Of course we had heard about her: she was the dog that would come hiking with you at the Pinnacles (random side note, if any of you non-Berean readers ever find yourself in this charming little town, you must explore the Pinnacles; they really are extraordinary).  While she did not accompany us on our hike, I remember her quiet, gentle presence on the grounds, taking drinks from student's water cups, laying patiently as she was swarmed with children.

We've seen her a few times since then, and nothing has changed.  Unfortunately, her time on earth is coming to an end.  The entire community is rallying around her.  It's amazing how one dog that was just a grungy, skuzzy stray has charmed her way into thousands of hearts.  I'm sure her spirit will live on in those mountains and woods.  Kelly and I are hoping to make one last pilgrimage to pay homage to this special creature.  She is an angel, in my not so humble opinion.  Or perhaps a guardian.  Or both.

Kelly: When I was last up there, which was in March, she did not accompany us. However, when I was there in October, I noticed she had found her way up the mountain with a small group. Only once did she actually accompany me while I was on a hike; that was my junior year. I was on the college's orientation team and was with some freshmen hiking up the Pinnacles. Most of them opted for the more demanding and steeper West Pinnacle; I chose East. But before we split and departed, I managed to capture this shot. Tillie opted to follow the West group, but I remember it being particularly warm that day. She was a bit thirsty and soon made a new friend.

I don't know if I'll ever see this beautiful creature again. I hope I get the chance to. But I hope that her owners realize number one, how lucky they were to have her for as long as they did. And number two, I hope they realize how lucky we were to have her as well. At the bottom of this post I have attached a news link from one of the local TV stations. Enjoy. 

Took this in October. She took a snooze after I gave her a cup of water. 

People make Pilgramage for one last hike with dog

30 Days of Writing: Five Ways to Win Your Heart

Holly: I was inspired by a friend...well, two friends actually, who both have amazing writing talent.  For a time Kelly and I used to write.  When I was in England I took a writing class.  Maybe something will happen from this.  But for now, I think we're just going to kind of roll with it and see where it goes! :)

Day 1: Five ways to win your heart

1. Love Jesus.  Pretty self-explanatory.  But Jesus set the bar for love and life, essentially.  The way I see it is you can't fully love someone unless you realize the perfect love that only Christ can give.
2. Have a sense of humor.  Life is too short to take anything seriously.  Laugh at things.  Laugh at yourself.
3. Be genuine.  I know this is so cliche, but it's so hard to find these days, especially with such a superficial society.  Being yourself gets people a lot farther than they realize.
4. Have goals, even if they're small.  Everyone needs something to work for.
5. Don't be afraid to let people know you're with me.  Hold my hand.  Hug me for just a second longer.  Kiss me in public.  Don't be shy.  Love is nothing to be ashamed of.  Oh, and like hobbits too.  :)

Kelly:

1. Love Jesus before myself. If you love me you have to love Him first too.
2. Love Lord of the Rings. I really don't need to go into any more detail.
3. Be true to yourself and be true to me. I have a heart for honest people; people who are honest about themselves and TO themselves. This goes for me too; be honest with me. Always. I can't tell a lie to save my life, so don't do the same to me.
4. Love other people. It's my duty as a Christian, human being and future RN.
5. Invest. Do the little things more than what's expected. Don't go to bed angry with me. Kiss me good morning every morning. Smile, especially when I'm sad. I will give 110% to whoever God calls me to be with; I expect 110% out of the relationship too.

"But the greatest of these is love."

Holly: I posted this on my Facebook this morning.

I may or may not get some flack for this, but this is truly what I believe:

I was watching the news last night, and it showed a lot of couples (both same-sex and not) walking out of churches, courthouses, etc, holding hands and looking so genuinely happy.  When I see things like that, I don't see gender...I see two people who are in love and who can't wait to spend the rest of their lives together.  I know what the Bible says, but LOVE is the greatest command of all.  Even if we don't agree with it, we owe it to EVERY person our love, our acceptance, and our tolerance.  Jesus hung out with people from all walks of life.  He never judged, never criticized...he saw them for who they were: a child of God.

Love over hate.
Tolerance over intolerance.

Now, I know a lot of those out there who do not agree with this.  And that's ok.  I have my beliefs and I will respect them, and I only ask that you please do the same for me.  But I think that we are in no place to judge one another's actions, lifestyle choices, relationships, etc.  We ought to be supportive of our friends and neighbors, even if we don't agree with the choices they make.

As for me, I am straight, and therefore can't really offer any solid opinions on this issue.  But I will say this: I have several gay friends and I love them all so dearly.  I see them through the eyes of God, as I do ALL people, and that propels my dire love for people.  I urge all of you to do the same.

Kelly: In the world I'm in, we are always told to treat all individuals equally. I could walk into the door of my future work place and treat anyone who comes in; a prisoner, a homeless person, someone who's HIV positive, whatever. If you were in my shoes would you not treat the person with as much respect and compassion as they need, even if they don't "deserve" it? Just because I may not agree with a patient's lifestyle does not mean their care by me will be any different, as it shouldn't be.

Maybe you wouldn't. But I would. And that's not even because I "have" to; it's by my free choice that I do so. So why should these individuals be treated any differently? It makes me so sad that in this country we live in, many individuals are denied seemingly basic rights, in my opinion. I try to put myself in their shoes; how would I feel if I could not marry the person I loved and wanted to spend the rest of my life with? How would you feel? I'm guessing not a lot of people think about that. Like sis said, I don't even see the fact that they're gay. I don't. I see two people who love each other. What also makes me sad is that I have Christian friends who are gay and who genuinely struggle with this. I've been asked "Kelly, because I'm gay does that mean I'm going to hell?" How do you even answer that? I thought that our country was supposed to build people up instead of tear them down. I think with the troubles going on in this country and the world it's the absolute LEAST we can do.

Love in spite of loss

Holly and Kelly: Our hearts are heavy once again today.  We have just learned of the death of a Berea College student, a sophomore.  The details are not known but suicide is suspected.  We did not personally know this student, but, seeing as Berea is a small community, we are certain that there are those we do know that are feeling the ache and pain of losing a fellow student and friend.

This is why we emphasize on speaking words of love over hate.  Everyone is almost always fighting some sort of internalized battle.  We never know what one another is going through.  We ought to be reaching out to one another, smiling and laughing with those we are close to, and bridging the societal and economic gaps that threaten to tear us apart.  Kelly and I are doing our best to do just that.

We are praying for our beloved Berea College community today and ask that you would do the same.

Potpurri post #6

Kelly: To start this post, I would like to point out that it is 11:30 and I am still in my PJ's! Goodness I love Christmas break already. Also, I would like to mention that today is my parents 31st Anniversary!!! :] <3 I hope that one day I can find somebody who can put up with me for that long. But yeah; even after 31 years it is so evident that my parents are still crazy about each other. Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! I got my final grades on Tuesday; not bad...didn't fail anything but still got one C. The rest were A's and B's. At first I was rather upset because I always think I can do better, but hey, I actually did try. I utilized excellent work/study habits and for my nursing classes it paid off! I scored the highest on my two nursing finals than I ever had before! Must have done something right! So yay me. Ok now I'm done bragging about myself.

The world didn't end yesterday as it was said to. Obviously. If we all went back to the simple truths from Scripture, then there wouldn't be this problem in the first place (for reference please refer to Matthew 24:36). It just irritates me that so many people bought into this whole world ending thing. I mean really? Ok, suit yourself; I'm going to stick with the truth and what I actually know is true, which is God's word. Enough about that. I find it hard to believe that 2012 is almost over!!!!! Is it just me or did this year go by really fast? Like...REALLY fast! If this is any indication on how fast 2013 is going to go then shoot! Graduation will be here in no time! I have so many goals for this upcoming year that I want to accomplish; something sis and I are going to do is keep a jar and write down good things that happen throughout the year. When the year is over we're going to re-visit it and see what happened! :] That's enough for me now; time to shower and actually become a decent individual in the world again. Cheers! Hope everyone has a good Christmas!

Holly: It's now 11:36.  Still in my pj's.  lol.

I really don't have much to say.  I know that may come as a surprise to many of you.  haha.  But no, really.  Like Kelly I too am surprised that 2012 is coming to an end so quickly.   It's been kind of a big year for me. It's hard to believe that when this year started I was still in school.  In that same span of a year I've been in school, graduated from school, been done with school, moved out on my own, and am now on my second "real" job.  And gotten hopelessly hooked on several entertainment franchises that now consume the majority of my free time.  lol.

I am eager to see what 2013 awaits for me.  For many people that I'm close to it's going to be a big year for them.  But for me, it's kind of a question mark.  All I know is I don't want to fold clothes at Old Navy for the rest of my life (NO. OFFENSE!)  My dream is to work for my alma mater.  It gave so much to me and I would love to give just a little bit of myself back to it.  That's all.  Maybe 2013 will open a door for me there.  I pray it does.  But other than that....question mark.

Tomorrow we meet up with an old and dear friend and return to Middle Earth again.  Christmas is three days away.  And we're with family.  Life is good.  I hope all of you have a magic-filled, wondrous Christmas.  Hold close those who are closest to you, and ALWAYS count your blessings, because you have more than you could possibly realize.

Hugs from Ohio.  <3

Honesty without the hurt

Holly: Earlier today Kelly and I got into an argument.  A pretty heated one.  It eventually culminated into a battle of "well now I'M going to be honest about this and that", and we both said some things.  I was really hurt by what she said.  Really hurt.  We've since made up and all that, but it just got me to thinking about honesty and being honest.  Now, I'm all for it, personally.  HOWEVER, I think that sometimes there is a line between being honest and being hurtful.  We have good intentions, but sometimes what we say just comes out really really wrong, and people interpret things differently.  I also think there's some degree of a need-to-know basis when it comes to being honest.

Let me give you an example: I love the tv show Sherlock.  I also love the two starring actors in said show (Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch, for those back home and/or living under a rock).  If I were ever blessed enough to get the opportunity to meet them (hey, a girl can dream, right?), of course I would tell them things like "Hi, I love your work on Sherlock, and I love your passion and humility for your job, it's really inspiring, you have an extraordinary amount of talent, etc" (Which is all very true, by the way).  Would I go on to say that I find them both incredibly attractive and secretly hope that they would retire to the States and live in my kitchen and play with my cats?  Um...no, probably not.  Like I said: need. to. know. basis.

I apologize for my silly and fangirl struck example, but what I'm getting at is this: I appreciate people and their insatiable need to be honest, but a rule of thumb for me is to ask this: is what I am about to tell this person going to build them up, help them become better, or is it going to bring them down?  Because if you know you're going to hurt someone with your words, it's probably better to just not say anything at all.  Another thing: if you absolutely MUST get the truth out, try to find a way to word it in a way that won't come across as hurtful.  And sometimes, if people WANT a brush with honesty......they'll ask for it.  Bottom line: think before we speak.

Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.  ~James 1:19

Kelly: The beauty of being a twin is that we have differing opinions on soooo many aspects of life and we respect each other's opinion. This is one of those aspects in which our opinions differ. (and 3 DAYS LATER I pick back up on this....wow.) For me, I feel that when someone asks you to be honest with them, you are always taking a risk. Taking that risk because what you say may make them mad. Or hurt their feelings. Or awaken them.

But what happens if they DON'T ask and the truth just comes out? How do you deal with the blow that may come after it? Well...speaking from experience the truth comes out when the timing just wasn't good. In fact it was quite crappy. You have to realize that when you're speaking the truth you shouldn't be intending to hurt someone on purpose. I've been asked "well why don't you just not say it?" How am I supposed to know what I say will hurt someone? Again, goes back to taking a risk. I feel that if the timing is right the truth should come out, regardless. Once again, speaking from experience, I know that sometimes I need somebody to be brutally honest with me but I don't necessarily ask for it. I feel that sometimes honesty shouldn't be prompted, harsh truth I apologize. But I also feel that it is ok to ask for that brutal honesty. I'm so indecisive on this issue...truth is it's all arbitrary.

Here's another take on the issue that we did not discuss; being honest with yourself. Having a conscious. Making a promise to complete something then not going forth with it. That can hurt sometimes too. I know when I do that I feel disappointed. Like I let myself down. I think that's almost worse than letting someone else down. The saying is true...you are your own worst critique. It's easy to look in the mirror and feel good about yourself when you look good, but man....I think it's even easier to tear yourself down. Folks, that is just not healthy. At all. And what's also sad is that I do not know how we can stop that. I have no shred of advice of how we can stop tearing ourselves down. That's a sad truth for me to admit. But for now, I think that something we can all do is think. Think about others in our lives. Take that risk if they ask for honesty; be wary if they don't. But for goodness sake let's be honest with ourselves too! Hold onto what we say we're going to do or want to do and do it! If we don't or if we screw up, think, pray, reflect and try again. :]

Home

Holly: Throughout my life my perceptions of things have changed.  Chalk it up to growing up, I suppose.  One of these things that have changed is my concept of home.  What is "home"?  What does it mean to be "home"?  Is it a place, people, or something even more than that?

As many of you know, Kelly and I moved to Berea in May of this year.  We spent a lot of our time here, college-related time, and we felt like Berea was the place we were supposed to be.  Considering the large amount of our time here Berea felt more like our home than our grassroots of southeastern Ohio.  Now, PLEASE do not misunderstand me.  I love my hometown.  I love that I was able to grow up there, and I love my family and best friend more than anything.  But when I would go home for holidays or breaks or whatnot, things just felt so....foreign.  Different.  I felt out of place, like I had missed so much from Athens and from my folks and best friend.  It just wasn't the same place anymore.  I wasn't the same person.  Because I had grown so used to cozy Berea, my school, and my church, it was strange to be away from that, even though I had spent the first 18 years of my life in this place.  Now, when I say I'm going home, it means I'm going to my 2-bedroom apartment in Berea.

But home for me is a lot more than just a place.  When my parents come to visit, that's home.  When I talk to my best friend on the phone, that's home.  When my cats come downstairs when I come in the door from work, that's home.  Home is watching an episode of Sherlock in the living room with Kelly and exclaiming in excitement how I picked something up that I had never noticed before.  Home is a cup of the flavor of the day at BC&T.  Home is opening your window and sensing that fall "smell" and feeling the breeze blow into your space.  Home is singing as loud as you can to that song on the radio when you're stuck at a red light.  Home is hugging that one friend you haven't seen in ages.

Take time to notice the "home" in your life, whether it's a place or not.

Kelly: On our daily walk tonight, I was talking to Holly that a lot of college students move back to where they came from after they graduate. Our brother did this. I have lots of friends who did this/are doing this. I was talking to Holly that this didn't even cross my mind after I graduated. Then she said to me: "I already moved back home. I moved here." Didn't really think about it that way. I remember being a first year student wondering how I would get used to this place called Berea, Kentucky. Now I can't imagine being apart from it. To be honest though, my perspective on home is a bit different than Holly's. Sometimes I sit and ask God how He picked here for me to be. How did He get me to fall in love with a place like Berea? Then it hit me.

To me, home in many cases is more the people than a place or a thing. I think people largely make a home a home. And for me, my Berea home and my attraction to it is largely where I go to church every Sunday. I see it as a home despite the division and sometimes negativity that has been seen/heard/read in a survey. Despite the fact that I read a comment that basically said college students can either just deal with the changes or shove off, it's still a home to me. Because in a home, you notice there are flaws, yet you don't define it by the few flaws. Positive memories and faces trump any negative comment in my book. When I think of a home, I think of family. A family. People who love one another, encourage one another, support one another and pray for one another. They don't hold grudges, or judge, belittle, or put down...not that anybody in my immediately family or my close friends do that. But families don't do that, or at least they shouldn't. That's why I love my church; it treats me like a family. Every Sunday (and Tuesday night) I am welcomed with open arms and loved by so many.

I'll close with this: on the way out of church today I got a comment from my pastor today saying how much he appreciated how Holly and I have openly loved his family. I was stricken mute by my overwhelming joy that I totally forgot to say I only give such love because I myself have been given the exact same love by not only his family but so many others at BBC. I am blessed to have that church as my family. And my home.