Kelly: After much discussion and deliberation, Holly and I have decided to indefinitely take a hiatus from The H and K Chronicles.
Since I've begun my endeavors in travel nursing, it has become increasingly difficult for the two of us to reach out on a time that works out for the both of us to continue to contribute to this blog. To be honest, it's something we've talked about for a while now but we haven't really been sure how to approach it. Yes, it is difficult and this was a difficult decision for us. However, we have really enjoyed figuring out who we are as individuals and watching how God has worked in our lives as His children. We are also each regularly contributing to our own separate blogs. I am further pursuing my career while Holly is further pursuing her own paths, including her relationship over the last 10 months (and some change).
So fear not, we are still around on Facebook and Twitter and if you have our numbers, feel free to reach out to us in that way! To close, I want to say thank you all for reading, following, commenting and going through life with us on this avenue for the last 5 years. It has been a pleasure and a joy expressing ourselves in this way, but as they say, all good things must come to an end! Keep the faith, and remember Jesus loves you, and so do we.
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Things we learned in September
Sister dates can still happen even when they are 2 hours apart: Holly took a vacation day to hang out in the Tri-State area with Kelly towards the end of the month. We spent the weekend watching Jeopardy, treating ourselves to coffee and donuts in the park, shopping until we (nearly) dropped, Cold Stone and pizza...oh, and a small little concert with Jonny Diaz and Chris August! :)
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| Shew- not too shabby for Kelly having a 15+ hour day and Holly working 8 hours + 2.5 hours of driving! |
Even though we're April babies...HELLOOOOOOOOOOOO fall!!!!!
Holly learned, in relation to giving blood that if you eat a Papa Burger approximately 40 minutes before hand and drink 96 (yes, 96) ounces of water from morning until your donation time, you will be good to go!
Cooking for one is an adventure in and of itself: Yes to leftovers! How did we ever manage without them?
It's a shorty! What did you learn? (Better late than never, eh?)
It's a shorty! What did you learn? (Better late than never, eh?)
Monday, September 26, 2016
Mrs. Lonely
Kelly: For the past couple of weeks, I have embarked on a new career path 2 hours away from Richmond. I have thoroughly enjoyed my job and getting to know those I am working with. The work has been fun, challenging and a great opportunity for me to expand on a very rewarding and promising career. The biggest adjustment I have had to make thus far is living on my own. For most of my life, I have lived with Holly or in close proximity to her (there was one year in college where we lived in the same dorm but 3 doors down from each other with separate roommates). Even when I was abroad in Scotland, I still lived with roommates. So really, this is the first time in my life where I've truly lived on my own. For the most part I can say I've enjoyed it. I'm really learning a lot about myself as an individual and this has been a great opportunity for me to be accountable and responsible, and I think I've done pretty well. There have been some things I miss though about living with someone, and sometimes the feeling of loneliness can get pretty overwhelming.
That was the case last night. Holly was up here visiting me for a few days, and when I came home from work last night, my apartment was empty. Remnants of her presence were still there, and I instantly thought about how much fun we had over the past 2 days....and I broke down. And she called me, after not hearing from her for a while, and I basically went off. I was upset, told her I was upset and just wanted to be upset, and I wanted her to feel what I was feeling. During the conversation, she stopped me and said "Kelly, just stop. We need to pray about this." So that's what I did. I got off the phone with her, and I prayed. I realized that the root of all I was feeling was just loneliness. Plain and simple loneliness. It stinks sometimes, and it sneaks up on you when you're least expecting it, and that's what happened to me last night. After I finished praying, I sat in silence for about a minute, then for some reason felt compelled to go on my Facebook. The first thing that came up on my newsfeed was a picture of a friend of mine and her kids at the movies. And I smiled....widely. I thought about the good times we had shared over the last couple of months, how we've walked alongside each other in Christ, encouraged each other and some of the conversations we've shared, and it made me so happy. It was then I realized that where that happiness came from; God.
As a Christian single young woman, it seems like there's a lot of pressure for us to learn how to be contented in our singleness. And yeah, for the most part, I am. But there are some days....where that feeling of walking home after a long day of work with no one to share it with really hits me hard. I am still a work in progress, and God has shown me so much about Him in these last 3 weeks that I've been here. I know there's still so much I have to learn, if I'm willing to be open to what He might be trying to show me or tell me. I am so thankful that God is patient, and I don't think I'll ever be able to truly comprehend and acknowledge all that He has done for me. I really am blessed, and sometimes I forget that when I let my feelings take over. One day at a time. Today is better.
Holly: As I told Kelly via text just a little bit ago, the timing for this could not have been more perfect. I'm a little hesitant to share this, but here goes: Over the weekend I attended a church event. At one point the crowd had thinned considerably and I was left waiting for my boyfriend to finish tearing down the set/stage from the morning. I waited...and I waited...and I waited some more. And it wasn't too long before this overwhelming feeling of loneliness set in. It didn't make any sense to me; in a good-sized crowd, all gathered together for the sake of glorifying the Lord, I should have felt right at home. But I didn't. At one point I felt very isolated. Left out. And it hurt.
Later on in the day, after seriously considering going home, I moved spots, where I was able to spend some time in pleasant conversation with a mom I'd recently gotten to know through a small group. It certainly helped to alleviate the feelings from before. But after I'd gotten home and was talking about the day with my boyfriend, at some point, all of the hurt from earlier came to a rise. And I just completely broke. All the while I was silently praying...just for the hurt to go away. After that, I'm not sure what happened, whether it was my prayers or my boyfriend praying too, but I felt better. I soon realized that there is one person that will never, ever leave us to feel isolated, lonely, left out, and that's God. I believe He brought peace into my heart at the exact moment I asked for it. I believe He did the same to Kelly, just through a different means. Part of my conversation with Kelly a few days ago was a reminder that my boyfriend by himself is not and cannot be the source of my joy. At least full, complete, unconditional joy. That type of joy can ONLY be found in Christ and through Christ based on what He did for us at the cross and what He has done in our lives.
Wrapping up and maybe digressing a little with a bit of a confession: I think the church needs to refocus some of its areas more towards single people. Many ministries are geared towards married couples and families, and I think that's absolutely fantastic. But I don't think I need to throw out hard data and statistics to make a point that number of single people attending church is rising. And sometimes I think they're getting left out of what could be some very valuable opportunities. I think my prolonged period of singleness was beneficial in my now relationship, but I think that, especially for young women, there's a lot of shame in being single. And there shouldn't be at all!
Maybe I should rephrase that last bit: I think we as humans sometimes need to refocus some of our areas towards single people. I would encourage any of you reading this who are married or in a relationship: reach out to one or a few of your single friends. Encourage them in their goals and in their walk with Christ. Show Christ TO them. Remind them that their singleness is to be celebrated, not a problem to be fixed. Let them know that they are loved and treasured. Because when we have that perfect, complete joy in Christ, we are free to be the 100% version of us that we are destined to be. Single or not. Cry out to God in the midst of your loneliness. He is there.
That was the case last night. Holly was up here visiting me for a few days, and when I came home from work last night, my apartment was empty. Remnants of her presence were still there, and I instantly thought about how much fun we had over the past 2 days....and I broke down. And she called me, after not hearing from her for a while, and I basically went off. I was upset, told her I was upset and just wanted to be upset, and I wanted her to feel what I was feeling. During the conversation, she stopped me and said "Kelly, just stop. We need to pray about this." So that's what I did. I got off the phone with her, and I prayed. I realized that the root of all I was feeling was just loneliness. Plain and simple loneliness. It stinks sometimes, and it sneaks up on you when you're least expecting it, and that's what happened to me last night. After I finished praying, I sat in silence for about a minute, then for some reason felt compelled to go on my Facebook. The first thing that came up on my newsfeed was a picture of a friend of mine and her kids at the movies. And I smiled....widely. I thought about the good times we had shared over the last couple of months, how we've walked alongside each other in Christ, encouraged each other and some of the conversations we've shared, and it made me so happy. It was then I realized that where that happiness came from; God.
As a Christian single young woman, it seems like there's a lot of pressure for us to learn how to be contented in our singleness. And yeah, for the most part, I am. But there are some days....where that feeling of walking home after a long day of work with no one to share it with really hits me hard. I am still a work in progress, and God has shown me so much about Him in these last 3 weeks that I've been here. I know there's still so much I have to learn, if I'm willing to be open to what He might be trying to show me or tell me. I am so thankful that God is patient, and I don't think I'll ever be able to truly comprehend and acknowledge all that He has done for me. I really am blessed, and sometimes I forget that when I let my feelings take over. One day at a time. Today is better.
Holly: As I told Kelly via text just a little bit ago, the timing for this could not have been more perfect. I'm a little hesitant to share this, but here goes: Over the weekend I attended a church event. At one point the crowd had thinned considerably and I was left waiting for my boyfriend to finish tearing down the set/stage from the morning. I waited...and I waited...and I waited some more. And it wasn't too long before this overwhelming feeling of loneliness set in. It didn't make any sense to me; in a good-sized crowd, all gathered together for the sake of glorifying the Lord, I should have felt right at home. But I didn't. At one point I felt very isolated. Left out. And it hurt.
Later on in the day, after seriously considering going home, I moved spots, where I was able to spend some time in pleasant conversation with a mom I'd recently gotten to know through a small group. It certainly helped to alleviate the feelings from before. But after I'd gotten home and was talking about the day with my boyfriend, at some point, all of the hurt from earlier came to a rise. And I just completely broke. All the while I was silently praying...just for the hurt to go away. After that, I'm not sure what happened, whether it was my prayers or my boyfriend praying too, but I felt better. I soon realized that there is one person that will never, ever leave us to feel isolated, lonely, left out, and that's God. I believe He brought peace into my heart at the exact moment I asked for it. I believe He did the same to Kelly, just through a different means. Part of my conversation with Kelly a few days ago was a reminder that my boyfriend by himself is not and cannot be the source of my joy. At least full, complete, unconditional joy. That type of joy can ONLY be found in Christ and through Christ based on what He did for us at the cross and what He has done in our lives.
Wrapping up and maybe digressing a little with a bit of a confession: I think the church needs to refocus some of its areas more towards single people. Many ministries are geared towards married couples and families, and I think that's absolutely fantastic. But I don't think I need to throw out hard data and statistics to make a point that number of single people attending church is rising. And sometimes I think they're getting left out of what could be some very valuable opportunities. I think my prolonged period of singleness was beneficial in my now relationship, but I think that, especially for young women, there's a lot of shame in being single. And there shouldn't be at all!
Maybe I should rephrase that last bit: I think we as humans sometimes need to refocus some of our areas towards single people. I would encourage any of you reading this who are married or in a relationship: reach out to one or a few of your single friends. Encourage them in their goals and in their walk with Christ. Show Christ TO them. Remind them that their singleness is to be celebrated, not a problem to be fixed. Let them know that they are loved and treasured. Because when we have that perfect, complete joy in Christ, we are free to be the 100% version of us that we are destined to be. Single or not. Cry out to God in the midst of your loneliness. He is there.
Saturday, September 3, 2016
Things we learned in August
There's leaps of faith, then there's shoves of faith: Kelly has stepped into the world of travel nursing! After tiptoeing around the idea for a while and signing on with an agency over a month ago, she has decided to take a chance and make a good positive change in her career. She's been ready to do something else, and though a little anxious about the future, we are both equally excited!
Sister dates are still awesome: We made several last month, including a trip to Lexington to check out a new Good will! What can we say...we're good company? :)
Travel is hard...not just on the traveler: Holly's boyfriend Justin made a trip back home (yes, as in home home to Australia) and his journey back included a delayed and a missed flight, a late night phone call to friends in Louisville, a night of little sleep, and a round trip drive to Louisville and back. However, we are very thankful for his safe return and for the time he shared with his family.
Wineries are great. Wineries with friends are even better: We had the opportunity to spend a rainy afternoon with dear friends of ours at a winery in Versailles. Oh man...can't recommend it enough. And the company was lovely.
Patience, time and grace: Doctor's visits, a few appointments and Kelly's foot/ankle is starting to heal. It's going to take a lot of time, but it's getting there. There have been some good days and some bad days, but the good days are far outweighing the bad.
There's something for everyone! We introduced two friend to Charming Charlie's, a store in the mall beside Lexington. It's jewelry, purses, shoes, a little bit of clothes and it is fabulous! Each time we took each individual friend we were there over an hour! There's a bit of satisfaction knowing we found something that fits our friend's tastes.
That's all for now! Keep reading and keep learning!
Sister dates are still awesome: We made several last month, including a trip to Lexington to check out a new Good will! What can we say...we're good company? :)
Travel is hard...not just on the traveler: Holly's boyfriend Justin made a trip back home (yes, as in home home to Australia) and his journey back included a delayed and a missed flight, a late night phone call to friends in Louisville, a night of little sleep, and a round trip drive to Louisville and back. However, we are very thankful for his safe return and for the time he shared with his family.
Wineries are great. Wineries with friends are even better: We had the opportunity to spend a rainy afternoon with dear friends of ours at a winery in Versailles. Oh man...can't recommend it enough. And the company was lovely.
Patience, time and grace: Doctor's visits, a few appointments and Kelly's foot/ankle is starting to heal. It's going to take a lot of time, but it's getting there. There have been some good days and some bad days, but the good days are far outweighing the bad.
There's something for everyone! We introduced two friend to Charming Charlie's, a store in the mall beside Lexington. It's jewelry, purses, shoes, a little bit of clothes and it is fabulous! Each time we took each individual friend we were there over an hour! There's a bit of satisfaction knowing we found something that fits our friend's tastes.
That's all for now! Keep reading and keep learning!
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
FIIIIIIIIIIIVE GOLDEN YEARS!!
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| August 20, 2011- day of blog launch |
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| August 20, 2012- One year after blog launch |
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August 21, 2013- Two years and one day after blog launch
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| August 25, 2015- Four years and four days after blog launch |
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| August 20, 2016- Five years after blog launch |
Here's to the future! :)
Monday, August 1, 2016
Things we learned in July
Take a break: Sometimes, circumstances in life force you to. The two of us experienced that first hand this past month and learning to deal with sudden changes that resulted in some difficult decisions that had to be made. All is well now and we learned a LOT about patience, humility and not being afraid to speak up and ask for help when needed.
Time doesn't matter: A friend of ours visited at the end of the month for a long weekend and we had a marvelous time. Good food, catching up and picking up right where we left off, and it had been months since we saw each other. But it didn't matter at all!
Trips home are still needed and always enjoyable: We spent the 4th of July weekend in Ohio with our parents. It was a laugh filled weekend with croquet, shuffleboard, a beer or two, photo albums, some much needed rest and too much fun. Plus beautiful weather!! And J came with us as well :)
Balancing act: While we've had friends over and boyfriends (Holly's; Kelly is still available), it's sometimes been difficult to find time just for us. But that's ok; we treasure the time we share together and are continually learning to still carve out time for each other as we navigate these new and exciting endeavors!
Good things are happening all around: A longtime college friend breezed through our neck of the woods on the way to Colorado and stopped for a visit! He's off to do some great things and we are very happy for him and whatever endeavors he chooses to pursue. And as for our shenanigans...it was just like old times.
The game is (still) on: Sometimes you just have to watch the new Sherlock trailer over and over. We've lost count!
Being sick as an adult is not fun: Poor Kelly got stricken with an ear infection later in the month after ignoring it for a little while. Luckily she is on the mend and probably about 99% better.
Small steps of faith are worth taking...again! We were reminded of this one Sunday after hearing a repeat sermon we'd heard back in 2008-2009 as first year college students. The message's relevance was still meaningful, perhaps even more so. God truly has perfect timing.
Good things come to a city who waits: So many exciting eateries and opportunities have come to Berea just within the last couple of months, our favorite being a Thai noodle restaurant, Noodle Nirvana. DEEEEELISH. Check it out if you're in the area!
It pays off (literally): After five years Holly made her final student loan payment this month!! She is now enjoying a life of being debt free at 26. She thanks God and AmeriCorps for that!
What did you learn last month? P.S. is it just us, or how can it already be August???!
Time doesn't matter: A friend of ours visited at the end of the month for a long weekend and we had a marvelous time. Good food, catching up and picking up right where we left off, and it had been months since we saw each other. But it didn't matter at all!
Trips home are still needed and always enjoyable: We spent the 4th of July weekend in Ohio with our parents. It was a laugh filled weekend with croquet, shuffleboard, a beer or two, photo albums, some much needed rest and too much fun. Plus beautiful weather!! And J came with us as well :)
Balancing act: While we've had friends over and boyfriends (Holly's; Kelly is still available), it's sometimes been difficult to find time just for us. But that's ok; we treasure the time we share together and are continually learning to still carve out time for each other as we navigate these new and exciting endeavors!
Good things are happening all around: A longtime college friend breezed through our neck of the woods on the way to Colorado and stopped for a visit! He's off to do some great things and we are very happy for him and whatever endeavors he chooses to pursue. And as for our shenanigans...it was just like old times.
The game is (still) on: Sometimes you just have to watch the new Sherlock trailer over and over. We've lost count!
Being sick as an adult is not fun: Poor Kelly got stricken with an ear infection later in the month after ignoring it for a little while. Luckily she is on the mend and probably about 99% better.
Small steps of faith are worth taking...again! We were reminded of this one Sunday after hearing a repeat sermon we'd heard back in 2008-2009 as first year college students. The message's relevance was still meaningful, perhaps even more so. God truly has perfect timing.
Good things come to a city who waits: So many exciting eateries and opportunities have come to Berea just within the last couple of months, our favorite being a Thai noodle restaurant, Noodle Nirvana. DEEEEELISH. Check it out if you're in the area!
It pays off (literally): After five years Holly made her final student loan payment this month!! She is now enjoying a life of being debt free at 26. She thanks God and AmeriCorps for that!
What did you learn last month? P.S. is it just us, or how can it already be August???!
Thursday, July 28, 2016
We need each other
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
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
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