musings and reflections of hollyholz

lately, i'm being reminded of what it means to have joy. only with joy can you truly be thankful of what surrounds you - even in the toughest and unfavourable situations.

:)

Labels: thanksgiving

posted by Holz @ 12:12 AM |

recently, i've had experiences where i've pretty much had to duke it out with the people closest to me. and the awesome thing is, as painful as it is to go through an argument or a "honest talk" which involves being frank (not "tom", haha... to jl, that is)... the end of it results in a really awesome feeling of knowing that the friendship/relationship between the person and myself is authentic and genuine. instead of assuming things or having to guess what's going on in the other party's head, it's an epiphany to me to know what the person is thinking (and vice versa).

though some wounds heal from confrontations, while others don't... both come to the same conclusion - that it reveals the truth of where things stand, rather than painting a picture which isn't necessarily accurate.

the summary of what's been happening this past week.

Labels: friendships, thanksgiving

posted by Holz @ 10:29 PM |

i think i can finally use the birthday present (or was it Christmas) that Ben got me a few years ago. He bought me a moleskine notebook along with a Chinese cookbook, asking me to journal all the dishes and meals he'd make for me. so far, i haven't had any journal entries, though i think i should include the ones he made in tofino and other random odd times.

what sparked this sudden usage of the gift?

he was persistent in making dinner at home tonight rather than going out on the whim. and so we had some good home cookin'. :)

ah, things to be thankful for. must continue to remind myself of the blessings especially in tough and challenging times.

Labels: thanksgiving

posted by Holz @ 10:47 PM |

oh, beautiful british columbia... how i miss thee.

the mountains.
the ocean.
the kayaking.
the hiking.
the random japanese food trucks parked by the bus station in richmond.
the gelato shoppes.
the friends and fam.
the tea and coffee cafes.
the other food places.
the trees.

wish i was there right now. wish i could rewind to two weeks back, as ben and i were enroute to tofino.

Labels: vacation

posted by Holz @ 5:28 PM |

perhaps seeing a few of my closer friends from ntcbc today made me a bit nostalgic... and led me here to this blog. after all, this blog did connect me with a lot of people during my university years from all walks of life - as the old bloggers shared bits and pieces of their lives and thoughts, and vice versa. one of these old bloggers got married today (congrats to abby and raymond!).

i realize i do miss sharing my thoughts. regardless of whether or not an audience is there, i think i'm going to resume blogging... just to go back to the reason this blog was created: to share what's on my mind with those that are the dearest to me (but are far away physically... due to school back then, and maybe now, just due to the different walks of life).

so thought of the day? friendships and community

a strong friendship and fellowship isn't just created because it's "convenient". intentional effort has to be put into it, in efforts to grow and nourish into something awesome. it was great seeing the nt friends - some of which i only see at weddings. i realize it's nice to catch up in depth, even for that short time, because of the intentional effort put forth in the past... that establishes a common trust. but in attempt to make it something even more fruitful going forward, both parties have to put time and effort into making it something even more. like nevin said "lunch? just let me know when and i'll make time for you"

simple, yet profound.

though it's convenient just to see each other at people's weddings and other significant moments in life, it takes intentional effort to keep a good friendship going. with that, i appreciated nevin's offer to meet up for lunch, and reminded myself of the fact a good friendship requires effort to maintain it. i agree there is a certain chemistry or level of comfort that naturally flows in a friendship, but to make that friendship even better, effort is required.

similarly, in our respective circles and communities (church, recreational, etc.) - i find we often times come together because something's conveniently available. this could be a volleyball/ultimate frisbee team, a gathering at someone's house, an event like buskerfest, etc. but once that available thing disappears, so does the circles and communities, if intentional effort to build or grow it is absent from each person in the circle.

taking this thought to the next level is Christian community, where i realize if it's there's a healthy Christian community, it isn't just based on our intentional efforts... but the community having its foundation on Him. that way, if human efforts fail - which may happen - then there's still a cornerstone that keeps things together, that is Christ alone. with that, grace and love is there to remind us to once again, make an effort to rebuild things with purpose and intention.

Labels: community, friendships

posted by Holz @ 5:56 PM |