Category Archives: Uncategorized

Ebb and Flow

Posted on by
Reply

I’ve been thinking about the ebb and flow of life. The highs and lows. When we feel like we’re being sucked out to sea in the #undertow, or when we’re riding high on the #waves. How many times have you prayed for life to just get boring, only to realize how uninteresting boring makes life? It’s the highs and lows of life that make it interesting. Those are what build our experience and #wisdom.

Don’t misunderstand, I don’t wish anyone to hit a low point. I don’t have to; it’s going to happen. What I do hope and pray for you is that when you’re in the whirl of the undertow, you have someone nearby who will reach in and grab you, or at least hand you a towel when you drag yourself out.

As with the coming and going of seasons. The winter is void of color, the wind blows cold, and the air pushes us back into our domicile as darkness falls too early. But spring comes, and brings color, and light, and the smell of new beginnings. By summer, the daylight is four to five hours longer than in winter.

I love summer – being outside. My favorite time of day is stepping out to the garden first thing in the morning. The morning sun reflects across the dew on the grass. The birds are busy chatting back and forth from the ash to the sycamore trees. The squirrels aren’t worried about traffic jams on what we call the squirrel highway – fence to arborvitae to ash without touching the ground. Many mornings I’m greeted by new blooms on the June flowers. It’s amazing to watch nature in action. Those moments I’m on top of the wave. Life is simple. It’s about being about the need to start a new day. As I face the rising sun, my prayer is always, Lord, I don’t know what today holds, but you do, and I know you’ll be with me.

It’s possible the wave I enjoy first thing could flatten out or come crashing down at some point in the hours of the day. That’s ok. I want to be part of the ebb and flow of nature, my friends and family, and those I encounter. In doing so, I’m building a full life. Never board. Always an adventure.

All the best,

KK

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. — Joshua 1:9

The week began with cheers

Posted on by
2

The week began with cheers and ended with jeers. But #Sunday came. The #resurrection was made sweeter – Jesus’ triumph over the grave made stronger – because of what Jesus endured in those seven days. None of us could have handled it.

If Jesus had come into this imperfect world and cruised through his 33 years without experiencing all human emotions – grief, sadness, dismay, joy, love…then recognizing Him as a Savior would be impossible. He was tempted in every way we have been, and resisted, yes, resisted every time because in his human weakness, He leaned into the Word. He was beaten and scourged for being who He was, and didn’t back down to please others.

Luke 19 gives an account of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. The people thought He came to overturn the earthly rule for one better. They welcomed Jesus with praise. By the end of the week, when Jesus didn’t wear a crown of gold, but one of thorns, the people turned. They sought the temporal satisfaction of an earthly king that would feed their bellies, when Jesus came to feed their souls. How many times do we do the same thing in our own spiritual journey? They thought Jesus would free them from oppression; He did, but not in a manner they could touch or feel. Jesus brought eternal freedom. Do we live our lives for the eternal?

I wonder if Good Friday (#GoodFriday) was the only time there were tears in heaven. Did the legions of angelic warriors weep as they waited…they hoped for…that the Father would send them for Jesus? The order was never given. The victory was to be God’s and God’s alone. Sunday was coming.

Sunday is coming. While we wait, embrace holy week, and all that the week reminds us.

All the best,

KK

Can’t never did anything

Posted on by
Reply

Can’t never did anything. Those words are etched in my DNA. When I was young, if a task or assignment was difficult, I would whine to my mother, “I can’t.” Without fail, she would say to me, “Can’t never did anything.”

While she had probably just wanted me to quit whining and leave her alone, her words stuck. Every time we say “can’t” to something, we are eliminating the experience, opportunity, or adventure from the story of our lives. Just as when we say “can,” we’re adding to our lives.

Whether your answer is “can’t” or “can,” you’re making a choice. Use each in the appropriate amount of moderation. Too much of either, and you may find yourself on the wrong side of a mistake.

I like to learn new things. Some may say it’s too late for me to learn to tap dance, earn another degree, change careers, or crochet. To them I say, “can’t never did anything.”

I challenge you in the new year to choose something new to learn. Let me know what you decide.

All the best,

KK

Check out my latest novel, Designs for Nora. Available on Amazon.

How much loss can one woman take? Six years ago, Nora St. Claire’s husband, Seth, a police officer, was killed. Nora never expected to be a widow at 37. How can she start over? As she ventures into dating, another loss brings her teenage niece to live with her. When her niece’s estranged father shows up demanding visitation, Nora considers what it would mean to forgive the one person who brought tremendous pain to her family. Nora’s situation allows her to experience God’s renewing spirit in a way she never expected.

I failed miserably

Posted on by
3

Thirty-eight days ago, I encouraged you to go on a 40-day journey in which you (and I) would draw closer to the Lord as we prepared for #Easter. Here we are on Good Friday, how’d you do?

The title of this post may be a little dramatic. I didn’t fail miserably, but I certainly wasn’t consistent with a new spiritual habit. Like the disciples in the garden, I couldn’t stay awake. I didn’t find time every day to be with the Lord in an intentional manner that would focus more closely on the history-making, life-giving sacrifice of Easter. But that’s ok.

If I were perfect, I wouldn’t need Easter. And I need it. I need the Sunday-morning empty tomb every day. It brings such great comfort in this mixed-up world to know the tomb was empty. The truth of Christ’s #resurrection is an everyday reminder that the #God of the universe … you know the One who created the heavens and the earth … lived a perfect life, never being distracted from His one purpose, took a beating no man should have survived, died a humiliating death, and three days later walked out of His own grave. That’s profound. He did it for me and you.

As this is being posted, we are at the hour of Christ’s death. The world turned dark. I wonder if even nature wept for its Creator. We know that there was an earthquake. But Sunday’s coming. In our darkest hours of life, we can remember that Sunday is coming. In the meantime, we hold on to God’s strength. God’s life-giving power.

God’s power over death when He walked out of His own grave is the same power we are offered to overcome the darkness that shadows our lives. We step out into His light, His hope, and breathe renewal.

I’ve confessed that I haven’t spent intentional time getting ready for Easter Sunday, but every day I’ve connected with our Savior in prayers that were sometimes simple. Every day, I stepped into His light and recognized where my strength comes from. Every day, He met me and accepted me for who I am, in all my imperfections. He doesn’t leave me there. We are encouraged to continuously flea from the temptations of this world. To not give in. To lean into our mighty God to overcome and walk with Him.

He will meet you as well. He already knows and loves you. Today, He’d like to walk with you because the tomb was empty on that first Easter.

Peace and blessings,

KK

Not enough time

Posted on by
2

I’ve started thinking of time in relative terms. As an author with a full-time career, I’m intentional about my #writing #time. While it’s wonderful when I have entire days on a weekend to write, I’m often grabbing a few hours in the evening or an hour at lunch to bang out a few paragraphs. It’s easy to feel defeated when you think a novel is over eighty thousand words and I’m picking at it an hour here or there. Like other monumental tasks, it’s imperative to take it one word, one sentence, one paragraph at a time. In doing so, the book will be completed.

The longest I can sit and write productively on a novel is about five or six hours. What could you accomplish in six hours? Let’s look at a typical evening. If you’re home from work by six in the evening, you have dinner, settle into your evening by seven, and you go to bed at eleven. Assuming you don’t have chores like house cleaning or laundry, you have four free hours. You could drive from Kentucky to Georgia in four hours. Other things that could be done in four hours include painting a small room, running a couple of marathons, or assembling furniture for the living room.

Let’s look at time from the other side, what if you only have an hour, what could you accomplish? A workout, fold and put away laundry, pick up the house, or make a home-cooked dinner are among a few things that could be accomplished in an hour. Writing this post will take me about an hour but will hopefully have you thinking for many hours.

The next time you think you don’t have enough time to complete something on your list, think about that hour, or two, or four, whatever you have free, and add a little perspective. What can I complete or move toward completion in the time that I have?

All the best,

KK

Let’s connect. If you haven’t already, please choose to follow KK’s Candor. To stay in touch with my writing adventures you can find me on social media.

Who are you?

Posted on by
Reply

Who are you? Maggie Nelson, the main character, in my debut novel, Curtains for Maggie, feels like she’s lost herself; her identity. She married Dan, her college sweetheart, and they have two children. She decided with Dan when their first child was born to be a stay-at-home mom. A few years later their second child came along. Those early years were filled with the fun and challenges of having a baby and a toddler. Maggie loves being a mom. But when the book begins, the kids are in school, Dan is working his way up the corporate ladder, and Maggie is feeling #restless.

She asks the question, who am I when the kids are in school and Dan’s at work? Who am I when I’m not being a wife and a mother? The roles we play in life. The roles we love. But, what about continuing to cultivate something that is your own. Something outside of the roles we take on. Maggie once loved acting. She shared this love of the theater with her father. In the midst of feeling restless, she comes across a flyer for auditions at the Oakdale Community Theater.

The flyer pokes at her restless heart. We all have those seasons in life when we feel a little off. I hope you’ll check out Curtains for Maggie. You’ll journey with her and her two friends, Jen and Nora, as they each explore new options for their lives.

Let me know what you think, or drop a review on Amazon.

All the best,

KK

Let’s connect. If you haven’t already, please choose to follow KK’s Candor. To stay in touch with my writing adventures you can find me on social media. #Novel #Viral

Tasty Truth

Posted on by
Reply

It’s all perspective. She loved her chicken nuggets! How many times as a parent have you been in a spot like this?

Stuart M. Perkins's avatarStoryshucker

My daughter is an intelligent, funny, beautiful young lady. Only in her twenties, she already has a husband and a two year old son. On a recent phone call, as we discussed her fast-paced sales job, I was reminded that I wasn’t talking to my little girl anymore. Where did the tiny kid go I used to carry in my arms? I stopped mid-sentence and made a wistful comment about her being so grown up.

“Will you always think of me as a five year old?” she sighed. I could almost hear her rolling her eyes.

“Yes Baby Doll.” I answered, calling her the name I’ve called her since the days I carried her in my arms.

Even as a five year old, she was outgoing and curious. She sometimes asked questions that forced me, I felt, to come up with the tiniest of white lies. I wanted to shield…

View original post 554 more words

Christmas is over

Posted on by
1

And with that, Christmas is over. It’s back in the box (or boxes) and stored. For some, their semi-annual church-going box has been checked. For others who find Christmas a profound holiday that recognizes an event that changed the course of human history (for the believer and for the non-believer), packing the storage boxes leaves a feeling of conviction to keep the spirit alive. To now think in terms of how not just at his birth did Jesus’ life change the world, but every day he walked this earth. Every encounter he had (with those seeking and those who felt threatened by him) made an impact.

Moving forward in 2020, how can we do the same? How can we give a little of ourselves to those we come in contact with? I have some ideas, but really it’s a question for you to ponder and answer in your own heart.

All the best,

KK

Connect with KK:

In Honor of Those Who Serve

Posted on by
Reply

There is #grace for all, and #forgiveness is always extended, but the hurt is real for too many still today. Thank you to those who went running in when others were running out.

Thankfulness

Posted on by
1

Happy Thanksgiving. This morning was pretty melancholy as I cried through the first hour of the Macy’s Day Parade. I love that parade and always have. Today it reminded me of two very special people we lost this year, my mother-in-law, Annette Richardson, and my dad, Cliff Hensley.

annetteEarly in my marriage, Annette (who grew up dancing), and I went to see the Christmas Spectacular featuring the Rockettes. She liked to tell the story of a friend of hers who auditioned and danced with them. Dad always watched the parade and there dad fishingwere many phone calls through the years while it was on talking about this performer, or that band.

Today I’m also thinking about Melissa Webb’s boys who said farewell to their mom a few days ago, and Jackie Snyder’s family who is coming up on the one year mark of her passing. Jackie would be glad to know that by the time my family comes to dinner my home will be “first floor ready.” I loved her gift of hospitality.

Yes, this year has been full of loss. There is a battle in my spirit waiting for the other shoe to drop, and my current reality that I do have SO much to be thankful for. The tears are just part of getting through the cycle of grief.

I am thankful for a loving husband who loves us like Christ loved the Church and who works hard for us. And my son who has a kind heart and has worked hard in his first semester of college(#wku2022). I am thankful for my job at NCFL, and the opportunity to tell the story of many individuals who have overcome great obstacles for themselves and their families. But my over-arching point of thankfulness is for my faith without which I wouldn’t have the hope to hang in there through the storm, the capacity to love, and the drive to work.

I started a new breakfast tradition this morning making a homemade giant cinnamon yum 3and apple roll. As you can see, it was a success. Football is on and I’m hydrating for the salt-fest that is a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with my family.

Thank you for sharing in my tearful moments this year. Please join me in moving forward focused on the blessings we all share.

KK