Friendship
I have been thinking A LOT about this April post. For the past month and a half there has been one topic on my mind, so I wanted to share these thoughts with you.
I am so grateful for the friendships that I have been able to make and maintain in my life so far. I have had many amazing people come into my life at different times. Some of these friendships stuck and stayed with me throughout the years. Sadly, others have drifted away - but I still hold a special place in my heart for them.
I don't want to get on a soapbox and tell everyone how blessed I am to have these friendships over the years. I definitely don't want to go into detail about how many of these friends have changed my life ... but then again, maybe I do.
I have 3 friends that are very dear and close to my heart. I have been very privileged to keep in touch with these amazing women over the past 20 years. They came into my life at a time of great need for me. I will forever be grateful for their support, love, kindness, acceptance and craziness. We have had the best of times in those years.
Friendship is like many things in life; you have to continue to nurture it for it to grow. If you don't work on it and nurture it, it starts to dissipate and before you know it you haven't talked to that person in years. There are some friendships that you can have long periods of separation and it's as if nothing has changed when you are reunited. Those come from having a good foundation before the separation. However, you can't force a friendship, it just happens. You also can't force a friendship to last. Some friends just come and go and that's ok. You may not want them to but sometimes it just happens.
Many of the friendships I have made came at specific times in my life. For instance I had friends that altered and changed my life in elementary school, high school, college, serving a LDS mission, and through jobs I have had throughout the years. All of these people I came to know were and are great people. They were people that accepted me for me. I was never pressured to be someone else in order to "fit in". I am amazed at the kind hearts and I'm grateful for the memories created. Thanks to social media, we are able to keep in touch even if it has been years and years since we have seen each other.
There are times when I believe I needed a specific person to come in my life to help put me on the right track. They came and made a great difference and then were gone. I may have been this person for others as well. (I hope I was at times anyway.) I think it's these moments that the Lord is making sure His children are taken care of and their prayers are being answered. It's as if He sends an angel just for you. Many times these angels stay with you continually to be a constant friend, sounding board, someone to laugh with, cry with, and they are someone who you know will always be there. I have several of these angels. I call them sisters, brother, mom and dad. I have been blessed to have these angels in my family. My family is always there and always ready to help when in need. They also cheer me on and help me to stay on a good path.
My husband however, is my true angel and best friend. He is the one true friend I needed for this life and throughout the eternities. He was one I had to wait patiently for, but was well worth the wait. He is a constant companion and friend. He has always been there for me no matter what and loves me regardless of my short comings. He makes me want to be a better person, wife, mother, daughter, and friend. He's a perfect fit for me. He's the one person that as soon as I found him I knew I couldn't let him go.
If you think about it...many times the friends you associate with will lead you to the person you end up marrying. The choices you make in friends seems even more important when you know it could lead you to the person you call wife or husband. Many people meet their companions through their friends.
One of the most important parts in finding good friendships is finding those people you have things in common with. You want to find friends that value your opinions and thoughts and vice versa. Good friends will also help you stay on a good path and not lead you down rocky roads in life. Real friends don't bully you into doing things you don't want to and they respect who you are. Exceptional friends help you to strive and be better and encourage you to do the best you can. Great friends will cheer you on during the hard times as well as the easy times.
To the parents out there...It's very important to talk to children about finding the right friends and to know with whom your children are associating. The friendships that are made early in life can change and alter a child's life. Friends have a great influence on what choices your child could make. Look back on your early friendships and ask yourself if there was a difference that was made in your life.
A child needs to understand who they are and what they stand for so they can stand up for themselves when needed. I am sure every parent wants their child to be a good example to others. They will need to understand one important principle as well and that is that they are a child of God. He loves them deeply and wants only the best for them. Helping them to understand this simple principle at a young age or any age for that matter, will help them make good choices throughout their life and will give them courage to lean on Him in times of difficulty. Help them understand the importance of doing the right thing and making good choices regardless of the temptation or pressure around them.
This month I challenge you to reach out to a friend(s) that has made a difference in your life. Let them know you love them and are grateful for their friendship. I think most people would enjoy getting a note of gratitude and love from someone they care about.
Questions to think about:
Why is making the right friends so important? Are the friends in my life uplifting me or bringing me down? How can I be a better friend? How often do I talk with my friends? Is anyone in need right now of a friend?
Family Home Evening Ideas:
Talk to your children about their friends. Ask each child who their friends are and why they are their friend? This will help parents know who their children are associating with and why. What qualities are they thinking make up a great friend. Ask them what makes a friend, a friend? You can take time to talk about the influence friends can have and why it is important to make good choices in friendships.
Follow up from previous months:
Goals Goals Goals!! Keep going!! We are 4 months in :) How are we doing with submitting our will to the Lord and being patient with His timing? Remember He knows what is best for you, trust in Him! Let's all serve someone this month and make someone's day shine brighter!
I am so grateful for the friendships that I have been able to make and maintain in my life so far. I have had many amazing people come into my life at different times. Some of these friendships stuck and stayed with me throughout the years. Sadly, others have drifted away - but I still hold a special place in my heart for them.
I don't want to get on a soapbox and tell everyone how blessed I am to have these friendships over the years. I definitely don't want to go into detail about how many of these friends have changed my life ... but then again, maybe I do.
I have 3 friends that are very dear and close to my heart. I have been very privileged to keep in touch with these amazing women over the past 20 years. They came into my life at a time of great need for me. I will forever be grateful for their support, love, kindness, acceptance and craziness. We have had the best of times in those years.
Friendship is like many things in life; you have to continue to nurture it for it to grow. If you don't work on it and nurture it, it starts to dissipate and before you know it you haven't talked to that person in years. There are some friendships that you can have long periods of separation and it's as if nothing has changed when you are reunited. Those come from having a good foundation before the separation. However, you can't force a friendship, it just happens. You also can't force a friendship to last. Some friends just come and go and that's ok. You may not want them to but sometimes it just happens.
Many of the friendships I have made came at specific times in my life. For instance I had friends that altered and changed my life in elementary school, high school, college, serving a LDS mission, and through jobs I have had throughout the years. All of these people I came to know were and are great people. They were people that accepted me for me. I was never pressured to be someone else in order to "fit in". I am amazed at the kind hearts and I'm grateful for the memories created. Thanks to social media, we are able to keep in touch even if it has been years and years since we have seen each other.
There are times when I believe I needed a specific person to come in my life to help put me on the right track. They came and made a great difference and then were gone. I may have been this person for others as well. (I hope I was at times anyway.) I think it's these moments that the Lord is making sure His children are taken care of and their prayers are being answered. It's as if He sends an angel just for you. Many times these angels stay with you continually to be a constant friend, sounding board, someone to laugh with, cry with, and they are someone who you know will always be there. I have several of these angels. I call them sisters, brother, mom and dad. I have been blessed to have these angels in my family. My family is always there and always ready to help when in need. They also cheer me on and help me to stay on a good path.
My husband however, is my true angel and best friend. He is the one true friend I needed for this life and throughout the eternities. He was one I had to wait patiently for, but was well worth the wait. He is a constant companion and friend. He has always been there for me no matter what and loves me regardless of my short comings. He makes me want to be a better person, wife, mother, daughter, and friend. He's a perfect fit for me. He's the one person that as soon as I found him I knew I couldn't let him go.
If you think about it...many times the friends you associate with will lead you to the person you end up marrying. The choices you make in friends seems even more important when you know it could lead you to the person you call wife or husband. Many people meet their companions through their friends.
One of the most important parts in finding good friendships is finding those people you have things in common with. You want to find friends that value your opinions and thoughts and vice versa. Good friends will also help you stay on a good path and not lead you down rocky roads in life. Real friends don't bully you into doing things you don't want to and they respect who you are. Exceptional friends help you to strive and be better and encourage you to do the best you can. Great friends will cheer you on during the hard times as well as the easy times.
To the parents out there...It's very important to talk to children about finding the right friends and to know with whom your children are associating. The friendships that are made early in life can change and alter a child's life. Friends have a great influence on what choices your child could make. Look back on your early friendships and ask yourself if there was a difference that was made in your life.
A child needs to understand who they are and what they stand for so they can stand up for themselves when needed. I am sure every parent wants their child to be a good example to others. They will need to understand one important principle as well and that is that they are a child of God. He loves them deeply and wants only the best for them. Helping them to understand this simple principle at a young age or any age for that matter, will help them make good choices throughout their life and will give them courage to lean on Him in times of difficulty. Help them understand the importance of doing the right thing and making good choices regardless of the temptation or pressure around them.
This month I challenge you to reach out to a friend(s) that has made a difference in your life. Let them know you love them and are grateful for their friendship. I think most people would enjoy getting a note of gratitude and love from someone they care about.
Questions to think about:
Why is making the right friends so important? Are the friends in my life uplifting me or bringing me down? How can I be a better friend? How often do I talk with my friends? Is anyone in need right now of a friend?
Family Home Evening Ideas:
Talk to your children about their friends. Ask each child who their friends are and why they are their friend? This will help parents know who their children are associating with and why. What qualities are they thinking make up a great friend. Ask them what makes a friend, a friend? You can take time to talk about the influence friends can have and why it is important to make good choices in friendships.
Follow up from previous months:
Goals Goals Goals!! Keep going!! We are 4 months in :) How are we doing with submitting our will to the Lord and being patient with His timing? Remember He knows what is best for you, trust in Him! Let's all serve someone this month and make someone's day shine brighter!
