Who's Your Best Friend?

We all long for a

friend.

A kindred spirit.

Someone who celebrates our successes

and weeps over our failures.

A friend

will ride the seasons of change

even though our paths may lead

to different destinations.

A friend

will open their heart

to our deepest, darkest secrets

and

still

love

us.

A friend

is a friend forever.

BFF

There is no greater joy on earth than to have a

friend.

There is no greater sorrow than to suffer

loneliness.

To have that longing fulfilled by Heaven is beyond belief.

Proverbs 18:24

A man who has friends must himself be friendly,

But there is a

Friend

who sticks closer than a brother.

 

It would be enough if Jesus was only

our Creator

our Savior,

or our Redeemer.

But He allows us to be His

friend.

Just sit and ponder this a moment.

The greatest longing of our heart,

(friendship)

and our greatest need,

(salvation)

were fulfilled in His death on the cross.

What a Friend We Have in Jesus!

Just like in elementary school,

we have to choose our best friend,
and they have to choose us.
Friendship is not one-sided.

 Jesus loves the whole world,

and the relationship is offered to all.
He chose us.

John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this,
than to lay down one’s life for his friends.



But, we have to choose Him.

John 15:14
You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.


By faith we become His friend, like Abraham.

James 2:23

 “Abraham believed God,

and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

 And he was called the

friend of God."

By not choosing  Jesus,
you automatically choose the other side.
There's only two spiritual friendship choices.

James 4:4

Whoever therefore wants to be a

friend of the world

makes himself an enemy of God.

So, who's

your
best

friend?




The choice is eternal.


BFF

Longing For a Friend?

"How are you, my friend?"

The cashier greeted me kindly,

as he always does when I go through his line at the grocery store.

After he handed my receipt, his farewell was just as warm.

"Have a good day, my friend."

It can be a little lonely living in a metropolis with roughly 3.5 million people,

and his greeting always reminds me that not every one of those

roughly 3.5 million people are indifferent.

 I love and have learned to use this greeting from

Kelly-Across-the-Street, "How are you, friend?"

The best marriage advice I was ever given:

  "Marry a man who is your best friend and then stay friends."

 

The best advice from my Dad before I went to Bible camp the first time alone,  

"To have a friend, you must be a friend."

We all long for deep friendships.

We want to bear our souls to them and know we still have their heart.

We want to fill their ears, knowing it won't all leave through their mouth.

Beautiful songs have been sung about friendship.

"You've Got A Friend"

"Thank You For Being A Friend"

"Lean on Me"

"That's What Friends Are For"

"With a Little Help From My Friends"

Our greatest joys in life come from friendships,

whether with our spouse, friends or people within our family.

Our greatest sorrows in life come from rifts in those friendships,

through  church splits, divorce and unresolved conflicts.

A lot of problems are solved just by having a friend in life.

There is something about sharing tears, hugs and laughs

that binds souls together forever.

Now that I have you all nostaligic and sentimental about

friends,

let me remind you something....

The Lord Jesus doesn't consider those who trust in Him

just a servant, although we love serving Him,

He calls us his

friends.

John 15:13 tells us how He made friendship with us possible.

Greater love has no one than this,

than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

It's an amazing concept that our greatest need on earth,

to have a

friend,

was met first and foremost by the One

who purchased our salvation with His blood.

When you're feeling down and troubled

and you need some loving care,

just call His Name,

He's always been there.

We always have a
Friend.

If You Give A Child A Hammer...

When is it smart to give a very small child a hammer?

When you're making Peppermint Bark,

of course.

Four very large candy canes were unwrapped,

placed in a gallon ziploc bag,

(one at a time)

placed on a cutting board,

and smashed silly with a hammer.

The kids loved this part.

It was really the only part they wanted to help with.

Little Norah went first because she was the youngest.

Big Brother Avery, patiently waiting his turn with the hammer.

Considering it was a tool,

and it made a loud noise,

this young man did an incredible job

of waiting his turn.

Last year we dipped pretzels in the vanilla CandiQuik,

this year we opted to make Peppermint Bark together.

We melted half a package of CandiQuik in the microwave

and stirred in the smithereens of two large candy canes.

Kelly-Across-the-Street

filling paper petit four papers with the mixture. 

You can spread it on parchment paper

 and break into pieces when cooled,

but I think the little papers are neater and easier to serve.

Of course, you could decide to decorate the top

with some kind of edible garnish,

or you could add a layer of chocolate to the bottom first.

Sometimes, busy Moms of young ones aren't looking

for the most elaborate way to create a confection,

but the quickest.

After playing while the moms made

two batches of fudge and two batches of bark,

the kids were ready for a snack.

Rebekah has learned it is all about the dishes.

Milk tastes better in imitation crystal pedestal coffee mugs.

Avery learned that  patience is rewarded.

 Mighty Mite Norah learned it's fun to smash things with a hammer.

She's probably contemplating a career in carpentry.

Since we began blogging about our neighborly adventures together,

I've received many comments from readers saying,

"I wish I had a Kelly-Across-the-Street!"

We are thankful for the friendship we share,

parenting isn't a journey to travel alone.

We've been very intentional about our friendship,

and early on started our traditions.

Even though we live close,

we know if we don't put things on the calendar,

they might not happen.

It's not too late for you...

look around...

that friend might not be across the street,

but

today

is always a good time

to put your new traditions
on your calendar.