Friendship Is Beautiful

Do you think that your best friend is beautiful inside and out? Have you told her lately?  Maybe she’s not  beautiful by the worlds standards but by the standards of what really makes her a beautiful friend to you. Take a few minutes and tell her.  Here are a few reasons that makes our friends beautiful to us.  It is because every time you talk to her she has a smile on her face and never a scowling look.

Is it because she is sensitive to your needs and treats you with kindness? Is it because she is proud of your accomplishments and accepting of your faults? Is it because she allows you to be yourself and in her eyes you are beautiful?  Is it because she has seen you when your hair is a mess and you haven’t put on any makeup yet and she still tells you how beautiful you are? Is it because she always reminds you that perfection is overrated?

Have you ever thought about what this world would be like If everyone in this world were perfect?  We would all be exactly the same! That wouldn’t be any fun would it? Do you know that it is the very things that makes you different, that makes you beautiful and her too? Does she remind  you that you are unique in your appearance, in your wisdom, and in your emotions and so is she. These are the things that set you apart, make you irreplaceable. Maybe today you can write five things you like about her and yourself.

Maybe you can start a gratitude journal. telling her how much you appreciate her friendship. Does she remind you that you’re authentic when your body and mind are at ease and that you are beautiful, when you are completely yourself? Do you tell her she is too? On the days that you lose yourself in what the world expects of you does she  reminds you not to conform to what you “should be.” Then do you remember to create your own box and step outside it as you wish. Does she remind you to dance to your own tune?

Some days when  you may feel like shouting from the rooftops, “World, here I am!  Does she remind you that your voice is powerful, significant , and beautiful?  Do you tell her that her’s is too!  Do you know that you deserve to be heard.? You have learned from her to avoid magazines that tell you how you should be and to speak the words that are in your heart and stand up for what you believe in? She reminds you to speak up and be present and to make contributions to what you believe in.

Some days are harder than others and on those rainy days she reminds you to appreciate the sunshine.  Your best friend has helped you to grow stronger,  wiser and when you are feeling ugly her words of encouragement make you feel a bit more beautiful.

Don’t forget to honor your beautiful friends and let them know that your world is a more beautiful place because they are in it. Sometimes your beautiful friend can be your grandmother, mother, step mother, aunt, sister, sister-in-law, niece, a neighbor, co-worker, a childhood friend, teacher, or a mentor. What ever their title is don’t take them for granted and let them know that they are beautiful and so is their friendship.

Mum’s The Word

Mum’s the word if a friend shares something confidential, don’t disclose her secret. No matter how juicy it is! Sometimes in the face of a friends deep pain, there e are no answers that will suffice. Holding a hand, hugging a shoulder, or shedding tears together may be better options. We all want to be better friends. And yet, sometimes the thing we want most of all is someone who can be a good friend to us. 

When we are hurting or struggling, there are certain friends we can count on as sources of great comfort. I’m talking about the friends who have seen you at your worst and at your best. The ones you can tell them anything( and just about have) with full confidence that even the most sordid confession will not cause them to waver in their love for you. They are  also the kind of friends that fall into the category of sincerely being none judgmental and none critical of your shortcomings. They are an example of a safe and loving friend you don’t want to confide in a friend who makes you feel worse after talking to them.

As a general rule, they don’t usually offer pat answers or microwave solutions. Instead, they encourage you, hold you accountable, give you passionate advice that you occasionally follow, and laugh and cry with you. Now you must understand that friends like this are hard to find. And yet it’s worth the effort to cultivate friendships like these. When the name of the game is pain, sometimes we just need someone to talk to. Yet how do you choose that person?

If you don’t have a history with friends you know you can trust, how do you decide with whom you can open up too? How can you be fairly confident that your friend to whom you are baring your very soul will not recoil in horror,  blush with embarrassment,  shake a shamming finger, or give dangerous advice in answers to you dilemma? If you have a friend who has never lets you past her façade of perfection, you might want to think twice before blurting out your deepest and darkest secrets over a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

If a friend is uncomfortable with her own imperfections and struggles, she probably won’t have a clue how to respond appropriately to yours. However is you have a friend who is mutually vulnerable, transparent ,uses good judgement and keeps your secrets to herself then you have a safe place to share your burdens. They are the kind of friend who goes through heartaches and joys, downfalls and triumphs , victories and failures, they’re always there to cheer to you on and cheer you up. You are so blessed to call them friend.

You Are My Friend Forever

Goodbye can be the saddest word we ever hear, and often it is not the word we are ready for, but in those times it’s the comforting words of friends that can make a difference.

A comforting friend will remind you that you were taught that everything has a season and summer must go to make room for autumn and winter, there is always a spring. Somehow those words don’t seem to be enough during a time when we are saying our goodbyes and letting go. They are meant to comfort, to console, but often can leave us feeling hollow for a while.

The real comfort comes in knowing that your friends cared, invested in you and love you. The void is something no one can deny or fill, but in grief you can feel the magnitude of the love of comforting friends.

Though your loss may have seem heavy realize that your friends love and concern for you is a great blessing and when your burden lightens that there will places in your heart that can only be filled with memories. 

And there are places in your soul that can only be healed by the gentle love of God and time. May you find comfort knowing so many thoughts are with you during your difficult time. May you find peace knowing that you have friends who care about you and are praying for you.

Hold fast to your memories, all the cherished moments of the past, the blessings and laughter. The joy and celebrations, the sorrow and tears they all add up to a treasure of fond yesterdays you shared and spent together, they keep the one you loved close to you in spirit and thought.

The special moments and memories in your life will never change they will always be in your heart, today and forevermore. your truly comforting friends know the best and must beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard but must be felt with your heart.

Generosity Is The Icing On The Cake Of Friendship

Any way you slice it, generosity is the icing on the cake of friendship and the generosity of friendship is always a thoughtful gift of friendship that enriches the giver as well as the recipient. The Renaissance philosopher Erasmus wrote, ” He does himself good who does good to his friend.”

A generous Friend reminds us to laugh when we begin to take ourselves too seriously and to slow down when we are rushing from thought to thought. They will help us to regain our perspective, your wisdom, and your peace.

When our day seems cloudy a good friend will keep us mindful that when the sky is cloudy, the sun will come out in all its shiny glory. Just like we will. A good friend will remind us that gloom and sadness is always followed by glorious possibilities. Each morning we should with gladness in our hearts stop and give thanks for our good friends who let us laugh, smile, cry and celebrate with them.

Here are three quotes about friendship.

A woman isn’t poor if she can still laugh at herself. ~ Anonymous~

The best way to cheer yourself up it to cheer up somebody else. ~ Mark Twain~

Laughter dulls the sharpest pain and flattens out the greatest stress. To share it is to give a gift of health. ~Barbara Johnson~

A Good Friend Will . . .

A good friend enjoys being a source of encouragement to their friends and family and they try to measure out their words carefully. They are very aware that words can uplift their friends or discourage them.

A good friend will speak wisely, not impulsively and use words of kindness and praise, not words of anger or derision. A good friend  remembers that they have the power to heal others or injure them with words.

A good friend will lift you up, their wisdom will start to bring healing and comfort in your time of need. They will remind you to keep striving toward your dreams and goals. A good friend will always enrich your life and freely give to you their valuable friendship.

Remember anyway you slice it, laughing at yourself and with a good friend is the icing on the cake of friendship.

~Miss Carol Jo~

A Good Friend Keeps Her Promises And Doesn’t Gossip

One way to spread happiness is to keep your promises just as you see someone who is faithful to her word as trustworthy, so your friends, family , and business colleagues will also trust you when you hold to the truth. In this age of spin, when facts get altered in ways to deliberately mislead people and to further ideological agendas let your truth be absolute.

It isn’t always easy to align your truthfulness or integrity. Mother Teresa used truth as her nonviolent weapon against adversaries. No one questioned her truthfulness or whether she would keep her promises to others. Image the millions of lives that Mother Teresa touched because she was a woman of integrity and kept her promises. 

Gossip and promises don’t go together, so if you are a gossip count to ten and tell your friend that you’re breaking the gossip habit. Counting is one of those techniques you can use to manage a behavior that you choose to avoid. It’s a powerful technique used in anger management and can also be used when you don’t want to gossip but of course we all know the most powerful weapon against gossip is a strong and mighty prayer.

Malicious gossip is mean, and some experts declare it nothing less than a form of bullying. Step back, count to ten, and remove yourself from the gossip clique. Oh, my what will you ever talk about then? Don’t panic you’re pretty smart I’m sure you’ll find something interesting to talk about other than your friends behind their backs. Don’t take part in mud-slinging. Instead start saying words of praise about your friends and be an inspiring force in their lives. Remember finding things to praise about others inspires people to feel happy and trust you and gossiping does just the opposite. It’s your choice. 

The Power Of Friendship

Think . . . pause . . . then speak, it is a  wise friend who can communicate in this way. But all to often, in the rush to have ourselves heard, we speak first and think later . . . with unfortunate results.

If we seek to be as source of encouragement to friends and family, then we must measure our words carefully. Words are important: they can hurt or heal. Words can uplift us or discourage us, and reckless words, spoken in haste can be hard for us to erase but through Christ we can forgive and forget.

Today, speak with an encouraging word in your heart to all who cross your path. Measure your words carefully. Speak wisely, not impulsively. Use words of kindness and praise, not words of anger or derision. Remember that you have the power to heal others or to injure them, to life others up or to hold them back. When you lift them up, your wisdom will bring healing and comfort to a world that needs both.

Be the kind of friend who wants the best for your friends. Be the kind of friend who hopes that life is being good to them and that they will cope well with every challenge and reach their goals they want to reach. If they are feeling alienated from the world, and they are questioning if there’s another person who cares about what’s going on in their life be the kind of friend who tells them just how much God loves them and how much you care about them.

If they need a friend with whom they can share their hopes, dreams, and disappointments be that kind of friend. If they need someone to talk to, share their worries with, to pray for them to have perfect health, prosperity, and peace and happiness be that kind of friend. Be the kind of friend who points out their good qualities when they need lifting up. Be the kind of friend who would be there for them no matter what and who would go with them whatever the distance is they have to go.

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose. Roman 8:28

~ By Carol East~

Laughter is the oil in the engine of friendship

Arnold Glasow observed, “A loyal friend laughs at your jokes when they’re not so good and sympathizes with your problems when they’re not so bad.” Herein , we consider the joys of a good laugh and the blessings of a good friend with whom we share it.

When the day is cloudy, keep me mindful that above the clouds, the sun still shines. And let me laugh with friends. And, each morning, when I open my eyes to a world of glorious possibilities, let me give thanks for the gift of life and friendship. Then, let me rise up and make the most of that gift. Let me strive toward a worthy purpose, and let me celebrate each day with a song, and a smile, and a prayer . . . and, let me laugh with old and new friends. 

All Purpose Advice

Don’t bypass the potential for meaningful friendships just because of differences. Explore them, Embrace them. Love them. ~ Luci Swindoll

It is wise to pour the oil of refined politeness on the mechanism of friendship ~ Colette

If two friends ask you to judge a dispute, don’t accept, because you will lose a friend; however, if two strangers come with the same request, accept, because you will gain one friend. ~ Saint  Augustine

Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer. ~ Ed Cunningham

Happiness is not perfect until it is shared. ~ Jane Porter

Enduring friendships are also intended to cause rejoicing and celebration is the last thing on our minds. Sometimes, we fall prey to worry, frustrations, anxiety, or sheer exhaustion . . . and our hearts become heavy. What’s needed is plenty of rest, a large dose of perspective, a heaping helping of faith, and the encouraging words of a trusted friend . . . but not necessarily in that order.

A Friendly Favor

A friend of mine recently took a business problem to a friend of hers who works in a completely different kind of business and asked for her help in solving a problem. Then to further add insult or whatever, she told her that she was doing her a great favor and that later she would be more than happy to have the favor returned by helping this friend with any business problems she may encounter in the future of her business.

Strange  . . . you may be thinking, just like I did. How can I be doing a friend a favor by giving her my problems? But the more you think about this the more logical it becomes. After, all when we think about it there are several good reasons for sharing problems.

If that person is really a friend, he/she will be glad to help you with your problems. A real friend will welcome the opportunity to help you and by sharing your problems  with them you are asking them to think and most likely to think in a whole new direction than they have ever thought of before.  Remember  that to creatively think is one of the highest functions of human behavior.

When you ask a friend to take a break from their own work the factors change and another conundrum is created. Your friend will realize that you value his/her opinions, thoughts, and answers. You are giving value and worth to your friend by asking them to help you solve your problem. Here is one more thing for you to think about you will give them an opportunity to come up with some excellent, creative ideas about their own business while helping you. 

There is a story about Benjamin Franklin, who had a powerful enemy in Philadelphia. For some reason this person hated Franklin and made no bones about it. In attempting to come up with a creative solution to turn his enemy into a friend, Dr. Ben hit on the idea of asking to borrow a book he knew the man had in his possession. When asked, the enemy was happy to share the book and cold war between them was broken and it wasn’t long before they became friends. We all need to work on our friendships. Don’t we?

Romans 8:37 “Know, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

When Friends Forgive and Forget

Sometimes friendships don’t work out, even when you feel that you gave it everything you had. Sometimes you have to let go because it’s best for both of you. Sometimes it hurts. But it’s not life-ending or it can be a second opportunity to start over, start fresh. Dream big, then dream bigger. In the end you may be surprised by the peace that comes from realizing that by breaking , the two of you can  grow stronger as you forgive each other. Remember once God forgives, he forgets.

 Before you decide to end your friendship with her think about these things first. What about all the times she was there for you? Unemployment. Wasn’t she the one who cheered one and never stop believing for you? What about twenty years ago? You melted at first glance when you first saw the man of your dreams and you were to shy to talk to him. Wasn’t it her who broke the ice for you? Wasn’t she the one who took care of your twins while you were giving birth to your fourth baby? Isn’t she the one who has always been there to support you through all of your personal challenges?

Over the years, you have experienced  some awesome times and some rough times mixed day-to-day obstacles, but you know in your heart, down to your toes, that your everlasting love and friendship for each other can withstand anything life throws at the two of you . . . and despite what’s causing you to doubt the depth of the friendship. When you look into the life you have shared with your friend imagine all the you could have been individually. Then see what the two of you have created together because of your love and friendship. Remember there is not greater life than a life shared with friends.

~ Miss Carol Jo~

“Friends Are The Sweet Smelling Spices Of Life”

Friends are the sweet-smelling spices of life that touch our senses when nothing but a hug or jumping for joy will do! Friends come and go, like seasons or sitcoms. Blooming early in our lives, friendships curl up and scatter with the winds of years gone by, but throughout life they are at the most Godgiven times, to lift our heads after a particularly trying day. Or to laugh, like mad at a funny story told well. The perfect gift of friendship may be shared with a friend from long ago, or with a new friend.

Sister’s in Christ are like family in heart and they are the ones we feel whole with. They are the ones we share who we really are,  they understand and know where we’re coming from. They know all we’ve been through and everything we’re dreaming about. They are our maid of honors, our god mothers to our children, and our cheer leaders. They are the ones can we tell anything to, ask anything of and do anything for. They are the ones we tell all our truths to, the ones we give our whole heart to.

She is absolute acceptance, abiding affection, and unconditional caring, just spending a moment with her chases all your cares away and puts a smile on your face when she prays for you. She is the one who believes in you, the one you can call on anytime, the one who never lets you down. She fills a unique space in your life. She’s a piece of your very heart and soul because of her you know without a doubt that God’s love will get you through anything. She is your prayer warrior.

~ Miss Carol Jo ~