Friends Don't Grow on Trees

Hello dear bloggers!
I am afraid my camera has been borrowed by a friend, so I will throw some thoughts out there for now and hopefully be able to get pics of my recent scrapbooking pages I made this week! Above is a fun picture from a recent Easter Egg Hunt with my son in Melbourne, FL. (Shout out to my FFC friends! Woot Woot!) How appropriate that my son is in the center, since at 2.5 he very much considers himself to be the center of attention!! (I am hoping a younger sibling with snap that out of him! NO, that was not an announcement, just a little prayer for the future!)

TODAY'S THOUGHT for the DAY:
{Friends do NOT grow on trees.}
>>> Oh boy, do I know that to be true. In August 2009, I moved from my hometown in Melbourne, FL to Colorado Springs. Talking about being pushed out of my cozy nest. I had friends all around me, and I was leading a ministry for college/20somethings so I was always meeting and getting to know new friends my age. I didn't have to fight for a social life, in fact, I actually had to carve out quiet time and family time. The truth is, I had grown lazy in the friendship department. Sure, I made birthday cards, returned my emails, but I wasn't actively investing in deeper friendships. I sort of didn't have to, though, I know that my friendships in FL could have totally been deeper and more transparent when they were. In many ways I had settled for the surface level in many of my relationships.

>>> Moving to a new city can sure put you on your toes a bit. Now, granted I think there were some personal issues and healing that God was doing in me as well, so I don't feel any of the time was wasted. BUT, I really learned that friends don't grow on trees. You can't buy them in bulk. You can't order online with free shipping. It takes time. It takes investment. It takes your own initiative first. So after a few months of semi-isolation... I started to wise up! I wasn't having a pity party anymore, and even the knowledge alone wasn't going to make a pittance of a difference. DOING something was the only thing left.

>>> I AM NOT PERFECT. I am still learning about how to be a better friend. Sure, I have lots of good ideas, but they don't always make it to fruition. I could be the world's best friend in my mind! However that wasn't getting me very far... I wanted more. SO, I joined a small group with some incredible woman on Thursday mornings. I CHERISH these women. They are unique, talented, compassionate, and just all around beautiful. I adore them so. And I am trying to make more efforts to get together with other gals. I am trying to connect with them more regularly. I am water the seeds of our precious friendships.

IDEAS for growing your friendships.

>>> Make it regular! Whether a small group, card night, play group or whatever... make it a routine part of your schedule to be with your friends. Sporatic meetings simply will not do. Our world is too busy, and life will pass you by. Meet at the gym. Have a baking day. (OR a scrapbooking or stamping day! Who wants to miss that?) Put it on the calendar and be there!

>>> Take things deeper!
Jeremiah 17:7-8
"Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat, or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green and they never stop producing fruit."
NOW, keep in mind, that this scripture refers to the deep roots which can only be established in a thriving relationship in Jesus Christ. Truth be told, people can and will fail you, so our HOPE is not in them, it is in the Lord. However, God's Word calls us to be in community. He designed us to crave healthy relationships with others.
What I want you to notice from this scripture is the power of DEEP ROOTS. It's time to no longer be satisfied with shallow friendships. It's time to get past the chit chat. Yes, I love your earrings... but I love your HEART even more! SO... when was the last time you asked your friend: "How's your heart?" When's the last time you started or ended your conversation by praying with them and for them right there on the spot? Are you willing to go deeper? Because it is totally worth it!!! Dig in. Be there when times are tough. Figure out your friend's LOVE LANGUAGE and fill them up. Challenge each other. Hold eachother accountable. Encourage one another. Smile when they have none left. Tickle them when they are glum! Remember their birthday, and celebrate them on the other days, too. It's worth, my friends, it's so worth it.

Be a FRIEND today!

"A Friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you've forgotten the words!"