Friendship

What is a true friend?  A true friend is always what I try to be.  Sometimes at a cost.  I have had friends who have taken advantage of me, and that is always painful.  But I have also had, and have great friends.  But what defines a good friend?  

I feel that a real friend is someone that is thoughtful, caring, there for you when you need them, and always willing to tell you the truth.  I have a friend, one of my greatest friends in the world, but she lives miles upon miles away. I don't like it, in fact I hate that she lives so far. I have known longer than I haven't.  And when she needs me or I need her, we can only be there through a phone call or Facebook.  And it is hard, but it is enough, because we know we are true friends, and always will be.  I love her, and I miss her. I am so thankful she is my friend.

I have friends who live near me, and they are great.  I try to be there for them in many different ways, and I do so by praying daily for guidance. So that I can know of the things I can and should do for them.  Sometimes all it takes is a phone call, others it may be a little more, but I am trying to be the kind of friend to them that they need.  They are here for me, and I am thankful for them.

Right after I had my 2nd daughter I had horrible headaches.  I have a friend who is a massage therapist.  She came over and brought me a treat, and massaged my neck and head.  I don't know if she will ever know how much I needed that and how much I appreciated it.  She is such a great friend, and I am lucky to have her.  And to her, thank you.  I love you.

I have another friend who is always a good listener.  I do complain a lot at times, and she will always listen without complaint.  And it is nice to have her there to vent.  She is also always willing to go out and do things when she or I or both of us need some time out of the house.  There was a time in my life where I felt I had no close friends near.  I prayed for a friend, and she was an answer to my prayers.  Thank you and I love you.

I have great friends, and I am thankful for every one of them.  I hope that I can always deserve them.

And I have my family............I love them all.  My mother is a beautiful, loving, talented, funny, smart and so much more than words can describe, and she is one of my greatest friends.  I am thankful to have such a great relationship with her.  She is always there for me in every way.  She is not just the greatest friend, but the greatest mother.

I have my husband, and he puts up with all my nagging and bickering.  He tells me I am beautiful when I feel like I am not.  He loves me for reasons I don't understand.  I am blessed to have him.  I can talk to him about anything.  He helps me in so many ways, it would take to long to list them all.  But he may never know how much his love and help and devotion means to me.  He is such a great husband, father and friend.

I have 2 sisters who I love dearly.  We call each other to talk and and vent and joke around.  We love each other.  It is nice to know that I will always have them.  My older sister is always encouraging me to do better with many things, and is such a great example.  My little sister is fun to be around and also a great example.  Their faith is a blessing to me.

My brothers are also great friends to me, and to both of them, thank you, I love you and I am blessed to have you in my life.  You make me laugh, and you have helped me and my little family in many ways.

And my sister n laws.  You are both wonderful women.  And I am thankful to have you in our family.  You are both beautiful and talented.

And then I have my mother n law and my sister n law on my husbands side.  You are both wonderful to me.  And you both do so much for me.  I hope I can be the kind of daughter n law and sister n law you both deserve.

Friends come in many different forms.  What kind of friend are you?  Are you a friend who is there when your friend needs you, or are you a friend who is only there in words and not in deeds.  Sometimes words are all that is needed, but there are the times when you need to do more.  Are you willing to give more?  Are you willing to serve those around you?  I believe we should always treat others how we would like to be treated.  Do you do that?  I try to.  I try to treat my friends and family how I would like to be treated.  Being there is more than just telling them you are there for them.  It is actually showing them that you are there for them.  Sometimes all you can do is call or write.  But if you can do more, don't you think you should?

I know that our Savoir wants us to serve those around us.  He has given us the tools to do so.  By getting on bended knee we can be guided to those who need us.  Maybe they are not our closest friends, or maybe they are not our friends yet, but if we are always heeding the whisperings of the spirit, we can be the kind of friends we need to be.  "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." proverbs 3:5.

Impersonal World

It has come to my attention lately how impersonal we have all become.  Facebook rules the social world and I admit I have fallen into its "web".  When someone posts things on Facebook it is truth!  Or at least that is how we read it.

The past few weeks have been evident to this fact.  As people have been deleted/blocked, feelings have been hurt and friendships have been lost.  Real friendships, not just Facebook friendships.  And I have to ask myself, have we really let ourselves become so out of touch that Facebook is where we are our real selves? I wonder how the Savior views this situation?  Who would he add as a friend?  Anyone who asked.  He would answer every message and every wall post.  He would accept us for who we are, and be there when we posted something sad and something good.

Have we really forgotten what is most important?  God does not answer us in a text message, or an e-mail, and most definitely not FB.  He answers us in a much more personal matter, he answers us with people, with love, charity and grace.  He answers us through scripture and through inspiration.  How often do you get on bended knee to talk to him?

Now I am not saying that Facebook is bad, because it is not.  It can be and is a wonderful way  to keep in contact with those who do not live near us, and can be a great tool for good.  But I think it has just made us all to impersonal.  And it is in some instances causing problems where there should be none.  But this is what the world has come to.  Digitized and uploaded on the world wide web.

I feel it is important to remember that things said in the digital world can be misleading and confusing if we are not sure of the context.  Because we cannot truly understand the meaning all the time.  Since you cannot hear a tone of voice, or see the expression on the persons face, it is not always obvious what some things are meant to mean.  I feel it is important to take a moment and remember what life is really about, to remember that just because it says so on Facebook, doesn't always make it so.  And just because it seems like someone is mad, sad, or whatever else, doesn't mean they are.  Live, Laugh, Love.  Pick up your phone and call a friend.  Write a letter.  Lets become personal again.

Choose This Day

Finding strength to overcome the shadows that seem to lurk in the corners of our lives can be difficult, I know this because I am stuck in one of those corners.  I know that I need to be better, and do those things that I know will pull me back into the light, where I truly long to be.  I just need help.  I need to ask for the help though.  I need to get on bended knee and ask my Heavenly Father for the help.  I need to Choose this Day.

I hope this video can bring you the comfort in which it has brought me, and lift your soul as it has lifted mine.