do you hear what's there?

Friends help me sort through my emotions. They show me when I'm overreacting. They gently correct me when I'm lost in catastrophic thinking. They ground me. They love me. - Mary Demuth

 

I love this quote because it is so very true.

 

Friends truly are a gift from God. I am so very thankful that God has created FRIENDS. Not all people are FRIENDS. Most are acquaintances, people we barely know. A FRIEND is different - we totally let them in.

 

On this blog we have a little side bar acronym for friends

Fight for u
Respect u
Inspire u
Encourage u
Need u
Deserve u
See u

They fight for you. Fight for you to Love who you are because they do.

 

They respect you. Respect that you have your own opinions, ideas, wants and needs. They don't expect you to be like them or think like they do and they are ok with that.

 

They inspire you. Inspire you to reach higher, be better, look further because they tell you what they see in you and because you believe them when they speak - you try!

 

They encourage you. Encourage you to never give up on yourself or God.

 

They need you. Need you to do all those same things they do for you.

 

They deserve you. Deserve to see the true you. Deserve your honesty. Deserve all the things you hold back because God made them able to handle it - how do you know? because they are still there and you feel real when you are with them.

 

They see you. See your light shining within and call to it. See your faults and don't fault you. See your hurts and don't discount them but don't let you sit in them too long. See who you are and simply LOVE YOU.

 

On the Friendships of Love facebook page I posted this:

A friend is, as it were, a second self - Cicero  Tina and I were having a conversation about friendship. How when you are standing in front of your true friend, you don't try to hide or conceal yourself. It is within these true friendships that you see yourself clearly because your true friend (a second self) is a mirror for you to see the truth.

 

I got to thinking a little more about that mirror part... it is not that they mirror you (look like you or think like you) but that like a mirror in the bathroom, you walk in and take a look and you see what is there. A true friend allows you to be who you are. So while you are talking to them --you hear what's there-- you see what your heart looks like, you see what your mind looks like, you get a glimpse of what your soul looks like, you get some objectivity. You see parts of yourself you don't usually get to see because around other people you are not being fully you. A friend really is a wonderful gift.

 

I am so thankful for MINE!

 

Do you have one of those kinds of friends so that you can HEAR WHAT'S THERE?

 

F and L'er

Starla Smith
Smile...life is Good!

Shipwreck From Within

Shipwreck From Within

   A sample of Daily Encounter by Dick Innes

"Cling tightly to your faith in Christ, and always keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked."

1 "Victor Hugo, who is famous for his novel, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," also wrote a story called 'Ninety-Three.' It tells of a ship caught in a dangerous storm on the high seas. At the height of the storm, the frightened sailors heard a terrible crashing noise below the deck. They knew at once that this new noise came from a cannon, part of the ship's cargo, that had broken loose. It was moving back and forth with the swaying of the ship, crashing into the side of the ship with terrible impact. Knowing that it could cause the ship to sink, two brave sailors volunteered to make the dangerous attempt to re-tie the loose cannon. They knew the danger of a shipwreck from the [loose] cannon was greater than the fury of the storm."2

Life's certainly like that. Not always, but more often than not, it isn't the storms without that cause us the most problems, but the storms that rage within us;such as a spirit of bitterness, jealousy, pride, greed, etc., etc. Other "loose cannons" are unresolved hurt, anger, a lack of forgiveness, guilt, lust, and so on. These, if not confronted and resolved, can readily cause shipwreck of our relations, our faith, or even our life. Some "loose cannon people" in organizations also need to be brought under control before they destroy "the ship."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for your Word that reminds me to live with a clear conscience. Please confront me with any issue in my life that could, if unresolved, lead to shipwreck of my faith, relationships, and even of my life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. 1 Timothy 1:19 (NLT).
2. Brett Blair, Cited on www.eSermons.com.

It's Not...

It's not what we eat but what we digest that makes us strong;
not what we gain but what we save that makes us rich;
not what we read but what we remember that makes us learned;
and not what we profess but what we practice that gives us integrity."
~Francis Bacon Sr.~

James 4:7 (Devotional)

Submit yourselves therefore to God . . . -James 4:7 You have a tongue and a voice. These instruments of speech can be used destructively or employed constructively. You can use your tongue to slander, to gripe, to scold, to nag, and to quarrel; or you can bring it under the control of God's Spirit and make it an instrument of blessing and praise. The 20th-century version of James 3:3 says, "When we put bits into the horses' mouths to make them obey us, we control the rest of their bodies also." Just so, when we submit to the claims of Christ upon our lives, our untamed natures are brought under His control. We become meek, tamed, and "fit for the Master's service."

http://www.billygraham.org/dailydevotion.asp?articleid=7195
#Bible http://j.mp/ewIR3a

 

--
Tina

Job 32:7

Job 32:7 (The Message)
 6-10 This is what Elihu, son of Barakel the Buzite, said:
   "I'm a young man,
   and you are all old and experienced.
That's why I kept quiet
   and held back from joining the discussion.
I kept thinking, 'Experience will tell.
   The longer you live, the wiser you become.'
But I see I was wrong—it's God's Spirit in a person,
   the breath of the Almighty One, that makes wise human insight possible.
The experts have no corner on wisdom;
   getting old doesn't guarantee good sense.
So I've decided to speak up. Listen well!
   I'm going to tell you exactly what I think.

This was one of those times when I read the Bible & thought, "Wow the Bible really says that..."  This read has stuck with me for weeks & I just had to share.

Happy Wednesday!

True friend

Everyone looks for that person with whom you find your true self crawling out of its usual shell. That day you meet a true hearts friend is scarier than nightmares that wake you in the night. The reason being is you suddenly feel a yearning for connection and intimacy that is so strong it shakes you to the depths of your soul. I believe that God will connect you with the person or people who inspire you to be more than you are....why? Because God has given them special sight - His eyes - to see and help teach you, your worth, helping you touch and reach for your dreams. They have a special sound that is just for you...its your personal  trumpet blast to awake and arise. They call forth your courage and determination, begging you not to hide your face but to stand fully in who you are created to be. There is a friend for you...
But you must be careful, often that friend comes in a package that won't back down when your defenses roar. Will you run,  will you deny, defy, or just plain hide....or will you embrace a journey with someone who will strengthen you, challenge your norms, and call you out when you are off in left feild. Take the journey, you won't be disappointed. I'm not ....thanks Tina its been real!

Starla

.

BE CAREFUL OF HER TEARS

Written in the Hebrew Talmud :

 

"Be very careful if you make a woman cry, because God counts her tears.

The woman came out of a man's rib.
Not from his feet to be walked on.
Not from his head to be superior.
But from the side to be equal.
Under the arm to be protected,
and next to the heart to be loved."

 

WOMEN ARE VERY PRECIOUS......

Action

A very good word = )

Direct Link: www.JohnMaxwellTeam.com/Action

TRUTH's feet

It is good to express a thing twice right at the outset

and so to give it a right foot and also a left one.

Truth can surely stand on one leg,

but with two it will be able to walk and get around.

 

- Friedrich Nietzsche

 

This on is good enough to repeat a few times!

Enjoy!!

 

F and L'er

Starla