Friendship...?

Tomorrow Friday March 20th I leave to go on my church's Women's retreat in Sumas, WA.
The title Abundance of friendship.... yes the entire weekend is about friendship. Not really sure what I think about that. But I can tell you ever since i signed up alot has been stirring in my mind and my heart. I don't have alot of super close friends, I have friends and people I do thing with but I am not sure I have that one friend that would be there for me in a heartbeat. I use to have those friends but things in life changed. I don't know what but things changed and those friendships are now lunches every 3-6 months or emails every now and then. Do I miss those friends? Yes, Yes I do but I don't miss the going out all the time, being away from my family, feeling like I had to choose. I don't think those friends knew my heart. I generally don't let people in that close anymore, been hurt too many times. I guess I got tired of being judged, maybe those weren't true friends.

here is a devtional i got the other day that I have really been thinking about...
Friends Who Help You Strengthen Your Character
by Steve Arterburn

As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend. Proverbs 27:17 NLT

The dictionary defines the word “friend” as “a person who is attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.” This definition is accurate, as far as it goes, but when we examine the deeper meaning of friendship, many more descriptors come to mind: trustworthiness, loyalty, helpfulness, kindness, understanding, forgiveness, encouragement, humor, and cheerfulness, to mention but a few. Needless to say, our trusted friends and family members can help us discover God’s unfolding purposes for our lives. Our task is to enlist our friends’ wisdom, their cooperation, their honesty, and their encouragement.

If you genuinely want to strengthen your character, you need to build closer relationships with people who want to do the same. That’s why fellowship with likeminded believers should be an integral part of your life. Your friendships should be uplifting, enlightening, encouraging, and (above all) character-building.

Are your friends the kind of people who encourage you to seek God’s will and to obey God’s Word? If so, you’re choosing your friends wisely.

When you build lasting friendships that are pleasing to God, friendships with godly men and women whose values are admirable and whose intentions are honorable, you will be richly blessed. But if you find yourself spending time with folks whose priorities are as questionable as their ethics, you’re treading on dangerous ground. So here’s an invaluable tip for character building: be careful, very careful, how you choose your friends.

As you’re making friendships, be less concerned with appearances and more concerned with integrity. Resolve to be a trustworthy, encouraging, loyal friend to others. And make sure that you appreciate the genuine friends who, by their presence and their love, make you a better person. Friendship is, after all, a glorious gift, praised by God. Give thanks for that gift and nurture it.

Inasmuch as anyone pushes you nearer to God, he or she is your friend. Barbara Johnson

God often keeps us on the path by guiding us through the counsel of friends and trusted spiritual advisors. Bill Hybels

Character builderToday, as you think about the nature and the quality of your friendships, remember the first rule of making (and keeping) friends: it’s the Golden Rule, and it starts like this: “Do unto others . . . .” View this Daily Devotion at NewLife.com

so I am very anxious for this weekend and whats in store- what will happen How my heart will be on Sunday when I arrive home.

Aaron is also coming with me- 6 weeks old and his first trip away. I am anxious about that, getting sleep, not disturbing everyone and taking away from their time and experience.
Being over 2 hours away from home with him. I guess i need to find some peace about all this and just let it be. I am not the one in control :-)

The box

after Aaron was born our good friends from church delivered meals. One of the ladies brought a nice big box -probably from Costco. the box has stayed in the house and has been used as a pirate ship, a chair, hide n go seek spot, train car, table , and a store front.

A simple box has brought so much joy, imagination and it has been a great gift.

here's to the simple things that bring us joy!

What role....

This came to me today from Ransomed Heart Minstry. It really made me stop and think, i guess because today is my 39th birthday and i look back and wonder what did happen to all those dreams. My how the role has changed over the years.... so what role do i play now?

We come into the world with a longing to be known and a deep-seated fear that we aren’t what we should be. We are set up for a crisis of identity. And then, says Frederick Buechner, the world goes to work:

Starting with the rather too pretty young woman and the charming but rather unstable young man, who together know no more about being parents than they do the far side of the moon, the world sets in to making us what the world would like us to be, and because we have to survive after all, we try to make ourselves into something that we hope the world will like better than it apparently did the selves we originally were. That is the story of all our lives, needless to say, and in the process of living out that story, the original, shimmering self gets buried so deep that most of us hardly end up living out of it at all. Instead, we live out all the other selves which we are constantly putting on and taking off like coats and hats against the world’s weather. (Telling Secrets)

Think about the part you find yourself playing, the self you put on like a costume. Who cast you in this role? Most of us are living out a script that someone else has written for us. We’ve not been invited to live from our heart, to be who we truly are, so we put on these false selves hoping to offer something more acceptable to the world, something functional. We learn our roles starting very young and we learn them well.

(The Sacred Romance , 84–85)

3.5 weeks

Aaron Smiling

Julia and Aaron

wow it's been 3.5 weeks. Aaron has now gained almost 2 lbs and currently weighs 8.12. He grew almost an inch. It has been a wild and crazy 3 weeks but i think the dust is settling.

i can already tell boys are so much different then girls. Aaron is so different then what i remember his sisters being like. which is great -it's a new adventure.

Toryn refers to Aaron as Lil Dude. she isn't that much into him but at 14 she has more important things to do and think about. All those friends!!

Tarah is so extremely helpful. She is already coaching Aaron on how to act especially "Aaron we don't get mad and scream!" it's cute. she calls him bean.

Julia- oh Julia loves her baby brother. she loves to help with everything. She calls him "big guy"

"mom how is big guy doing?" it is soo cute.

I can't wait for the weeks to come.