12 Days of Kindness

Hey there!
How would you describe the importance of friendships in your life? I believe friends enrich our lives, but honestly, I feel like I'm in a constant struggle to find time for friends, the energy for friends or sometimes even the courage to build solid friendships. Routines, transitions, responsibilities, pride and a number of other things in life have a way of isolating us from the gift of good friendships. I believe God uses our friendships to fulfill His purpose in our lives. Good friendships provide support and encouragement to be all that God wants us to be. In fact, those good friendships don't distract us from the Lord, but actually draw us closer to Him. As Christians, we have a responsibility to live, love and be like Christ displaying the fruit of the spirit even with our non-Christian friends.  In my closest friendships, I have many opportunities to be patient, kind, peaceful, gentle, self controlled, loving, faithful, and joyful. More accurately, I have been on my knees asking the Lord to help me be all of those things. Ha!


Onya, me and Makesha
Courtney pictured below



For over a year, three of my friends and I have been gathering once each month for lunch. That alone is monumental.  Working out our schedules is no easy task, but we do it. We missed one month, and it was as if six months had passed. We gather to stay connected, set personal goals, hold each other accountable, encourage each other thru hard times, celebrate our victories and to treat ourselves to a delicious meal. Sometimes we even replace our monthly luncheon with events like conferences and birthday celebrations. We are all very different and are only connected by being of mutual acquaintance and motivated by how God is causing us to grow in friendship with one another while slowly revealing His purpose for our relationships. We are in the middle of 12 Days of Kindness leading up to our monthly lunch. We designated 12 days of January to demonstrate kindness to one another in appreciation for the gift of our friendship. Since there are four of us, we focus on each person for four days. By focusing on the other person and their needs, we have grown even closer. It's makes a difference to be kind everyday to every person, but it is so renewing to do it intentionally for those we love. My heart melted when one of them sent me a text message saying that for the next four days she is focusing on me. Wow! Pictured above are a couple of the roses and a sweet card that one of my friends brought to me. I'm writing this in hopes that you all will find ways to cultivate intimacy in your friendships and crush any barriers that may keep you from forming new friendships. The twelve days aren't up so maybe I'll get in the craft room and actually create somethingfor one of them. Here are a few of the kindnesses shown between us so far. Try a few of these below and see how it can put a beautiful smile on your friend's face. Then when they smile at you, smile bigger :) 

• Send heartwarming text message
• Pop by to give them a hug
• Help with planning and setting up daughter's birthday party
• Send a card
• Treat to lunch
• Call to check on your friend
• Send flowers
• Bring breakfast
• Send a handwritten letter

Let this be a year of healthier relationships!