MONTHLY WISDOM ! ! !

Here is the first monthly wisdom entry...

Life is a journey that can often lead you to unexpected places. It's a big adventure. Are you equipped for the challenges? Geared up to seize the opportunities... Well this weekly post will help give you a little encouragement and we can all use that....

Encouragement of Friendship :
Take a moment to think about someone who is a close friend. Can you recall a time when that person was merely an acquaintance? What was it that took your relationship from acquaintance to friend? Talking in line at Tim's, chasing cars down main street, out deer hunting or just out looking for UFO... however your friendship began, things are quite different today than when you fist met.. you have grown closer in your relationship....
Jonathan was just a friend to David. David was hiding int he wilderness, attempting to discern God's will while simultaneously avoiding detection by Saul, who sought his life. Jonathan, Saul's son, cam to David with words of encouragement, saying, "Do no fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you" (1 Samuel 23:17). These words from a mere acquaintance might have been received with a smile and a thank-you, or maybe one of those you-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about looks. Yet those were word of encouragement from a true friend, and so the words mattered. Jonathan's words could be trusted.
The trusted words of a friend can make a positive impact in your life. Listening requires humility, patience, and an open mind.
Start with humility - know that you aren't always right. It's okay to admit you're not perfect when you're with a trusted friend. Remember, your friend is on your side.
Next, be patient. Let the wise counsel seep into you and steep there for a while. Don't jump to a wrong conclusion or criticize your friend's words before you've really examined them. It may be tough to hear some of your friend's words, but you'll never get the chance if you're calculating your response while your friend is still speaking.
Finally, be prepared to have your best-laid plans turned upside down, or at least sideways. Sometimes a friend will propose a solution you hadn't even considered --- one that doesn't make sense at first. An open mind allows you to approach new ideas willingly.
Take the encouragement of a friend to heart. Let the words strengthen you. Even if you fail or fall, those words will provide a softer landing place. That's because the encouraging words of a true friend are inseparable from the unspoken message of friendship -- a message of love.

I WILL ...
-- Listen for God's direction in the encouraging words of a friend.
-- Understand that a good friend is a gift from God.
-- Attempt to encourage my friends as often as possible.

Things to Do...
-- Pray for wisdom to know how to encourage others.
-- Be prepared to offer a few words of encouragement to a friend.
-- Call a friend to say how much you appreciate his or her friendship.

Things to Remember ...
-- A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Proverb's 17:17
-- Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. John 15:13
-- It is mutual respect which makes friendship lasting. John Henry Newman..