Friendship...Blogging Style

I am joining in the focus on Thanksgiving with Kelli at There is no Place Like Home.

In the spirit of Thankfulness, I have been thinking a lot lately about the gift of friendship. The Lord has blessed me with so many wonderful friends throughout my life, and at times the blessings just overwhelm me! I am reminded of the song we used to sing when I was a Girl Scout back in the mid 60's:

"Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold."

I let my mind wander back over the years and marvel at how the Lord has brought people in and out of my life, sometimes only for a short season, but always meant to enrich me or teach me in some way. A few times the lessons haven't been easy... but I still consider Friendship as one of God's best gifts.

The friendship song came to mind because of a dinner conversation we had last night where I was sharing with Brad about my first pen pal. If I remember correctly, I was hooked up with my pen pal through a list put out by the Girls Scouts... in accordance with a badge you could earn. My first pen pal, Carrie, lived in our state, only about 3 hours away, and we kept in touch up through high school. Unfortunately, I lost connections with her after we graduated, but having a pen pal was a fun experience with happy memories. At one point she even had the opportunity to come and spend a weekend with our family, so I got to meet her face to face!

Maybe that is why I am drawn to blogging... it's kind of the current day equivalent of having a pen pal... lots of pen pals... in this high tech society we live in. I realize that blogging only gives you a controlled glimpse into someones life. We all pick and choose how vulnerable, how transparent, how public we can or will be given our specific circumstance. Each blog I visit has it's own "flavor"... it's own heartbeat. I have enjoyed blogging as an outlet to share God's faithfulness in our lives, to share my love of family, to honor friendship and to have a fun place to share my love of capturing life through the lens of my camera. Many of the blogs I visit seem to have the same focus. I have found encouragement in my quest to honor God, keeping things real and gathering great ideas for marriage and family life. I often thank the Lord for the blessing and encouragement I have received through the new friends he has given me. From Moms in the thick of sleepless nights, changing diapers, schooling and raising a family to connecting with women who are currently transitioning from full time parenting, to empty nest and then the joy of filling that nest with grandbabies...blogging has expanded my world and enlarged my circle of friends. I like knowing I'm not alone in my quest to honor God as we embrace each new stage of life.

I have been especially touched by the opportunity to connect beyond our blogging community with one of my new friends, Ginger. Although we have not had the opportunity to meet in "real life" (I know many bloggers do get to meet), we have found through phone calls, emails and snail mail the Lord has provided the best kind of "pen pal". Ginger & I have an incredible amount of things in common and a strong desire to honor the Lord. Sometimes God shows us His love in such a neat way through the gift of friendship... even in Blogville. Many of you have shared how you have experienced this. I was really touched this last September when I was feeling down and needing a bit of encouragement. The timing could not have been better the day I received this "Thank You" angel in the mail from Ginger. A sweet card, a gift from the heart, a phone call, a timely note of encouragement... these are all gifts we can give to share God's love.

I encourage you to consider your friendships and ask God how you can meet a need, give a bit of encouragement, read between the lines and show His love. Statistics now show that never before in history have we, as a society, felt more alone, more disconnected and more detached then we do now. It amazes me that this would be the case with all the of the technology that is meant to keep us "connected". In our "me oriented", instant gratification, technologically connected society... something is gravely missing. The personal touch, the listening ear, the shoulder to cry on, a timely word of encouragement... Lord give us the desire and power to bless friends and family with these gifts!

While sharing how blogging friendships have enriched my life, I would like to thank Jan for adding me to her "Blogging With Integrity" Award list. I appreciate that she can see my heart's desire to honor the Lord in each stage of life. Also, to each of you that faithfully visit me, leaving words of friendship and encouragment... thank you for extending your circle of Blogville to include me.

Next post I will share some more about friendship... those "in my face" type friends. :-)