While it’s easy for people to tell us to pull ourselves up by our boot straps, it’s not that easy in some cases. Physical hurts heal. Bad news comes and goes. However, rejection digs deep and will not let go. Months and years may pass by but...
You have been friends with a person for years. You have listened while they told you problem after problem and they rarely if ever take any advice you give. Even with all of this you continue to get together for the afternoon. Very rapidly you start...
The friendship circle we have today will determine how we live our lives ten years from now. There are parents who tell their children the same thing. It’s important to be very selective who we hang with because our influences rub off on each other. If we have...
It comes as quite a surprise when one we consider a friend lets us down. It’s like being slapped in the face with a roaring fire. Every nerve in our heart stands on edge. We are left wondering if we should try to make amends or let time heal the wound. Sometimes we...
A good gauge on how we represent God is to take an honest look at how we represent our own self on a job. Do our actions reflect what Jesus would do? How do we conduct ourselves when the boss is away? Remember, our Lord is ever present in our lives. How do we...
When someone treats you wrong do you wonder what is wrong with you or do you think they are having a difficult time? Do you ever look back at your life and wish you had of done things differently or do you take today and look at how to expand what you have? If your...
There are numerous ways people can offend, betray or trip us up. When we have been wronged the effects can be devastating. Wrongs come in two main categories; unintentional and intentional. Unintentional wrongs are easier for us to regain our peace than intentional...
In times of sickness or hardships we see what’s in the hearts of some people. God allows certain thorns in the flesh to be used as a gauge to us to indicate where we stand with Him. Sometimes people know our obstacles and we know theirs. We observe their responses...
What exactly is a loyal friend? A true friend will serve yet not let himself become a robot to another person. Friendship is understanding someone even though things may cause him to have a bad day and lash out at us. At the same time we do not allow him pull us...
The imitation of love is all around us. It has become accepted because it has gone on for so long. One person summed it up not too long ago when he said his love is automatic. Automatic means never having to demonstrate any act of love. Automatic means a person...
There are times when a beloved friend suddenly becomes silent. He is not mad at us and there isn’t anything specifically going on in his life to make him withdraw. It’s possible we have experienced the same. We just don’t feel like talking, going out or involving...
When God seems so far away and when prayers seem to bounce off the clouds back to us He is still here. When we are not hearing anything it could very well be He is listening. Have you ever wanted to talk to a friend yet the friend did all the talking. You didn’t get...
We have all experienced times when a good friend becomes cool or stops communicating with us all together. We are left wondering why this happened. We cannot think of anything we have said or done to them. Altering our behavior around them or trying to make amends...
Imagine our worst enemy sitting next to us. They sit and say nothing but inside of us becomes tense and we feel our anger start to boil. This person did us wrong in a horrible way and we still experience the consequences of what they caused. How do we pray for such...
Someone has hurt us and they continue with their tactics year after year. They make our lives miserable and that is bad enough. When a dear friend calls on us to pray because this same enemy is tormenting them things are even worse. The tears of a friend hurts...
Many of us have silent friends in our lives. They are the ones we never become close to or possibly never have much of a conversation, yet they are ones we considere good friends. They attend our same church, live in our neighborhood and go to school with us. They...
The word “forgiveness” contains the word give. This is the proper thing to give to our enemies. Someone wrongs us and years later we still pay the consequences of what they set up for us. We are instructed to love them anyway and forgive them just as Jesus forgave...
Being rebuked is painful, especially by a friend. However honesty is the very thing that keeps us moving forward. At first a friend may be sympathetic toward the problems of even their best friend. He listens with a caring ear taking in every single word. Day after...
Lord, we come in the precious name of Jesus Christ asking that your radiant glory shine on our petitions today. Your loving arm reaches across the lands and to the depth of the deepest oceans. Your precious attention shines on us through even the darkest of trials....
Time is a gift from God. We have no way of knowing when our clock will run out. Therefore it’s important we make the best use of our time. How many hours in the day are spent texting or sitting behind a computer? Have those hours helped anyone? The moments spent...
Beyond a smug attitude could be the most precious friend one could have. Many years of hurts and disappointments went into that attitude but imagine the valuable gem beneath all of those defense techniques. Genuine friendships take many years to build. Layer after...
A friend is one who sticks closer than a brother. If he tells us he will show up at a particular time or do a certain favor, we can count on it. If we are in pain or if we are going through disappointments we are two people strong because he experiences our...
It does our heart good to know we have helped people. We slip a few bills of money in an envelope to somebody without them knowing it is from us. We make a phone call ahead of time to a friend alerting them to show favor to a certain person. We make a hospital...
A person can be the most innocent one in town but if one of his best friends robs a bank then he can kiss his own reputation goodbye. Many times we befriend troubled people whom we wish to see prosper in life. Most times we watch them slowly improve and make...
There are ones in our lives we consider closer than a brother then learn very harshly later on that their whole friendship was a pack of lies. We counted on them and they were not there yet they counted on us and we were there each time. We do business with a well...
There was once a grouchy old man. He said what he thought. He never sugarcoated anything. Pleasing him was very difficult because he was always correcting every effort anyone ever tried to make. Yet occasionally he offered a well done. The sincerity of his words...
Have you ever had a heavy heart and just wanted someone to listen to you? Your heart is about ready to explode from the need to be heard. You don’t necessarily want advice, you just want someone to stop and understand what you are going through. To make matters...
After many years how do we feel when one who was our enemy long ago tells us hello? We have long forgotten that person and moved on and so have they. However situations come about that place us together. That person may not know he offended us and is glad to see us...
Have you ever wanted to pray for a friend, coworker or family member but the words would not come? Sometimes it’s because you know very little about the situation or you know nothing at all. You have just been asked to pray. Sometimes people will tell you that God...
When we remain true to God and have peace of mind that only He can give, there will be oppositions. The world at large does not understand that the devil is the instigator of discords. We will be going business as usual then suddenly our friend will not even make...
This happens in life. Coworkers, church members, neighbors and even family members sometimes act mad and quit speaking. This is probably the worst type of manipulation a person can use. It creates a sense of uncertainty in us and it attacks our very character. We...
Things happen all around that go unnoticed. People are crying out on the inside asking for help but do not know how to express themselves effectively. There are many types of abuses going on right in front of us but we do not know. Only a person with a gift of...
We’ve all done it. The teacher is getting on to the class for misbehaviors and our first thought is a specific classmate. We listen to people campaigning for a seat of authority while each lists the faults in others but in our minds we are agreeing with one of them....
The Word of God is speaking to you. Yes, you. Your Bible is open and you come across a passage that makes you leap for joy. It’s like God is telling you He sees what your neighbor or friend is doing to you and He will go get them. You are quick to burst forth in...
This happens frequently especially with all the new technology. People are too busy texting to even notice a kind person opening a door for them. Friends take friends for granted and they are too busy these days to say thank you. Many enjoy material things so much...
We flip a switch on the wall and the light comes on or we turn a knob on the sink and water flows. We can depend on it but what if it fails? Only then do we appreciate how these things got there. Sometimes it takes doing without before we give thanks. Many of us...