Last modified:  01/10/2008

There is nothing like the close friendship of another adult to help keep the sanity of a stay-at-home or working parent.  Everyone has a different personality, but everyone can also benefit from the companionship of another human being.  It isn't always easy to make friends, but it is rewarding when you extend yourself and succeed.

Personally, I've always been a bit of an awkward person when it comes to making friends.  I guess I'm more of an introvert like my father.  Though there is that little bit of extroversion that I inherited from my mother that brings that desire to try to the fore.  To find a friend you need to be a friend.  Not every person you try this with will respond favorably.  There will be those few that will respond and bring out the best in you. 

The following links are to articles with useful information on how to build solid relationships in any facet of life.  Please feel free to read and share this information with others:

Contributed Family Living Articles:

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My Relationship Blog

11/5/2007

From the time we are born we are affected by all person and thing with which we come in contact.  Under ideal circumstances we cultivate a very close relationship with our parents.  This relationship forms our views of life, learning, love, people, animals, and everything around us.  The first five years of life before we are handed over to the educational system can be some of the most critical for development and set the stage for how we develop other relationships in the future. 

Each person has a different approach to making friends.  For some it is effortless to make connections with people and for others it takes a very concerted effort to even talk to another human being.  One things I’ve learned in my few years on this earth is the love is the key factor for forming relationships.  Love is a dimensional emotion – it is never the same for any two people.  Between a husband and wife, parent and child, best friends or even work mates love can be shown.  Love is more than a romantic feeling.  It can mean consideration, longsuffering, understanding and the actions that those feelings bring to the fore. 

The debate over the centuries over the existence of a Creator brings much controversy.  For me and my family there is no doubt that God exists.  We have learned that his name is Jehovah, which means “He causes to become” (Ps. 83:18).  His foremost quality is love.  Though we may not be able to fully comprehend His existence, our existence should clearly show that he is a loving God.  Yes, this world and it’s inhabitants are not perfect, but there are reasons behind this that Jehovah will eventually fix on our behalf because he loves us (John 3:16).  Understanding the way Jehovah displays his foremost quality, LOVE, will help us to show love in its many dimensions to others. 

For example, this weekend we attended the “Do All Things For God’s Glory” circuit assembly in Holt, MI.  Our new circuit overseer Bro. McFarland gave the example of how love "dimensionalizes".  He related that when he got married he was the happiest man on the planet and thought that life could get no better.  Then his first child came along and he was on cloud 9.  He didn’t love his wife any less, but there was nothing that compared to the love he felt for his daughter.  Then the second child came along and he worried that he may not be able to love the second as much as the first.  He found out he was wrong; he discovered that love is expansive.  When his children grew and his grandchild was born he discovered another type of love, one that made it hurt to be away from his grandson.  Just before Bro. McFarland’s father died he asked him if having great grandchildren was the same feeling as having grandchildren and his father said, “No, it’s totally different and new.”  He then made a connection that brought tears to my eyes.  He said, “So you see Adam and Eve gave up much more than just everlasting life in a paradise.”  Then I realized they gave up the chance to know and love all of us.  Personally, I don’t want to do that.  I want to know what it’s like to love my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandchildren and then some forever. 

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