Friendship: The Web Strands of Life

Hello again everyone!

Thanks for continuing to follow me, and read the different things I've been posting. I sincerely hope that these past posts have at least made you smile, and hopefully left you feeling a bit more cared for. Some of the past blog posts I've done have been about different subjects that have, in someway, related to God and religion. Bad thing? Absolutely not :D! But, I feel inclined to talk about a certain subject that, can also be related to God, but has a more Earthly and subtle tone to it.

I just want you, the reader, to remember that as we take another blog journey together, and as you read on, that the purpose of this blog is to give you the opportunity to build upon your knowledge of Christ, and also let you feel as much love, care, and comfort that I can give you through
a simple computer screen. Enough about introductions-everyone seems to dislike them anyway ha-ha!

Friendship is one of those things that sometimes gets misconstrued in today's society. I would like to enlighten you as to some of the benefits and blessings of friendship, and how, if you don't already, you can get more out of those relationships with those people you hold close to your heart. I guess we'll start with the dictionary definition of "friend" first-might as well put it out there :)! A friend is:

"A person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard." 

I liked the word attached in that sentence. Notice, however, that no where does it say that a friend is simply an item to be had-"A person." I would like to point out that this post, the subjects in it, and the intention behind it is in no way meant to be taken negatively or with ill-feelings. It is merely to expound on what friendship is to me, and hopefully you as well, and give my appreciation and love to the privilege I've had of having so many wonderful, and unique friends.

I always used to wonder why-growing up in this world today, so many people focused so much on how many people they could call "friends", and how much people liked them. If you think about it, isn't that what society views as the focus and function of friends? Simply social status?  Why does it matter how "many" we have, or how much everybody "likes" us? Shouldn't we try to know people who actually "care" about us, and not just "tolerate" us?

I would like to share an example of one of my friends. It's really hard to share just one. It almost makes me teary-eyed thinking about how many people must care about me, and really pray for my success. I might use two or three ha-ha!

The first example I would like to use is one that shows friendship in a different light. I've gotten to know this certain friend over about a year, maybe a year and a half. Because of certain circumstances-him living in Sweden, and me not being rich enough to fly there :), I've only gotten to develop our relationship through other means, but it's really been a great experience. It really didn't matter that much that we couldn't have the physical side of things, and he's been a great help and support for me in times of struggle and hardship.

I don't know about you, but this life would be the worst thing in the entire universe without people to share it with, and people to help us along the way. I like to think that we are taking this journey together, and that our friends are right there beside us, holding our hands and walking with us. It's really special. If you think about it, part of the basis of life's "test" is developing friendships and love with other people. Sometimes it's hard trying to find friends, and sometimes you may feel alone, but there's always someone who loves and cares for you.

I would like you to know that as you read this, I hope you feel at least a little bit cared for. Some if not most of the problems in our degrading society today could be solved if people just tried to care for one another and become friends. I wasn't over exaggerating, nor was I being allegorical when I called friendship the "web strands of life". It is isn't it? Christ should be our foundation for life; church, scriptures, and prayer should be the map to life, and friendship should be the structure of life.

I've said in past blogs that these aren't to promote myself, nor are they to profess my expertise in any such area, but to help and uplift anyone who reads them. You're probably going to get tired of me saying that, but there it is, he-he. If you ever need someone to talk to, or give you some hope to look forward to, I know a few people ;)! I hope that you have gotten a smile out of this, and realize how precious your friends are, and how essential they are to life's journey.

Before I end this post, I'd like to share one more example of one of my friends. This is another friend who I haven't met in person, but we've talked on just about everything else you can imagine, and I have met him "face to face". Anyway, he's what I would consider as a "forever friend". Sometimes these friends are one in a million, other times they are right in front of us, but I'm taken back to the quote that states:

"Honestly, i don't need someone that sees what's good about me. i need someone that sees the bad and still wants me :)"

This certain friend has definitely seen my bad side sometimes. Yeah we've gotten furious at each other plenty of times, but he's still with me. We still talk, we still cry together, and we still uplift each other. I don't think we come by "forever friends" that often in life, and when we do we might miss them. But I can't tell you how much it makes my heart lift, and how much it makes my tears water when I feel the care that these friends have for me.

Without structure, life would fall apart-without friends, the journey isn't worth walking. So please watch out for them, and make sure you're not running the track of life's race too fast, to miss the people that are cheering you on...

I love you all, and thank you for continuing to follow my blog. I wish you a great week, and a sunny day!

An Ever Constant Companion

When's the last time you've looked for beauty? Have you ever stared out a window, just to see the motions of the air? The rain on the street? Streaking lights of the cars flying by? How about the trees moving in the wind, or leaves falling to the ground? The simple streams or short straits catch your eye? You ever stay outside or get up early to see the rays of sun rise and fall over the horizon? There is beauty all around us.

In a world of many changing ideals-increased conflicts, wars, crime, political bravado, falling values, and disintegrating families-it's hard. The noise and the contention of the world is the driving nail into the smooth board of our lives. It's ever increasing. And more and more nails are being driven in. Sometimes we're moving so fast we can't breathe, or take a second to think.

Time is that eternal mystery, and the sole controlling force of our lives. Can we control it? No. Can we explain it? Temporarily-yes, but eventually it ascends all explanation. Is time bad? No. Time is control, and is a partner to go through this life and take on the trials of ourselves. Everything can be healed with time, and by using Jesus Christ's example to accept his love. Time lets us remember, but also lets us forget. It seems to speed up or slow down-sometimes disappears, but it's always there reminding us that, while it is our companion, we eventually have to face the end of our journey, and follow in Christ's footsteps.

We miss so much because we focus on things that really don't have any value. Time is a neutral, universal law, and like I said-a companion, but if we let it, our time can run out, and we might have missed the beauty around us, and the love we could feel from Christ, family, friends, and spouses. It's amazing how much we fascinate about time, and the thoughts about the future, the present-time travel, or prophecy, and seeing the future.

I'm taken back to one of my favorite films of all time-Robert Zemetricks', Back to the Future. In it, young Marty McFly is obvious feeling disappointed with his life, and his seemingly unlucky status, and fear of rejection, but through the power of "science", and the whimsical genius of Doc. Emmett Brown, he travels back in time to when his parents are young. Through different experiences, he learns that while the world and time are always changing, family is always timeless, and love transcends all barriers.

You may ask what any of this has to do with anything? Well, I pose my opening question to you again? When's the last time you looked for beauty? I invite you to look out the window next time, or give your brother or spouse a big, warm hug. Maybe snuggle a bit. We're all walking with our different companion-time, Christ, and our families  and our journey through this mortal life is ever getting shorter, and nearing it's end.

I quote a recognizable truth that's been said, as to the original author-I know not, but regardless of who first pronounced it-the truth of the words is ever there.

"Living without Love and Hope isn't really living at all, and is an empty life, full of heartache" 

Please make sure that you don't let time slip away from you, and that you spend time with those you love most and give them your attention and your affections, so that you can take this journey of time together, and look back and say: "Thank you, time, you've been my friend, and showed me how to love, and now I can go with you to rest." I love you all-my family, friends, and fellow missionaries here in New York. I know and testify that we are doing a wonderful work, and that we are truly blessed and thought for by many, many people-including our Heavenly Father and his son-our brother, Jesus Christ.

God be with you, Till we meet again.