Old friends are best

I read a quote today on a teddy bear perpetual calendar that I have, "Old friends are best."  John Selden said that.  I have no idea who that is but he deserves the credit for saying this!  We are in the beginning stages of transition in our family.  By the time this post shows up, we will be in Indianapolis.  I'm very sad today as I write this.  No matter how hard I try I can't keep my tears in my head.  My kids see me for what I am, sad.  I keep telling them that we will make new friends, great friends, all kinds of friends.  But today I feel full of it when I say that; I want these friends. I've moved a lot in my day and have experienced these feelings A BUNCH.  I know all too well how it goes.  Some people will remember us, some will miss us, only a rare few will keep in touch with us.  Minnesota is not a place we will visit very often, maybe once a year.  Eventually everyone will move on and they will outgrow us.  That's just how it works.  But I want my kids to learn that friendship is special.   Friends like we have in MN don't come around every day.  This is a tough culture to be a part of and it's been difficult to make and cultivate true, worthwhile friendships.  Now that we have them, they are to be treasured.  As tears are falling down my cheeks, I pray the value of  good friends is something my kids are understanding at a deeper level.

I am optimistic and excited about our new adventure.  I am also devastated by the end of this chapter in my life.  Please pray for our family as we grieve for a while, most likely for a good, long while.  I know God will provide new friends but today, "Old friends are best." 

For all my friends:

I thank my God every time I remember you.

Philippians 1:3

-Sue

  

Your child's friends

It's so nice when your kids are babies.  Their friends are people you hand pick.  Whoever you hang out with, their kids are your kid's friends.  Then they go to school and everything changes.  For my little girl  it's been a tough road thus far.  She has a couple friends we wish she didn't.  I can see bad things down the road for them.  And I'd rather she didn't experience the world they are exposed to.  She's in third grade and has a few friends who watch MTV and aren't supervised by adults very often, fun things of that nature.  She has one friend who can be found wandering our streets on any given day at any given time.  One of her friends dresses like she's 25 and anxious to catch a man.  But what do you do?  Seriously, what do you do?  If you know, please write me!!  These things can stress me out sometimes.  More often than not she is the good influence on them.   But their bad influence, even once in awhile, can be devastating.  It can take months to recover from bad choices and experiences.  

So here's what I do know.   We can pray for our kids.  We can love our kids.  We can guide and direct them according to God's principles.  We can directly tell them words of wisdom from scripture.  We can teach them how to make good decisions and pick good friends.  The rest we can leave up to God Almighty.  And may I suggest we put the fear of God in them?  I don't know if we can really do that but modeling for them that fear...that would be powerful.

Pray for your kids.  Pray for their friends.  And pray they pick some wonderful ones along the way.

Proverbs 17:7

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

Proverbs 17:27

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.

Be lifted!

Sue