Whenever I Call You "Friend"

Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.  Proverbs 10:12

I have been blessed with some incredible friendships over the course of my lifetime and our friends in Knoxville, TN are near and dear to me.  

Over the course of our five years of living in Knoxville, my family has dealt with some deeply sensitive and personal matters and our friends have been really been here for us with some wonderful Godly advice, kindness, love, caring, and support.

Relationships/friendships that are built on the kind of unconditional love that God has for us are typically characterized by undivided devotion, forgiveness, patience, kindness, caring, and support-no matter what.

Love prohibits jealousy, pride, envy, selfishness, rudeness, and holding grudges.

I understand this more clearly each and every day-it doesn't matter what kind of car I drive, or how much money is in the bank, or the amount of material items I own, my career status, or the fact that I am an Auburn Tiger living in Vol Country-all that really matters, what’s most important, are the relationships we have while here on this earth!

Whenever I Call You "Friend"

Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.  Proverbs 10:12

I have been blessed with some incredible friendships over the course of my lifetime and this is certainly no exception here in Knoxville, TN. 

Over the course of our time in Knoxville, my family has dealt with some deeply sensitive and personal matters and our friends have been really been here for us with some wonderful Godly advice, kindness, love, caring, and support.

Relationships/friendships that are built on the kind of unconditional love that God has for us are typically characterized by undivided devotion, forgiveness, patience, kindness, caring, and support-no matter what. 

Love prohibits jealousy, pride, envy, selfishness, rudeness, and holding grudges.

I understand this more clearly each and every day-it doesn't matter what kind of car I drive, or how much money is in the bank, or the amount of material items I own, my career status, or fame-all that really matters, what’s most important, are the relationships we have while here on this earth!

You've Got A Friend

He who loves God must love his brother also.  (1 John 4:21)

 

As summer nears, I can't help but reminisce about the fun I used to have with all of my college buddies attending endless concerts and festivals all over the country.  Granted, this part of my life was certainly different than it is now; I had no responsibilities, no family, and wasn't exactly in church, either.  Regardless, I was growing up, I was wild and foolish and my past experiences have shaped me into the man that I am today.

 

It was actually post graduation from Auburn before I truly accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior and when I did, it created a divide among my circle of friends.  The same people that I ran with for so long didn't seem to want to have anything to do with me once I became a "Holy-Roller" and a "Jesus Freak."  Truth be known, I am still the same wild, foolish, and fun-loving guy that enjoys concerts and festivals, I just also love Jesus.   

 

Even though we all are different human beings with differing perspectives, ideals and views of this world, we should all be able to live in peace with one another.  Despite our differences, we should be loyal in our friendships, which allows us to disagree with each other, yet remain committed to a long-term relationship with each other.