waaazaooo.......

what a crazy cool weekend. We celebrated Juice's bday and I listened to her tell the "surprise" story to her family three different times in exactly the same manner cuz the Chen's are cute like that. =) Oh and she has got to be the worlds greatest trasher-taker-outer warrior in the world! But dont ask her to take your trash out, she's already been reserved by this here basement room, no sharing!

I saw the world's scariest piece of earwax this weekend....and it wasn't mine. I wish I had dry ear wax that would just fall out, but I was blessed with sticky. When was the last time your earwax fell out?

Today at EV we had this message on envy. The part of the message that really stuck out to me was the part about how envy can sometimes be a barrier to a genuine friendship. I've experienced genuine friendships in my life and it's true that you can share in their joys and in their sorrows and not envy. The beauty of authentic friendships is that once you've experienced them, you want others to experience it for themselves. No more of those petty friendships that last for a season and the next season you have a whole new posse. Making friends isn't like forming basketball teams, you dont trade your players, just like you don't trade in friends for different ones.

It's frustrating sometimes seeing how the definition of friends just encompasses telling secrets and being able to hang out. Of course I don't think there's anything wrong with those things, but do you ever wonder if there's more? Can these people truly be happy for you when they see you succeed or excel? I agree with what the speaker said about how sometimes sharing in sorrows comes more easily than sharing in joys. When you're down and discouraged, you can relate with someone; feeling your own share of pitty in the process. But when people experience joy because of a personal gain or achievement in life, they've acquired something you may not have, and it makes it hard sometimes to not sprout an imp of jealousy. And that's why I find Paul so admirable in the area of contentment and full satisfaction with being given all that he needed. Just be convicted, that if we need it, God will give it.

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4: 10-13

When we have that kind of mentality in a friendship, we can share in the joys of those we love. So what was Paul's secret?

I also feel that the genuine relationships I have, have grown as a result of prayer. There's something SO powerful about prayer that brings people together. When you pray it's like saying, "yes God we come in agreement about your will, so now we're talking to you about it." I feel like there's a sense of oneness when people can come and pray together. I believe if God is ever asking you to take the next step in a superficial friendship, learn to pray with one another. So maybe the whole prayer thing isn't for you, and maybe you don't even pray. A few other things I value about my friendships is encouragment and support and not being afraid of getting bashed for honest, edifying criticism.
I love my friends and I know that if God didn't bring them into my life for a lifetime, I know it was or is to fulfill a reason, or maybe to show me something during a season. In any case, friends are always a blessing from someone who takes cares of all our needs, and yes....people need friends.

would it be great to have a friend like this? (This would be Paul describing Timothy)

Philippians 2:20 "I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare."