Friendship

Cultivating Healthy Friendship and Wise Boundaries {For Our Tweens & Teens}

Cultivating Healthy Friendships and Wise Boundaries {For Our Tweens & Teens}

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How do you know if a friendship is healthy or on the brink of dysfunction? And how do you know when to put up boundaries, and what exactly those boundaries should look like? Wouldn’t you agree that as moms, these are questions we face not only in our own friendships but also as we help our children navigate their peer relationships? How do we love like Jesus but also care for our hearts well? It ain’t easy, sister! I’ve had my own challenges in discerning when it is the right time to pull back or push into a friendship that…

The Need to Be Seen and Known

Drawing Together at the Well

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Have you noticed how authentic friendships don’t just happen, but they have to be intentionally and sacrificially pursued? I’ve had to come to terms with this reality as I adjust to “real” life outside of the boarding school community where my husband and I lived with our family for eighteen years. You can imagine the stark contrast of being immersed in a community where we worked together, worshiped together, played together, and ate together. While I thoroughly appreciated the luxury of not having to cook dinner, the real gift was the time after dinner in the dining hall, when the students…

When the Loneliness Becomes Overwhelming

When the Loneliness Becomes Overwhelming

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I walked into the room and saw women standing in small groups. They laughed, comparing notes about their summers. I stood alone with my three small boys, watching. Eventually I dropped off my children in their classes and made my way to the larger group, waiting for the women’s Bible study to begin. In my head, I wanted anonymity, but my heart wanted to be known. You might assume I was new to the group, but I had been working at this church for the past 8 years. Unfortunately, working half-time left me with few free “home days” for playdates,…

Secret to Real Mom Community

The Secret to Real Mom Community

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In a Pinterest-perfect, Facebook-driven world, being real and honest about our lives doesn’t seem very appealing. Without transparency and openness, however, mom friendships remain shallow. True community can never be achieved. Sure, it’s risky. But there is so much to be gained when we share our souls, our burdens, and our struggles. Not only do we finally feel truly “known,” we make it safe for others to do the same. For years, I shuddered at the thought of sharing my private struggles. After all, I was a Bible study leader. By all appearances, I was a “good” Christian woman and…

When all you want is a friend . . .

Do You Want a Friend?

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In the children’s classic Charlotte’s Web, Wilbur the pig experiences an emotion that is all too familiar to some. A rainy day on the farm spoils his outdoor plans and he soon realizes that none of the farm animals want to play with him. Loneliness descends. Finally, as darkness falls, he hears a voice. “Do you want a friend, Wilbur?” it said. “I’ll be a friend to you. I’ve watched you all day and I like you.” In the ensuing chapters, readers delight in the budding friendship between Wilbur and Charlotte. Like Wilbur, we want someone to call out to us,…

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