Joys of Multi-Generational Friendships

 One thing I'm so appreciative to my parents for is encouraging my siblings and I to have friendships outside of our own ages. They made it clear from a young age that we were to include, never exclude, our younger siblings or younger children from our group of young people when we had guests over. And we've had many opportunities to share in the company of those elder than us through the years.

When talking with a sister in Christ recently and this topic came up, I thought it would be good to share some of the benefits and delights of having these kinds of friendships here on the blog.


Friendships with Equals

We all know the joys of sharing with like-minded sisters in Christ of our own age. Giggles and late night girl chats, similar interests, and finding kindred spirits. Girls our own age are often going through many of the same things we are and it's nice to know that you're not alone sometimes. We can always be learning from one another as we strive to worship and honor the Lord in all things.

"Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." - Proverbs 27:17

The Lord can use our peers to grow our character. As a writer on Meditations of His Love, I work weekly with girls all who are near to my own age. We have different tastes but I'm grateful that the Lord has kept us all close, helping us to focus on how we are alike in Christ instead of on our differences.

Many times God has used these and other girls around my own age as a tool to teach me or to change my heart. I've had years without such friendships, and after years of praying I'm thankful that God has hand-picked some beautiful sister's in Christ for Jessica and I to fellowship with.

I think we need to be cautious however that we don't only have friendships with girls our own age. Though it took time, I've found such delight in sharing friendships with women older than I and in being there for girls younger than myself.


Friendships with the Younger

As an oldest child and the oldest girl, I have not always gotten along with my younger siblings. My sister and I especially fought quite a lot growing up - I think that was a great deal my fault, but I'll leave that for another post. The point is, that I've learned (am learning) to be patient with her, knowing the Lord is working in her character as He is in my own, and that takes time.

All girls need and desire the guidance of older young women to talk with and show them real-life examples of what being a godly woman looks like. We are the next generation, raising the following generation after us. This is our training ground, girls!! This is the time we need to be involved in making an impact in the lives of young girls who will grow up to be mothers someday (some all too soon).

Friendships of older women with younger women is a biblical example:

"The aged women likewise...that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." ~ Titus 2:4-5

We as young women are learning from the older women how to run a home, love the Lord, to submit and obey those in authority over us, and many, many more beautiful lessons. We need to pass what they, and what God, has taught us onto these younger sisters.

There are the benefits for us as older girls as well, in that we can be humbled and reminded of how far the Lord has brought us in our own walk. In talking with younger girls, hearing of there struggles, I'm reminded of my own and can see God's hand on my life as He's guided me from where these girls are to where I am now. I find myself learning a lot from my younger friends...they are wise and often give new insight into God's Word with their young passionate hearts that are so willing to serve the Lord. :)

Therefore, we as young women must do our part by taking the younger girls under our wings and helping to guide them in their girlhood and growing up years! Befriend them, love them, and be there for them through the tough times of growing up, and the Lord will use it in your own life in many ways.


Friendships with the Older

Though I haven't had as much opportunity to gain older friendships, the few I have had I have treasured. There is such wisdom gleaned from talking with women older than I. They have experienced not only what I am going through at my age, but well past that, and have the years of walking with the Lord to teach and encourage me with.

I realized that since I am older now this age group of women who are in their 30's are just above me in age, making them more like big sister's! It's such a delight to have their friendships to encourage me in my faith and talk to when I need some wisdom.

I think there are times as younger girls it can be easy to grow afraid that the older girls won't like you, won't want to friend you, or that you could have nothing to offer to the friendship because you are not both in the same season of life. However, in my experience there are many older girls willing to be friends on closer terms if they knew of your interest. So step out and be brave! Ask questions and look to them as

Our dear mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and motherly-mentors are here to help us  as well and teach us, but perhaps we are not having a spirit that is willing to learn? Maybe it's time to be ready to listen and slow to speak.

Over the years I've grown to love sharing in conversations with young mom's and older women. I have so much of life ahead of me and listening to their conversations...their joys and sorrows, their struggles and delights of womanhood makes me feel more prepared for the future. Hearing birthing stories is not exactly what we as single girls like to hear, yet at the same time I have learned to be less scared of what motherhood and being a wife might be like because some of those fairytale concepts we girls get into our heads have been exchanged for real-life examples of the beauty and joy (and yes, pain too) of adult womanhood is like.

 Besides the life lessons, these older woman have so much godly wisdom to share with us younger girls! If we submit ourselves to their teaching instead of pushing them away, we'd have so much more to add to our experiences and knowledge. It's a gift! A wise young woman listens and learns from the counsel of those who are older than she is. This is the way beautiful way that God has designed it to be.

So, younger girls, seek out the friendships of older girls and be willing to ask questions and learn from them! Don't be afraid that because you are younger than they, that you will have nothing to offer the the friendship. Some of my best friends are younger than I am!

Food For Thought:

Mother's take notice of this...are you cultivating these kinds of friendships in your girls? Are you giving them opportunities to interact with women of all ages in various settings? Why not host a ladies tea inviting ladies and girls to enjoy the fellowship of being together? Or perhaps work with your girls on a project with other women such as a clothing or food drive, helping with a church event, or helping a young mom/elderly woman with some house cleaning this spring? :)

Older young women, are you keeping an eye out for younger girls you can minister to and befriend? It's all about making time. Don't forget that you are an important part of helping the next generation to live for the Lord!

Young ladies, are you tending to befriend only those of your own age? Perhaps it's time to branch out and learn the joys of talking with mothers and the elderly, and of girls younger than yourself. Take a younger "sister" with you on a babysitting job so she can learn beside you and have time with you. Invite a big sister, a mother, or an elderly woman to visit with you at your house or out at a nice cafe' spot for a chat - it will refresh both of you!

Don't be afraid to step out of your age group...
...you'll be missing something special and beautiful if you do.

For further reading...

"Delight"-ful Dresden Pillow

There are times a girl needs to drop all other projects and spend a little time making something entirely fun and all together lovely for herself.

Dresdens have long been on my list of things to try when I learned how to quilt and I've finally done it! If you've yet to try these darlings please do so at your earliest convenience (here's a tutorial), as they are so simple to make and put together. And, a girl can't have too many patterns in her arsenal that use up those scraps she's been saving, right?

When I'd finished the dresden patch and made the slip-cover pillowcase I thought it still needed a bit of something. As soon as I saw this embroidery design I knew it'd be the perfect thing for the center.

Now I have a beautiful reminder to look on the bright side of things and to choose to have a joyful attitude throughout my day.  

I'm so happy with how this pillow turned out! I've used the cherished scraps leftover from a quilt I made a friend. I call it my "delight-ful" friendship pillow now because it reminds me of my sunny friends and also reminds me to have a joyful and content spirit throughout the day. When I'm sad or discourage I can grab my pillow and hold it while I read my Bible or listen to calming music. 

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April Book Reviews 2013

It was simple to fit reading into my schedule this month, as I didn't really do much else than read. What is it about sunny days that makes me want to sit with a good book in hand? I've yet to figure that one out, but at least I was able to accomplish a few of my reading goals for this month.

My main goal was to complete some of the stack of non-fictions I had begun. I'm very happy to say the Lord gave me plenty of time to do that as I wasn't too busy and was taking a break and a good long rest from some of my other normal activities.

Always True: 
God's 5 Promises When Life Is Hard

by James MacDonald

A wonderful book focusing on 5 promises from the Bible to give hope, comfort, and encouragement during trials. My mom won this book in a giveaway and I then borrowed it for something to read on our trip to Texas last Oct. Yes, I just finished it this month - I have too many books I'm reading all at once. *guilty*

"Difficult trials will naturally evoke powerful emotions in us. How would your circumstances look today if you *chose* to focus first on God's promises rather than how you feel?" p.124

What I loved: You can only write about hardship if you know it well, and the author shares humbly of how these promises guided and helped him through his own trials. He shares 5 chapters...5 promises. Each chapter is jam-packed with scripture to back up every point (which I love!). Between the scriptures he shares insight and encouragement for each promise, what it means to us, and how they can ultimately glorify God in our circumstances.

The only thing I could have used more of was his personal story. I don't normally say that but I didn't like the way he shared his story...too many times giving the examples of other people he knew instead of from his own life (he did that too, just not as much as I'd have liked). Still, I was encouraged by the focus on the promises of God for those in the midst of hardships. It was a light read, not too heavy with thought-provoking theology...just simple facts declared by the Lord Himself and shared in a way that reminds us that He is good always and in all things He has control.

"God's promises are an assurance God gives His people so they can walk by faith while they wait for Him to work." (p.73)

 This book has been a great comfort and encouragement to me this year as I've learned to accept many changes and begun healing a little from the many years of financial struggles our family has been through. These are promises to be reminded of at all times and in every season.

 My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Pollyanna Grows Up

by Eleanor Porter

My friend Emily is a huge Pollyanna fan. Ever since I've known her I think she's been urging me to read these and now at last I finally have. I re-read (listened to it on audio book a few years ago) Pollyanna last year and enjoyed it a lot and this month remembered I'd never gone and read the second book, Pollyanna Grows Up.

I was curious to see what the author would share: Would the book be mostly about courtship and romance as other grown-up-girl books tend to be about? Would Pollyanna still be herself with her "glad game"? I'm excited to say that I was not disappointed and Ms. Porter wrote everything just splendidly.

The first half of the book takes you through Pollyanna's young teen years after her accident, following up what has happened since book one. Then follows her growing up years.

What I loved: There was romance, but it was sweet and mostly not in a mushy tacky sort of way at all. Pollyanna's glad game is taken to new places with new people where she learns and matures and chooses to use it in difficult circumstances. I was challenged again to "rejoice in all things" in my own life!

A new favorite book to add with my collection of "period drama" favorites. You shall just have to read it for yourselves, as it's a lovely endearing book with loveable characters that will inspire you.

Recommended for all ages.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

Up the Trail from Texas

by J. Frank Dobie

Okay, you may not know this, but I'm in love with all things Texas right now. I read one giant book last year and have been adding to my reading arsenal ever since. We had this one on our shelf and I just picked it up looking for something besides fiction and my regular spiritual non-fictions to read.

The book was very interesting and had some neat facts, but it was a bit less "thrilling" than I expected and rather tame for a Texas book. I found it to be mostly facts about how the cattle drives worked with some information of cowboys and cattle during a small period of time in TX after the Civil War. Again, interesting, but not exactly exciting. I didn't think it was as good as other Landmark books, but still a good read and I did learn a few things. :)

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Courageous Living: Dare To Take A Stand

by Michael Catt

(Executive Producer of Courageous & Fireproof)

This was a good challenging read. Not overly "deep" in the writing style, but certainly convicting! The author speaks mainly to fathers, or parents at times, but I still found that I could take away most of message. Each chapter is focused on a character in the Bible, as well as a scene taken from the film, Courageous, to provide application and a challenge for boldness in a certain area. I found Catt's theology to be pretty much spot-on and his insight into the problems of our day and age to be helpful.

The only problem I had was that frequently the author would give examples from his ministry: what he as pastor was doing, how his congregation was working to be courageous, etc. I understand that he *is* a pastor so this makes sense, but couldn't help but feel that it often sounded more like bragging about how great they all were compared to other churches, and therefore missed the application behind it. I would have rather he shared more real personal testimony outside of just his church and how he was leading it. And there was a little struggle with the jumpiness of the readability of the author's writing style, but that is a minor thing to take note of.

Favorite Quotes: "If courage begins at home, it must be present in the wives and mothers and daughters, as well as the husbands and fathers and sons."

"There are no shortcuts to spirituality. There's no pill for courage. It is developed and defined in the quiet place."

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Darcy's Decision (Given Good Principles #1)

by Maria Grace

Instead of giving a full long review here I'll simply direct you over to read my review on Goodreads, if you are interested in hearing my thoughts on this book. There are spoilers - I don't normally do this but I felt it was very necessary as I found things I thought reader's should be aware of.

For the "quick" review: I downloaded this as a free book hoping this first book at least would be good, and having no intention of reading the remaining in the series (I read the reviews/plot).

The book was fun in that it shared Darcy's thoughts and the beginning history of his entitlement to the Pemberly estate. There are some beloved characters like Dacry's sister Georgiana, and Mr. Bingly and his sister (okay so maybe she's not beloved). All this was fascinating and enjoyable, sadly there was not enough to give it a good rating above the bad things. I won't go into it here, but let's just say there was a lot more of Whickam than I had wanted in this book. :(

My Rating: 2 out of 5 stars.

The Isle of Arcrea

by Nicole Sager

 This was the third and final (for now at least?) book in the Arcrea series I've been reading this year. I don't have a lot to say because I've pretty said already how wonderful I think Nicole's stories are. This one was just as adventurous, following one of the minor characters from the first two books, Falconer - a former spy for the bad guys-turned Christ follower and spy/bodyguard for the good guys. ;)

I was 2/3rds through the book and was thinking, "Well, I guess Nicole decided not to put a salvation message in this one" and lo and behold a few pages later there it was! Where most book are pushy in this with a feeling they stuck the gospel message in there just because, Nicole beautifully weaves the entire story around it so that it becomes (as in real life) the only true conclusion. Besides this, there was a touching message of forgiveness that was so powerful.

My only reason for lowering the rating on this one was because I found that one aspect of the story concerning an event in the past of the main character could have used some help, but other than that it was wonderful as usual!

I'm so sad this is the last book I'll be able to read of Nicole's for awhile - she shall have a nice fan-base when her next book comes out, as I'll be waiting with anticipation!!

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 Kingdom's Call

by Chuck Black

Up to this point, I have not been overly excited about reading this series. Don't misunderstand me, I know them to be quite excellent and wonderful allegorical stories for young people, really! But, I think in the past I've struggled getting to know all the characters and who they were meant to represent and all (not something I typically struggle with, so you see my frustration).

I came right out and directly asked my sister who this book was supposed to be about compared to the Bible this time and it was a HUGE help! Kingdom's Call is the allegorical tale of Paul, from his life as a persecutor, to his salvation and conversion. Honestly I never really *got* Paul's story, though his words in the Bible have helped me more than on one occasion, but hearing Gavin's story as a parallel to Paul's opened my eyes to see what it must have been like for a man who sought out the lives God's people to do them harm and then to have a change of heart so completely! Absolutely amazing - Praise the Lord for the work He does in all our hearts!

"'Look into my eyes, Gavin,' the Prince said. 

'I have been calling you. 

The peace you seek you will find 

if you follow Me.'"

 
I look forward to reading the next book in the series, which shares more of Gavin/Paul's story and his mission to share the gospel with those outside of God's kingdom.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

~*~

I hope you've perhaps found some new books to add to your own reading list. What books have sparked your interest and landed on your shelf this past month? :)

It's Been 4 blissful Years...

 It's Meditations of His Love 4th birthday!!

~*~

 "Four years ago this week, a group of girls began an adventure to share their hearts and their faith. Now as I look back, I can't help but be amazed at all God has done..."

{Read more of my post here!}

*I just love this quote. We call ourselves the "strawberry girls" because one night when we were having an online chat we decided to have a cyber party with chocolate covered strawberries and strawberry lemonades. ;)

 Oh yes, and we love period dramas too.

I had to commemorate it with a cute quote for this occasion this week. 

For The Writer's (a giveaway)

My friend Rachelle is having a little giveaway for writer's on her blog, Inspiring Daring. It's the Go Teen Writer's book!

 "With a writer-to-writer tone and step-by-step method, Jill and Stephanie present a comprehensive overview of everything a teen writer needs to know about writing and becoming an author." - Rachelle

Click here to head to the giveaway!