7 Ups for Friendship.....

The month of February, is the "official" International Friendship Month....I don't know who comes up with all these special days, but there are all kinds of "Friendship days" that people celebrate..
The United Nations, in 2011, I believe, declared July 30th an "International Friendship Day".

So what do you do on those days and months? 

A good friend is a friend ...period...no matter what day or month it is. Mother's Day and Father's Day is great, but we should celebrate and be good to our parents 365 days of the year (although sometimes it can be challenging), not just one day of the year..

One of my best friends made me a "Special Friendship book". She included pictures of events and celebrations we have shared over the past 45 years, and that really touched my heart. This gesture was very unexpected and it brought back fun and fond memories. So, maybe that would something you can do for a good friend.

Here are Seven (7) things to do for a friend according to an "unknown" Author:


1. Open Up

Be Honest, open and candid (with kindness)

2. Stand Up

For your friends, whether they are there or not

3. Put Up

Give your friend the freedom to be imperfect (like you)

4. Speak Up

Say what you feel, be generous with sincere (private/public) praise

5. Show up

Be there, do what you say you will do

6. Make up

Don't hold a grudge, be the first to say, "I am sorry, please forgive me" 

7. Re-Up

Take inventory and recommit yourself to the friendship often

Author Unknown

Never abandon an old friend. You will never find one who can take his/her place. Friendship is like wine, it gets better as it grows older!

Start where you are ......

We cannot go back and make a brand new start, but we can all start from now and make a brand new ending!

• Free your heart from hatred
• Free your mind from worries
• Live simply
• Give more
• Expect less

What is it that really brings True Happiness?

Everyone wants to be happy. Do you find yourself asking: what does it mean to be happy?Is it having lots of money? being single? being married? having a happy marriage? a big house and the latest gadgets? having lots of children? healthy children? no children? a great job? loving parents? many good, close friends? All these things can be important for a happy life, and yet many who have these things are NOT happy. We read the latest statistics that more people then ever commit suicide, or overdose on drugs, even when they have the above mentioned things in their lives. We see it on TV when celebrities, go through divorces and domestic abuse etc..etc...It seems like we all fail one way or another in our quest to find that elusive prize, because we are looking in the wrong places.

So where are the right places to look at?

Proverbs 16:20, in the Old Testament tells us: "Whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he." And Psalm 146:5 indicates that happiness comes to those who find their help and hope in God.....So, it seems like the foundation of happiness is having a proper relationship with God....But what exactly does that mean in practical everyday living?

As I was searching, I found this list of  "Ten Rules for Happier Living". I don't recall where I found it, but it sounds like a good start.

1. Give something away.....(seems like every time I do that, I DO feel better)
2. Do kindness.............(who wouldn't feel good doing that? do you feel good when you are mean and nasty to people?)
3. Give thanks always......(giving thanks only when we like what we get, is not really a big deal, but when we give thanks always, it teaches us to appreciate every circumstance, because even a bad experience may lead to a good experience, we haven't seen yet)
4. Work hard..........(when you work hard and see the fruit of your labor, it makes you feel good)
5. Visit the elderly and learn from their experience.....(I have had the privilege of being close to my parents and in-laws, and grew up around "older" people. It is true that you can learn from them. They have already been there. Sometimes, you don't want to do or go through what they did, and other times you want to do what they model, because it is a good thing)
6. Laugh often  ......(Well, don't we all feel so much better after a good belly laugh?)
7. Plan as though you may live forever.....(Hmmmm...well, even if you don't believe we will live forever, IF you plan well, you WILL have a better life here on earth)
8. Live as though today is your last day on earth......(sometimes we carry so much burden on our souls, that we are not capable of enjoying the moment. We may not feel like doing a good deed, or forgive an old grudge. What if that was the last day on earth? for you or for the other person)
9. Look intently into the face of a baby and marvel ....(what a miracle that is.....and the innocence of a baby doesn't last forever, does it?) 
10. Pray to know God's way............(living life within the narrow path of God's rules may not always be easy or fun, but it will keep us out of trouble, and give us peace of mind)

Well, through my own experiences, I have found these ideas work for the most part and are excellent for living a happy and less stressful life. Do we have bumps on the way, sure, do we feel not doing the right thing all the time, sure...but if we try to follow them as much as we can, I know that we can end up with a happier life.

Bottom Line:  Trusting and Obeying God brings true Happiness!