My Best Friend....

What is a friend? Is a friend one who can always be there, through trials and joys? And yet, who can have a friend like this? Is it possible to have a 'best friend' in this world? We may all say, "I have a best friend....and yet...." What is the yet....? I have had many best friends in the past, and were they were all friends? Yes, there are many great friends, and we come across many people who are very special to us. They bring a great part of life with them and are brought by the Lord for a special reason and need. A friend is one who sharpens the other. "Our friendship is like a china glass. Once broken, it becomes even stronger and unbreakable the next time 'round." A beautiful and very true quote. Something all of us need to hear. I want that quote to be true, but is it? At times we may hang on to a friend a bit too much, clinging to this person because, perhaps they have something which we don't have, and we want it to. I can recall a time when I did this myself. I had just moved from TX to IL and I had to leave my best friend. I was saddened and did not want to go through the pain and knowing that I could no longer see her again. For about 2 full years, I was on strong contact with my friend, talking, emailing and sending letters ALL the time. It wasn't until I noticed that the Lord struck my head with a lightening bolt (as to say) and said, "Vanessa, the friendship you are holding at the moment is not quite right. You're life has been centered around this girl a bit too much." I did not want to believe it, I did not want to hear it. I wanted to ignore those words all because I knew that it was a friend I never ever had. I wanted to just walk away and continue the so called "cool" friendship I thought I was having.

Soon enough, as we all know, if the Lord does not get through us through His words, then He'll bring a situation around where we WILL get it! Nonetheless, I was confronted with a moment where I noticed, "Ok God, you're so true and right!" The friendship which my friend gave me was great, I needed it at the moment. God placed this young lady in my life for a great reason and I'm ever so thankful for it. It was a blessing because I was often down through the two years of my first years in a new state. She was strong enough and held me up. However, the Lord opened my eyes and ears recently to know that the times over here are getting better and I am not leaning upon this friend anymore because it is over. God brought yet another time when my friend was not here and I had no other choice, and I immediately turned my heart to God, and since then I have experienced the moment of making GOD my best friend. I have always heard this and nonetheless, never understood how this could be. How could God be my 'best friend'? He's great, but can that really be? Oh sure enough, it is so very true! I have never had a friend so great as He. He restores my soul, he encourages me when I'm down, and raises me up.

It is God, He is my friend, my all time friend, now and forever! It's an indescribable friendship, a friendship which no man or woman can ever fulfil. My definition of a best friend is thus, "GOD!" One who is there at ALL times, and one who will NEVER leave me alone. He's my comforter and my strength. Yes, God does give us earthly friends, but that friend can never fill that empty space within us. Times change, and we all change. I have noticed many, many changes throughout the past two years in myself and my friend, especially. Although, God is a God who never changes, he was the same yesterday, the same today, and will be the same tomorrow! Even arguments often can arise, and the friends may be angry at each other. We both are just babes in Christ, and at the same level of understanding, and do not always know why things happen. However, God is FAR above and will make me understand, because he knows why!

The Bible does say that there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother, and I personally believe that, that friend is none else but God Himself! Now, do not misunderstand me, God does bring great people into our lives, and they are there for sometimes only a short amount of time, or perhaps forever. In addition, our family, and God are the foremost. They come before anyone else. They will be there forever, and can help us, because they truly love us. God is a God of love, and correction. There are a number of things my friend and I do not agree on, and some of those things do sadly come between us. It is a matter of setting things out, and sometimes it never works out again. Should we let go of this person? This is a question that I myself cannot answer at the moment. I would be more than glad if some of you can and then you can leave me a comment. We should turn our hearts to God, our thoughts, and our words to Him. Go to Him first for a problem or question. He is the only one who can answer it. And it may be that he will answer it through another man or woman.

God is my choice of a best friend, he can be yours too. It is a matter of clinging onto that which is pure and right. He will NEVER lead you astray and will correct you if you do get off the road! A good friend will correct you too, and yet, we often do not take that correction because we may have a pride issue. The Lord can work through each one of us, no matter what! The quote I mentioned in the beginning of this post, refers back to GOD. He gives me a friendship which is unbreakable! As some of you may see, a lot of what I have just said is still a great confusion to me, and yet I know that God is the ultimate friend.


Robert E. Lee, a General in Chief of the Confederate armies once said, "Never do a wrong thing to make a friend or to keep one."

If I have gone off on any of this, please do leave me comment! I'm open to hear your opinions!!!

Determined to do EVERYTHING!

This past week I have been going through a lot, and the characteristic, determination, has been popping through my mind constantly! I will either go through a moment of not feeling like doing anything, or have a problem in life or school thus, I will be reminded by an inner voice from God..."DETERMINATION!"

What is determination by the way? It is the common phrase of what we hear often, "Never give up!" I came across a quote by a man named Armin Gesswein, "When God is about to do something great, He starts with a difficulty. When He is about to do something truly magnificent, he starts with an impossibility." That is truly amazing, whatever is going on in life at the moment, remember that quote. God is working either in your life, or in the life of someone else.

Don't ever say, "I can't do this!" or, "I don't want to anymore!" Oswald Chambers once said, "When I say 'I can't,' it means 'I won't." Heads up, and remember, God is looking for the one with a heart of determination, not faintheartedness! A full and whole heart is what he is expecting from us!

Why Wholeheartedness Is Important

Why is wholeheartedness so important? What is the point of doing things wholeheartedly? Why not do the job with just half of the heart, and unwillingly? Will it really matter? What is the purpose? Does God really command us to do everything with a whole heart? Many questions do arise and many will buckle within us, because we will often try to get out of the task assigned to us with a good excuse. However, the consequence of doing things unwillingly may lead into a big disaster. Doing everything with an attitude of love and enthusiasm, will paint the picture in a total different way, plus we will save time from having to re-due the project. Everything acquires time, nevertheless, when we do something with a different perspective of willingness, than the job being done will succeed. It is a choice of our own to make, are we willing to do everything with a whole heart? Or are we just going to waste the time and do things without a purpose and care? God does care about our heart. He does mind if we do everything with joy, or with a grudge. He is interested in every aspect of out life. There are only 86,400 seconds in a day. That may seem like a lot, and yet it all depends on how each second is spent. There may be a job approved just for us which we necessarily will not like. Nevertheless, that does not matter. The point is, we should do everything; either a high job or the lowest job there is with excitement and with a sincere attitude. Men and women daily are creating destruction all over because they cannot focus and seem to set the job with a grateful attitude. We are all causing more work for ourselves because we choose to do things the hard way, of doing it only 99 percent. Even that one percent counts to make it be a complete whole heart. Everything has a start, and the Lord wants us to be faithful in the job he gave us. If we cannot prove others and especially God that we will do it wholeheartedly, that do not ever think you can possibly receive a higher job. If it comes hard to you to do something with a complete heart, that ask God to help you. After all, we should do everything to the glory of God, and not man. Lastly, wholeheartedness has the definition of, fully or completely sincere! It is your choice, to either take the job with thankfulness and do it to the 100 percent mark or do it unwillingly with only a 99 percent or less endurance. Believing it or not, that one percent does count!

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God!"

1 Corinthians 10:31

Prayer counts!

This past week has been a very busy and crazy week just as usual. Although, as I went through this week I noticed something different. I didn't just go through the week like normally, nevertheless I went through it with a different mind and perspective. I will lately see people I come across with perhaps while just walking down the street or even driving down the street with a watchful eye and a caring eye. I have never had this sort of feeling before, a feeling of sympathy for each and every person. I was outside earlier this evening watching my siblings play a soccer game. As I stood in the cool breeze I saw cars come and go. People walking and talking. Yesterday as I went out with my brother I came across many different and yet unfamiliar faces. As I walk by these people or face these people I think about them for about one second and the next moment I am in a prayer. God will lay a man, woman, or child on my heart out of the moment and I have such a desire and prompting to pray for them. It is mostly just a minute prayer of, "God, I don't know this person, and I have no clue of what is bothering them. Although, you know it all and I pray that if he/she does not know you that you WILL come into their life!" I can be talking on the phone, or talking to someone and I will stop and just pray for a second. Sometimes I'll say, "But God, I don't know what to pray for?" However, the very next moment I find myself within a prayer and a compassion for this soul. Who knows if that person God laid on my heart wakes up tomorrow morning? Or if they make it home safely? God has specifically told me to do this and who knows if my prayer made a difference today. Pray for the brokenhearted, for the lost, and for the blinded. They are going into this world with no purpose and thus will try to make a smile at you and deep down they're hurting! Your prayer which comes from God will MAKE a difference.