BFF’s

I’m the sort of person who can walk into a room full of strangers and come out with at least three email addresses, home addresses, and phone numbers.

Over the sixteen years of my life, I’ve had many types of friends. I’ve had acquaintances – those people you say ‘hi’ to at random places, maybe exchange an email address – but nothing ever comes of it. Those are friendships you don’t remember. They don’t impact your life.

I’ve had middle friends – you don’t keep in touch that often, but you’ve been friends for years, always good for a phone call.

Then, there are best friends. I’ve had a few best friends throughout my life – not many, but some. And you can meet them in all sorts of different ways.

Some of my best friends I haven’t even met. We maintain a steady email/blogging/phone call relationship without ever having seen each other face to face. I am blessed at the moment to have several amazing friends – a Kindred Spirit AND a Best Friend among them (yes, they’re different things).

And you know what’s great about these girls? My Best Friend, I can call any time, any day, and she will patiently listen while I vent about anything and everything. When I’m on the phone with her, I laugh so loud that it’s heard all over the house and everyone knows who I’m talking to. We can share secrets, funny stories, and dreams. We talk, cry, vent, and giggle over everything from God to guys.

My Kindred Spirit? Well, she’s my writing buddy. We share the same writing woes and joys and both understand that the other one is officially around the bend. She’s the sort of person I can call, say “I have a problem!” and she’ll drop whatever she’s doing and say “Okay, what is it?”

But even so, these girls are human. Mind you, they’re some of the best humans I know – but they’re still flawed humans. They won’t always be able to talk on the phone, they will sometimes be busy, we may hurt each other’s feelings.

Proverbs 18: 24 says that There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

I read it, but often I forget that God is my friend. He is my heavenly BFF, he’s my divine Kindred Spirit. He’s the one who will always be available, the One who is always ready to listen to you vent about frustration, cry about things that make you sad. He will smile as you talk about friends, guys, and life – and will hold you if you need a shoulder to cry on.

He’s always there for you. I can call him and say “I have a problem!” And no matter what, 24/7, He will be there to say “Okay, what is it? How can I help?”

I talk to my best friends several times a week. I email them all the time. I write them letters. But so often I forget to talk to God, the One who is always there, the One who is always eager to help and who has the power to fix the problems in my life.

Let’s not forget who the real BFF in this world is – and the next time you feel low, how about talking to Him before going to your other friends?

True friendship consists not in the multitude of friends, but in their worth and value.

- Ben Jonson

MIRRIAM NEAL

I am many things, but I’ll just share a few of them with you right now.

I am, first and foremost, a Christian, and have been since I was six years old. I love the Lord and am trying to please Him to the best of my ability. I am an avid reader, and lean toward fiction although several of my favorite books (the Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, Blue Like Jazz, Primal, The Barbarian Way, the Soul of C. S. Lewis, etc.) are non-fiction.

I love animals, and I love music (soundtracks, Christian, Korean and K-pop, some secular music, Immediate Music, X-ray Dog, Taylor Swift, Josh Groban, Michael Buble, Owl City, Hayley Westenra… the list goes on and on). My favorite movies are the Last of the Mohicans, G. I. Joe: Rise of Cobra, Inkheart, the Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, Robin Hood(s), Star Trek, IRIS (Korean drama – use caution when watching), the Fantastic Four(s), the Spider-mans, Batman Begins, Iron Man, (I love Hero movies) and many, many more. (read more…)