Relationships...

Life is all about relationships...with God and with others.

When building friendships, the Bible says it best: "She who walks with the wise, grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm."

You are who you hang out with. I have reaped the consequences of this truth in my life. I used to hang onto friendships because of convenience or habit. I didn't see the need to break off a relationship with anyone because I thought the more friends I had, the better. When I saw that I was becoming who I was hanging out with...and not liking that result, I became more discerning in who I spent time with.

I have had to scrutinize my friendships to see if who I was investing time in was really a friend who was encouraging me in my relationship with the Lord. Was she encouraging me in my relationship with my husband? Was she really a woman of character and not just appearance?

"Tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are." I like to ponder this thought every year around my birthday. When I hear from my friends thru cards and calls, I am anxious for the future, hoping to become a better person because they are encouraging me by being who they are.