Tips for Long Term Friendships

"When we consider the blessings of God—the gifts that add beauty and joy to our lives, that enable us to keep going through stretches of boredom and even suffering—friendship is very near the top."
—Donald W. McCullough, Mastering Personal Growth

God has blessed me with some amazing women in my life and some amazing friendships.
I have a beautiful mother whom has been through so much YET she still is always beautiful and such a blessing to me and Mr. Aguila and is one of my very best friends.

I have my cousins, whom I grew up with and though the paths of our lives have taken many turns at the end of it all, we are family and I love my family.  This pretty much sums it up.

Source

I have my "buddy" which most people would refer to as their "best friend" but I just never have liked to use that so I call her MY BUDDY but she is everything that a best friend is and so much more, our friendship has lasted well over 20 years and that is more than half of my life time. Her and I have been through many stages of our lives and even when we go through long stretches of not catching up with each other, WHEN we finally do we pick up as if no time has even passed us by. I love this here girl and her beautiful family. 

 

 

And last but not least, I have my real life GIG(Girlfriends in God) We encourage each other daily, check on each other daily and best of all pray with each and for each other.  These ladies inspire me to keep going and to keep growing. We have been connected by God on this journey for over six years. In these six years, we have grown in our walks with God, got married, moved, changed, experienced heart aches, hard times and just life and through it all we remain united.

 

 

We have had ups and we have had downs, we have experienced misunderstandings, we have gone through disappointments, we have rubbed each other like sand paper BUT I must say we continue going, keeping our love for each other. 

 

Having all these amazing ladies in my life has helped me so much through MANY things in my life.  There are many others who have come along and done life with me and I do realize it and I am ever so thankful to you as well. 

I think it is important to connect this way.  I didn't use to which is why I only have a handful of friends and I didn't mention them all here and as I am typing this there are some that come to mind but they know I love them also!

A FEW TIPS I HAVE LEARNED ON MAINTAINING A LONG TERM FRIENDSHIP:

LOVE, LOVE and more LOVE and I when I say LOVE, I am talking about that 1st Corinthians 13 kind of LOVE.



Source

Always Speak The Truth In Love Even If It Hurts

Proverbs 27:5-6 (NLT)

⁵ An open rebuke is better than hidden love!

⁶ Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.

Sometimes It Takes Making Sacrifices

John 15:13 (NLT)
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Strengthen and Help Each Other
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NIV)

⁹ Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:

¹⁰ If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls

    and has no one to help them up.

¹¹ Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?

¹² Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

 

Counsel Each Other

Proverbs 27:9 (NLT)
The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.

 

Sharpen Each Other

Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.

 

So what about you, do you have girlfriends like this?  If so, what has helped you maintain them and if not I hope my biblical tips will help you as they continue to help me.  I am far from perfect and I am constantly learning and growing and stretching through these relationships because God just loves us too much to leave us the same and for that I am thankful.

October Confessions

Hi lovely Treasures, so it is time for some "CONFESSIONS".  I confess I love doing these confession posts and then linking up with Maria-Isabel of Agape Love Designs  who hosts this with Michelle of Let it Shine. Have you done a confession post? If so link it up.

 

 

I CONFESS...

I have a lot of confessions I would like to share

I love, love, love this time of the year. (You probably already know that)

I love to watch sports especially football, especially Dallas Cowboys, especially when they are winning (like right now against the Redskins)

Since it is my birthday month, now my birthday week, I am just looking for stuff to buy

I have a long wish list (that Mr. Aguila is well aware of)

I have been eyeing a couple of things from these awesome online shops I discovered

Mila Rose Designs//A Little Piece of Me Shop//Show and Tell Faith 

 

I did take advantage of the My Beauty Addiction promotion this weekend and placed an order.

I have more make up and beauty products and jewelry, shoes and purses than I know what to do with but I still "NEED" more.

I did my first beauty swap this month and it was so much fun to put together and just so excited to do this.

I got my package last week and had so much fun opening up everything.

You can see all my goodies on KEEK and I will try to put blog post together as well.

I love Maria-Isabel. She is such a blessing to me. She has a heart of gold!

I am doing my first on line bible study or should I say blog bible study, Read about it HERE.


I am a part of a couple great giveaways. It's my way of celebrating my birthday month with you.
You can enter here for a Pier 1 $50 gift card and here for a piece of $750 Fall Cash Giveaway
I am super excited to get my hair done this week.
I haven't been doing to well on my fitness journey.
This week my fitness Coach and our group will begin to read "Made to Crave" by Lysa TerKeurst and I am praying that I can get back on track and continue this journey.
I had an awesome weekend of ministry at my church. We had a guest speaker, Jane Hamon and that lady is so anointed. She speaks fire and imparts fire and just so fierce. She knows her God given authority and is so down to earth.
I had started to read her book The Deborah Company but never finished it but after this weekend I brought it out and will continue to read it.

I want to be a woman who makes a difference.
I experienced a shift this weekend and  I am ready to take my place in God's kingdom.
I am excited for this week and for my birthday celebrations to continue.

These are my October Confessions. I would love to hear yours. You can link them up HERE.

September GiveawayS

Hello Treasures and Happy Sunday! I am hosting Agape Love Designs September Sponsor Giveaway today and be sure to check out more giveaways I am a part of below.

Its time for another group giveaway, also be sure to check below for the sales & discount section!

This is a winner takes ALL, and here is what YOU could win:

~ Avon Jewelry Set

~ Avon Perfume 'Blue Escape'

~Lace & Floral Zippy Pouch

~ Medium Ad Space on Agape Love Designs

~ $20 Visa Gift Card

This giveaway is open to Residents of the US Only. My apologies to all whom this excludes.

 Meet the wonderful sponsors!

Maria ♥ Megan

 Tabby ♥ Victoria

 To enter, simply fill out the rafflecopter widget below.

Be sure to come back each day to extra daily bonus entries!

And dont forget to check out the sales & discounts for my lovely sponsor's shops below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Use code AGAPE10 for 10% off at Bishop Place Handmade

 

MORE GREAT GIVEAWAYS I AM A PART OF...

MRS. AGUILA & FRIENDS XL SPONSOR GIVEAWAY ON CATTAILS + CARDIGANS
STARTS TONIGHT/TOMORROW MORNING  

THE SEPIA PUPPY'S FIRST YEAR BLOGIVERSARY

Last

Hey Treasures, hope you are enjoying your weekend.
I am working on a blog post for an event me and my family attended last weekend and its taking me some time to get some research and put it together so I decided to check in with Lisa Jo Baker for Five Minute Friday and see what the prompt was this week and take a 5 minute break and just write.
Prompt is LAST
GO!
At first thought when I read LAST I thought to write about how sometimes I feel like I am last however that quickly changed, thank you God for your reminders.

I know of a love that will LAST.  I can now love others with that same Love that will LAST.
1 John 4:19 NIV, "We love because He first loved us" 
What truth is this small but powerful scripture. A LASTing truth.
Since I know a love that will never leave me, never forsake me, never abandon me, never hurt me and nothing can separate me from this love (see Romans 8 scripture below);  Because of the promises that I am convinced of and that I hold on to, I know that I am loved by the Creator of heaven and earth, my Heavenly Father and therefore, I can now accept love and more importantly give love. I can embrace the amazing love from my husband and love him in return and I can love my family with an unconditional non-fickle love because of the love of God that I have. This kind of love will LAST.
Romans 8:37-39 "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Jeremiah 31:3 "Long ago the LORD said to Israel: "I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself."

I have experienced God's Love that will LAST into eternity and have been transformed. Yes I am still a work in progress and yes my love can be fickle but I have hope in God's love.  I don't want to love others with my love or my way but with the love of God that has been poured into me.

Romans 5:5 NASB "and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

God's love will LAST through my ups and downs, through my failures and my victories, through my good and my bad, through my doubts and faith, through my fears and my victories and it'll reflect in my love that will last for my husband, my momma, my brother, my nephews, my family, my friends and all those I encounter on this journey of God's LASTing love.

STOP!

Link up your five minutes on "LAST" 


AND linking up here

Meet Some New Friends Friday

Hello Treasures, Happy Friday!!!

I am so excited to be part of my very first Twitter Hop, Linky Party. I am so just so blessed to be connected with Maria-Isabel of Agape Love Designs who is hosting this and her beautiful friends that will now become my friends. Now play nice and make friends also.
Details below.

Lets get social! Meet and tweet some new friends!

Everyone who links up will get a guaranteed follow back from the host @MariaGridley!

And each co-host has committed to following at least 10 new twitter accounts.

So link up and get social. But before you do, please consider the following rules...

RULES:

1. Help us spread the word with a quick tweet:

 Tweet


 

2. Follow Each of the Hosts!

Follow @mariagridley


Follow @pixie_polly


Follow @MrsAguila09


Follow @TessaEltzroth


Follow @milarosedesigns

 

3. Link up your Twitter Account
4. Follow at least 5 other linkups!
5. Send a little hello tweet to the new people you have followed!

Chances are they will follow you back!