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Five favorites of friendship—then and now

Do you have friends you’ve known since childhood?

God blessed me at our little country church with Kathy and Julie at two years old, and Alicia the summer before we all entered 6th grade.kathy and juliealicia_and_lisa

In 1982, against the advice (but not the express forbidding) of my dad, we four girls drove to the beach—a daring venture for us four church mice.

And after 29 years, we returned.

Some things about friendships never change.

Old memories blend into fresh ones...then and now...1982 and 2011.
My 4 Corners friendship.

1. Together, problems are more manageable. 
In 1982 it was a leaky raft, unruly hair, broken light bulbs.
problemsIn 2011 it was a flatter-than-flat tire, timing problems, cold weather.flat_tireNo matter. Together, friends handle those things and much more.
Much more.

2. Table-time is essential.
You know what I’m talking about. Eating together is always involved in friendships, right?

In 1982 we enjoyed fresh shrimp at Capt. Anderson’s.capt andersonsIn 2011 we shared fried green tomatoes and a Krispy Kreme unChristmas bread pudding (yes, it was delicious!) at Lulu’s. at LulusFriends definitely must eat together!

3. You do things together—but talking matters the most. 
In 1982 we played miniature golf and walked the Strip and stayed up almost until dawn. And talked and talked and talked.putt-puttIn 2011 we sat and looked out at the ocean. A lot. And played Yahtzee. And talked and talked and talked.ocean viewDoes it matter what you’re doing with friends, as long as you’re talking your way through it?

4. You know your friendship is special.  
In 1982 we were thankful to have each other as friends and sisters.donuts and more donutsIn 2011 we still are. It’s more than luck that we ended up together again at the beach; it’s a blessing from God.be at the beachFriends don’t take friends for granted.

5. Friends in Christ are truly friends forever. 
In 1982 the ultimate foundation of our friendship was our individual relationships to Christ.4 on beachIn 2011 Christ still comes first in us. We’re sisters even deeper than we are friends.sisters in ChristAnd Christ’s blood in us will keep us friends throughout eternity.

* * *

(I was expressly forbidden and happily agreed to NOT post pictures of this year’s beach attire. :-) I guess some things do change.)

Which aspect of friendship do you relate most to?

  1. Together, problems are more manageable.
  2. Table-time is essential.
  3. You do things together—but talking matters the most.
  4. You know your friendship is special.
  5. Friends in Christ are truly friends forever.

22 comments:

Andrealynn said...

Friendship is amazing. Great pics. I remember when I was that young and skinny. To have friendships that span the decades is priceless. Thank you for sharing your blessing and reminding me of mine.

Lisa notes... said...

Andrelynn,
And isn't it wonderful that we never stop making friends? I'm thankful that we've "met" and so thankful that things are looking up for David! Wow. Quite the miracle.

Laura@OutnumberedMom said...

This is the coolest post! And what a neat, neat time for you. Which aspects do I relate to? #1 and #5 are toss ups for me. What a blessing friends are.

Happy week ahead to you!

Hazel said...

Country church and church mice - sound like elements of a fairytale to me. What a reunion you had! Good friends are indeed blessings.

Karen said...

This is the best Friday's Fave 5 post! I have 3 high school friends that I still keep in touch with. Old friends are the best!

Susanne said...

What a blessing to have friends today that have remained friends your whole life. Not everyone has that. Loved the then and now pics and commentary.

Carrie said...

Having long term friends is a great blessing! I'm still in touch with my friends from 10 yrs on up but I would dearly love to make contact again when my friend from 1st and 2nd great. We lost touch awhile back and since then she has become a Christian. I've looked and looked for her but haven't been able to find her. One day...I hope!

Thoughts for the day said...

What a wonderful post. I think our friends are so important to us it is such blessing to have one or two 'special' sister type friendships. God bless you as you all grow old together.

justcallmerie said...

Lisa, In 1982 I had the exact same dress as the girl by you on the end of the table, left side of picture. And I had the exact same haircut as you!

ellen b said...

How precious that you still have these friends and were able to get away together again. Friends in Christ are a wonderful gift. I can relate to all 5 but #2 and #4 stand out for me...
Have a great weekend.

Penny said...

This is a marvelous Five! The pictures were wonderful to capture the affection between all of you. What a priceless gift - eternal friendship. God is so good to us!

I've subscribed to your blog and it's been a pleasure to "meet" you.

Continued blessings,

Penny
http://kneedeepingrace.com

Sandy@Jesus and Dark Choc said...

Oh Lisa those pics were SO MUCH fun to look at!!! I must try to do something similar with my "old" friends! What a great lifetime of special memories! Sisters in Christ takes on a whole new meaning with these pictures! :)

Barbara H. said...

What a wonderful reunion! Sounds like so much fun and so refreshing, too.

Brenda said...

What great memories you have with your friends and how nice that you could be with them! Great post!

Stephani Cochran said...

This was such a fun post to read, and I loved looking at the pictures. It took me back to 1987 when me and 3 of my girlfriends went to Florida for Spring break! I keep in close contact with one of those girls who was my roommate at the time, but I haven't actually seen her since 1988. I keep in close contact through email and phone with another college buddy, probably my best friend from back then, but haven't seen her since 1994. ~ I don't have many close girlfriends so maybe that's why I find this post so rich. What a blessing for you!

Karyn said...

You are truly blessed to have such long lasting friendships with these ladies!

To have one true friend is a gift, to have 3 is amazing.

Faith said...

All of those things!! but definitely the last one...unity in Jesus....how awesome and blessed your friendships are....and beach time....fantastic!! have a great weekend

Catherine said...

I love this post, so much!!! What a blessing to have such good friends! I loved the 80's pictures, I got very nostalgic. =)

Marg said...

A very powerful post Lisa...I still am amazed at how some of my very first friendships from 40 years ago, are still high on my list. I have reacquainted with 4 friends in the past few years and we all went to Sunday School together. It's been an unusual experience what brought us together, as one has Lou Gehrigs, and this has brought us back together as we continue to support her through her journey.
Thanks for sharing such a powerful message on friendship.

Donna said...

Delightful post, Lisa! I most relate to - "friends in Christ are truly friends forever." After quite a few years, I reconnected with my college roommate last fall. We ate, talked, and shared the blessings of a friendship rooted in our faith. Thanks for the memory jogging!

Unknown said...

Hi. Really enjoying your blog. I think you have a wonderful perspective on the meaning of friendship.
Your thoughts on friends you haven't seen in a while made me think you might be interested in a contest we're running, where we foot the bill to reunite pals that haven't seen each other in a while. Take a look at the link below and consider submitting a story. And who knows ... you just might win ....
http://www.fritolay.com/tostitos/reunite/

Brenda said...

I enjoyed how you guys dressed up to go out to eat in 1982, but wore t-shirts in 2011. :-) I bet none of you even took a dress! ha ha!

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