 UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed. The winner (randomly chosen) is Barb. Congratulations! I already notified her. Thanks a bunch to all who entered and shared about the qualities that they most appreciate in a friend! These qualities include: honesty/truthfulness, selflessness, forgiveness, shared experience/connection, caring, trustworthiness/no gossip, encouraging, love of Jesus, faithfulness, gentleness, ability to laugh together, reciprocity, and acceptance/not being judgmental. I agree and I hope I possess all these qualities :)...because if you want to have a great friend, be one yourself!
Summary for The Friends We Keep: A Woman's Quest for the Soul of Friendship
During a particularly painful time in her life, Sarah Zacharias Davis learned how delightful–and wounding–women can be in friendship. She saw how some friendships end badly, others die slow deaths, and how a chance acquaintance can become that enduring friend you need.
The Friends We Keep is Sarah’s thoughtful account of her own story and the stories of other women about navigating friendship. Her revealing discoveries tackle the questions every woman asks:
• Why do we long so for women friends?
• Do we need friends like we need air or food or water?
• What causes cattiness, competition, and co-dependency in too many friendships?
• Why do some friendships last forever and others only a season?
• How do I foster friendship?
• When is it time to let a friend go, and how do I do so?
With heartfelt, intelligent writing, Sarah explores these questions and more with personal stories, cultural references and history, faith, and grace. In the process, she delivers wisdom for navigating the challenges, mysteries, and delights of friendship: why we need friendships with other women, what it means to be safe in relationship, and how to embrace what a friend has to offer, whether meager or generous.
Author Bio:
Sarah Zacharias Davis is a senior advancement officer at Pepperdine University , having joined the university after working as vice president of marketing and development for Ravi Zacharias International Ministries and in strategic marketing for CNN. The daughter of best-selling writer Ravi Zacharias, Davis is the author of the critically-acclaimed Confessions from an Honest Wife and Transparent: Getting Honest About Who We are and Who We Want to Be. She graduated from Covenant College with a degree in education and lives in Los Angeles , California .
My Review
I had never pondered much over friendship until I read this book :). The author dissects and analyzes friendship and provides deep thoughts about the subject. At times, it seems she asks a lot of questions (to make readers think or reflect). Other times, I cannot relate to what she shares because I have never seen most of the movies and TV shows that she uses as examples (which are quite a bit). I appreciate her honest, candid look at all the angles of friendship; however, I do not like some of her choices of examples. The book includes discussion guide (26 useful, thought-provoking questions) in the back.
My Thoughts
For me personally, Jesus is my Best Friend, my husband is my best (human) friend, and my kids are my closest friends. I have never had other close/bosom friends (kindred-spirit kind of friend). In Thailand, I had many friends and we did so many things together but still they were not my close friends. My faith in Christ and commitment to follow Him plus my moving to America made our friendship naturally drift apart. In America, I have friends, mostly Christian friends and homeschool friends. Still...they are not close friends although they are good friends. Then I have had several online friends who are also mostly Christian friends and homeschool friends. Somehow it seems I'm considered by others as the odd one in any group or circle of friends :) (either spiritually, culturally, ethnically, geographically, etc.) and perhaps that's the reason why they don't truly feel connected with me. Nevertheless, I am thankful for all my friendships because even though I don't have any bosom friends, I have never had to experience disappointment, hurt, conflicts, betrayal, or other problems caused by some friendships yet. I think there's an unspoken bond between Christ's followers (we are adopted into God's family as His children and we are one Body (the Body of Christ)). I do enjoy friendship with my brothers and sisters in Christ (regardless of nationality and cultural differences). I really like the song, "Friends Are Friends Forever" by Michael W. Smith. "And friends are friends forever if the Lord's the Lord of them. And a friend will not say never 'cause the welcome will not end. Though it's hard to let you go in the Father's hands we know that a lifetime's not too long to live as friends."
"For the life force of friendship is twofold: it is love, and it is also forgiveness, unconditional and infinite." (from page 66, The Friends We Keep) I agree that true, lasting friendship consists of unconditional and infinite love and forgiveness. Who always demonstrates (and never fails to demonstrate) those qualities but Jesus, our Forever Faithful Friend! He never forsakes, disappoints, hurts, or betrays us ever. He is full with love, compassion, and grace. In addition, He knows us inside out through and through (and still loves us!) and He only wants the best for us. What a Friend we have in Jesus! He is the best Friend anyone could ever ask for.
Giveaway: I have a copy of The Friends We Keep to giveaway. To enter, please leave a comment here answering this question: Which qualities do you most appreciate in a friend and why? Please make sure to leave your email address or your blog's address, too. You will receive an extra entry if you post about this giveaway on your blog or Facebook (remember to include the link to your post in a separate comment). The deadline is August 14th at midnight (Pacific time). I will announce the winner (randomly chosen) some time on August 15th. This giveaway is open only to U.S. residents.
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Tuesday, August 11, 2009 - Friend Qualities