What is a true friend?

Friends are our, “Amigos, buddies, pals, bros, comrades, and your posse.” God has wired us for friendship. We crave it and hunger for acceptance. Many times we make dumb mistakes just to be accepted and feel like we belong in a group. Friendship is a powerful aspect of life. How do we build true friends? What does a godly friendship look like? Are they just a person we have “fun” with?

“He who walks with the wise grows wise; but a companion of fools suffers harm (Proverbs 13:20 NIV).

"Companion of fools." Your greatest regrets revolve around being with friends.

"Suffers Harm." It is much more about who you are with, than what you are doing.

What does it mean to be a “friend?” A trustworthy person you mutually choose to love and to encourage in order to bring God glory.

• A friend admits when they are wrong and repents. A friend pushes you towards God instead of away.
• A friend is under authority. Humility defines their heart.
• A friend will encourage you even when you fail
• A friend will encourage you to live for Jesus.
• A friend knows you deeply and loves you unconditionally

What is influence? The action or process of producing effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of another or others. The people closest to you have access to your heart and mind. Who you surround yourself with has powerful influence over your decisions and future.

If your friends are not very concerned about their lives, they are not going to be concerned about yours. A true friend cares for your soul.

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

Friends influence us and have the opportunity to make an impact on our lives. Your friends are like the bottoms on an elevator. They will either take you up or take you down.

Strengths Finder 2.0 Results

I recently took the strengths finder test! In the past I have taken the myers-brigg, DISC, spiritual gift and the 5 love language inventories. All of these are helpful tools to understanding yourself and how to effectively lead others. I enjoyed the strengths finder test because of its focus upon building leadership strengths.

To help people uncover their talents, Gallup introduced the first version of its online assessment, StrengthsFinder, in the 2001 management book Now, Discover Your Strengths. The book spent more than five years on the bestseller lists and ignited a global conversation, while StrengthsFinder helped millions to discover their top five talents.

Below are my top 5 strengths:

1. Belief - People who are especially talented in the Belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their life.

2. Woo - People who are especially talented in the Woo theme love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person

3. Positivity - People who are especially talented in the Positivity theme have an enthusiasm that is contagious. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do.

4. Strategic - People who are especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.

5. Responsibility - People who are especially talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.

What are your strengths? What is your favorite inventory? 

Blogging Tips 101

When I started blogging, it was not that popular back in 2007. Over the years I have enjoyed figuring out how to blog and become a better writer. I've learned that to become a better communicator always starts with writing and reading more. One of the main reasons I write is to grow as a follower of Christ and as a leader. I learn and grow when I get alone with my Bible, laptop and ideas. Blogging is simply an outlet for me to express my thoughts, prayers, frustrations and ideas on life, ministry and leadership. Below are some tips on blogging. I use different goals and tools to help me post blogs:

Set a goal of how often you will write. I try to write at least 3 blog post per week. I do not always stick to it but I try to keep up a steady stream of writing.

Write about what you are passionate about in life. I typically write blog posts in three categories:

                  1. Culture/Health/Sports                   2. Leadership/Student Ministry                   3. Family/Marriage

Plan your blog posts. I write blog posts ahead of time. No, I do not sit at my laptop every morning and wait for a new idea. Sometimes I do, but most of the time I do not. I save ideas as drafts and write my thoughts out over a few weeks. Once I have finished blog posts I will schedule them to publish ahead of time. Usually it takes about 30 minutes every few days to formulate ideas to write and edit. If you try to blog on the whim, you probably won't stick to it.

I'm a big fan of Wordpress. I prefer Wordpress because it has so many ways to customize your platform. Wordpress is clean and professional.

Use Evernote! I use Evernote to keep a list of ideas in the three categories of writing blog posts. It is a great tool to organize. Because it is cloud based, you can use it on your phone or computer to record an idea.

Be transparent, but some things are not meant for everyone to read. I try to be transparent in my writing, but there are some things off-limits I do not want to write for the world to read. Blogging is a safe place but is not meant to replace a personal journal either. Always have a filter of wisdom in what you write and how you write. Blogs have become a great tool but they can easily be used by cowards to attack others behind the keyboard of a laptop.

Write to grow. I believe everyone has something to write. Why? Because our culture is quickly moving away from the discipline of writing and reading. Over the coming years we will have unbelievable technology but an increasingly lazy learners. I do not want my learning to stop even when I graduated from college and seminary. Why not create a blog and write about your passions to glorify God? We have so many incredible tools in 2012 to be used for the gospel! Write, grow and always learn.

What are your thoughts? What would you add?