Anyone who is fortunate enough to have a good friend is truly blessed! I am grateful to God for He has blessed me with an amazing Sister Circle of Ladies who have enriched, enhanced, and endeared themselves to me in ways too numerous to count! All of them are different but we all share one common cord, we love the Lord!

Recently, my husband and I renewed our vows. It was quite an undertaking and if it had not been for special friends who I fondly call my "Framily," I might have thrown in the towel! As I look at the pictures from the event, I reflected on how blessed I am to have these women whom I love so dearly in my life and who genuinely love me, flaws and all!

One sister in particular was my Director/Planner and she used all of her gifts and talents to make the chapel and ballroom beyond what I had envisioned it would be. Others went shopping with me to look for dresses, went to cake-tastings, talked me off the ledge when I'd decided this was too much work, supported me as attendants, helped me to get into my dress and handled anything else that happened that day. I am truly grateful for my Sister Circle! My Girls are all unique, beautiful, generous, witty, caring, and accomplished. Like me they all love to laugh, dance and have a good time doing whatever.

We are passionate about our faith, food, fashion and family. Some are great cooks, some are retired from cooking and a few just aren't gifted in the area of culinary skills. Some are tech savvy, some of us are not. Some like to work out and some do not. But the gifts and talents among my Sistas is so vast I don't doubt that with the Lord's guidance we could run a nation and fix all of its problems!

No matter what the circumstance, we have held it down for each other, been there to hold hands, send up concerted prayers, fix a meal, watch a child, sit by a hospital bed, travel together, celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and whatever else life brings. There have been moves and distance as a factor but not a finisher of our relationships. True friends find ways to stay in touch. There have been disagreements but no disconnects. There have been fall-outs but no falling-off that leads to permanent separation.

1. We are kindred sisters and we are grateful for each other. Recognizing none of us are perfect but we love and respect the uniqueness of the other. Proverbs 17:17, "A friend loves at all times."
2. We are relaxed and can be real with one another. No performing, no pretending. There is freedom to express and know we are in a judge-free zone. Proverbs 27:9, "Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart but a sweet friendship refreshes the soul."
3. There is no competition which means there is no stress to achieve, go into debt or compare your husband, kids, or home to theirs. Real love does not envy, boast or dishonor others. We celebrate the victories in each other's lives. (I Corinthians 13:4b-5)
4. We value each other's privacy, secrets and confidence. We share a safe haven for each other's heart. We offer comfort, a hug, an ear, and no fear of betrayal. We pray for each other regularly. Proverbs 17:9, "He who covers over an offense promotes love but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends."
5. If there is an emergency there is no doubt we will find a way to be there. We protect, we provide, we serve and we persevere until the trouble has passed. I Corinthians 13:7, "Love always helps, protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres." Romans 12:12, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.
6. We honor and respect each other's marriages. We understand the boundaries God has placed around our marriages and we DO NOT try to elevate our relationship above the marital bond or inflict our will and needs to create divisiveness between our Sistas' marriages. We all agree that no matter how close we are to each other, our husbands are in first place for the position of Ultimate Best Friend! Colossians 3:18, "Wives submit to your husbands, as is fitting to the Lord."

There truly "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" when it comes to the satisfaction and joy of a true friendship. Real friendships are treasures that when properly cared for and, when nurtured, will last forever!

"Friendship is one of the sweetest joys in life. Many might have failed beneath the bitterness of their trial had they not found a friend." Charles Spurgeon