I looked back at some of the sermons I have given and bulletin articles I have written over the years and found a theme recurs: friendship. Perhaps that's because for Linda and me, neither of whom lives where we grew up, friends are like family. I found this wonderful description of a friend and hope it is as meaningful to you as it is to me:

A superficial friend has never seen you cry.
A real friend has.

A superficial friend doesn't know your parents' first names.
A real friend has their phone numbers in his address book.

A superficial friend brings a bottle of wine to your party.
A real friend comes early to help you cook and stays late to help you clean up.

A superficial friend hates it when you call after he has gone to bed.
A real friend asks why you waited so long to call.

A superficial friend is willing to talk with you about your problems.
A real friend wants to help you with your problems.

A superficial friend wonders about your personal life.
A real friend could blackmail you about your personal life.

A superficial friend, when visiting, acts like a guest.
A real friend, when visiting, acts like he is at home.

A superficial friend thinks the friendship is over when you have an argument.
A real friend knows that it is not a true friendship until you have had a fight.

A superficial friend expects you to always be there for them.
A real friend expects to always be there for you.