Friendship and Neighbors

oke someone in the eye and they will shed tears;
but wound their heart
and they will show deep pain.

You can throw stones to frighten birds away,
and you can end a friendship
by tossing insults.

Threaten a friend with a sword,
and you can still hope
the friendship will heal.

And you can argue with friends
and later, win them back.
But if you are arrogant
and insult them,
if you tell their secrets
or harm them
when they trusted you,
they will be gone for good.

Earn the trust of your neighbors when they are poor
and if they become wealthy
you can celebrate with them.
Be a true friend
when they have troubles,
and later they will share
their inheritance with you.

When you smell smoke
you will soon see flames,
and when you hear insults,
you will soon see murder.

I will never be ashamed
to protect my friends,
and I will always be there
when I am needed.

But if they turn and harm me,
all who find out
will be on guard
against them.

Sirach 22: 19-26

I didn’t make it up, I’m just sharing it with you.
And now you know about The Book of SIRACH too. Ooo!

I’m Qui
Easy on a Sunday Morning
on my way to church to do some worship joining. Yay!

[8/12/12]

Is True Friendship Dying Away

Is a Virtual Friendship better than a Real Life Friendship?

To anyone paying attention these days, it’s clear that social media — whether Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or any of the countless other modern-day water coolers — are changing the way we live.

Indeed, we might feel as if we are suddenly awash in friends. Yet right before our eyes, we’re also changing the way we conduct relationships. Face-to-face chatting is giving way to texting and messaging; people even prefer these electronic exchanges to, for instance, simply talking on a phone.Smaller circles of friends are being partially eclipsed by Facebook acquaintances routinely numbered in the hundreds. Amid these smaller trends, growing research suggests we could be entering a period of crisis for the entire concept of friendship. Where is all this leading modern-day society? Perhaps to a dark place, one where electronic stimuli slowly replace the joys of human contact.

Awareness of a possible problem took off just as the online world was emerging. …click here to continue

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Facebook: Friends and Lovers

The social networking site could be the best (or worst) thing to ever happen to your dating life. Follow these do’s and don’ts.

In addition to helping families, classmates and co-workers stay in contact, Facebook has a huge impact on building intimate relationships. But that’s not to say it makes “the love game” any simpler; in fact, it adds another layer of complexity. Ignore certain unspoken rules, and you’ll face severe consequences. For instance, click here to continue the Facebook 411

85% of Women report feeling ANNOYED BY FaceBook FRIENDS

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How to Spot & Remove SPIRIT DRAINERS

Are your FRIENDSHIPS good for you?

Let’s talk FRIENDSHIP. Remember that? You were introduced to the idea of “friendship” in daycare and the concept has been with you every since. Some friends are positive keepers and some friends are energy reapers.

Which one are you and how can you change the tide, or at least unplug yourself from the drain gang? …click here to read more

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

I talk to my kid a lot, to stay on one social accord, but what about talking to them about:: Crime. Recession. Terrorism. Tsunamis. In our digital age, the news—much of it big, scary and confusing— is everywhere, all the time. And whether it’s on television or radio, in print or online, teens and tweens are constantly exposed to disturbing stories, images and videos that can cause them to view the planet as a threatening, terrifying place. “On the other hand we want our kids to know what’s going on around them,” says Michael Brody, M.D., chair of the television and media committee for the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. “Problem is, the news is not rated. A lot of it is sensational, horror-story stuff …click here to continue this read

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Six Friendship Rules to Live By

Being friends through thick and thin is no small feat. Make your friendships deeper and stronger with this list of friendship tips for teens — or “friendship rules” — from Teen Advice.

1. Be Yourself
It may seem like a no-brainer, but a lot of teens struggle not to lose their identity once they become part of a group of friends. Though who you are is always changing, especially during your teenage years, some aspects of your personality will stay pretty much the same. Figure out what those things are and think hard about who you want to be, then present yourself honestly and genuinely to the people you hang around with.

Sometimes you’re going to disagree or not be the most popular member of the group. However, you will always feel you’ve been true to yourself — and that you haven’t become somebody else’s clone …click here to learn more