Iron sharpens iron

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another"~Proverbs 27:17

Hello my friends! Welcome to BFFs blog and first official entry. It is with great pleasure and tremendous fear that I welcome you here. Yup, you read that right, I said "fear". I have butterflies in my stomach, my mouth is dry and my fingers are  frozen!!!!

You see, writing is my passion. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to write. I have dreamed about putting pen to paper and writing the novels that people will devour! My parents encouraged me, my teachers encouraged me, but until recently I have never done anything with the gift God has given me. I've written the occassional email and had a the response of  "you need to WRITE"...but I've never really been willing to put myself out there. Writing is personal......very personal.  It's equivalent to giving someone a glimpse of your heart and a piece of your soul.

So why now? Why all of a sudden do I feel compelled to just do it and finally take the leap of faith?

Well, it started two weeks ago on a beach in Cozumel, Mexico. My BFF, Tammy and I celebrated our 40th birthdays by taking a Premiere Christian Cruise together. The guest speakers, artists, and attendees were incredible. We both felt God using them to inspire us! As we sat on this gorgeous beach, looking out on the crystal blue waters, the coarse white sand between our toes, the idea to start a "blog" was formed. I jotted down notes, people to involve, topics to write about. We were both excited by the idea and agreed to pray about it. Prayer is often my MO to "stall" for time :)

After we returned from our cruise, refreshed, inspired and excited, the real world collided with our vacation mindset. The every day list of every day distractions took hold.The idea of a blog slipped further and further from my mind. "Maybe someday" I thought. God had a different plan!

He sent me a best friend, the most incredible woman who challenges me almost daily. Tammy and I go way back.....to 7th grade....but that's another story for another day. My point is that she knows me. She knows that I let the distractions of this world deter me from focusing on God's plan sometimes. She knows that although I love to write, I don't make time to do it. She knows that my intentions are good but my time management skills.....well, not so much!

So, God impressed upon her heart to set up this blog site. After an already busy week of travel, she sat in an airport, and with love in her heart, designed this blog. Is that a friend or what? She could have taken a nap, read a magazine, sipped a coffee and just savored the end of the day. Instead, she used what little time she had and dedicated it to this! She knew I wouldn't do it, so she did! By doing so, she pushed me, a little harder than I would have pushed myself, for sure!

That my dear friends, is what "iron sharpens iron" means to me. It's being real with one another. It's support and encouragement. It's being honest and loving at the same time. It's challenging your friend to do, to think, to be something outside their comfort zone. Often it is messy.

Picture it! Iron against iron, creates heat and friction, sometimes even sparks,  but in the end it  produces a sharper, stronger,  better  product.....a better friendship.  You may not always LIKE what a friend says or advises. You may not WANT to hear what they have to tell you. You may not  FEEL like doing "the right thing". But a true friend will tell you either way.

I pray that you have a BFF as loving as mine. One who will speak truth into your life. One who will love you, when you are right and when you are wrong. One who will send you "tough love" text messages, after she's let you have your pity party. I pray, that I will be that friend too.

 God bless you Tamra Jean <3 I thank God every day for restoring our friendship and showing me what BFF stands for!