Lisa-Jo Baker
About the Author

Lisa-Jo is the best-selling author of Never Unfriended and Surprised by Motherhood. Her newest book, The Middle Matters: Why That (Extra)Ordinary Life Looks Really Good on You invites us to get a good look at our middles and gives us permission to embrace them.

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
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(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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Comments

  1. Beautiful that you ended your thoughts with the need to keep passing it on. There is so much need.
    Thanks for this glimpse of a wonderful gathering and for the effort it took to make it happen.

  2. Dear friends,
    Please pray for my dear daughter,(daughter-in-law), that God may bring her at least one sweet and Godly friend.
    Thank you for this great reminder to be a Godly friend.
    Have a blessed day!

  3. I believe we are a society of women yearning to connect, to be with one another in a crazy busy world. As I get older I truly long for this, however, I find that it is getting harder. “We” as a society attend retreats, events and get all warm, fuzzy and elated, but afterward I experience everyone goes back to their busy lives and the connection dies.
    Yes, our friendships, connections and such can be of silence, like listening to the song of a seashell, and yes, our relationships must also be of courage to be brave to talk as well.
    Thank you for this beautiful post!

    • Dear Kim,
      For some reason I felt the need to respond to you – I don’t usually do that. 🙂 What you said about going home to busy lives after attending a conference etc, really resonated with me. I also find that true and I am much older than you. I have been 7 years in a different state and still don’t have a close friend to spend time with. I find that even after one coffee together with someone from church there is not another meeting together because people are busy with grandchildren etc. I am single, never married so no grandchildren. I am learning that perhaps Jesus is going to be the only ‘friend ‘I get to spend time and I am letting go of the dream of having a ‘BFF’. I’m not sharing this because I’m miserable but to encourage you that perhaps we have seasons in our lives where we need to live without really close friendships. Perhaps it is in the giving up of my dream that something will happen. I don’t know! I will be praying for you that God will bring you a good friend or give you joy where you find yourself now. By the way I am 69!

      • Denise, thank you for reaching out. Yes, I believe there are solitude times where Jesus does become our BFF so we can be closer to God. Every day I begin just there and I know He has a plan for me, like this amazing conversation. 🙂
        Denise, I think we need to do a cyber coffee chat! Let’s connect.

      • Thank you Denise. I liked your post. I too am older, 63 to be exact. Sometimes it’s lonely and I don’t want to go to the women’s mtgs, because i’m always busy. I like the friendship of the Holy Spirit, my unconditional friend, who understands the season i’m in, when being alone is ok. I like to be still and know that He is God. I feel this is a safe place to share your soul.

  4. It took me hours to reply and words still can’t describe how I truly feel. Thank you so much for sharing this post. None of us are perfect and I’ve come to realize that “true” friends” and “sisters” are rare indeed.

  5. Now in my late 80’s I have had, in my lifetime, three friends with whom and to whom I could share my life stories, good, bad and indifferent…. including the deaths of my parents and the hurts and pain of rejections by other so called ‘friends’. Not long ago I was discarded and very badly hurt and humiliated by the rejection of a friend whom I had trusted, admired and respected for what I thought was their strength of character and spirituality. They have made me feel small and ridiculous in my old age and now my old trusted friends have passed from my life and I have nobody to share this with but God.
    Please, anyone who reads this article, make sure that you never lose contact with the old friends in your life, new ones can wreck your spirit and without the trusted companions you have always relied on you can feel bereft, unhappy and isolated.

    • May–keeping you in prayer–that God will walk with you moment by moment through those hard times of loss and rejection and that He will fill you to overflowing with His love and presence. Also praying for friends to draw alongside you and walk those moments as well

  6. Lisa-Jo,

    Beautiful as always! I agree with the women here. Lives are too busy. We have work, home, church, meetings, etc. I truly believe technology has played a role in our not having deep friendships. We simply text, email, Facebook a person & move on. What ever happened to sitting on your porch talking with neighbors? The good old days are missed in this hectic paced world. I treasure my friends. I still may text or Facebook them. I also call them or see them in church & talk with them. Why can’t women just talk with others at church, work or in public? We need each other & not just the cyber space friendships.

    Blessings 🙂

  7. Thank you for sharing. I have two dear Minister Friends who have passed away recently. These two women were much more than Preachers of the Gospel, they were my teachers & mentors. I cherish the many memories of spending time with these women of great faith; for their love, kindnesses, comfort and just being encouraging when I needed it. Because they gave so much of themselves, they taught me to be more of a Giver. As women, we must pass on this precious gift of friendship, fellowship, & love, that others man see Christ is us. We are living in trying times. We must live our faith daily. Again, thanks for sharing Lisa-Jo. God Bless you. ❤️