medicine” (Proverbs 17:22).

Say “I Love You”
What a powerful phrase. “I love you.” Go ahead. Say it out loud three or four times. Years ago, Jackie DeShannon popularized the song, “What the World Needs Now is Love.” Here is the first verse:

"What the world needs now is love sweet love,
its the only thing that theres just too little of.
What the world needs now is love sweet love,
no not just for some but for everyone."

Why is it that we sometimes have trouble expressing our love for others? Perhaps it is because in doing so we take the risk that our expression of love might be spurned. Then what would we do? One of the sweetest blessings of life is to have someone to love and to be loved. However, someone needs to initiate that blessing. Fear of vulnerability keeps many expressions and actions of love from seeing the light of day. It seems that one of the greatest challenges of life is to be the one to make the first move. Someone in your life needs to be told they are loved by you. The time to begin is now.

Here is my challenge. To whom do you need to express your love? Who needs you to be vulnerable if there is any hope for a rest

Barbara Streisand once sang a song that went something like this: People. People who need people are the luckiest people in the world. What an interesting line. It would seem to make more sense to say that people who have people are the luckiest people in the world. There is a truth here we all need to catch regarding relationships: Before we can have people in our lives, we must realize how much we need people in our lives

We all are familiar with the majestic sequoia trees of California. It is surprising to learn that these massive trees have a very shallow root system. Their ability to stand is insured by the fact that the roots of all the trees are intertwined. Each tree lends support to the others to stand strong.

One of the startling facts about society is that people have become increasingly solitary. There was a day when people wandered the neighborhood and everyone knew their neighbors. Not a second thought was given to telling your child to “go next door and ask if we can borrow a cup of milk.”

Today, however, we have closed ourselves in and we barely know the people around us. The tragedy is that this is not only a phenomenon in our neighborhoods and work places. It exists within the four walls of our homes. Today, children are self-contained in their rooms. With stereos, computers, The Internet, books, and so much more, the only time some children come out of their rooms is to eat. Often that means grabbing it and going back into their isolation.

Perhaps one of the reasons meaningful relationships do not abound is because people don’t know how to do relationships. Before you can DO friendship, you have to BE a friend. In fact, the best way to get a friend is to be a friend. Here are some tips to get started

Be an Encourager
A worthy goal to attain is to encourage someone every day. There are hundreds of ways to encourage a person. People just naturally love to hear something good about themselves. The sad truth is that most people just assume that no one really notices or cares. The first building block in constructing meaningful relationships is simply to build others up.

Be a Forgiver
Here is a truth. Some of the people with whom you need to be in relationship right now, and are not, are supposed to be the very closest to you on earth. However, something happened, words were exchanged, actions were taken, trust was violated. As a result, lifelong friendships came to an end.

You know what? People are going to hurt you. And most likely, the person that is going to hurt you will come from the inner circle. This is someone you know – who is close – who knows you better then most. To this person you will have confided and made yourself vulnerable. You placed your trust in him or her. And one day when you least expect it, this trusted person may launch an attack that you cannot now nor ever will understand. Right then or even prior to that you have to make an intentional decision: you will either rise above the circumstance and forgive, or you will get lost in the muck and mire of self-pity, resentment, and bitterness. And worse than all of these, you will be tempted to never again get close to another person, nor let anyone get close to you.

Be a Listener
Some have said that God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. That reason is because of our tendency to try and impress the world with our great wisdom. All of us have something to say – albeit some more then others. One of the best things we can do for another person is to give them the gift of our ears. This is actually a sign of wisdom. Solomon, the wisest man in the world once wrote: Do not be quick with your mouth…let your words be few (Eccl 5:2 NIV).

Here are a few questions you might ponder in your quest to build strong relationships. Who has been trying to get your attention lately? Your wife? Your kids? Your employees? Your superiors? God? Think about it, really. Do you spend most of your days with your mouth open or closed? Are you more inclined to tell people what you’re thinking rather then listen to what they’re saying? Are your conversations consumed with making you the center of attention? When the attention shifts from you to another person do you try to gain it back? And if you cannot, do you move on to another person or group? Take time to listen. It is a gift worth giving.

Be a Laugher
Lighten up already. Don’t take life so seriously. Not everything in life has to be life altering and serious. Make a decision to lighten up and have some fun. Isn’t it true that we love to be around people who laugh and have fun? We have an innate desire to exercise our funny bone. Besides, it’s healthy. Solomon said “A cheerful heart is good medicine” (Proverbs 17:22).

Say “I Love You”
What a powerful phrase. “I love you.” Go ahead. Say it out loud three or four times. Years ago, Jackie DeShannon popularized the song, “What the World Needs Now is Love.” Here is the first verse:

"What the world needs now is love sweet love,
its the only thing that theres just too little of.
What the world needs now is love sweet love,
no not just for some but for everyone."

Why is it that we sometimes have trouble expressing our love for others? Perhaps it is because in doing so we take the risk that our expression of love might be spurned. Then what would we do? One of the sweetest blessings of life is to have someone to love and to be loved. However, someone needs to initiate that blessing. Fear of vulnerability keeps many expressions and actions of love from seeing the light of day. It seems that one of the greatest challenges of life is to be the one to make the first move. Someone in your life needs to be told they are loved by you. The time to begin is now.

Here is my challenge. To whom do you need to express your love? Who needs you to be vulnerable if there is any hope for a resto

work places. It exists within the four walls of our homes. Today, children are self-contained in their rooms. With stereos, computers, The Internet, books, and so much more, the only time some children come out of their rooms is to eat. Often that means grabbing it and going back into their isolation.

Perhaps one of the reasons meaningful relationships do not abound is because people don’t know how to do relationships. Before you can DO friendship, you have to BE a friend. In fact, the best way to get a friend is to be a friend. Here are some tips to get started

Be an Encourager
A worthy goal to attain is to encourage someone every day. There are hundreds of ways to encourage a person. People just naturally love to hear something good about themselves. The sad truth is that most people just assume that no one really notices or cares. The first building block in constructing meaningful relationships is simply to build others up.

Be a Forgiver
Here is a truth. Some of the people with whom you need to be in relationship right now, and are not, are supposed to be the very closest to you on earth. However, something happened, words were exchanged, actions were taken, trust was violated. As a result, lifelong friendships came to an end.

You know what? People are going to hurt you. And most likely, the person that is going to hurt you will come from the inner circle. This is someone you know – who is close – who knows you better then most. To this person you will have confided and made yourself vulnerable. You placed your trust in him or her. And one day when you least expect it, this trusted person may launch an attack that you cannot now nor ever will understand. Right then or even prior to that you have to make an intentional decision: you will either rise above the circumstance and forgive, or you will get lost in the muck and mire of self-pity, resentment, and bitterness. And worse than all of these, you will be tempted to never again get close to another person, nor let anyone get close to you.

Be a Listener
Some have said that God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. That reason is because of our tendency to try and impress the world with our great wisdom. All of us have something to say – albeit some more then others. One of the best things we can do for another person is to give them the gift of our ears. This is actually a sign of wisdom. Solomon, the wisest man in the world once wrote: Do not be quick with your mouth…let your words be few (Eccl 5:2 NIV).

Here are a few questions you might ponder in your quest to build strong relationships. Who has been trying to get your attention lately? Your wife? Your kids? Your employees? Your superiors? God? Think about it, really. Do you spend most of your days with your mouth open or closed? Are you more inclined to tell people what you’re thinking rather then listen to what they’re saying? Are your conversations consumed with making you the center of attention? When the attention shifts from you to another person do you try to gain it back? And if you cannot, do you move on to another person or group? Take time to listen. It is a gift worth giving.

Be a Laugher
Lighten up already. Don’t take life so seriously. Not everything in life has to be life altering and serious. Make a decision to lighten up and have some fun. Isn’t it true that we love to be around people who laugh and have fun? We have an innate desire to exercise our funny bone. Besides, it’s healthy. Solomon said “A cheerful heart is good medicine” (Proverbs 17:22).

Say “I Love You”
What a powerful phrase. “I love you.” Go ahead. Say it out loud three or four times. Years ago, Jackie DeShannon popularized the song, “What the World Needs Now is Love.” Here is the first verse:

"What the world needs now is love sweet love,
its the only thing that theres just too little of.
What the world needs now is love sweet love,
no not just for some but for everyone."

Why is it that we sometimes have trouble expressing our love for others? Perhaps it is because in doing so we take the risk that our expression of love might be spurned. Then what would we do? One of the sweetest blessings of life is to have someone to love and to be loved. However, someone needs to initiate that blessing. Fear of vulnerability keeps many expressions and actions of love from seeing the light of day. It seems that one of the greatest challenges of life is to be the one to make the first move. Someone in your life needs to be told they are loved by you. The time to begin is now.

Here is my challenge. To whom do you need to express your love? Who needs you to be vulnerable if there is any hope for a rest

s were taken, trust was violated. As a result, lifelong friendships came to an end.

You know what? People are going to hurt you. And most likely, the person that is going to hurt you will come from the inner circle. This is someone you know – who is close – who knows you better then most. To this person you will have confided and made yourself vulnerable. You placed your trust in him or her. And one day when you least expect it, this trusted person may launch an attack that you cannot now nor ever will understand. Right then or even prior to that you have to make an intentional decision: you will either rise above the circumstance and forgive, or you will get lost in the muck and mire of self-pity, resentment, and bitterness. And worse than all of these, you will be tempted to never again get close to another person, nor let anyone get close to you.

Be a Listener
Some have said that God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. That reason is because of our tendency to try and impress the world with our great wisdom. All of us have something to say – albeit some more then others. One of the best things we can do for another person is to give them the gift of our ears. This is actually a sign of wisdom. Solomon, the wisest man in the world once wrote: Do not be quick with your mouth…let your words be few (Eccl 5:2 NIV).

Here are a few questions you might ponder in your quest to build strong relationships. Who has been trying to get your attention lately? Your wife? Your kids? Your employees? Your superiors? God? Think about it, really. Do you spend most of your days with your mouth open or closed? Are you more inclined to tell people what you’re thinking rather then listen to what they’re saying? Are your conversations consumed with making you the center of attention? When the attention shifts from you to another person do you try to gain it back? And if you cannot, do you move on to another person or group? Take time to listen. It is a gift worth giving.

Be a Laugher
Lighten up already. Don’t take life so seriously. Not everything in life has to be life altering and serious. Make a decision to lighten up and have some fun. Isn’t it true that we love to be around people who laugh and have fun? We have an innate desire to exercise our funny bone. Besides, it’s healthy. Solomon said “A cheerful heart is good medicine” (Proverbs 17:22).

Say “I Love You”
What a powerful phrase. “I love you.” Go ahead. Say it out loud three or four times. Years ago, Jackie DeShannon popularized the song, “What the World Needs Now is Love.” Here is the first verse:

"What the world needs now is love sweet love,
its the only thing that theres just too little of.
What the world needs now is love sweet love,
no not just for some but for everyone."

Why is it that we sometimes have trouble expressing our love for others? Perhaps it is because in doing so we take the risk that our expression of love might be spurned. Then what would we do? One of the sweetest blessings of life is to have someone to love and to be loved. However, someone needs to initiate that blessing. Fear of vulnerability keeps many expressions and actions of love from seeing the light of day. It seems that one of the greatest challenges of life is to be the one to make the first move. Someone in your life needs to be told they are loved by you. The time to begin is now.

Here is my challenge. To whom do you need to express your love? Who needs you to be vulnerable if there is any hope for a rest

our ears. This is actually a sign of wisdom. Solomon, the wisest man in the world once wrote: Do not be quick with your mouth…let your words be few (Eccl 5:2 NIV).

Here are a few questions you might ponder in your quest to build strong relationships. Who has been trying to get your attention lately? Your wife? Your kids? Your employees? Your superiors? God? Think about it, really. Do you spend most of your days with your mouth open or closed? Are you more inclined to tell people what you’re thinking rather then listen to what they’re saying? Are your conversations consumed with making you the center of attention? When the attention shifts from you to another person do you try to gain it back? And if you cannot, do you move on to another person or group? Take time to listen. It is a gift worth giving.

Be a Laugher
Lighten up already. Don’t take life so seriously. Not everything in life has to be life altering and serious. Make a decision to lighten up and have some fun. Isn’t it true that we love to be around people who laugh and have fun? We have an innate desire to exercise our funny bone. Besides, it’s healthy. Solomon said “A cheerful heart is good medicine” (Proverbs 17:22).

Say “I Love You”
What a powerful phrase. “I love you.” Go ahead. Say it out loud three or four times. Years ago, Jackie DeShannon popularized the song, “What the World Needs Now is Love.” Here is the first verse:

"What the world needs now is love sweet love,
its the only thing that theres just too little of.
What the world needs now is love sweet love,
no not just for some but for everyone."

Why is it that we sometimes have trouble expressing our love for others? Perhaps it is because in doing so we take the risk that our expression of love might be spurned. Then what would we do? One of the sweetest blessings of life is to have someone to love and to be loved. However, someone needs to initiate that blessing. Fear of vulnerability keeps many expressions and actions of love from seeing the light of day. It seems that one of the greatest challenges of life is to be the one to make the first move. Someone in your life needs to be told they are loved by you. The time to begin is now.

Here is my challenge. To whom do you need to express your love? Who needs you to be vulnerable if there is any hope for a rest

medicine” (Proverbs 17:22).

Say “I Love You”
What a powerful phrase. “I love you.” Go ahead. Say it out loud three or four times. Years ago, Jackie DeShannon popularized the song, “What the World Needs Now is Love.” Here is the first verse:

"What the world needs now is love sweet love,
its the only thing that theres just too little of.
What the world needs now is love sweet love,
no not just for some but for everyone."

Why is it that we sometimes have trouble expressing our love for others? Perhaps it is because in doing so we take the risk that our expression of love might be spurned. Then what would we do? One of the sweetest blessings of life is to have someone to love and to be loved. However, someone needs to initiate that blessing. Fear of vulnerability keeps many expressions and actions of love from seeing the light of day. It seems that one of the greatest challenges of life is to be the one to make the first move. Someone in your life needs to be told they are loved by you. The time to begin is now.

Here is my challenge. To whom do you need to express your love? Who needs you to be vulnerable if there is any hope for a restored relationship? Who is totally undeserving yet needing to hear you say, “I love you.” Do you have the answer? Good. Now go and do it. Say “I love you.” Who knows, it might be the beginning of something great.

Let’s close with this thought. One of the reasons relationships are so important is because they are important to God. He created mankind for the sake of fellowship. He created woman from man for the same purpose. God said of Adam, “It is not good that man should be alone.” Truer words have never been spoken. Part of the abundance God intends for each of us is that we would enjoy the journey of life, not as solitary individuals but as people – people who need people.

Have a great day!