Hi everybody!! I've been wanting to write something on this topic for a while. Kasey actually wrote a post like this back in April, so make sure you go check that out here! I actually use many of the ideas she gave and I have for a long time, so I can tell you that they definitely work. I have some really close friends that I am sure will be in my life forever. In this post, I give you five more ways you can grow your friendships even miles apart. I have a lot of experience with living far away from friends, as I am sure most of you do too. It can be really hard to stay in contact let alone grow that friendship. But, I have found some really fun & exciting things that I enjoy doing with my friends. Now with all that being said, here are four ways you can keep a close friendship without being in the same city, state, country, or continent!
1 . Share lists of thankfulness. This is one of my favorite things I do with a friend. Every night, we write up a quick list of five things we're thankful for from that day or just in general. I really enjoy doing this because it keeps us connected, it reminds us to be thankful every day, it helps us reflect on the little & big things God is doing in our lives, and it lets us know what is going on in each other's lives. Even though we are in different time zones, I actually really like how this works out. When it's nighttime for me, it is her morning. I am able to reflect on my day & each little gift that God gave me that day when writing the list, and when she reads my list, she is reminded to be thankful throughout her day and vice versa. It's been so sweet doing this with her & I totally recommend doing this with your friends (long-distance or not!)
2 . Read Bible plans together. If you have the YouVersion app then this is such a great way to use it! And if you don't, then you should get it! YouVersion is an app that you can read the Bible on, read devotionals/Bible plans with friends, and share highlights, notes, & verse images with friends. It's such a great tool. I really enjoy reading Bible plans with my friends on there, because it helps us keep each other accountable to be in the Word & it is really fun reading it together. At the end of each day's plan, you are able to share your thoughts on what you read that day with your friend/s. I really enjoy hearing what my friend's thoughts are on each day's readings. It helps me think about different perspectives and focus more on the message.
3 . Become penpals. I wrote a post on penpals recently (to read it click here.) In it, I explain and share how I write my letters and decorate them in fun and creative ways! One thing I did not share is that I have a few friends in countries that don't really get mail or if they do it's pretty rare. I am sure that at least some of you have to deal with this too. Well, I have figured out a way that I am still able to write letters to them and even decorate them! I call it "virtual penpalling." What you do is write the letter on paper like you would if you were going to send it off in the mail, decorate it in a fun way, take a picture of the letter, and email the picture to your friend! It is so fun & it keeps the creativeness of it all. I also keep a pile of the letters to that person in a box & I plan to give them all to them when I see them next!
4 . Send long emails with weekly or monthly updates. I love getting long emails from my friends. I savor them and treasure them. I haven't seen some of my best friends in years and I just love hearing from them! We usually send really long emails to each other, about every month or so just catching each other up on life and encouraging each other with Bible verses and sweet words. I love reading them & I love writing them. You should definitely try this out! It's so, so great.
That's all for this post! I hope that you try at least one of these ideas with your friends. It's so important not only to stay in contact with your friends but to actually stay close & not lose the friendship you have. Don't forget to check out part one of this post here. If you have any questions, please email us at tcktimes@gmail.com. Remember, you are God’s creation, made in His image by His own hands! Have an amazing and beautiful day & don’t forget to look for the simple joys God gives you today! ❤️
~ Aliana 🌻
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