Are you ready to make some new friends? Are you trying to grow your community or your village? If so, what’s your plan? Check out this episode for 5 quick tips on how to make new friends.

This episode was adapted from an article I wrote for Just Between Us Magazine several years ago. You can find the full article here: https://justbetweenus.org/christian-relationship-advice/real-friendships/10-tips-for-making-new-friends/.

Want more episodes about making new friends?

1. 11 | Making New Friends-Airport Edition - featuring Kinnari Patel
2. 30 | How to Start and Nurture a New Friendship as an Adult - featuring Jenai Eustache
3. 35 | 5 MORE Tips for Making New Friends

BE A GOOD FRIEND!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! And THANK YOU for joining me on The Friendship Tour in 2024. It's been quite a year! As you know, relationships are important to me, so I'll be spending time with the people I love during the holiday season. See you in 2025!

Have you ever been left out? Maybe you weren’t invited to the birthday party or to brunch with the girls. Perhaps your cousins left you off of the group chat or maybe your coworkers didn’t tell you about happy hour after work. Maybe it was intentional, maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it hurt you a lot, maybe you didn’t care all that much. Maybe you pretended not to care all that much. Whatever the case, it happened.

It's possible you weren’t exactly left out, but life has you feeling a bit left behind. Perhaps your best friend got married and another friend had a baby. These life transitions might have you feeling left out or like you’re somehow on the outside looking in - even if it’s not really anyone’s fault.

The truth is, we’ve all been left out. It starts in childhood, and it never really ends. When we’re left out, it’s only natural to get in our feelings, but don’t stay there! Being left out and feeling left out is a part of life, albeit an unpleasant part. If and when it happens to you, just remember - you are not alone. We’ve all been there.

Join guest, Lauren Gray and me for a discussion about times we felt left out and left behind.

If you liked this episode, you’ll love the following episode: 29 | Boundaries: What They Are, Why We Need Them, and How We Establish them - featuring Ashley Cook.

Other Episodes with Lauren Gray:

1. 1 | What is a True Friend - featuring Lauren Gray
2. 15 | MOMS! Want Your Kids to Have Friends? Show them How! - featuring Lauren Gray
3. 26 | My Best Friend Has Another Best Friend! Now What??? - featuring Lauren Gray and Tolibah Davis

There’s nothing quite like finding THAT friend - the one you have so much in common with, the one you can be completely yourself with, the one your husband and your kids love, too. When you’re lucky enough to find that friend, you just want to hold on forever, but that’s not always the way life goes.

It’s a real bummer when a true friend moves away, but that doesn’t mean the friendship is over. It really doesn’t have to end, but it does have to change.

What will the new, long-distance friendship look like? Will you talk weekly? Will you visit one another? Will you still celebrate life’s big milestones together?

Join Michelle Dallas and me for a conversation about what we did when she moved away and how, all these years later, we’re still successfully navigating our long-distance friendship.

Next Steps: 1. Listen. 2. Leave a Review. 3. Share The Friendship Tour podcast with a friend!

“Look, Honey! Our new friends just walked in!” I’m still not exactly sure what made my friend, Jenai, think that when we first encountered one another at a local winery. Was she simply trusting her gut? Was it discernment? Was it something else? Whatever the case, I’m glad she went with it, moved a bit closer, and struck up a conversation.

That first conversation between strangers at the winery was the start of something special. Over the next few months, there were shared text messages, goofy Instagram videos, baby christenings, family dinners, couples’ dates, birthday parties, prom send offs, more wineries, and even a choir rehearsal hangout as we nurtured our new friendship. We covered a lot of friendship ground in a short period of time, building trust and authentic connection each step of the way.

Making new friends and nurturing new friendships as an adult isn’t easy, but it’s possible and beautiful when everything aligns just so - when you meet the right person, at the right time, in the right place, and when you share a mutual openness to genuine friendship.

Join Jenai Eustache and me for a discussion about making new friends and nurturing new friendships.

Next Steps:

1. Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts.

2. Share THE FRIENDSHIP TOUR with a friend!

3. Keep listening!

Want More Episodes About Making New Friends? Check out Episode 11 | Making New Friends - Airport Edition - featuring Kinnari Patel.

Do you often feel angry, sad, frustrated, annoyed, drained, confused, or just…some kind of way when you interact with a certain friend or friends? Maybe you need to check your boundaries.

Boundaries are the physical, mental, emotional, and other limits that protect our personal space and define how we interact with others. They help us feel safe as individuals in all areas of our lives. They help us protect the people and things that are important to us, including our finances, our time with family, our self care - the list goes on and on.

How do you know you need a boundary? I’ll give you a hint. Pay attention to that icky or uncomfortable feeling you have after you interact with someone. Take note of the confusion you feel when you're together, then do something about it.

Join Ashley Cook, Associate Marriage Family Therapist (AMFT133670), and me for a talk about boundaries - what they are, why we need them, and how we establish them. Why? Because healthy boundaries are a huge part of maintaining healthy friendships and protecting personal peace.

Additional Resource:

Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Stay Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life - by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend

Other Episodes Referenced in This Episode:

1. Episode 7: "We Were on a Break! How Two Friends Grew Apart...and Back Together, Part 1 - featuring Wendy Alleyne"

2. "We Were on a Break! How Two Friends Grew Apart...and Back Together, Part 2 - featuring Wendy Alleyne"

What does it mean to be thankful? Where does thankfulness come from? And, how does having a heart of thanksgiving impact our friendships, our other relationships, and our lives?

Thanksgiving isn’t just a holiday. It’s a mindset, an attitude, a way of life. We all have ups and downs. Some have more ups than others. Some have more downs. Unfortunately, that’s just how life goes. But what if being thankful for even the small things somehow leads to us having more to be thankful for…more meaningful friendships, more peace, and more joy?

Join me for a heartwarming conversation with Alberta Curtis Minters, who is not only my mother-in-law, but also the most thankful, most positive person I know. Hear for yourself how having a heart of thanksgiving and a positive attitude has helped her navigate all kinds of situations, from disappointment as a young woman to life with an overly opinionated daughter-in-law (that would be me - EEK!).

See you on The Friendship Tour!

NOTE:

If you like this episode, you’ll love the following episodes:

Episode 9 | Faith-Building Friends - featuring Theresa Johnson

Episode 13 | Somebody Prayed for Me - and Those Prayers Got Through! - featuring Ashley Smith

It’s almost the start of the holiday season! It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for everyone. The holidays can be full of love and laughter for some, and a bit lonely for others. If you’re alone for the holidays, and you don’t want to be, check out this episode. I’ve shared some of my favorite ways to spend the holidays when I’m away from loved ones, including:

1. Serving others

2. Hosting my own holiday celebration

3. Traveling

If you happen to have family and/or friends with whom to spend the holidays, count your blessings! Then, listen to this episode for a few ideas on how you can spread a little extra love in your community this holiday season.