Friends enrich, enhance our lives

Someone has defined a "friend," as being someone who knows everything about you and loves you anyway.

Friends bring sunshine and sparkle into our lives. Friends stick by us through "thick and thin." It has been said friends are like postage stamps. They "see us through, even if they have to take a licking."

"A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24).

Friends, whether they are young, old and all the way in between, are such great blessings.

My neighbors around me are such good friends they seem like family. I love to make new friends and each time I make a friend, they are a "keeper."

Children are great winners when it comes to making friends. While growing up our sons beamed with excitement as they introduced new friends to us.

Friends enrich and enhance our lives. It would be a great loss without them.

I cried when our neighbors moved away. We had lived next door for 36 years. We had many chats over the backyard fence. Our cat chased their dog one day and their dog got hung on our chain link fence.

Their youngest son tried to help his dog and his clothes got hung too. We had lots of laughs and visits. I told my neighbors if they wouldn't move

I would stop spying on them. Of course I was kidding, but when neighbors move away I feel abandoned.

Time changes and friends move away and we can no longer have that daily contact. So we make more friends. During this last snowstorm one neighbor asked if we needed anything they would be glad to help. My neighbors are wonderful!

There is one friend, however, that will never move or leave us, neither in this life nor the next. The Bible gives us many instances of the greatest friend known to man. Romans 8:38 and 39 states "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

If Jesus loved me enough to die for me, how can I not love him in return?

"If I had been the only one

In this dark world of sin,

Still Jesus would have died for me.

He is my dearest Friend.

The wounds he bore, the agony

Upon a cross of pain

Is more than I can fathom,

For me, he suffered shame.

It was for me his blood was shed

He saw me in life's time.

The stripes he bore, the crown of thorns…

For me…now he is mine.

To me one thing is certain

Life's battles could not be won.

If I were the only one on earth

Still Jesus would have come!"

Portales resident Joan Clayton is a retired teacher and published author. Her e-mail address is:

[email protected]