The Rollercoaster Ride of Friendship

The 3 O'Clock Wake Up Call

The Rollercoaster Ride of Friendship

June 18, 2020 • Laura Busse

We all know Jesus was a great teacher and a great leader. He was the son of God, after all…
But did you know Jesus was a great friend? Which says a lot, considering what His “band of brothers” was like. He had:

Peter, James, John, Philip, and Andrew – Hebrew school rejects who were now fishing for a living.
Matthew – a tax collector, which means stole money from his people. Everyone hated him.
Simon – a Zealot – basically a politician… enough said
Thomas – a pretty negative doubter. Kind of like Eore on steroids
Judas – a thief who ultimately betrayed Him.

But He still loved them… and many, many more.

This week, I want to challenge you to prioritize your friendships, like Jesus did

I want you to TELL one friend you still care:
Here are four steps that spell TELL.
• T – TIME – set a time to reach out to a friend you’ve lost touch with, put it on your calendar, make it a priority.
• E – EFFORT – schedule the call, zoom, coffee, walk, or a visit. Put in the effort to reconnect your hearts and minds.
• L – LOVE – let her know you’re sorry for the distance. Ask her questions about her life to catch up to current times. Actively listen without distractions.
• L – LAUGH – share stories, reminisce about the good times, laugh about how silly you were, how much you’ve changed or stayed the same.
So who comes to your mind? Which friends have you lost in the busyness of life? Who would be surprised to hear from you this summer? Go ahead TELL her you still care and would like to find the time to reconnect. Only God knows the number of our days. Let’s cherish today and prioritize friendship like Jesus!

3 O’Clock Circle - Two or more together sharing real life and relevant faith.
Watch this week’s video. Then discuss these 3 questions in your circle.

1. How does our pace of life distance us from friends we genuinely care about? What other obstacles stand in the way of prioritizing friends in your life?
2. List sometimes you’ve experienced mountain tops - joyous times with friends. What about the valleys? Can you recall walking through some difficult times with a friend.
3. Reach out this week to one friend you’ve lost track of. How will you tell her you care? What’s your plan? Write it down and stick to it.

Thank you for joining me in the mountains. See you next week!

TAKE CARE MY FRIEND!

I Hate to Wait

August 21, 2020

I hate to wait. Especially when I’m looking forward to something… like my flight leaving on time. But it’s often while we’re waiting that God gets our attention and gives us our next assignment. This week, let’s play a quick game of Uno as we learn four faith strategies to help us while we’re waiting. 3 Questions and 4 Faith Strategies: 1. On a scale of 1-10 (one being a little, ten being a lot) how much do you hate to wait? Explain why you chose that number. 2. What are you currently waiting for? 3. Why do you think God makes us wait instead of snapping His fingers and working immediately? Here are faith strategies to help you while you WAIT for a breakthrough or better times. W – WORD OF GOD – Search the concordance in the back of your Bible. Look up a word that describes a challenge you’re facing or something you need. For example, you could look up anxiety, stress, love, or hope. A – ASK GOD – Pray specific prayers to God. This will cause you to clearly communicate your needs and heart’s desire. Then when you’re prayers are answered, you’ll know who to thank. I – INVITE GOD IN – Every day brings new challenges. Your faith will grow when you invite God into your problem solving and decision making. T – TRUST – Jesus taught, “Do not let your hearts be troubled, trust in God, Trust also in me.” ( John 14:1) Trust is relying on someone and placing your confidence in them. Every day at 3PM, I encourage you to thank God for at least one blessing in your life then repeat, “JESUS, I TRUST YOU.”

Comparison is Crap

August 14, 2020

“Where do you live? What do you do for work? Where do your kids go to school?” We live in a culture that’s quick to rank the room: who’s the smartest, the prettiest, richest? It’s been said that comparison is a trap. But I’ll just go ahead and say that comparison is crap! Why? Because it has the power to take our minds to places we don’t want to go. Spiraling toxic thoughts can lead us to envy, judgement, and even self-loathing which makes a mess of our minds. But wait, there is hope! There are two pathways we can take to get away from comparison. The more you take them, the more accessible they become. This week we shift lanes and stop comparing ourselves with others.

Let Go and Blend Your Inner Mary and Martha

August 7, 2020 • Laura Busse

This week, we’ll see what happened when the sisters, Mary and Martha, met Jesus Face to Face right after the death of their brother Lazarus. Martha accused Mary of being lazy, and Mary thought Martha was a little crazy. But the truth is, both of them showed good qualities. When we face crazy times, whether it’s company coming or COVID keeping our kids home from school, we can handle it best when we blend both Mary and Martha together: praying like it depends on God, then working like it depends on us. Here are 3 Circle Questions for you to reflect on, then discuss in a small group. 1. Who do you most identify with Mary who sat at Jesus’ feet or Martha who was busy in the kitchen? Why so? 2. Why do you like it’s a good idea for us to be a BLEND OF BOTH sisters? 3. How can you be the best blend of Mary and Martha this week? Make an action plan and hold each other accountable to it. Thank you for being a part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Call! If you liked this, please share it with someone. And I always love hearing from you about what you’re thinking, so please email me anytime at http://laura@3oclockwakeup.com