Friendship. It’s one of those topics we circle back to frequently here at Mothers of Daughters.
We long for a formula we can share with our girls, a guaranteed method of navigating the ins and outs of building and sustaining true friendships with others. Wouldn’t that be fabulous?
My daughter is 17. She’s had some really great friends and she’s had some humdingers. There have been nights when I’ve hollered for giggling girls to be quiet and nights when I’ve held my girl as she cried the sobs of a broken heart.
What if our girls were different? What if they had a grasp of what it is to be a true friend? What if they were the girls who looked for the forgotten and said, “We saved you a seat”?
We Saved You a Seat
Friendships can be one of the most challenging things in our daughters’ lives. So when we find great resources we want to shout about them from the mountaintops. And, when those resources are created by someone we know and deeply respect, well, that’s just even better.
Lisa-Jo Baker, who is the community manager at (in)courage, is truly one of the most genuine and gracious people we know. She is a connector of people and she loves women so much. Earlier this year she released her second book, Never Unfriended, and y’all, I loved it so much I gave it Casiday for Easter and my girl, who doesn’t even really like to read, is reading it. {You can read more about Never Unfriended here.}
This week, Lisa-Jo’s next friendship project has been released — We Saved You a Seat: Finding and Keeping Lasting Friendships. Y’all, it is fabulous! The videos include some very familiar (in)courage faces and are deeply honest and encouraging. {You can read more about this Bible study and the fun Bible study kit created to go with it here.}
But Lisa-Jo is a girl mom. And she knows it isn’t just us grown up girls who can struggle with finding and being good friends. So she also wrote a teen version of We Saved You a Seat.
Some of the best and most difficult work God calls us to do is to love other people.
In a culture where friendship is measured in follows, likes, mentions, and snaps, and being “unfriended” is a very real worry, girls often think they need to have it all together—the pressure for perfection creates distance instead of real, authentic relationships.
We Saved You A Seat takes girls deeper into Scripture to learn how to create, invest in, and keep up lifelong friendships. Jesus is the role model for our friendships and Scripture is the foundation. We don’t wait until we’re all put together to come to Jesus. Over the course of seven sessions, girls will learn that true friendship takes…
- Showing up and being willing to go first
- Being vulnerable and knowing that real friendship is messy
- Encouraging rather than competing
- The desire for connection over perfection
- Forgiveness
- Knowing when to walk away
- Action
While girls may talk about the follows and likes and the perfect promposal, what they really want is true, lasting, unconditional friendship. They want connection. They want to know that someone saved them a seat.
{description from the LifeWay website}
Sounds incredible, right?
Well, our dear friends at DaySpring want to champion us girl moms and help us guide our girls. Soooooo … they’re giving away a mother-daughter set of We Saved You a Seat.
What a great opportunity for us to spend the summer with our girls digging into the heart of what friendship is intended to be.
Entering is easy, leave a comment sharing one of the ways your daughter is a good friend. And, for extra entries, share this post on social media. Leave an additional comment with the link for every social media share. The giveaway will be open through Tuesday, May 23, at midnight CDT. Winner will be notified via email and will receive participant books for both the adult and teen versions of We Saved You a Seat.
Easy, peasy, right? All you moms with teenagers, I know you’re going to love this resource as much as I do!
xoxo,
Teri Lynne
27 Comments
Other parents have told me my daughter is loyal. They is nice to hear.
Thank you for hosting this contest! My daughter is a good friend because regularly invites friends over to play.
My daughter is a good friend because she is incredibly thoughtful-looking for ways to surprise her friends with little things that reflect them; whether it’s a graphic, a gift, a meme, a song, whatever. She’s that way with family also.
https://www.facebook.com/cjournellhoch
I’m not sure how to share the link to my share???!!!
My 13 yr old has had a HARD year with friendships. Watching her continue to be kind and generous to those who ignore her or say rude things to her makes me both proud and sad. I’d love to gather a group of girls and do this study with them.
This sounds like something both my daughter and I could be truly blessed by. I’m wondering if it is appropriate for an 11 year old? She is a caring and compassionate friend.
My daughter is a good friend because she is genuine.
My daughter includes everyone and is so happy for her friends when they share their accomplishments. What a cheerleader !
My daughter is a good friend because she has a tender heart. Always encouraging amd loving on those around her.
This is perfect timing. My daughters are both good friends to their friends because they look out for each other and stick up for each other.
My daughter is a good friend because she tries to make sure everyone feels loved.
My husband and I coach and teach in public education. Teen years can be so self focused, I love seeing my daughter going out of her way to encourage others and working and leading younger kids.
Thank you for sharing! I have been praying about a bible study to focus upon with my 16yo daughter this summer, and I have just found what God is convicting us to both study together! My daughter is currently navigating through trials in her friendships and I am proud of how she is coming to understand that God brings us to storms in relationships to work not only in us but also through us! While at times very difficult, she is learning God calls us to love others even in the most difficult of trials…for while we were still sinners, God loved us!!!
I have identical twin girls and I feel so humbled when I see that they reach out to all girls….when they are on team sports or in class…they will be the ones to talk to those that are younger or are standing to the side. They don’t look at the outside and I am so blessed that this something they’ve done since they were itty-bitty.
My daughter is so special and has such a huge Heart. She’s had and incredibly difficult time keeping friends because she shuts down easily and can be socially challenging. She’s had a rough history of abuse that has pained her, but even still she’s a great and loving friend despite her difficulties. She makes cards and writes letters and always trys to befriend people who don’t appreciate her. It’s bitter sweet.
Kindness is so important. Be the role model.
My oldest daughter (12yo) demonstrates true friendship through her genuinely caring and compassionate actions. Whether it’s bringing warm socks and favorite items to a classmate hospitalized for major surgery 30 mi away or creating a silly gift exchange among friends who are “mad” at each other, she is always one to encourage and cheer on others. We look forward to checking out this new study!
She is kind and if she sees someone not included will befriend them to make them feel special.
My teenage twin daughters are always ready to slow down & savor a discussion at “Tuck-In”, cultivating friendship and their small-group of girls is a weekly highlight!
My daughter is a good friend because she is kind and brings joy to her friendships.
My girls are trustworthy and leave people better than they found them.
My teenage daughters are cheerleaders for their friends…
My daughter is a good friend in that she is understanding and cares for her friends and loves to have a good time.
She often looks for and befriends the girl sitting alone
My daughter is a good friend because she is so generous and encouraging. She always includes the “underdog” and loves to plan events for her friends. I am so proud of her!
My daughter has friends from a variety of backgrounds. She never notices what her friends look like but instead at who they really are and tries to support them thru the good and bad times.
My daughter is a good friend because she always wants to stand up for what’s right no matter who the person is.