Recently I have been thinking about my friendships. One prominent feature stands out - specifically, I like being around my friends. Amazingly, my friends like being with me also.

True friendships are built on the basis of acceptance. Once that foundation is established, the relationship can flourish.

For much of my Christian life, when I thought of my relationship with God, friendship is not what I thought about. Words like “service,” “obedience”, “duty”, “doing better”, “improvement” and “trying harder” were more like the words that came to mind.

Sadly, I didn’t truly know what God thought about our relationship. It took me

many years to understand and believe that when He thought of being with me and me being with Him, He thought of

• Pleasure1 • Celebration2

• Intimacy3 • Oneness, unity, and closeness4 • Completeness5 • Desire6

Of course all of these beautiful truths of relationship became mine when I received the gift of salvation. At that point, through repentance and faith, I became His child.7 He killed the old me, buried me with Christ and gave me His resurrected life.8 He made me righteous - just as righteous as He is.9

It’s therefore a settled issue. He likes being with me! 24/7/365!10

Once I embraced what God said about me and Him, my relationship with Him started to flourish. I began to experience what David was talking about when he said “In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” 11

I now enjoy Him. I enjoy being with Him, talking to Him, and sharing life with Him12. That enjoyment spills out of me as I relate to others. I can’t think of a better way to truly enjoy life.

1Eph. 1:5, 1:9, Col. 1:19-20, 2Lk. 15:32, 3Gal. 4:9 4Jn 14:20,

Jn 17:20-23, 5 Col. 2:10, 6 Jn. 17:24, 7Rom. 10:9-10, Jn. 3:3, 1

Jn. 3:1, 8 Rom. 6:4-6, 9 2 Cor. 5:21, Rom. 5:17, 10 Heb. 13:5,

Matt. 28:20, 11 Ps. 16:11b, 12 Col. 3:4

† Christian Families Today † 174 Ashley Park Boulevard - Suite 1, Newnan, GA 30263 † www.ChristianFamiliesToday.org †

SUMMER 2014

Friendship with God

BREZINA

Upda

te

By the Numbers(numbers from our life and work)

6 Sunny days at the beach (in May) the Lord graciously provided for us through the generosity of some friends.

1800+miles we drove in March (to visit family/friends in Texas and to attend a ministry conference near Dallas).

5weeks of swim practice and swim meets the boys enjoyed this summer (their 1st time to compete on a swim team).

2 waiting lists we currently have at CFT (one for women and another for children). We are operating at full capacity and trusting that the Lord will raise up additional resources to help those who are hurting.

2 waiting lists we currently have at CFT (one for women and another for children). We are operating at full capacity and trusting that the Lord will raise up additional resources to help those who are hurting.

1stTime (in a long time) where Beau and Patti have taught a session together at a ministry event (we taught on understanding you and your child’s emotions at a recent conference).

1stTime (in a long time) where Beau and Patti have taught a session together at a ministry event (we taught on understanding you and your child’s emotions at a recent conference).

We are seeing individuals and families hurting in their relationships like never before. In the midst of this dysfunction and pain, CFT is providing a safe place for their healing. Would you prayerfully consider joining us in offering a beacon of hope to these children, teens, adults and couples?

JOINWITH

US

† Christian Families Today † 174 Ashley Park Boulevard - Suite 1, Newnan, GA 30263 † www.ChristianFamiliesToday.org †

Thank you!We have been blessed by so many of you over our 9+ years in full time ministry. You have encouraged us, prayed for us, and given faithfully and sacrificially. We are deeply grateful for you.

From the InboxAn encouraging email from a ministry partner...

“I love to read the updates on your ministry. Even though we have so much in the U.S., there are a lot of hurting

people who need a helping hand. I am so glad God has opened my eyes to that fact, and am thankful that people

like you are pouring yourselves into helping others."

Pray GiveVolunteerConnect

Atte

nd

Do you have a friend who needs help? We have gifted counselors and life coaches on staff who can help! Are you looking for study material on family life issues? We have recommended resources that will aid you and your loved ones as you grow.

If you would like encouragement in your relationships or training in how to better help those you know who are hurting, we regularly present refreshing seminars and training classes both in our office and in the community.

From seminar setup, breakdown and refreshments, to “behind the scenes” office work, from vacuuming the floors to taking out the trash, we always welcome help!

Day in and day out, we see struggles that range from communication difficulties to abuse, from parenting concerns to marriage frustration. Please pray that God reveals His truth & healing to those who come for help and that He guides us as we minister to them.

If your church, business, school, Bible study or neighborhood group would like to be inspired and encouraged in how to consistently experience healthy relationships, we’d be happy to share (either in person or through live video-conferencing).

CFT is a faith based ministry. Our salary support comes from partners that God leads to give towards our work. This frees us to help all who are struggling but can’t afford help. No one is turned away due to financial difficulty. CFT is a 501c3 non-profit so your donations are deductible.

Host

Beau and Patti