Never Unfriended: The Secret to Finding & Keeping Lasting Friendships

Great reminder…. Fitting title.

Whether you’re the new girl looking for your place or the friend who’s been in the thick of life for a decade, Lisa-Jo Baker’s new book is for you.In Never Unfriended: The Secret to Finding and Keeping Lasting Friendships, Lisa-Jo Baker shares honestly about her friendships and the secrets that she found to finding and keeping true friends. “I have spent thousands of hours of my life held hostage by worry about friendships. I have overanalyzed, ranted, and kept my husband awake as I rehashed interactions with women I care about—mining our conversations for minute details and trying to make sense of who was wrong and whether or not I needed to apologize or if I was justified in feeling so upset.”If you’re thinking about reading this book so that you can feel justified in your reactions and find a way to blame everyone else—don’t. Baker wrote this book so that each of us would actually evaluate our relationships as both the perpetrator and recipient because in real life, we are both. This book is part close friend sitting patiently and listening to your deepest pains and part best friend telling you exactly what you need to hear.She begins by helping readers understand exactly how past relationships and personal fears have combined to shape current friendships. Throughout she shares personal stories of her friendships, from her high school friends who consoled her following her mother’s untimely death to the women who brave motherhood with her now. Her words speak truth about friendships and what keeps us from developing deep relationships with other women. It’s all there: our striving to be in the cool group, our desire to impress everyone else, our jealousy about other people’s success, our weariness from the hard parts of friendship, and the loneliness we feel when we’re not chosen or when we’re the new girl once again.She doesn’t give readers an easy out in their relationships. Instead, she challenges them to do the hard work of friendship to find the people who will really do life with them. Her words are laced with biblical examples and truth that give sound guidance to how women should relate to each other. The challenge is to build lasting relationships with the people God has placed in our lives already. She gives women permission to be their real, messy selves in front of friends who will choose to be real and messy with them in the game of life.From the Never Unfriended Promise:“I choose to choose you. To include you. To invite you…I give you my sofa for days you just can’t even. And the nights you need a safe place to feel heard without saying a word…I’m sure I won’t always get it right. But I’ll keep showing up. Friendship on purpose.”I received an Advanced Copy from the Publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Lisa-Jo Baker has done it again! With her own "I get it" style, she shares heartfelt life examples, other people's stories, and Biblical truths woven into a delightful book.She has struck a raw nerve in today's society where women are always made to feel "less-than" whatever today's current trend is, and worthiness is tied to the number of followers in social media and the "likes" of our posts. Not only does she identify and resonate with these facets of friendship, but she offers simple suggestions to help us break out of the rut of loneliness, all the while reminding us gently that there is One who will never leave our side, and He might have Kingdom work for us to do that looks different than someone else's. We need to find "...your own soil waiting for seeds and seasons and harvest."I would of rated it higher had she not frequently used several quotes from one popular Bible study author... Lisa-Jo's writing is strong enough to not have used so many, if any. The other authors quoted were appropriate and brief, and few names were repeated more than once.Still she captures your heart (that can sit in the pit of your stomach) knowing SHE KNOWS how it feels to sit alone at the lunch table or be excluded from the girl's night out group at church. Her remedies have been tested on her, and she always leaves you feeling like she's rooting you on to be the first to say "hello."I love too how she places common sense statements and thoughts to remind us that we play an active part in this too—our lives (i.e. Homes, families, children, careers, hair) do not need to be perfect to pursue (and delight in!) friendship, and being too busy can be a curse... "I don't want to be too busy. I want to be available."I would recommend this book to women who have felt left out, but also to women who are comfortable in life-long relationships, because there's always room for one more at the lunch table...and you are probably unaware how your really good circle of friends could reach out a little farther and do some serious Kingdom blessing. We all have room to learn to love like Jesus loves and be the friend to others that He is to us.I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion in review.All quotes by Lisa-Jo Baker.

I would 100% recommend this book and am looking to buy lots more copies to give to friends. It is so easy to read and relevant and turns your way of thinking around from how can people be friends to me to how can I be a better friend to them.If you are considering buying this book, just do it as you won't be disappointed.

Bought knew. Received used

Enjoying it!

Love this book. There is hope for friendships!