Last night, Mike and I went to a local mission benefit, The guest speakers were authors and best friends, Ron Hall and Denver Moore. Their best-selling book, Same Kind of Different as Me is an endearing story of an unlikely friendship brought together by a loving wife who saw through the superficial in life to realize, as Denver Moore said last evening, “We’s all God’s people.” Ron Moore unabashedly credited the Lord and his loving ,wife for the miracles that followed. The book is a treasure of freindship and unlikely pairings that only God could have orchestrated.
Mr. Moore and Mr. Hall signed books after the dinner, and I managed to snag a couple of copies. So, in the spirit of bloggy giveaway, I would like to give a signed copy to two of you who would be interested. Offer is good to US and Canadian residents. Two winners will be drawn on Monday, February 9. To enter, leave a comment about any of the following:
1. how you believe differences in backgrounds make good friendships.
2. where God is stirring you to go outside your comfort zone to reach others in love.
3. how you and your best friend met.
I can’t wait to read your comments, and you may enter as many times as you like, but only comments with a story will qualify.
If you have time, come back and listen to this song’s words by Norah Jones. It was part of what Ron Hall quoted as their theme song.
annette geffert 
My best friend and I met at a restaurant.
differences in backgrounds make for good friends because it allows you to open doors and see inside of someone instead of just looking at them from the outside
Please pick me to win 🙂
My best friend for many years (until she moved away to a far-off state) Suzanne and I met in Art School. We had a particularly “enthusiastic” design teacher who would take students’ designs off the wall and rip them up if he didn’t like them! She and I were the only ones who protested this (I more vocally than she, saying that even if the design didn’t fit the assignment well it may have in it a seed for something the person would do in the future – and thus the art teacher disliked me for the rest of the semester!) and then we found ourselves outside the classroom talking.
She was from a very small town, a farm actually, and had grown up with 8 brothers; I was born in New York, the first child of three, of parents who had just come to America from Ukraine. We couldn’t be more different but we had the same ideology (respect for a person’s work), which was a very valid reason for friendship! Yes we should step outside our comfort zone when meeting new people, especially people from different cultures, who can teach us a different way to look at life that we can incorporate into our own. I would have never guessed that Suzanne and I would become friends if this incident hadn’t occurred. She went on to become a well-known artist and I did well in the field of poetry (again, very different, though we each got a degree in Fine Arts) but our opinions on respect and honesty let us be friends for many, many years!
You can learn so much if your open your eyes and heart, I’ve learned so much from people from other places. All you have to do is step out of your comfort zone and make an effort, it pays off in the end.
We seek out that which we are lacking which is why making friends with people different than us add to s to help complete us as a person. this is why opposites atract!
My best friend and I met in 8th grade for me, 7th for her when I was drawing a picture of my favourite cartoon. She saw me drawing it and noticed it was her favourite, too. Embarassed of my work, I covered it up. She commented that she liked it too so after school that day we went to a bookstore to buy items relating to that cartoon, and talk. 12+ years later, we’re still best friends. 🙂 Thank you for offering this giveaway! eyeslikesugar [at] gmail [dot] com
Pick me please 🙂
I think people of different backgrounds add spice to your life. You have more perspectives than just your own to judge situations in life. You have differing points of view.
Thanks for the giveaway.
Count me in for today please 🙂
I met my best friend 5 years ago. We were both on the drama team for our Women’s Retreat at our church. Somehow we carpooled the 2 hour drive together. Once we started to talk and share our lives with one another, I knew we had a special bond! The similarities were amazing. It was one of those treasured moments where we felt like we had known each other for years. Kindred spirits. I am so blessed to have her in my life!
Thanks for your giveaway. I look forward to keeping up with your blog.
Stay Cozy, Carrie
I am a firm believer that God brings people of different cultures together to teach them their similarities~
Pick me 😉
Hi!
I wandered upon your blog today and have enjoyed reading some of your posts!
My best friend and I met when we were both in kindergarten. For some crazy reason, we were standing in chairs, writing on the chalkboard together–side by side.
Now, we’re 37 years old and 32 years later are still like bread and butter!
I could ramble on and on about how alike, yet different, we are, but I’m just so thankful that God put her in my life many many years ago!
I.am.dying.to.read.this.book!!!
Differences in background make good friendships because through deep, rich friendships with my Asian friends, I have “traveled” to places I may never go and been used in ways I only dreamed of to teach these ladies English and about the love of Jesus.
When I was single, I secretly wanted to go to China to be an English teacher but was too afraid to pursue it…God has redeemed my fear by bringing Korea and China to me!
Great book – count me in 🙂
I think differences in background help people to see situations and people from another point of view and open our minds to new possibilities.
Count me in 🙂
At one point in our married lives, we owned a laundromat/dry cleaning business. Colleen came in the door, bounced over to me and said, “Hi, I’m Colleen.!” We bonded instantly. I think it was 1981.
I met my best friend on a camping trip through Algonquin Park in northern Ontario.We met as we were canoeing.After 23 years we’re still friends and continue meeting at the park each summer.
My best friend and I met when we had neighboring cubes at work. I thought she was the loudest, most obnoxious office assistant I had ever met (and I still do!). Thanks for the giveaway!
Differences do make great friendships. I’ve always had a diverse group of friends. I’ve had the chance to try new foods, hear new styles of music, learn about other cultures and beliefs, and much more. They have helped to make my life richer, and I’ll always be greatful.
love to read
I met my best friend about 5 years ago. I always knew of His existence; but He verrified Himself to me one day.
I was very ill, depressed, suicidal, in bed and just didn’t know how I could go on. I will be very honest and say that the thought of committing suicide and taking my children with me did cross my mind at the time. In my mind, it wouldn’t have been wrong to do, it would have been the loving thing to do.
Thank God I was too ill to get out of bed.
Speaking of God, our dog Rupert jumped up on the bed to lay with me, I started to stroke Rupert and that is when my best friend came to me.
God came to me that hot summer afternoon and somehow through the unconditional love I had for Rupert, or Rupert had for me, God freed me of all emotional and physical pain. He showed me Heaven, He showed me lush gardens, blue skys, brightly coloured flowers, trees……and utter peace, unconditional love so thick you could cut it like a knife (in a good way) and the warmth, it wasn’t a temperature warmth is was a warmth only brought on by pure love.
He showed me what was waiting for me, He showed me that I would indeed one day, after I leave this world, be FREE from all pain in any form and I would be loved unconditionally and forever by Him as I am now, but without any earthly burdens.
I really don’t know how long this moment lasted but it changed my life here on earth.
I am so thankful to God, every minute of every day.
Thanks, I would be blessed if I were to win these beautiful books/book.
I had moved to a new town and just started school, all year long the bully of the school constantly pestered me, I was so tired of being bullied, the next year it would get worse, I would be starting High school and was debating on whether or not to even go to school the next year, of course my mom had been pushing me to go, so when I went to the first day of high school, I met her, we had all the same classes, we were like two peas in a pod, we were more like sisters than friends from that day on we were inseparable, no bully dared mess with 2 of us at the same time so all the harassing stopped. that has been more than 30 years ago , we live hundreds of miles away from each other, but we still keep in contact with each other, we talk as often as possible, and we each know that we have a friend for life!
When I saw the 3rd category, Annette, I couldn’t resist. I met my best friend 7 years ago on a housekeeping website. She is my dearest friend that I feel I can trust with my deepest thoughts and the ugliest part of me and it would not scare her off. Til the day I die I could not imagine that I could make a friend more dear to me than she is. A friend loveth at all times, Annette, and I love you!
I think differences between people educate you and broaden the horizons,
Thanks for the giveaway!
kimspam66(at)yahoo(dot)com
Your stories are warming my heart. Please keep sharing.
I thought I’d jump in and tell how I met my best friend. I was kicked in the stomach. I’m pulling your leg, but I’m not when I say we met in the womb. My twin sister has been there since we were one. We split up, but we got over it, and have been best friends since Day 1.
Each of your stories are an amazing gift.
God took me way out my comfort zone a few years ago as He had me pray for people to be healed…I said God – healing ministers are usually weirdos and now I guess I am one of them…
I do have to share I met my best friend in 5th grade…we got into trouble and were sent to kneel in the hallway together…it was a real bonding experience…
Love you Annette!
Annette H
I met my best friend about 40 years ago when I was at a party and decided to check on my hair in the washroom. She was sitting in a bedroom, obviously not having a good time, but after sitting down and talking with her for awhile, there were so many similarities in our lives i.e. only children, both studied music (piano and voice), and, as we found out later, our dads knew each other and we become friends. We both stood up for each other at our weddings, and she has become a dear sister to me and a true friend.
God takes me out of my comfort zone a lot when I am at work. The patients He brings me are a lot of times SO different than me. There are a lot of patients from India in our practice and they are so sweet to teach me a lot about their customs and traditions. Many of them have become good friends as well as patients. I am also reminded of all of the people we met in South Africa. We were the only Americans and met people from all over the world. It would have been easy to keep to ourselves, but we met some of the most amazing friends there! We are friends with some of them on facebook and are hoping to have a reunion in 5 years at Ulusaba again! God definitely orchestrated that trip! I met my closest friend right here at Annie’s Eyes! Who would think I could meet someone on a computer who I know I will be friends for the rest of my life?!! God is the Only One who could have made that happen!
Love you,
Angie xoxo
When I was an 18 year old, I returned home after spending the summer in California doing mission work. My parents “encouraged” me to get a job because I couldn’t quite decide what I wanted to do about college. So, I went to work at a local pizza joint. They hired a young asian american girl who had just moved here from NM by way of Germany. She wanted someone to go skiing with her and I wanted out of the house, so I agreed. We became lifelong friends. Somewhere along the way, she met Jesus and challenged me to be a better wife and mother. Our babies are six weeks apart (except the third one. I told her she was on her own with that one.) To this day, I still miss her mom (who died several years ago from ovarian cancer.) I love her dad like he’s my own father. She attends church where my parents do and loves them like they were her own as well. We know each other so well and are amazed where we are today. I think if we didn’t talk for six months, we could still carry on a conversation like we were together yesterday. (oh the stories I could tell. But I won’t.)