Book: A Friend In Me

Young women long for relational connection with women further ahead of them on the journey. Yet, without realizing it, many of us tend to distance ourselves from those in younger generations.

Can we really have close relationships with women who have different thoughts on church, different experiences with family, and different ways of talking about God? Where do we start?

In A Friend in Me, Pam Lau shows you how to be a safe place for the younger women in your life. She offers five patterns women need to internalize and practice for initiating relationships and talking about issues such as faith, forgiveness, sexuality, and vocation. Most significantly, she reminds you that there doesn't need to be a divide between generations of women. Together, we can have a global impact---and experience a deeper faith than we've ever known.

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When I saw this book for review I thought I recognized the author's name.  Then I realized she was the wife of one of the administrators where I went to college.  It's fun to have at least a little connection to an author, especially of a non-fiction book, so you can imagine them in place when they talk about stories from their life.

I spent quite a few years, especially during those college years, searching for a mentor.  Not just older women who were friends, but one in particular that would be willing to invest time with me.  After several false starts I pretty much gave up.  Recently I joined MOPS and the Mentor Moms have been wonderful.  This is the kind of relationship A Friend in Me is trying to help cultivate.

The book is really written for women over 40, and seeing as how I have a few years yet, and my four small children, it feels a bit like it isn't for me.  Which is not to say there aren't plenty of things I could glean from it!  How do you relate to other women in a way that creates an open atmosphere?  How can women's relationships be a safe haven for each other rather than a feeling of judgement or always having to show perfection? 

It's in being humble, willing to be vulnerable, and saying "me too" when someone else shares something.  Or perhaps, being willing to be the first one to share.  Not always easy! 

I hope that this book can be a useful tool for women.  I would say it's a great resource for my Mentor Moms, but they are doing such a wonderful job already.  Perhaps they will keep it handy as a reference.

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Pam Lau is the author of Soul Strength and numerous articles for such publications as Christian Scholar's Review and Christianity Today. She has taught writing at George Fox University and speaks around the country at conferences and retreats. A graduate of Liberty University and Colorado State University, Lau lives near Portland, Oregon, with her husband and three daughters.

I received this book from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for my fair and honest review.