inner circle

what are the people in your "inner circle" like? those closest to you, the ones you prefer and who know you deeply? not your acquaintances. not your friends' friends. but your good friends. the ones who stir up emotion in you and bring out your best.

i was emailing my friend alex this morning, reflecting on my college experience and why i was/am drawn to certain people and why i value certain relationships. by the way, i'm convinced that my experience at GCSU wasn't for my degree, but rather the relationships that were formed and still remain. :)

i came to the conclusion that i am most drawn to people who:

i can connect with. who i can find common ground with.
are complex emotionally.
don't always follow the rules.
own their faith and live it.
have life experiences and God encounters that give them foundation for their opinions and convictions.
love others.
listen well.
display emotion.
bring out the inner child in me.
cause me to want to live better and more purposefully.
remind me of my normalcy and beauty in who God made me.
verbalize their thoughts.
don't always agree with me.
are passionate about something, at least one thing.
smile a lot.
laugh a lot.
don't take themselves, or life, too seriously.
don't make quick assumptions about others.
analyze.
embrace change and new perspectives.
love the word of God and speak it into my life.

what kinds of things draw you to other people? some of my reasons are more about me and what people do for me or to me rather than the actual person. but it's because of who they are that they affect me in such ways. we need each other to thrive in who we are as individuals. God made us that way. the body.