Some people appear to have a natural aptitude for being a friend. Me, not so much. I’ve often said, “I stink as a friend”.  I don’t mean to.  My self-centered needs usurps my best of intentions.  Aware of my friendship deficit, I was unsure if I possessed the acumen to review Michele Faehnle and Emily Jaminet’s new book.  To be honest, when I received my copy of The Friendship Project: The Catholic Women’s Guide to Making and Keeping Fabulous, Faith-Filled Friends from Ave Maria Press, I placed it in the “maybe review” pile.

I began my “reading” by exploring Michele and Emily’s The Friendship Project website.  My history with these two ministry powerhouses afforded a confidence that I’d find a storehouse of rockin’ supplemental material. Likewise, I trusted TheFriendshipProject.com to guide my “review or not to review” decision, once I was  acquainted with the book and the accompanying group study.   After perusing the sample chapter and watching the group study videos, my enthusiasm for the book blossomed but I was still apprehensive about posting a review.

In their introductory video, Michele and Emily beautifully illustrate our shared belief that there are no coincidences in life as they share many moments in their friendship that only the Lord could have orchestrated.  I call those “only God could have done this” type of moments a godcidence.  My answer as to whether I was qualified to review a book on friendship came as my own godcidence moment.   When I received an email graciously invited by my new friends, Michele and Emily, (thanks to gift of social media) inviting me to be a part of The Friendship Project blog tour.  Clearly, the Lord knew I (like so many others) would benefit from reading (and sharing) this book.   It was also the perfect opportunity to practice the virtues of friendship highlighted in The Friendship Project.

You Had me at No Guilt

The tipping-point came in a simple statement from the authors assuring me there is no guilt within these pages. After hearing that I knew I’d love this new book as much as I did their first, Divine Mercy for Moms.  Her words reassured me that I could read this book and feel better (not worse) about my ability to be and accept friends in my life. Women are so hard on themselves.  We set these ridiculous goals of perfection and even if we are reaching them never feel good enough.

Thank goodness for the blessing of friendship, beginning with the one God blessed Michele and Emily with, which made this fabulous new book and group study possible.

Making and keeping friends has been a long standing struggle.  I have often felt like a round peg trying to be the square peg to fit in with others.  True friendship, I have discovered, comes from being able to be myself – and loved even when I am not being the best me.   Wish The Friendship Project  existed when I was in my twenties as I began to juggle work and friends; or my thirties as I navigated even bigger strains on my time for friends – marriage and motherhood.   The more responsibilities added to my life the less time I found for others.

In 2006, I began attending a weekly faith sharing group. This was a game changer. My relationship with God strengthened but more importantly came an unexpected  blessing of the addition of godly friends in my life.  Though not without missteps and misunderstandings, my friendships have definitely evolved into sturdy shelters and cherished treasures.  The excitement of sharing The Friendship Project with my faith-filled friends envelopes me with a Christmas Morning type anticipation. I can only imagine the soaring heights of joy, peace and hope God has in store for our relationships as we incorporate newly honed virtues into them.

Michele and Emily’s friendship project not only affirmed the wisdom of the power of friends of faith but also provide much needed guidance in making, building, and maintaining those relationships.

I highly recommend adding The Friendship Project: The Catholic Woman’s Guide to Making and Keeping Fabulous, Faith-filled Friends to our reading list.  As an advocate for Group Study, I highly recommend reading this with friends as well.   God blesses us in many ways while we are upon this earth.  One of His special gifts are the people he places in our lives.  Let The Friendship Project become your owner’s manual to getting the most of this precious present from our Loving Father!

Michele Faehnle and Emily Jaminet are busy wives, mothers, and volunteers. They are also friends, Catholic speakers, and the dedicated coauthors of Divine Mercy for Moms, which continues to inspire women to come together to pray, study, and live in friendship around the Divine Mercy devotion. In the midst of their active lives, Faehnle and Jaminet found themselves missing their old friends and searching for new ones. They also realized that they needed to continually work to develop deep, meaningful relationships that would allow them to be themselves, to care for others and be cared for, and to deepen their Catholic faith.

In The Friendship Project, Faehnle and Jaminet explore the cardinal and theological virtues with an eye toward friendship. Focusing on faith, hope, love, prudence, gratitude, loyalty, generosity, and prayerfulness, they help us answer questions such as, “What does it mean to be women of hope, and how does that change our lives and make us more compassionate friends during difficult times?” and “How does prayerfulness teach us how to listen to and talk with both God and our friends, which helps us reach out to those we love?”

Faehnle and Jaminet answer these questions and more by employing Church teaching and telling us stories of their own friendships and those from the lives of saints and biblical women—including the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Elizabeth, St. Thérèse of Lisieux and her sister Servant of God Léonie, and Sts. Perpetua and Felicity. Not only will you be drawn closer to friends both new and old but you’ll also be reminded how these friendships—and the virtues you practice to nurture them—draw you closer to God.

Prayers, discussion questions, and a study guide make this a perfect resource for women’s groups.
(from The Friendship Project product page ~ Ave Maria Press)