The Gift of Friendship {Quick Review}

The Gift of Friendship by Dawn Camp

Visit the Author's website HERE

Publisher: Revell

Publishing Date: February 16, 2016

Goodreads Summary:

Whether next door or in the next time zone, our friends provide some of our most important relationships. We cherish time spent with them, bemoan time spent apart, and look forward to the next time we can have coffee or rush to greet them as they walk toward our door. And nothing warms our hearts like stories of true friendship. 
Collecting over fifty true stories from some of today best writers, Dawn Camp offers readers a chance to sit back and experience the gift of friendship. With its beautiful photographs and poignant prose, this collection is a great gift for a dear friend and the perfect pick-me-up any time you need a boost. Contributors include Crystal Paine, Liz Curtis Higgs, Tsh Oxenreider, Myquillyn Smith, Jennifer Dukes Lee, Lisa-Jo Baker, Jessica Turner, Lysa TerKeurst, Bonnie Gray, Holley Gerth, Renee Swope, and many more.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via the author's launch team in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Buy a copy today!

My Thoughts:
I'm so honored to be on Camp's launch team for this book! I really enjoyed her first compilation, The Beauty of Grace, totally loved the cover, and am already considering a re-read. Camp now returns with 'The Gift of Friendship', once again gathering the best writers from around the Christian blogosphere to write on ''stories that celebrate the beauty of shared moments".

To be forthright, I didn't enjoy it as much as the first book. 'Friendship' still has a comfortable, "Chicken Soup for the Soul" vibe to it and blessedly (for this mom of a newborn) all the entries were short. However, I didn't feel that their stories/words struck me as profound. None of them truly jumped out at me in a 'that's how I feel' kind of way.

Nevertheless, each author's words are touching and beautiful. There is potential for both laughter and tears if this book is put in the right hands. It would make a fantastic gift for a birthday or 'just because'.

I'll leave you here with a few favorite quotes. Enjoy! :)

"It takes security to know that listening to a friend share her victories and blessings doesn't diminish our own choices and abilities. It takes compassion to know that listening to her share her struggles and losses doesn't elevate our status in the imaginary Woman Who Most Has Her Act Together challenge. It takes a true sister to cheer on another sister in ways that make both women come alive."

--"The One Thing Every Good Friend Does" - Kristen Strong 

"While we both love sharing our lives with others through opening our homes, hospitality is a matter of the heart. Hospitality is setting the tone for relationships more than it is about the actual place the relationship is formed."

--"Lessons in Hospitality from my Hairstylist" - Melissa Michaels 

"Life is stressful and there are a hundred reasons to lose your cool every day. But when you see someone show mercy and grace and kindness and patience, it stops you in your tracks. It is not the normals way of the world." 

--"More Patience" - Edie Wadsworth