Friends are such a blessing! It is always nice to have good friends, but it’s even more important to BE a good friend. Being kind, considerate, and encouraging to each other is the key!

We can read many verses in the Bible about friendship. Here are a few:

“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Proverbs 27:17 (KJV)

“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24 (KJV)

“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:12-13 (KJV)

And perhaps one of the best biblical examples of true friendship is that of David and Jonathan in 1 and 2 Samuel!

National Friendship Day

But did you know that there is even a special day set aside to celebrate friendship? In 1935, the United States Congress proclaimed the first Sunday of August as National Friendship Day. Since then, other countries have also embraced the tradition of celebrating Friendship Day, and in 1997, the United Nations named Winnie-the-Pooh as the World’s Ambassador of Friendship. How appropriate!

This year in the United States, National Friendship Day will fall on Sunday, August 1, 2021. Can you think of some ways to celebrate your friends?

Here are a few ideas:
-Simply send a text to your pals telling them how much they mean to you.
-Make a quick phone call or send a ‘real’ card through the mail to convey the same message.
-Even better, tell your friends face-to-face what a blessing they are to you!

If you have a bit of extra time and parental permission, it might be fun to make a sweet treat to share with your special friends and family—and chocolate is always a great idea!

Here’s a quick and easy recipe for No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Drops that is a surefire way to show your friends that you appreciate them.

No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Drops

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup milk
2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups quick-cooking oats

Directions:
1. Line a large cookie sheet or metal pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
2. Combine butter, milk, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Continue stirring and allow the mixture to boil for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. Pour the oats into the chocolate mixture and stir until completely combined.
4. Drop the chocolate oat mixture by spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet. The chocolate will begin to harden as it cools, so work quickly.
5. Place the pan into the fridge and allow the chocolate oatmeal drops to chill for about 10-15 minutes, or until firm.

Once the chocolate oatmeal drops are cool, place them in an airtight container. They will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Of course, they’re so good, they probably won’t last that long!

The Gift of Prayer

National Friendship Day is definitely a fun tradition, but of course, we need to be true friends every day of the year. We should appreciate and love our friends well all the time. We need to encourage, uplift, and support them at every turn. And remember, the best gift we can give our friends is to pray for them—by name—each day. And maybe they will do the same for us!

Blessings,

Amy O’Quinn

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