friendship – The Wild Gems

You Are You Hang Out With – Your Circle Should Inspire You, Not Drain You

September 16, 2025 The Wild Gems2 Comments

“Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” – Unknown

Who we spend time with shapes how we think, speak, and act. The people closest to us leave quiet fingerprints on our soul. Their words, habits, and outlook slowly weave into our own. When someone’s anger, negativity, or chaos becomes a regular soundtrack in your life, it slowly rewires your responses. That’s not just theory , it’s practical wiring: we pick up habits, tones, and rhythms from the people around us.

This truth isn’t about cutting people off in cruelty. It’s about wisdom; a guardrail for the heart. Protecting your peace allows you to become the person you are called to be. Sometimes that means creating distance from those who stir drama, and sometimes it means setting different boundaries for your own good.

Like trees sharing roots beneath the soil, we are more connected to those around us than we realize. That’s why boundaries are an act of love; for yourself, for your family, and even for the other person. Enabling unhealthy patterns rarely helps anyone heal.

Practical Steps

• Notice whose emotional tone you carry home. Set a gentle boundary (shorter visits, later pick-ups, less sharing).

• Choose circle-keepers who model what you want to become.

• Offer compassion from a distance: pray for people you can’t be close to right now.

Meat And Cheese Charcuterie Board Inspiration – Visual Layouts And Pairings

January 29, 2023March 14, 2023 The Wild Gems2 Comments

Get started! Charcuterie Boards short cut!

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Charcuterie boards are so much fun! They are kind of like snowflakes, they are each unique in their own way. And what a way to display your creativity! I love it! This blog is specifically meat and cheese but I see myself sharing a sweets charcuterie board blog too in the future. So many possibilities!

I went to a wine tasting last weekend to celebrate a friends 35th birthday. There was a total of 5 of us and we all met because of our daughters. Our girls all met last year in kindergarten and now our little beauties are in first grade. It’s been so much fun developing these types of friendships and I’m so grateful.

Back to the wine tasting, one of the girls brought a prepared charcuterie board that we all got to enjoy and indulge in. A friends of hers actually creates them as a business!

Just sitting with the girls drinking some wine in the vineyards while snacking was pure bliss. If you’re a mom you know how badly you have to take some time for yourself to recharge your batteries.

*The board we snacked on.* *My favorite is the spicy meat paired with a flavored goat cheese and crispy cracker. So yummy!*

We all get excited about having a charcuterie board party. Maybe the wine was kicking in or we were just really hungry which resulted in this charcuterie board being the best thing ever. But this charcuterie board inspired this blog.

I share some layouts to help you with your charcuterie board party that you may be planning and some common pairings. You don’t have to follow it exactly but use this more as a guide and have some fun with it!

Thank you for reading and have fun charcutering! (I just made that up)

Charcuterie Board Visuals

Charcuterie Board Pairings And Tips

Would love to see your board! Share it with us on instagram!

Click here 🙂

For additional pairings with wine specifically check out this blog!

Fall Wines And The Perfect Pairings That Go With Them

Soften The Heart: Devotional #11

November 5, 2021November 7, 2021 The Wild GemsLeave a comment

“As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”

Proverbs: 27:17

I had a really great, thought provoking conversation with a friend of mine that I have only known now for a few months. Our daughters are in class together and we met at one of their classmates birthday parties. Neither one of us knowing a beautiful friendship was about to be born. How grateful we must be for the small moments that lead to something priceless, like an amazing friendship.

We had a conversation on the phone not too long ago, and we had a deep conversation as we normally do. Unfortunately it came to an end due to my children needing my attention, but once we got off the phone I was provoked to find a scripture related to friendship because I felt so grateful to have a friend who I can share my inner thoughts with. We each challenge each other with what we believe in, in a very respectful way.

No offensive is taken, only respect and listening to each other sharing why we feel, believe, or think the way that we do. I believe we humble each other in our discussions and help one another to see more beyond the horizon. We sharpen each other.

How important, and what a gift, friendships are. A friend that is pushing, challenging you, and encouraging you, is going to improve you. Sharpen means improve or cause to improve. Improve means make or become better. Countenance means to admit what is acceptable or possible.

In relation to the scripture above, we strengthen each other’s tolerance and endurance to the sufferings that are experienced in this world. We alleviate burdens and give the gift of perseverance to one another.

To live is to experience suffering, we know this is true, and this scripture tells us how you and I can give strength to one another and endure what to some would be unbearable. This scripture reminds us that we are not alone in our sufferings and how important relationships are with one another.

We are here to uplift one another not to bring down. We must sharpen each other to the best of our capabilities. Because everyone at one time or another will seek or is seeking right now alleviation in what they do not know. We must share our light. We only shine because of those that taught us.

Reach out to your best friends today and remind them how much you cherish their friendship. Explain to them why you choose to have them in your life. Give them love and gratitude. How special to have such friends who develop us and push us to grow.

Love to you all.