” This year is for the ones who are ready to come alive again. So many of us feel a little numb. We’ve each lost something or felt disappointed over the past few years and now we are needing a new way to move forward. We need a fresh start.

Søren Kierkegaard, a 19th-century theologian and poet, wrote “People settle for a level of despair they can tolerate and call it happiness.” This is the year we no longer settle for tolerable despair, and instead, we’ll dream bigger, risk greater and love better. And the way we’re going to do that is through the company we keep.We’re here to remind you that having your people by your side is not a perk of living a giant, beautiful, juicy life – it’s a prerequisite.

It’s time to toss out our notions that we must do any of this alone, that it’s “too late” to create an abundantly rich group of girlfriends or that the pace of life leaves no room for meaningful connection. Instead, we’ll take in something new, something God is always using to reach out to us: deep relationships.

Having a genuine, supportive, honest group of female friends in your circle is one of the biggest life upgrades. “Ran out of gas? Of course I’ll help push your car, but we will definitely laugh about it for the next 40 years.” Friends to put down as your kids’ emergency contact at school. People who help themselves to whatever is in your pantry without asking. Someone who has witnessed your most embarrassing moment and who would never serve your kid peas because she knows it makes him gag.

If you desperately want this kind of friendship but it feels hard to come by, you’re not alone. Community is such a cliché concept, but the truth is, we are all pretty desperate for it. We know it will make our lives better, and yet finding friends as adults can feel intimidating. Despite our best efforts, we all seem to be in the midst of a loneliness epidemic.

This is why we are declaring it the year of friendship, courage and purpose. Friendships where we aggressively believe in each other, pray for each other and believe the other deserves the world. That is what we do at MOPS. If you’re ready for a community like this, then you belong here. Your best days are ahead of you. We are going to be here cheering you on. And what you can’t do alone, we can and will do together.

Loneliness says…
No one really loves me.
No one knows the real me.
My life has no purpose.
I am cut off from God.
No one carries the load with me.
I don’t feel included.

Get ready, because this year we will be each other’s hype women, ride or dies and emergency contacts when life demands a call for help. You and me and all of us, we go together. “