We are often asked how successful friendsfirst is?
If you judge success by the number of marriages we've had then we are very successful. And if you add in the numbers of people making new friends (which is what some people join for) then it's even better
For more details of couples stories
> click here
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Enhance your social skills!
Would you like to be better at meeting people, feel more confident and do it more often? We've teamed up with The Dating Doctor giving you preferential rates on a whole range of his services.
For more details.
> click here
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Members Newsletter January 2009
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friendsfirst's 5th Members Newsletter
Keeping in touch January, 2009 - Issue 5
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| Dear Katharine, |
Hi, Welcome to our 5th Newsletter dedicated to friendsfirst members. There's lots of news in this edition as well as our usual articles on things we hope you'll find useful and thought provoking.
As ever your feedback is always welcome and if you want to talk to us in person, we are only a phone call away. If you have any topic you'd like to see covered in future issues, please let us know.
With best wishes,
Patricia
Patricia Gilliam - friendsfirst Membership Manager, and the team at friendsfirst
P.S Don't miss our members offer at the bottom of the newsletter.
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| friendsfirst's News |
Information in Profiles - You had your say - now for the results
In the last newsletter we asked you for your opinion (through a quick survey) about whether the profiles of other members that you receive should include people's ages or not. We are very grateful to so many for taking the time to let us know your views. There was an overwhelming response of 'keep age details in' so we won't be making any changes there and you will continue to see the age of a person on their profile. If you were one of the people who sent us detailed feedback and included a question, please email it to me at info@friends1st.co.uk - the survey was anonymous and there is no way of knowing who the questions came from.
How our profile distribution works - your questions answered
It's not uncommon for us to receive phone calls from members saying they've been contacted by someone whose profile they haven't had and asking us why this happens. I hope the following explanation will help you to understand how our system works. We are unable to ensure that each member who receives a profile will also have had their profile sent to the other person. This is because we have four different levels of membership and members do not receive profiles at the same frequency. So for example, Member A (who receives profiles every month) gets Member B's details in December 2008. However Member B receives profiles every quarter and their next mailing is in February 2009. They may receive Member A's details then. With some members getting profiles every month and some getting them every six months you will see there can be quite a time difference for members in getting each others profiles. However we can assure you that it is most likely that over the course of your year's membership, your profile will be sent to everyone whose profile you have received.
It is for this reason that we encourage you to send your profile out to others when you are contacting them - just in case they haven't had it yet (and you can always ring us up and find out if the person you are interested in has indeed received your profile).
Profile confidentiality - Please note carefully
At the end of last year somebody left a set of profiles in a public place. I'm sure this was a mistake but please be aware that profiles can contain personal information (i.e. telephone numbers and email addresses) which is intended for the member we send the profiles to only and not for anyone else (friend, family or stranger!). I am sure no-one would want their details left around for anyone to see or find, so please make sure you are very vigilant with what we send you - and DON'T leave them lying around.
Our Discussion Boards are temporarily down
We've been having a great problem with spam in our discussion boards (which hopefully you won't have been aware of as we monitor content before it goes live) but as a result we've had to temporarily disable them. I hope this won't be for long and we'll let you know when they are running again.
Another engagement
We were so thrilled to get the following email yesterday. "Dear friendsfirst, Just wanted to let you know that Stuart and Kirsty have got engaged! You very kindly introduced us in November 2006 and we have slowly been getting to know each other since then. We have felt that God has been in our relationship right from the start and are thrilled to take this next step. We would so appreciate your prayers for the future as we decide on a date and seek God about where He wants us to live as we both live in different parts of the country! Thanks so much. Very best wishes and God bless, Stu & Kirsty
What this just shows is that you don't have to start off living locally to the person who is right for you - and secondly that sometimes God takes his time but the wait is often worth it.
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Blind dates or first meetings - are you just too scared to go there?
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Have you considered asking us to fix you up on a 'blind date' but are just too nervous? Are you trembling at the thought of meeting another member for the first time? If you've answered yes to either of these questions then we have some useful things for you to think about that could help get you going and ensure that you not only get to meet more people - but make a success of those you do meet. Click here to go to our website to read an article which we recommend by David Levine.
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| The benefits of gratefulness |
I for one am very aware that I do not practises gratitude enough. And yet the expression of gratitude - the simple act of thanking others for favours or service, or simply counting your blessings isn't just good manners. In the first place it's something we are called to do in the Bible. There are countless verses about it. For instance:
- Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (Ps 106:1)
- Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6)
- Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thess 5:18)
Now if that weren't a good enough reason to do it, researchers have found that giving thanks is like exercising - it's good for your health! Robert Emmons and Sonja Lyubomirsky, professors of psychology at the University of California-Davis, are among researchers who have studied the power of gratitude. They learned, for example, that:
- People with high blood pressure not only lower their blood pressure, but feel less hostile and are more likely to quit smoking and lose weight when they practise gratitude. In one study, patients just called a research hotline once a week to report on the things that made them grateful.
- Those who maintain a thankful attitude through life appear to have lower risks of several disorders, including depression, phobias, bulimia and alcoholism.
This certainly is food for thought and should encourage us to practise gratitude more regularly. To read the rest of their research findings as well as strategies to help you do it, click here.
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Wit and Wisdom
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"To love and be loved is the great happiness of existence" Sydney Smith
"Men fall in love through their eyes; women fall in love through their ears!" Woodrow Wyatt
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That's all for this edition,
We look forward to speaking to you soon
With best wishes
Patricia
Patricia Gilliam friendsfirst Membership Manager
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Save £10 and enhance your profile!
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Take advantage of our special members only offer and save £10 off the price of having your profile enhanced. Normally costing £60, you can now have an enhanced profile for £50. Having an enhanced profile will help your profile stand out from others. It involves a half hour dedicated telephone interview with us and allows us to go into your background, interests, likes and dislikes in much greater detail and helps us put across the essence of who you really are to others. Take up this offer before 12th February by calling us now. Please call us back if our lines are engaged. |
| Offer Expires: 12th February 2009 |
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0121 427 1286 
