Although Lisa Whelchel portrayed a character with close friends while starring in television′s The Facts of Life, a busy work schedule during the crucial adolescent years kept her from truly connecting in real life.

In Friendship for Grown-Ups: What I Missed & Learned Along the Way (Thomas Nelson), she opens up about her personal life and struggle with relationships.

"Learning the ins and outs of navigating friendships in your 40s is really awkward, especially when you make the silly mistakes that you make as a young girl," she told Christian Retailing. "Making them as a middle-aged woman is not pretty."

Whelchel said she had been reluctant to get too personal in her latest book, bypassing her personal hurts and struggles and instead deciding to focus on friendships, some of which she made as a member of the Women of Faith team of speakers. During the process, however, she began to notice that the book was becoming more revealing than she expected.

"It ended up being a deep look at the messiness of what happens when God comes and does an overhaul on your heart," she said. "Everything God has done, He has done within the context of community and relationships.

Read more in the May issue of Christian Retailing magazine.

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