World vs. Christ

Today we are looking at what we praise our spouse for accomplishing. Is it for getting a promotion at work? For cleaning the house? For helping the kids get good grades? What does God say we should praise our spouses for...in today's journey we learn that God rejoices in the truth. God praises the truth. Who's truth you may ask? Well, it's God's truth and for us that means the bible. Living and leaning on the bible daily will help you to understand God's truth and when you see your spouse exhibiting God's truth, that is praiseworthy. This is where you should heap on praises and thanksgiving. So when my husband prays tonight over dinner, I may mention that it pleases God and me to see that. When my husband helps with the dishes, I may mention that it pleases God to see him serve. When my husband works hard, I may mention that is good. Really doing God's work is the most pleasing for us to see in each other. It brings a smile to our faces and God shines a light on us. I pray for a day that God's light shines on me continually. That I may honor God in everything I do and if someone notices okay but I know that God will notice. His notice is the most important.

Praise your spouse for everything but save your heartiest praise for their works in God.

The Act of Romance

So today's dare is easy if you are married, hard if you are in a relationship. It's about intimacy with your spouse. When you are dating, it's all you think about. Intimacy with your spouse and how you are looking forward to it. You spend your whole dating time saying no to that feeling and emotion. Then you get married, and you are to be intimate immediately. You are to turn off that no and just do it. It's the hardest thing. What you have been controlling you let become uncontrolled. What you are saying no to is all of sudden a yes. If you are just getting married, my advise just let it happen when it happens. There isn't a need to have it right away and it messes with your mind. God will take care of it. Now if you've been married, had an intimate relationship and it's fallen apart. This is difficult too. God is working on your heart with the Love Dare. He is taking you through all the steps again to enjoy your marriage but this is the ultimate in giving to your spouse. Because in the act of intimacy you are giving your heart and trusting again. It is definitely difficult but when you have this trust again, it's the best. The Dare verse is 1 Corinthians 7:3 "The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband." Duty isn't just the act it's everything leading up to the act, it's a clean bedroom, it's candles, it's flowers, it's listening, it's communicating, it's touching and loving. When all this is occurring in a relationship, intimacy is sure to follow. May God Bless your relationship today.

Leaving and Cleaving

This was a great read today. Leaving and Cleaving. When you are younger the leaving involves family and creating a new family with your husband. However, when you are older it also involves friends and family. I needed to break the ties with friends, family and work to ensure my relationship with my husband is the highest held relationship in my earthly world. He is the most important part of my life given to me by God. Robb and I became one life and together with God on our side we will be one. I will cleave to him and he to me. Some don't understand that leaving doesn't mean I'm never going to talk to you again. It means that I'll listen and understand but ultimately if it affects my life with my husband then I may not be able to do it like I used to. For instance, going out with just the girls. I will go to hang with the girls at someones house, baking Christmas cookies or watching a chick flick, however, I won't go bar hopping and dancing into the wee hours of the night. That would be disrespectful to my husband. I know some will say that's boring but my life with Robb is anything but boring. I love him and the commitment we made together. It worth giving up everything I used to be to be with him forever! Are you prepared to leave your old life behind? Changing how you interact with others to ensure your marriage is one, first and foremost in your mind always?

Fireproof

As I am watching my friends go through a divorce, I am reminded about the decision to love. I am reminded that even in the hard time we need to stick together. I am reminded how much I love my husband. I am reminded that God will send angels to protect us from our own minds. I have many favorite songs from the movie however this one Love is not a Fight really hit home with me. Listen to the lyrics and make the commitment to shut the door and throw away the key. Love is not a fight but it's worth fighting for...definitely!!! I'm so sad for my friends and I don't know what to do. I want them to be happy but I also want them to fight for their love. I want them to Dare each other to Love like never before. I want to Dare you to Love like you haven't before. Ask questions, listen and pray for each other. Love is a decision, commitment, a covenant and then an emotion...remember that always! Amazing things happen when we let God do His thing with our Love.

Serving

Wow, God is really chatting with me today. Everything I read is about serving and all I want to do is be served. Isn't that interesting? The Love Dare today is to search for ways to ask your spouse How can I help you? The Purpose Driven Daily Devotional is serving God instead of serving yourself. This morning I got mad at my Dear Husband (DH) when he told me to file with my insurance for the claim for the tire blow out that happened on his car while I was driving it for work. I was complaining about how my employer doesn't want to cover the accident because they said I saw the video that stated we shouldn't use personal vehicles for company use. He shrugged his shoulders and said since I was driving I should turn it into my insurance. What happened to serving your wife? What happened to it's your vehicle and the tire YOU didn't change? What happened to.....then the devotional, then the Dare, then PRAYER...Lord, help me to change my heart to a serving heart that will figure all this out. Lord, help me to change my heart to understand serving more. I guess our Lord was really talking with me today. When you think you have served enough, serve again, it is never enough to continue to serve. It is never enough service to those you love. And God never stops serving us.

Encouragement

Isaiah 35:3 "Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way."
1 Thessalonians 5:11 "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
1 Thessalonians 5:14 "And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone."

These are the verses from today's Love Dare chapter. Encourage, encourage, encourage. Doesn't it feel good when someone tells you that you were instrumental in their life? Doesn't it feel good when your boss says good job? Don't you want your husband to feel that from you? I do. I want R to feel like he's the best, most wonderful person in the world! I want him to feel like I love him no matter what. Does this mean I never get mad at him? Heck no, I get mad but even in my madness I want him to know that I love and respect him for how wonderful he is at other times. Today tell your husband something you love and respect about them and see them perk up. If we are always trying to change our husbands then why did we marry them, as a project. You feel in love with something about your husband, go and tell them what that something is and remind yourself of the greatness that is in your life!

You can also do this with your mom, dad, brother, sister, wife, aunt, uncle, grandma, grandpa, boss, friend, co-worker. All of these people are blessings in your life and need encouragement too. The bible says to be an encourager...God gave each of us skills to bring our best into this world. Let's work on letting everyone know that you notice their blessings and they are doing a great job!

God bless!

Random Thoughts

Yesterday at church we had Tommy from Hillside Church in TX talking about prayer. It was very interesting to hear him talk about how to pray and speak with our Creator. But the part that hit me the most was when he talked about the part in the Lord's prayer Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done. He was talking about how God wants to reach every person on this planet and that when we pray that we are opening ourselves up as His vessel to use. Then he said something that stuck with me. He said that this church will explode with people and that is God's will being done here on earth. I have been one of those Christians who said I would never attend a big church. If my church got too big then I would have to leave. But my thinking has changed from this one sermon. Really a growing and large church is a sign that God's work is being done here on earth. It's a sign that we are being vessels for God's work and He is using us. Praise God for that and for all that we are and do with Jesus. So now when I pray the Lord's Prayer, I'm ready. I'm ready to be that vessel for Him to use to create Heaven on earth.

May the Lord bless your day today!