Getting right with God and Hubby

So today's dare is for us to get right with God and with your spouse. Humble yourself before the Lord and ask for forgiveness then turn to your spouse an do the same. My first thoughts were I don't have anything to humble myself before my spouse for, we are doing great. Then I chuckled a little and said okay Lord, maybe I have a few things. It was like a light bulb went off in my head or the Lord said "Really?" So He showed me just yesterday when I got frustrated and let my mind go to that bad place of complaining. I didn't do it out loud so I thought what my husband doesn't know, won't hurt him, right? But the Lord said you let your thoughts go to that place, now you need to confess your thoughts and let your husband know you turned your thoughts around quickly. This will get it out of your brain and into the open where it can't cause any harm. Stop harboring bad, complaining thoughts. If you let them out, they no longer have control of your brain and you will be free to love unconditionally again!!! What a lesson I had this morning while reading the Love Dare, what a great time to go and humble myself before my husband but first a prayer for my Lord, thanking him for opening up my heart and mind to receive His gifts.

Blessings my friends.

Love vs. Lust

Hmmm. I don't really lust - that's what I was thinking. Really I don't look at other men, I don't want for what the neighbors have, I don't have this burning desire to be a millionaire. This isn't a problem for me. Well, then I read the Love Dare. Lust is a misguided thirst for satisfaction that only God can fulfill (according to Kendrick's Love Dare). Now let's think about lust. Here's where it is, I lust for people's approval. It could be my husbands when I cook a great meal. It could be my parents when I've lost 5 pounds. It could be my own approval for taking a moment to be still. I lust for approval of others when in reality the only approval I need is God's. Lust is something we have to work on constantly. It isn't easy and it doesn't go away overnight. You have to work on it - thinking about that which is pure and holy to keep your mind and thoughts captivated by our Father.

Reality check - are you lusting after/for something? I could be anything. Think about it and turn it over to God.

Blessings to you all!

Love Always Protects

I was raised in a home where we were the "wrong" ones. When something happened at school it was assumed that we did something wrong not the other person or the teacher. Now sometimes we did do something wrong but the problem was that we were never, or rarely, given the benefit of the doubt. So this is the baggage that I bring into our marriage. It is hard to change however I'm slowly chipping away at it and my very patient husband is waiting for the change. Occassionally he will say something like why don't you ever take my side and that's my clue that I've fallen back into the rut again. Protect - our bible says to protect our household - build it up for we can only tear it down with our own hands. Protect and build up your husband, showing him the positives always and the negatives sometimes. Not the other way around! My husband says things like remember it's us as a team. That's another clue statement that reminds me to stick together in public and dispute in private. This is where I need to work and grow and be the protector of our marriage. Oh I'm certain there are a million other ways that Satan will try to pick away at our marriage but this is the one I'm working on now. Protect your marriage, build up your husband and in doing these things we will honor God and the vows we took on that great wedding day!

Blessings!

Study your mate

The chapter ends with this verse "By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms are filled with all the precious and pleasant riches (Proverbs 24:3-4)

Wisdom is knowing your spouse and them feeling free to trust you and open up to you. Do you know the dreams of your spouse? Robb and I just put together our list of 100 things we want to do in our lifetime. It's not really a bucket list but it's a goal list so we can set our minds to achieve so much together. Wisdom for us was realizing what was important to the other person and working towards achieving these goals for each other.

Understanding comes from listening. Not half hearted listening while playing a game on Facebook but truly listening to what your spouse is saying. Are they happy? Do they feel your love in the way they want to be loved? Are you setting your goals to ensure their happiness?

Knowledge comes from wisdom and understanding. God will help you discern what you should do through prayer but you can pray specifically from the knowledge you gleaned from your wisdom and understanding. And then you can fill your home with the kind of riches only love can provide.

Study your spouse, I bet they will still surprise you with their goals, dreams and needs for a house that is filled with love!

Love Promotes Intimacy

This morning the line that hit me from the chapter says this from Revelation 3:20, "If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me." Jesus doesn't care what you have done in the past, if you open the door He will dine with you. He doesn't keep score, He doesn't say well that was one but you sinned a million times you better get cooking. He just lovingly sits down and shares a meal with you.

I was thinking about how this week at one point during the week we were comparing how much we spent on going to see each other's family and sending gifts etc. It was not a nice conversation and fraught with the frustration of materializing the Christmas season. Was this a safe conversation to be having with my husband? Did it build anyone up in the process of the conversation? At the end of the conversation did anyone feel better? The answer to all these questions is No. We didn't open the door and sit down understanding that above all else, we are relationship people who will spare nothing to be together with family. We had to set aside our frustrations and realize that the reason for Christmas isn't the presents or the money spent. It's the laughter and joy for each and everyone one of us.

In the end, I spent the day baking cookies with love in my heart and every child got cookies on my husband's side. It was the best present for each of them to have and they loved it. One dozen Christmas cookies, filled with love of the season. My husband and I sharing our love with children and not breaking the bank. In the end we felt safe with each other and upheld our no debt Christmas season. So we open the door and sat together to devise a plan without flinging our frustrations at each other. That's what God does too, He sits and eats with you never talking about the sins you committed only finding solutions that uphold a Christlike existence.

How do you spend your time with your spouse? Are you upholding Christ and finding solutions that make your home safe? How can you start this process in your life?

A Praying Wife

Wow, don't you just love when God hits you between the eyes and says "Daughter, seriously?" This morning he did that. Yep, I was reading The Love Dare and at the end of the chapter they used a verse that I repeated to myself for years. "Ask and it will be given to you, Seek and you shall find, Knock and the door will be open to you." I used that verse for prayers for a long time. Then I stopped. I don't know why, it wasn't some great event that made me stop, I just stopped. And this morning God said, "Daughter, seriously get back on your knees and pray." So that's what I'm doing. Praying for my heart, my husbands heart and the growth of our hearts together.

I know most of you think this book is for marriages that are in "trouble" but my theory is I never want my marriage to be in that state. I want to go on madly loving my husband for the rest of my days and I believe this is preventive medicine for us. I don't read everyday but most days it takes about 5 minutes to set my heart straight and get it focused on God and my husband. I love that. So this morning I pray, asking God, seeking God and watching the doors open for us as a couple.

You know what to pray for your husband better than anyone else, besides your husband. Ask God, it is truly remarkable what He can do with a question or request.

Much love and Merry Christmas!

Love Cherishes

Today's Dare is to cherish the one you love. When things get a little tough, how do you cherish the one you love. This was a great devotional to read upon returning from Thanksgiving. However, for some reason instead of thinking about how thankful I am for the blessings from God, I thought about all the selfish things in my mind. It was a trying Thanksgiving and I kept blaming all my feelings on other people but in reality it was my not cherishing the relationships around me that made me angry. I needed to cherish the family surrounding me and the joys that will be involved in living life. I need to cherish my husband more, in that when he asks something of me I do it graciously and lovingly instead of with a heart that is full of malice. Today I'm thinking about ways to cherish loved ones. To understand that sometimes everyone needs a pick me up and that in doing so I support their lifestyles whether they are the same as mine or not.

For my husband, I will love and cherish him the rest of my life. He is the best thing that has happened to me and I'm so very grateful for his love, patience and understanding everyday. Especially when I'm a little nutso...So today treat your husband like your most prized item, shower him with love, show him in little ways how wonderful life is together for in this is the prize of a lifetime!