Love Makes Good Impressions
Greet one another with a kiss of love ~ 1Peter 5:14
People can tell a lot by the way you greet them. Have you ever met someone that just didn't seem all that happy to see you? Have you even been so happy to see someone you couldn't contain yourself?
When you first met your spouse , would you greet him or her differently than you do today? Probably. Back when things were new you couldn't wait to see your spouse. Back then it was exciting and fresh and new. It was amazing. Now, is it the same?
Do you take your spouse for granted? We all put energy in how we present ourselves to the public. We put our best foot forward and try to make a good impression. It's time to put that same effort into you greet your spouse.
Today's Dare
Think of a specific way you would like to greet your spouse today. Do it with a smile an enthusiasm. Then determine to change your greeting to reflect your love for them.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Saturday, March 3, 2012
DAY EIGHT
Love is not Jealous
Love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like the blazing fire ~Song of Solomon8:6
Jealousy drives man stronger than just about anything. It can take over where love once was. It turns family and friends against one another. It is easy to justify but harder to rid yourself of. There are two different forms of jealousy
legitimate and illegitimate
Legitimate jealousy, righteous jealousy, occurs when a spouse turns their love from you to another person or thing. If a woman or a man were to have an affair, the other partner would have a justifiable jealously. The bible speaks of God's love for us being much the same. Not because he wants what we have (since he gave it all to us anyway) but because he loves us that much. His desire for us to follow him and search for him first comes from the love he has for us, like nothing anyone can fathom. "the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God"(Deuteronomy4:24) Can you imagine if you gave someone everything and they turned away from you? Wouldn't that truly hurt?
Illegitimate Jealousy is when you want what another has. You may be jealous of another person's job, house, family, car or popularity. To be moved with envy, to feel hatred because someone gets what it is you want, can derail even the best of intentions. The Bible tells us this leads also to fighting,quarreling and every evil thing (James 3:16, 4:1-2)
In marriage two become one, there for you should be each other's biggest champions. Wanting only what is best for your loved one and not being jealous of their successes can make a marriage run smoothly. Because love is not selfish it refuses to let jealousy in. When a husband receives praise , he refuses to boast and instead thanks his wife for helping to support him in his success. A loving wife will be the first to cheer for her husband when he wins.
It is time to let love, humility, and gratefulness destroy any jealousy that springs up in your heart It is time to let your spouse's success draw you closer together.
Today's Dare
Determine to become your spouse's biggest fan and to reject any thoughts of jealousy. To help you set your heart on your spouse and focus on their achievements, take yesterday's list on negative attributes and discreetly burn it. Then share with your spouse how glad you are about a success he or she recently enjoyed.
Love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like the blazing fire ~Song of Solomon8:6
Jealousy drives man stronger than just about anything. It can take over where love once was. It turns family and friends against one another. It is easy to justify but harder to rid yourself of. There are two different forms of jealousy
legitimate and illegitimate
Legitimate jealousy, righteous jealousy, occurs when a spouse turns their love from you to another person or thing. If a woman or a man were to have an affair, the other partner would have a justifiable jealously. The bible speaks of God's love for us being much the same. Not because he wants what we have (since he gave it all to us anyway) but because he loves us that much. His desire for us to follow him and search for him first comes from the love he has for us, like nothing anyone can fathom. "the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God"(Deuteronomy4:24) Can you imagine if you gave someone everything and they turned away from you? Wouldn't that truly hurt?
Illegitimate Jealousy is when you want what another has. You may be jealous of another person's job, house, family, car or popularity. To be moved with envy, to feel hatred because someone gets what it is you want, can derail even the best of intentions. The Bible tells us this leads also to fighting,quarreling and every evil thing (James 3:16, 4:1-2)
In marriage two become one, there for you should be each other's biggest champions. Wanting only what is best for your loved one and not being jealous of their successes can make a marriage run smoothly. Because love is not selfish it refuses to let jealousy in. When a husband receives praise , he refuses to boast and instead thanks his wife for helping to support him in his success. A loving wife will be the first to cheer for her husband when he wins.
It is time to let love, humility, and gratefulness destroy any jealousy that springs up in your heart It is time to let your spouse's success draw you closer together.
Today's Dare
Determine to become your spouse's biggest fan and to reject any thoughts of jealousy. To help you set your heart on your spouse and focus on their achievements, take yesterday's list on negative attributes and discreetly burn it. Then share with your spouse how glad you are about a success he or she recently enjoyed.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
DAY SEVEN
LOVE BELIEVES THE BEST
Love believes all things, hopes all things.~1Corinthians 13:7
There are two rooms. One to the left and one to the right.
The One on the right is the Room of Appreciation. It is down a bright and glittering hallway.It is bathed in light and promise.Good things are written there about the people in your life. It is warm and sunny. Positive affirmations abound and spill from the door when it opens. Happiness bounces around the room in balls of soft spun gold. Every inch of the room is filled with love, light and happiness. It is where you place all positive encouraging thoughts about your partner.
The One on the left is the Room of Depreciation. It is down a deep dark hallway with a heavy metal door.Negative things are written here about the people in your life. The door locks only from the inside so it is very difficult to get out. It is cold and dark here, with a wet musty smell. Angry words burst out when you open the door. Put downs and complaints explode and multiply around the room. Every inch of the room is filled with anger, darkness and despair. It is where every complaint about your partner is placed.
Where do you spend your time?Like most of us the darker room is easier to get into and harder to get out. the longer you are with someone the more time you end up spending in the dark. It must be a conscious effort to go into the Room of Appreciation, just like when you first met.
It is time to start thinking differently. focus on the positive and the happiness. Focus on your dreams and hopes together and move forward in love. We need to lock the door on our Room of Depreciation and never go in, unless it's to write "CONVERTED IN LOVE" everywhere.
Today's Dare
For today's dare. get two sheets of paper. One the first one spend a few minutes writing out positive things about your souse. then do the same with negative things on the other sheet. Place both sheets in a secret place for another day There is a different purpose for each.
At some point during the remainder of the day, pick a positive attribute from the first list and thank your spouse for having this characteristic
Love believes all things, hopes all things.~1Corinthians 13:7
There are two rooms. One to the left and one to the right.
The One on the right is the Room of Appreciation. It is down a bright and glittering hallway.It is bathed in light and promise.Good things are written there about the people in your life. It is warm and sunny. Positive affirmations abound and spill from the door when it opens. Happiness bounces around the room in balls of soft spun gold. Every inch of the room is filled with love, light and happiness. It is where you place all positive encouraging thoughts about your partner.
The One on the left is the Room of Depreciation. It is down a deep dark hallway with a heavy metal door.Negative things are written here about the people in your life. The door locks only from the inside so it is very difficult to get out. It is cold and dark here, with a wet musty smell. Angry words burst out when you open the door. Put downs and complaints explode and multiply around the room. Every inch of the room is filled with anger, darkness and despair. It is where every complaint about your partner is placed.
Where do you spend your time?Like most of us the darker room is easier to get into and harder to get out. the longer you are with someone the more time you end up spending in the dark. It must be a conscious effort to go into the Room of Appreciation, just like when you first met.
It is time to start thinking differently. focus on the positive and the happiness. Focus on your dreams and hopes together and move forward in love. We need to lock the door on our Room of Depreciation and never go in, unless it's to write "CONVERTED IN LOVE" everywhere.
Today's Dare
For today's dare. get two sheets of paper. One the first one spend a few minutes writing out positive things about your souse. then do the same with negative things on the other sheet. Place both sheets in a secret place for another day There is a different purpose for each.
At some point during the remainder of the day, pick a positive attribute from the first list and thank your spouse for having this characteristic
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
DAY SIX
LOVE IS NOT IRRITABLE
He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city~Proverbs 16:12
To be irritable means to be near the point of a knife.
As humans we have the tendency to over indulge in everything. In both good an not so good things we spend our time, energy and money. We spend hours working on projects that create stress and take our focus away from our home. Sometimes we eat poorly, drink or smoke and that too causes irritability. We are after all human, and therefor we are prone to excess.
We need to set up space in our lives for calm and happy activity that blesses our home and family. What are your priorities? How do you put your family first?
What are some things that may cause us to be irritable?
Stress~ It weakens your health, resolve and energy.It can be brought on by many things; arguing, division, bitterness, overworking, overplaying,and overspending as well as poor nutrition, lack of exercise and poor rest.
Selfishness~When you are irritable the heart of the problem is a problem of the heart. your mouth speaks from your heart according to Jesus.when you are under pressure what do you exude? lemon juice or sweet nectar? The choice is entirely ours. being angered easily is a sign of selfishness and insecurity.
Lust~ the result of being ungrateful for what you have. When you feel this way you will become easily frustrated with your spouse because they cannot seem to meet the expectations in your mind. It need not be an actual person, simply an idea of what would be "perfect" can lead you in the wrong direction.
Bitterness~ by responding in a judgemental way and refusing to work through anger
Greed~ unfulfilled desires with frustrate you. Strong cravings will make you quick to anger
Pride~ leads you to act in order to protect your ego
These motivations cannot be satisfied. Love will lead you to forgive, be grateful,and be happy. It sets up your heart to respond with love and understanding rather than with anger and exasperation
Today's Dare
Choose today to react to tough circumstances in your marriage in loving ways instead of with irritation. Begin by making a list of areas where you need to add margin to your schedule. then List any wrong motivations that you need to release from your life.
He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city~Proverbs 16:12
To be irritable means to be near the point of a knife.
As humans we have the tendency to over indulge in everything. In both good an not so good things we spend our time, energy and money. We spend hours working on projects that create stress and take our focus away from our home. Sometimes we eat poorly, drink or smoke and that too causes irritability. We are after all human, and therefor we are prone to excess.
We need to set up space in our lives for calm and happy activity that blesses our home and family. What are your priorities? How do you put your family first?
What are some things that may cause us to be irritable?
Stress~ It weakens your health, resolve and energy.It can be brought on by many things; arguing, division, bitterness, overworking, overplaying,and overspending as well as poor nutrition, lack of exercise and poor rest.
Selfishness~When you are irritable the heart of the problem is a problem of the heart. your mouth speaks from your heart according to Jesus.when you are under pressure what do you exude? lemon juice or sweet nectar? The choice is entirely ours. being angered easily is a sign of selfishness and insecurity.
Lust~ the result of being ungrateful for what you have. When you feel this way you will become easily frustrated with your spouse because they cannot seem to meet the expectations in your mind. It need not be an actual person, simply an idea of what would be "perfect" can lead you in the wrong direction.
Bitterness~ by responding in a judgemental way and refusing to work through anger
Greed~ unfulfilled desires with frustrate you. Strong cravings will make you quick to anger
Pride~ leads you to act in order to protect your ego
These motivations cannot be satisfied. Love will lead you to forgive, be grateful,and be happy. It sets up your heart to respond with love and understanding rather than with anger and exasperation
Today's Dare
Choose today to react to tough circumstances in your marriage in loving ways instead of with irritation. Begin by making a list of areas where you need to add margin to your schedule. then List any wrong motivations that you need to release from your life.
Reflection for day five
SOOO, It's never easy to hear about our faults is it. I know for me it is probably one of the hardest things ever to do. I will for sure keep that in mind the next time I feel judgmental and frustrated. I will take a second, regroup and say it kindly.
Why is there such a vast difference in the way we see ourselves and the way other people see us? I will spend some time praying that the Lord opens my eyes to my faults so that no one else needs to.
Why is there such a vast difference in the way we see ourselves and the way other people see us? I will spend some time praying that the Lord opens my eyes to my faults so that no one else needs to.
Monday, February 27, 2012
DAY FIVE
LOVE IS NOT RUDE
He who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be reckoned a curse to him.~Proverbs 27:14
Being rude is nothing less than irritating. If you are doing or saying things that are not necessary or unpleasant then you are being rude. poor manners,foul language,or sarcastic remarks (undoubtedly the hardest for me) are not enjoyable attributes in a spouse.
When a man is focused on loving his partner he is behaves in a way that is loving and kind, rather than rude and dismissive. A woman avoids those things which frustrate or disenchant her love. You must express good manners and exercises self-control around your spouse.By doing this you say to them that you value them. If you allow love to change your behavior you will raise the respect level around you.If you dare to love you will give only the best to your own, because you cherish them. If you are unwilling to make needed changes in your behavior then your marriage will suffer for it.
Women, we too suffer from rudeness, though not in the same way as men. King Solomon said "Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.~proverbs 25:24." However, men especially need this lesson "it is well with the man who is gracious~Psalm112:5"
We are either rude through ignorance or selfishness. Neither of them is a good thing
Ask yourself
How does your spouse feel about the way you speak and act around them?
How does your behavior affect your mates sense of worth?
Would your partner describe you as a blessing or condescending and embarrassing?
If you think it is only your spouse in need of work here, you are likely suffering from ignorance as well as selfishness.
here are some principles to focus on
1. Guard the golden rule- treat your mate as you want to be treated.
2.No double standards - be as considerate to your spouse as you are to strangers and coworkers
3. Honor requests- consider what your spouse has asked of you. If in doubt ...ask
Today's dare
Ask your spouse to tell you three things that cause him/her to be uncomfortable or irritated with you. You must do so without attacking them or justifying your behavior.This is from their perspective only.
He who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be reckoned a curse to him.~Proverbs 27:14
Being rude is nothing less than irritating. If you are doing or saying things that are not necessary or unpleasant then you are being rude. poor manners,foul language,or sarcastic remarks (undoubtedly the hardest for me) are not enjoyable attributes in a spouse.
When a man is focused on loving his partner he is behaves in a way that is loving and kind, rather than rude and dismissive. A woman avoids those things which frustrate or disenchant her love. You must express good manners and exercises self-control around your spouse.By doing this you say to them that you value them. If you allow love to change your behavior you will raise the respect level around you.If you dare to love you will give only the best to your own, because you cherish them. If you are unwilling to make needed changes in your behavior then your marriage will suffer for it.
Women, we too suffer from rudeness, though not in the same way as men. King Solomon said "Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.~proverbs 25:24." However, men especially need this lesson "it is well with the man who is gracious~Psalm112:5"
We are either rude through ignorance or selfishness. Neither of them is a good thing
Ask yourself
How does your spouse feel about the way you speak and act around them?
How does your behavior affect your mates sense of worth?
Would your partner describe you as a blessing or condescending and embarrassing?
If you think it is only your spouse in need of work here, you are likely suffering from ignorance as well as selfishness.
here are some principles to focus on
1. Guard the golden rule- treat your mate as you want to be treated.
2.No double standards - be as considerate to your spouse as you are to strangers and coworkers
3. Honor requests- consider what your spouse has asked of you. If in doubt ...ask
Today's dare
Ask your spouse to tell you three things that cause him/her to be uncomfortable or irritated with you. You must do so without attacking them or justifying your behavior.This is from their perspective only.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Reflection for Day Three
My Dearest Love,
What was your choice of gift for your partner? How did they react to your gesture? I have given you many gifts my dear heart.I have given you a heart to love, a soul to dance and a mind to think. Often these gifts can be used in ways I had not intended. Watch that you do not use your gifts only to gain favor, but because it is an outward expression of your love. Much as my gifts for you are simply because I love you.
Love,
Jesus Christ
Ok so the 11th hour save last night with peanut butter cups. Money is tight so I was trying but just couldn't get myself out the door. We did go to dinner originally but I thought about it and it seemed more for me, than him. My darling husband brought me home a cup of hot chocolate with stickers all over it. Isn't he wonderful :)
What was your choice of gift for your partner? How did they react to your gesture? I have given you many gifts my dear heart.I have given you a heart to love, a soul to dance and a mind to think. Often these gifts can be used in ways I had not intended. Watch that you do not use your gifts only to gain favor, but because it is an outward expression of your love. Much as my gifts for you are simply because I love you.
Love,
Jesus Christ
Ok so the 11th hour save last night with peanut butter cups. Money is tight so I was trying but just couldn't get myself out the door. We did go to dinner originally but I thought about it and it seemed more for me, than him. My darling husband brought me home a cup of hot chocolate with stickers all over it. Isn't he wonderful :)
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