Love Dare - Day 5
Ask your spouse to tell you three things that causehim or her to be uncomfortable or irritated with you.You must do so without attacking them.
Proverbs 27:14 He who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning, It will be reckoned a curse to him.
How it went.....
So I got a chance to ask my wife about this in a none threating manner last night and it took 3 times of clarification before I got the real answers. First and foremost she does not appreciate it when I make any comments about where and how she does the laundry. Secondly which I had to draw out of her was the amount of time I spend at work. And third eventhough she didn't want to tell me because she knows I enjoy it is video games. She doesn't like it when I play them.
What I learned....
These are things that I think could slowly erode the closeness we have in our marriage. It might be alright to continue these for a while, but if continued long enough could develop deep scares that would be difficult to heal. I have some plans for repairing these, but I won't type about them yet. The most difficult hurdle will be the work time (considering I am typing this at work on a Saturday). Hopefully I can show her my desire to truely change. I will need to rely on Jesus for my strength to do this and throw off my old patterns so that I can start anew. If I try to go this alone I know I will fail. These may sound easy to some on how to fix, but video games are my escape, work is what I pride myself on, and the laundry.......well it just bugs me when I have no where to sit in the living room.
Application and Prayer....
Almight God, You are awesome. Thankyou for the wonderful gift you have given me in Linda. I pray that you would give me the strength and wisdom to be the best follower and husband I can be. Help me in the times of temptation to choose the path less traveled and seek something that is honoring to you. I pray that you would use me in accordance to your will. Amen.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Love Dare - Day 4
Contact your spouse sometime during the day and ask how he or she is doing and if there is anything you could do for them.
Psalm 139: 17-18 (NIV) How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake. I am still with you.
So I called Linda today and she was at the doctor because she was sick. She tried to hurry up and get of the phone, when I asked her if there was anything I could do for her today. She paused, then asked "Are you doing the love test on me?". I didn't know what to say so I told her "Yes, I'm on day 4." She said, "I knew it!".
I don't know if that's good or not, considering she has already noticed a change in my behavior after 4 days. What does that say about me?
Oh, and yesterday I ended up buying her a soft black robe. She didn't have a robe and she loved it. In fact she said, "Who told you?" when I gave it to her. I guess she had talked to one of her friends about how she was going to buy a robe the day before. I new because we had spent Christmas in a hotel in Avila where she fell in love with the robes they had for us in the room.
Contrarian's Guide to Discipleship Day 8 - Hebrews 4:12-13 12For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give count.
I think this is the first time I've read this verse and tried to digest it. It seems that most times when I sit down to read some scripture I end up with a challenge. I easily can choose to follow the world's pattern for my life as it is displayed all around me in the workplace and on television. God's word inspires me when I take time to open it and let God do work in my life. I realize this is the eighth day of the year and I think I am starting the year off by spending more time (actually carving out time) to spend reading His word. I plan to carry this out the rest of the year.
Contact your spouse sometime during the day and ask how he or she is doing and if there is anything you could do for them.
Psalm 139: 17-18 (NIV) How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake. I am still with you.
So I called Linda today and she was at the doctor because she was sick. She tried to hurry up and get of the phone, when I asked her if there was anything I could do for her today. She paused, then asked "Are you doing the love test on me?". I didn't know what to say so I told her "Yes, I'm on day 4." She said, "I knew it!".
I don't know if that's good or not, considering she has already noticed a change in my behavior after 4 days. What does that say about me?
Oh, and yesterday I ended up buying her a soft black robe. She didn't have a robe and she loved it. In fact she said, "Who told you?" when I gave it to her. I guess she had talked to one of her friends about how she was going to buy a robe the day before. I new because we had spent Christmas in a hotel in Avila where she fell in love with the robes they had for us in the room.
Contrarian's Guide to Discipleship Day 8 - Hebrews 4:12-13 12For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give count.
I think this is the first time I've read this verse and tried to digest it. It seems that most times when I sit down to read some scripture I end up with a challenge. I easily can choose to follow the world's pattern for my life as it is displayed all around me in the workplace and on television. God's word inspires me when I take time to open it and let God do work in my life. I realize this is the eighth day of the year and I think I am starting the year off by spending more time (actually carving out time) to spend reading His word. I plan to carry this out the rest of the year.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
First Blog for My Love Dare
Love Dare Day 3 - Today is my first shot at blogging. I am on day three of an email series I signed up for that I heard about throught Family Life Ministries. It is called the Love Dare. The first I ever heard of the Love Dare was through the movie FireProof with Kirk Cameron. It is a great film about how God can transform you and through Him all things are possible, even saving a dying marriage.
So here is todays Dare - Buy your spouse something that says,"I was thinking about you today."
Romans 12:10 - (NIV) Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor on another above yourselves.
My wife Linda is very difficult to shop for so this one is going to be tough. The last 2 days haven't been so tough. I will update my blog when I figure it out.
Since I just started this blog, here is what I did on day 1 and day 2........
Day 1 - Resolve to say nothing negative about your spouse today.
Ephesians 4:2. ....All I did that day was avoid taking an offensive stance on something she does differently than I do. Not too bad, easy money.
Day 2 - was Do at least one unexpected gesture toyour spouse as an act of kindness.
Ephesians 4:32. ...A little more challenging. I really stink at taking charge of organizing babysitting for any activity we want to do. So, yesterday, I called her parents (separately) and checked to see if they would take the kids so I could take Linda to dinner. They said yes, so I called her and scheduled dinner. Things kind of went off track when Carissa our 4 year old was pushing CJ our 20 month old down the hallway on a push scooter down the hall and wrecked into a door which cut CJs foot open. So when I walked through the door comming home, I found my wife holding my sreaming bleeding son, my daugher crying and my poor wife trying to give aid to CJ and clean the trail of blood in the hallway. Needless to say she was a little stressed. So we patched up the kids and cleaned up the hall and dropped the kids off at grandma and grandpas.
I tried to take her to Cattlemen's but she wasn't real excited about that so we went to our favorite Mexican Food restaurant and had a wonderful dinner together. She found out I had actually talked to her parents to schedule all this and was very impressed, because I very rarely arrange the babysitting.
So here is todays Dare - Buy your spouse something that says,"I was thinking about you today."
Romans 12:10 - (NIV) Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor on another above yourselves.
My wife Linda is very difficult to shop for so this one is going to be tough. The last 2 days haven't been so tough. I will update my blog when I figure it out.
Since I just started this blog, here is what I did on day 1 and day 2........
Day 1 - Resolve to say nothing negative about your spouse today.
Ephesians 4:2. ....All I did that day was avoid taking an offensive stance on something she does differently than I do. Not too bad, easy money.
Day 2 - was Do at least one unexpected gesture toyour spouse as an act of kindness.
Ephesians 4:32. ...A little more challenging. I really stink at taking charge of organizing babysitting for any activity we want to do. So, yesterday, I called her parents (separately) and checked to see if they would take the kids so I could take Linda to dinner. They said yes, so I called her and scheduled dinner. Things kind of went off track when Carissa our 4 year old was pushing CJ our 20 month old down the hallway on a push scooter down the hall and wrecked into a door which cut CJs foot open. So when I walked through the door comming home, I found my wife holding my sreaming bleeding son, my daugher crying and my poor wife trying to give aid to CJ and clean the trail of blood in the hallway. Needless to say she was a little stressed. So we patched up the kids and cleaned up the hall and dropped the kids off at grandma and grandpas.
I tried to take her to Cattlemen's but she wasn't real excited about that so we went to our favorite Mexican Food restaurant and had a wonderful dinner together. She found out I had actually talked to her parents to schedule all this and was very impressed, because I very rarely arrange the babysitting.
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