The new movie "Fireproof" has been sweeping through the Christian community as fast as the flames that the main character (as a fireman) wrestles to put out...Even while viewing this movie I thought, "That book he is using must be available." Sure enough, I visited my local Christian book store and "The Love Dare" was even on sale.
So with curiosity I made the purchase determing to put the book to good use un my marraige. The was in January. (?) I am stuck on Day 5. The "dare" for that day is to ask my husband to tell me 3 things that he finds irritating about me ("Love is not rude.")....I am afraid that he will begin to ennumerate those things that annoy him and that he will not be able to stop! You see, I have not had trouble thus far with the other dares: calling him just to ask how he is or withholding any negative words from our conversations. Why this one?
Well, after much contemplation, (It is 6 weeks after I have begun the book.) I realize that I am extremely sensitive to my husband's remarks. I could tell you that he only gives me constructive instruction for the betterment of my being...but his words are not always delivered as such; nor received from me as such most of the time! To ask him to audibly voice my faults has me posing shy. I want to be a sweet, wise, godly wife; making known my faults and quirks seems to mar my self-image. As if I am hiding the faults anyway?
I think that PRIDE is trying to mask my faults. Any change that I can make will only help our relationship. I do love him and must be willing to adapt myself to him. (Ephesians 5:22) So today (you can hold me accountable) I will ask him, purposing to have a humble, listening heart.
Are any of you on "The Love Dare" journey? Please share your encouragements and testimonies with us. May the Lord ever-increase our love for our husbands and their love for us.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Twirling Mama
It has been so long since I have written that I had to go through the gammit of retrieving my old password (well, actually I did not even remember which e-mail I had used to log in!) So here I am, beginning a busy day, unusually taking a moment to journal... I am getting somewhat annoyed hearing myself say that, "I am busy." Though it be ever so true now more than ever as we are renovating a 5 bedroom home to move into, I do not like to innumerate my daily resposibilities and bore the audience to death....especially when you all have your own full schedules.
What I am mindful of today is that, "There is a time for everything under heaven." Right now is simply a time full of activity for myself and my family. Some day soon I am promised that the time to live simply will come...
So, too, is there a time for fun and recreation. Interesting word- recreation. A time to recreate. One way that I have found to recreate my creativity (is that redundant?) and refresh is to take an adult ballet class. Now, before you fall off your chair as my teenage sons did when they visualized Mom twirling awkardly onto the stage donning a pink tutu....let me explain that we will NOT be performing in any recital! In the class we are learning ballet basics along with some Pilates exercises and stretching. I simply love it. And though I cannot turn (twist) out my legs like the 15 year-experienced teacher I at times do feel graceful. Though as we were leaping with our sashes (sp? how do you put an accent over a syllable with the keyboard?) I felt very much like a human frog. Nonetheless I was rejuvenated when class completed.
What are you doing for recreation?
What I am mindful of today is that, "There is a time for everything under heaven." Right now is simply a time full of activity for myself and my family. Some day soon I am promised that the time to live simply will come...
So, too, is there a time for fun and recreation. Interesting word- recreation. A time to recreate. One way that I have found to recreate my creativity (is that redundant?) and refresh is to take an adult ballet class. Now, before you fall off your chair as my teenage sons did when they visualized Mom twirling awkardly onto the stage donning a pink tutu....let me explain that we will NOT be performing in any recital! In the class we are learning ballet basics along with some Pilates exercises and stretching. I simply love it. And though I cannot turn (twist) out my legs like the 15 year-experienced teacher I at times do feel graceful. Though as we were leaping with our sashes (sp? how do you put an accent over a syllable with the keyboard?) I felt very much like a human frog. Nonetheless I was rejuvenated when class completed.
What are you doing for recreation?
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Little by Little
"Line upon line, precept upon precept, hear a little there a little." I love this scripture...it reminds me that I do not have to have a "Do it all now or nothing!" attitude. It is the small habits, changes consistently done over time, that make the lasting difference.
In "Fit for Life" I am asked every day to commit to do something for that day... mine has been consistently, "I will...drink 6 large glasses of water today." For a moment this morning I thought, "Oh, I should do something different." But the above scripture came to mind. I realized that drinking that water has not become "second nature" in my lifestyle yet, so I need to keep proposing to do it until it is! Then I will move on to tackle something else........
In this same light. I cannot expect drastic change in my body overnight. It takes time and I need to have thoughtful-faithful patience while it is happening.
In "Fit for Life" I am asked every day to commit to do something for that day... mine has been consistently, "I will...drink 6 large glasses of water today." For a moment this morning I thought, "Oh, I should do something different." But the above scripture came to mind. I realized that drinking that water has not become "second nature" in my lifestyle yet, so I need to keep proposing to do it until it is! Then I will move on to tackle something else........
In this same light. I cannot expect drastic change in my body overnight. It takes time and I need to have thoughtful-faithful patience while it is happening.
Friday, March 21, 2008
The Hope of Spring
Good Friday. As I perch on "my chair" in the far corner of the living room, sunlight is streaming in the opposite window aimed at the fish bowl sitting on an end table. (Well , really the fish bowl is a vase but we never got around to buying the plant for our beta fish.) The sunlight does dances and turns in the water and bounces off the glass. How pleasurable to look at.
My two daughters have awoken and are descending the stairs proclaiming, "Mom! There is a rainbow in our room. Come see it!" Sure enough a sunbeam was forcing itself through the side of the window's blind illuminating a rainbow on their pink wall.
You see, it has been a while since the cold, gray skies of winter have allowed the yellow warmth of the sun to shine through the clouds. These expressions of sunlight are truly a delight.
With Easter arriving the third week in March, I began decorating for Spring early this year. While the snow still covered the ground we put out pastel bunnies and replaced the dark colors of house linens with light and sheer ones. Hopeful thinking.
This same time the leaves of the daffodils and tulips are peaking through the thawing ground. I am pleasantly surprised to see snow-drops (a darling little white flower) also popping up all around the lamp post. I thought that I had accidentally dug them all out last year.
Aah, the hope of Spring's arrival. With the Spring Equinox and Easter converging on the same weekend, it is especially poignant to remember new birth, new life. Just when all hope seems to be lost, when it seems the sun will never shine again- it bursts forth.
How much more was that dark season for the followers of Jesus on that predestined day...
"And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachtani?'- which means, 'My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?'" (Mark 15:33-34) Jesus' followers did not understand at that time. They experienced darkness, confusion, grief, loss of hope. Until...
On the first day of the week (new beginnings) at the break of dawn (when the sun was just beginning to burst over the horizon)...the women saw that the stone had been rolled away, the tomb was empty, and a angel proclaimed, "He is not here, but is risen!" Hallelujah! I remember with goose bumps the final scene of The Passion of Christ. Without words that portrayal of Jeus, as He stood in the dark grave, the light streaming in echoing His triumph, said it all- the story of the ages...The Son of Man, the Son of God, accomplished what He set out to do before the foundation of the world- He gave His life and rose again in VICTORY. No one and nothing could keep Him in the grave! "And they (the women) remembered His words." (Luke 24:8,7) "That the Son of Man must be given over into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise." Blessed victory! Their darkness was illuminated.
God's timing is perfect, and He continually shows us in the marvels of His creation. He reminds us of His faithfulness even in sunlight streaming in a window, a small rainbow on a wall, flowers breaking forth from once frozen earth, and the change of seasons.
He still proclaims hope of this blessed assurance to us...
"I AM; and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Almighty and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Mark 14:62) Even so, come Lord Jesus!
Enjoy your Easter and the hope of Spring!
My two daughters have awoken and are descending the stairs proclaiming, "Mom! There is a rainbow in our room. Come see it!" Sure enough a sunbeam was forcing itself through the side of the window's blind illuminating a rainbow on their pink wall.
You see, it has been a while since the cold, gray skies of winter have allowed the yellow warmth of the sun to shine through the clouds. These expressions of sunlight are truly a delight.
With Easter arriving the third week in March, I began decorating for Spring early this year. While the snow still covered the ground we put out pastel bunnies and replaced the dark colors of house linens with light and sheer ones. Hopeful thinking.
This same time the leaves of the daffodils and tulips are peaking through the thawing ground. I am pleasantly surprised to see snow-drops (a darling little white flower) also popping up all around the lamp post. I thought that I had accidentally dug them all out last year.
Aah, the hope of Spring's arrival. With the Spring Equinox and Easter converging on the same weekend, it is especially poignant to remember new birth, new life. Just when all hope seems to be lost, when it seems the sun will never shine again- it bursts forth.
How much more was that dark season for the followers of Jesus on that predestined day...
"And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachtani?'- which means, 'My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?'" (Mark 15:33-34) Jesus' followers did not understand at that time. They experienced darkness, confusion, grief, loss of hope. Until...
On the first day of the week (new beginnings) at the break of dawn (when the sun was just beginning to burst over the horizon)...the women saw that the stone had been rolled away, the tomb was empty, and a angel proclaimed, "He is not here, but is risen!" Hallelujah! I remember with goose bumps the final scene of The Passion of Christ. Without words that portrayal of Jeus, as He stood in the dark grave, the light streaming in echoing His triumph, said it all- the story of the ages...The Son of Man, the Son of God, accomplished what He set out to do before the foundation of the world- He gave His life and rose again in VICTORY. No one and nothing could keep Him in the grave! "And they (the women) remembered His words." (Luke 24:8,7) "That the Son of Man must be given over into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise." Blessed victory! Their darkness was illuminated.
God's timing is perfect, and He continually shows us in the marvels of His creation. He reminds us of His faithfulness even in sunlight streaming in a window, a small rainbow on a wall, flowers breaking forth from once frozen earth, and the change of seasons.
He still proclaims hope of this blessed assurance to us...
"I AM; and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Almighty and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Mark 14:62) Even so, come Lord Jesus!
Enjoy your Easter and the hope of Spring!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Fit for LIFE
WELCOME! The "Ladies Of Virtue" Journal is a place where women who share like-minds in Christ can find friendship and encouragement. Please share your sentiments. We look forward o meeting you! Remember to categorize your post.
If you are using the "Fit for LIFE" bible devotional for weight-loss (posted at Ladies OfVirtueOnline.org) this is a safe place to share your successes and struggles. How we need encouragement in losing those extra pounds! How I need that support. Please come visit us weekly (even daily). There is power in group support and prayer. (Matthew 18:19, Ecclesiastes 4:12)
May you (and I) abound in love for Jesus more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, may we approve what is excellent, and be pure and blameless for the day fo Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the praise and glory of God. Have a great day!
If you are using the "Fit for LIFE" bible devotional for weight-loss (posted at Ladies OfVirtueOnline.org) this is a safe place to share your successes and struggles. How we need encouragement in losing those extra pounds! How I need that support. Please come visit us weekly (even daily). There is power in group support and prayer. (Matthew 18:19, Ecclesiastes 4:12)
May you (and I) abound in love for Jesus more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, may we approve what is excellent, and be pure and blameless for the day fo Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the praise and glory of God. Have a great day!
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