Just another manic Monday..

I have a lot to say and not a lot of time! It's hard to blog on the weekends..

So, we didn't go out this weekend. :( The husband was too sick.. So instead I started using my new (to me) sewing machine.I had never touched a sewing machine before and didn't even know where to start.. But I looked up the manual on my Nook, it didn't have one with it, and got started. I'm super excited. I'm not doing to bad for a beginner. I made a little tiny tote bag and gave it to my daughter, she keeps everything and would never judge me for my crooked seams. It's nice to have a hobby.. something that is all mine.

I am going to get back on track with the Love Dare thing this week. With the husband laying in bed all weekend I didn't have to try and be nice.. lol.

I dealt with facebook drama this weekend. I almost missed someone talking bad about me (calling me a bitch and rude, which I totally don't think I am) but happened to notice around 12:30am Saturday night/ Sunday morning. It makes me question why I have facebook.. but at the same time this RARELY happens to me and I like being able to communicate with friends and family that I normally wouldn't get to keep up with. I tried not to let the drama get to me but it did.. a little. I still chose to act like an adult and not let my mouth get the best of me.. which is more then I can say about some people.

I'm back on track with my diet and will be forcing myself to work out when I get home. I set up my own little room in the house with my treadmill, elliptical, and sewing machine.. I am super proud of it too! When I finish decorating I will try and post some pictures.

Here is the basics of the love dare for today.

Well first, day 5 and 6.. I will be working on these today too.

Day 5 -- Love is not rude.

There are two main reasons why people are rude: ignorance and selfishness. Neither, of course, is a good thing. A child is born ignorant of etiquette, needing lots of help and taining. Adults, however, display their ignorance at another level. You know the rules, but you can be blind to how you break them or be too self-centered to care. In face, you may not realize how unpleasant you can be to live with.


Do you wish your spouse would quit doing the things that bother you? Then it's time to stop doing the things that bother them. Will you be thoughtful and loving enough to discover and avoid the behavior that cuases life to be unpleasant for your mate? Will you dare to be delightful?

Here are three guiding principles when it comes to practicing etiquette in your marriage:

1. Guard the Golden Rule. Treat your mate the same way you want to be treated (Luke 6:31)
2. No double standards. Be as considerate to your spouse as you are to strangers and coworkers.
3. Honor requests. Consider what your husband already asked you to do or not to do, If in doubt, then ask.

Dare:

Ask your spouse to tell you three things that cause him or 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.

In your journal:

What things did your spouse point out about you that need your attention? How did you handle hearing it? What do you plan to do to improve theses areas?

Day 6 -- Love is not irritable.

Choose today to react to tough circumstances in your marriage in loving ways instead of with irritation. Begin by making a list below of areas where you need to add margin to your schedule. Then list any wrong motivations that you need to release from your life.

In your journal:

Where do you need to add margin to your life? When have you recently overreacted? What was your real motivation behind it? What decisions have you made today?

"He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city. -- Proverbs 15:32"

Ok and today's:

Day 7 -- Love believes the best

Love chooses to believe the best about people. It gives them the benefit of the doubt. It refuses to fill in the unknowns with negative assumptions. And when our worst hopes are proven to be true, love makes every effort to deal with them and move forward. As much as possible, love focuses on the positive.

It's time to start thinking differently. It's time to let love lead your thoughts and your focus. The only reason you should glance in the door of the Depreciation Room is to know how to pray for your spouse. And the only reason you should ever go into this room is to write "COVERED IN LOVE" in huge letters across the walls.

It's time to move into the Appreciation Room, to settle down and make it your home. As you choose to meditate on the positives, you will learn that many more wonderful character qualities could be written across these walls. Your spouse is a living, breathing, endless book to be read. Dreams and hopes have yet to be realized. Talents and abilities may be discovered like hidden treasure. But the choice to explore them starts with a decision by you.

You must develop the habit of reining in your negative thoughts and focusing on the positive attributes of your mate. This is a crucial step as you learn to lead your heart to truly love your spouse. it is a decision that you make, whethere they deserve it or not.

For today's dare, get two sheets of paper. On the first one, spend a few minutes writing out positive things about your spouse. Then do the same with negative things on the second sheet. Place both sheets in a secret place for another day. There is a different purpose and plan 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.

In your journal:

Which list was easier to make? What did this reveal about your thoughts? What attribute did you thank your spouse for having?

Tomorrow I will post about all of these..

:)