Love Dares

[lizzie]

ok a spin off from the Fireproof thread here...
(See http://www.christianityoasis.com/Member ... hp?t=15003 if u havent read that thread yet)

Someone shared , i believe it was kermitty? that the movie is based on this book called The Love Dare Book

So i looked it up a lil bit, and this is what it is basically:

The Love Dare personally leads you through daily devotionals, records your thoughts and experiences, and ends each day daring you to perform a simple act of love for your spouse.

I like that last part. Daring you to perform a simple act of love for your spouse or mate.

I havent read the book myself... but I was wondering, if YOU had to write one of those dares, where someone/yourself has to perform a simple act of love for their partner, what would that be?

[---]

That is a very good question lizzie dear.

Took me a minute or two to sort through my thoughts..look through our routine.

John gets up at 4:10am.. yea early. Has been all our married life...and I have always gotten up with him..made breakfast for him and a lunch, then sent him off to work.
Few years ago he did not want breakfast that early any more.
So I then began adding a breakfast to his lunch, he prefers NOT to eat in the company caferteria

John does however like a glass of juice (preferable pineapple) in the mornings. On occasion I pour it for him but most mornings I forget. So for the rest of this week I plan on having his juice ready for him as he breeze's through the kitchen on his way out the door.

Not sure if that is a dare or not though???

It is such a simple thing but am sure will let him know I am loving him.

Thanks lizzie.

[lizzie]

awwwwwwwwwwww

Something that may seem like a simple thing to someone else, when done in love and for love becomes magnified.

I luv u cc! Get that juicer out sister

[---]

Who would have thought a small glass of pineapple juice would produce a very big smile, a tender thank you and a longer than normal kiss good-bye.
AW...life is good!

[lizzie]

Aww praise God sister cc

[momof3]

i just read this thread for the first time...wow!

ya know, its the small things that mean the most, most times. we may not think they notice...but like with my kids, even though we think they dont notice the little things....now that they are grown, the lil things we used to do, like move the coffee table out of the way and wrestle..or the late night talks or the simple.."yes, i will pick you up from your friends" or seeing the tackle your lil star made on the field (and they glance waayy up in the stands trying not to be seen glancing) to see if you saw it....they remember it all. those are the things they carry with em. and im sure the small things like a glass of juice in the mornings is huge to them.

God bless you, sisters.

Loooooooved the movie!!!!!!! gonna get the book!

in Jesus,
love momo

[Dora]

I've been going to post on this for some time now and since Momof3 resurrected it, I'll try to now, before I forget again.

Cubby also gets up at 4:30. I tried the breakfast thing, the coffee thing, the making him lunch thing. He's asked me politely to not to as he's not hungry, would rather grab coffee at work, and the restaurants feed him. So to turn down a hot meal to eat the cold sandwich I pack got old.

One year, I took a dozen cards that said I love you and mailed them to the places he delivers and asked them to give them to him for me. So that one day, at every stop he got a love letter from me. He came home beaming and with a hug that showed how much this meant to him. If I remember correctly the one restaurant couldn't deliver the card to him so they dropped it off at a restaurant they knew cubby was delivering to that day. So he got two from there, plus the added benefit that a customer would take the time to drive the card they were to give to him to another restaurant so he would get it on the same day he got the rest of them.

That was a lot of work! But well worth it. I should do that again sometime.

I've stopped by his work and taped a note that says I love you to his steering wheel. This was a fun surprise as he hopped in his truck after a long day.

I've learned over the years to speak his language. He buys me things. Because he feels something bought is the greatest sign of love. Maybe it's the way he was raised. I don't know. But it's how he speaks love. So now that I've learned this I try to pick him something up when I'm out. Maybe it's just his favorite candy bar or making sure we don't run out of his favorite cereal. Making an extra trip to the store to make sure there are bananas in the house. He gets leg cramps if he doesn't get bananas.

They say the way to a mans heart is through his stomach. So when I really want to show my love I make his favorite meal, including dessert.

My kids love it when I fix their beds. Something about crawling into a bed fixed by mom, no wrinkles in the sheets, that sends them off to dream land.

On cold days when they had to get up for school I'd warm their socks up in the oven and slip them on their feet as I woke them up. To this day I remember my mother doing this for me.

Hmm..makes me wonder what would I do to go that extra mile to show God I love him. To mindfully do something out of my love for him.

I remember one day Cubby stopped on the way home and picked a wild flower that was growing beside the road. That he'd do this for me melted my heart. Seemed like such a small thing to him, but to me a dozen store bought roses could not have meant more.

Awww memories. They make me

[Dora]

Clean his/her glasses from them.
Being so dependant on glasses it just makes me feel so good when someone cleans them for me.
I've done this for others and I love the smile it brings them.
Even sunglasses.
Be careful to use a soft cloth and not something that was washed with softener as it breaks down the scratch proof coating.
Wipe gently from top to bottom instead of in circles or you may scratch them if there is something on the lens or in the cloth.

[---]

You know Pine it is interesting when I read your last post about cleaning glasses..it popped into my head how some people would say you or I are being subservient in things we do for our husbands. Or you may be a very submissive wife...those are not true observations.

It is not the kind of serving they may think...yes it is about "serving" but that serving comes from an attitude of loving your spouse... as it goes both ways.
A married couple will reap rewards of the generous hearts shared within a marriage, not because anyone HAS to "serve" the other, but because there is a DESIRE to give of one's self to the other.

It is truly a gift when someone does something unasked for...as with your kids...they treasure those moments of something simple.
Like momo said about her kids too.
It truly warms my heart to hear my own kids who are grown, some with kids of their own... relate memories of little things...of the daily activities they loved in our home...it is a joy to share their memories.

So back to serving your spouse...there are just things you do when you live and love together...it is a daily part of life that you make it, a joy in-between the daily stuff.

More power to you Pine...tell cubby I said "hello" please.

love you and GBU you Pine
cecilia

[comfy]

In my case, most of all I am checking *in* myself to see if I am really loving someone special to me. So, I am not trying to show and tell her, but make sure with God.

And loving her would include welcoming her to be free to be with different people who are good for her, and to reach to ones Jesus has her reaching to and being good for those people . . . since Jesus wants us to love *all* people > "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?" (in Matthew 5:46) > so, *if* Jesus trusts me with a real lady of His, this is required. Included in her fulfillment with God is how she *needs* to love and be good for all the different people You are trusting her to love. So, I am just one person for her to love. And her fulfillment with God in His love does not come just with getting whatever she may require, with me, but in giving love

And make sure she is free for howsoever she finds she needs to be with God for personal devotion and sharing with Him. But be ready for however she wants me with her, to share together as one with God in personal sharing with You I do enjoy listening to a special lady tell me her stuff Be whoever she wants me to be > her girlfriend, brother, mommy, or me > maybe like Paul > "I have become all things to all men" (in 1 Corinthians 9:22).

And encourage her not to stress herself, in any way . . . since our Groom Jesus *who has first say about her* as a member of His Bride wants us to have "rest for your souls" (in Matthew 11:29) in doing what He wants. So, I must not ever pressure her or stress her for things I may want, if Jesus doesn't. He wants willing obedience, cheerful; so this is how I need to also be with her.

Oh yeah . . . and to let her do things with me, that I could do for myself . . . so we can be together, and in case I ever am disabled, so she knows how to do things I need and like. And encourage her, then, to teach me things she knows how to do, while I let her learn anything I may be good at, so either of us can take over for the other if one dies or whatever or is on a trip for something.

Be ready to die well; help each other to be ready to be calm and satisfied with Jesus and His choice for when we obey Him by dying right - - emotionally peaceful, ready, able to nurture others with tender compassion who are not ready though they should have been, instead of blindly boasting it can't happen and fighting it (Hebrews 2:14-15).

And whatever she says, assume she means this and it is coming from her heart . . . whatever she says she wants or prefers. But don't assume I understand her right. Know how to tell the difference between when she is really set on something, and when things don't mean much and she even would rather give something up if I'm not interested > let her give place to me, when this is good for her, instead of pushing that I always am the giving one, like I can do. And then still don't assume I understand her, even if she says I do ? ? ? LOLOL Because she may not understand herself . . . like God does

God's ways are "past finding out," we have in Romans 11:33. And these ways we cannot figure out are involved in how You, LORD, are developing my lady, day by day, to become someone, even each day, who she has not been, before; so, each day, I need to be ready to discover her, who she has become, how she is. Yesterday's perceptions and discoveries *may* be out-of-date.

"Good morning, Honey . . . *who* are you, today?" Well, she needs to wake up to find out, too

Um . . . by the way . . . where is she? Who is she? I mean, I'm getting ready, like this, just in case . . . I pray and practice this with every lady, in case she's the one; but they all seem to just zoop-dee-doo right along elsewhere or not connect. Oops, this is not the Ask A Lady thread. Oh . . . so I just need to be corrected more and seek more the kingdom of God and His righteousness

[Lionhearted]

"You know Pine it is interesting when I read your last post about cleaning glasses..it popped into my head how some people would say you or I are being subservient in things we do for our husbands. Or you may be a very submissive wife...those are not true observations.

It is not the kind of serving they may think...yes it is about "serving" but that serving comes from an attitude of loving your spouse... as it goes both ways. A married couple will reap rewards of the generous hearts shared within a marriage, not because anyone HAS to "serve" the other, but because there is a DESIRE to give of one's self to the other."

[b][color=green]I find submission just for "submission" sake is very difficult and somewhat "door-matty" ... if you don't have the Jesus factor involved.

But when I view submission in the light of Luke 9:23 - when Jesus said, [i]And He said to all, if any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself, forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also]

[Dora]

It blesses me to see you choosing to put your relationship above your will.
That is what submission is all about.

Serving and submitting because we love.

Some may take it as being a door mat. I in no way feel like a door mat. Far from it. Because he serves and submits as well.

GBU lion. It's good to have you back.