THE LOVE DARE

Day 20

LOVE IS JESUS CHRIST

While we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
-Romans 5:6

TODAY'S DARE

Dare to take God at his word. Dare to trust Jesus Christ for salvation. Dare to pray, "Lord Jesus, I'm a sinner. But you have shown Your love for me by dying to forgive my sins, and You have proven Your power to save me from death by Your resurrection. Lord, change my heart, and save me by Your grace."

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♥ Isn't God's love the most amazing thing?!!! I pray that those who don't believe will realize the beauty of His love. It amazes me that in spite of all my flaws, He continues to watch over me. My life would not be complete without Him.

THE LOVE DARE

Day 19

LOVE IS IMPOSSIBLE!

Let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
-1 John 4:7

TODAY'S DARE

Look back over the dares from previous days. Were there some that seemed impossible to you? Have you realized your need for God to change your heart and to give you the ability to love? Ask him to show you where you stand with him, and ask for the strength and grace to settle your eternal destination.

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♥ I have yet to do days 1-10 because I got a little late start, but nevertheless, I plan on doing them at some point along the way. With that being said, days 11-18 have been so inspirational. Each day filled me with great insight and I'm more confident that we are, at the very least, on the right track. Thanks Be To God!!!

THE LOVE DARE
Day 18

LOVE SEEKS TO UNDERSTAND

How blessed is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding.
-Proverbs 3:13

TODAY'S DARE

Prepare a special dinner at home, just for the two of you. The dinner can be as nice as you prefer. Focus this time on getting to know your spouse better, perhaps in areas you've rarely talked about. Determine to make it an enjoyable evening for you and your mate.

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♥ Oh, how I LOVE having dinner with just my awesome hubby. This is one dare that truly is a challenge. It's a rare occasion for us. And when we do get the chance, we're usually talking about Mason and missing him. That little munchkin has us tied around his little finger. It's hard to believe there was a time when we had other things to talk about. He is a part of us now and I'm so glad I have Brad next to me.

THE LOVE DARE
Day 17

LOVE PROMOTES INTIMACY!

He who cover over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.
-Proverbs 17:9

TODAY'S DARE

Determine to guard your mate's secrets (unless they are dangerous to them or to you) and to pray for them. Talk with your spouse, and resolve to demonstrate love in spite of these issues. Really listen to them when they share personal thoughts and struggles with you. Make them feel safe.

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♥ Intimacy is defined as having a close, familiar, and affectionate personal relationship with another person. You know you have a great marriage when your husband is also your best friend. What makes a best friend? Well, to me a best friend is someone who allows you to be yourself and someone you feel comfortable with. A best friend is someone who brings out the best in you and always encourages. I don't like keeping things from Brad. I tell him everything. There are things that are just between the two of us, some of which are just silly things we do. I love having little inside jokes with him. I love giving him a big o' hug just because and getting one in return. Even just a smile from him makes me feel like the happiest girl around. That's why he's my best friend and I'm proud to call him my husband.

THE LOVE DARE
DAY 16

LOVE INTERCEDES

Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. -3 John 2

TODAY'S DARE

Begin praying today for your spouse's heart. Pray for three specific areas where you desire for God to work in your spouse's life and in your marriage.

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♥ Prayer is such an amazing thing. With prayer, comes guidance and hope. It even brings forth miracles for some, like myself. Every time I pray, I pray for God to watch over all those I love, to protect them from harm and sicknesses and to give them the strength and guidance to live happy and healthy lives. But also for me, prayer isn't just for times in need. It's for showing gratitude. I want Him to know that I am grateful for all He has brought into my life. After all, a gift received without gratitude is a gift undeserving.

THE LOVE DARE
Day 15

LOVE IS HONORABLE

Live with your wives in an understanding way...and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life. -1 Peter 3:7

TODAY'S DARE

Choose a way to show honor and respect to your spouse that is above your normal routine. It may be holding the door for her. It might be putting his clothes away for him. It may be the way you listen and speak in your communication. Show your mate that he or she is highly esteemed in your eye!

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♥ To honor your loved one is to regard or treat them with respect. I believe that a marriage without respect, is a marriage bond to lose it's ground. If you respect one another, then your foundation will be strong and if your foundation is strong then the relationship will endure the test of time.

One way to show honor is to stand behind each others' decisions. I trust Brad's judgment and I know he has the knowledge to make wise decisions. I make it a point to treat him as I would like to be treated. After all, to get respect you must earn respect and earning it means considering the other's thoughts and feelings.

But it's not only in how you treat each other. It's also in how you teach your children to treat your spouse. If I see Mason's being disrespectful towards his daddy, then I let him know that it's wrong. As the heads of a family, parents need to have each other's support.

THE LOVE DARE
Day 14

LOVE TAKES DELIGHT

Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your fleeting life. —Ecclesiastes 9:9 HCSB

TODAY’S DARE
Purposefully neglect an activity you would normally do so you can spend quality time with your spouse. Do something he or she would love to do or a project they’d really like to work on. Just be together.

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♥ If Brad's not working then we're usually together. Once in a blue moon, we'll hang out with our friends, but for the most part, even when we're with friends, we're with each other. I'd much rather do things with him than without. Even the most mundane things are done together. I feel like I keep repeating myself, but it goes to show that I truly do cherish my husband and I do take delight in spending time with him. Yes, it's important to make time for each other, but spending time apart can also be just as beneficial. I'm not sure if time apart is included as a dare in this process, but for us it's a key element in our happy marriage. If Brad wants to go golfing with his buddies down at the coast, it's alright with me. I don't want to be the one that keeps him from enjoying his life. And it's a mutual feeling between the two of us. It goes without saying that to make that work you must trust and, in return, be worthy of the other's trust.

THE LOVE DARE
Day 13

LOVE FIGHTS FAIR
If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.
—Mark 3:25

TODAY’S DARE

Talk with your spouse about establishing healthy rules of engagement. If your mate is not ready for this, then write out your own personal rules to “fight” by. Resolve to abide by them when the next disagreement occurs.If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.

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♥ If you know Brad and I, personally, then you know that we have one of the happiest marriages you'd ever see. We've been married for 8 years now and we know that a happy marriage is one that compromises. Yesterday, I spoke of myself wanting to reach a common ground with him on a particular subject, but there's not any conflicting behaviors brought forth about it. Fights are pretty nonexistent. How is that possible? Well, like I said, we compromise, and whether it's in our actions or the words we speak, we are always very respectful towards one another. Yes, we've had our little spouts over silly, unimportant things, but we never go to bed upset with one another. And I give him full credit for that. If he sees I'm not 100% happy with him at the moment, then he'll try his hardest to get me smiling and it always works. What can I say? I'm a sucker. I can't stay mad at him. He's such an amazing husband and father; and he works so hard for us that all those silly, unimportant things just don't matter to me. But if that wasn't the case, then I know it wouldn't be so easy. That's why I thank God ALWAYS for pairing us up together. He is a gift that I get to enjoy everyday.

THE LOVE DARE
Day 12

LOVE LETS THE OTHER WIN

Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.—Philippians 2:4

TODAY’S DARE

Demonstrate love by willingly choosing to give in to an area of disagreement between you and your spouse. Tell them you are putting their preference first.

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♥ At first I thought I had nothing for today's dare, but I knew there just had to be something. Nothing can be that perfect, right?! So I thought for a moment and the only instance I could think of in which we have the slightest disagreement concerns our attending church. Our situation is quite complicated. I was raised Catholic and he as a Methodist. When we got married I vowed to my parents and to myself that I would continue following the Catholic faith. Brad has never disapproved of my attending church while he stayed home. He even approves of me taking Mason. I'm really grateful for that, but I can't help but feel a little sad when he's not there with us, especially when you see families seating together in the church pews. Now that our little Mason is getting older, I'd really like for us to attend church as a family on a regular basis and he mentioned the same to me. The only problem is finding a common ground. I know attending two different churches would not be the way to go. We need something more stable for the sake of our little Mason, but what's that common ground? I guess the only way to find out would be for the two of us to determine together how we are going to go about it. I'm willing to attend a church of his choice and I hope he would be willing to do the same for me. If we give this a chance, maybe we'll find that common ground and we can grow a little closer to God, TOGETHER, as a family. The idea of attending a non-Catholic church is really hard for me to process but I know that with God's guidance we'll figure this out.

THE LOVE DARE
DAY 11

A few weeks ago my husband, Brad, and I watched the movie Fireproof. I thought we were in for a really good movie about heros in fire suits saving the lives of others, but there was more to this story. As the story unfolded, we realized that the main character in the movie wasn't a firefighter saving lives. The main focus of the movie was faith and how it strengthens us if we grasp on to it wholeheartedly. It's message was one of beauty and one that encourages me to love a little more.

In the movie, a book, called The Love Dare, was brought to the attention of the firefighter by his father. Each day, for 40 days, The Love Dare challenged him to take that extra step, to do something extra special for his wife. The book played a major role in restoring the firefighters faith. And in the end, as his faith in God became stronger, so did the love between him and his wife.

Today I'm daring myself to take The Love Dare challenge. In a way, I don't see it as being much of a challenge because Brad and I have always had a strong relationship. Instead I see this dare more as a WANT than a NEED for us. I want him to know that he is a blessing and that I would do anything for him.

Sherri at Famlies are Fun invited me to join along with her and others for The Love Dare Challenge. They've gotten a head start and so I'm jumping right in with them on Day 11. Is it possible to make something better that looks perfect in my eyes? I'm not sure but I'm up for the challenge.

TODAY'S DARE
TO CHERISH - to hold dear : feel or show affection for : to keep or cultivate with care and affection

What need does your spouse have that you could meet today? Can you run an errand? Give a back rub or foot massage? Is there housework you could help with? Choose a gesture that says, “I cherish you” and do it with a smile.

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♥ I thought pretty hard of what I could do to show Brad how much I cherish him. With my wimpy little hands I thought a massage would really do him no good, although he might have gotten a really good laugh out of it. Housework, I do it all the time. But something I hardly ever do is iron his clothes. Last night, as he was enjoying a little down time watching t.v., I got his clothes ready for work. All he had left to do this morning was shower and get dressed. While I was ironing, he came into the room and said, "Sweetie, you don't have to do that." I knew I didn't HAVE to do it, but I wanted to and it felt good to do something nice for him just because.