I've been wanting to share my tea set with My Romantic Home's Show and Tell...and here it is! Be sure to visit to see more beautiful things. :o) Linking up with Raising Homemakers...because this is what my tea times and these posts are all about.
by Shona Cole
Dear Friends, How about a little 'Girl Talk'...
My daughter and I love having tea on the deck in the mornings talking about girl things. She had a pressing question for me one morning. One of the things she had heard recently from a friend was “Everyone was so busy helping me prepare for the wedding…how come no one prepared me for the marriage?!” It kind of shook her up to think that you could spend so much time and energy getting ready for a wedding only to have forgotten to get ready for the most important part…how to have a great marriage!
So, we’ve started a bible study on this topic (considering she is already 19) and I thought I’d share some marriage-reviving lessons that we’ve learned from the book we’ve been reading. Yesterday’s chapter really struck me as very important! In fact, it made me squirm to tell you the truth. I’m afraid I have been guilty of this kind of stand off in the not so distant past.
The author bluntly asked ...
Are you struggling with the ‘poor me’ attitude
in your marriage?
She says, “When he first fell in love with you, you were a sweet little thing, full of laughter and fun. From the very bottom of your soul you were thrilled with him. Every day you woke up planning some activity that involved you both. Is he still married to the same sweet little thing, or have you become a long-faced, sickly complainer?
Love is like a flower: you can’t expect it to grow without sunshine. Has your lover seen your sunshine lately? Is he still your lover? What would he say? “
She goes on to quote Proverbs 15:13, “A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance.” Everyone is drawn to a smile. Who and what you are is reflected in your face. Does your husband see you as a happy thankful woman? Does he smile when he looks at you, amused at the cheerful little grin on your face the the totally delightful things you think and say—even the dumb things? Learn to charm him with our mischievous “only for him” grin.”
Later she continues the chapter in a letter to a wife, whose husband is being unfaithful...
“Yes he is wrong, but your negative response, though justified, will certainly lead to the destruction of your marriage.
Your negative responses are not going to make your husband suddenly be the mature man who does what he ought. My husband says, “No man has ever crawled out from under his wife’s criticism to be a better man—no matter how justified her condemnation.”
Your husband will never be pressured into loving you, even if you are his wife. You cannot be pitiful enough to force him to love you. (and later) What you don’t know is that men do not repent for the sake of an angry, critical wife. Your husband is going to love what is lovely to him. It is a mistake for a wife to take her position for granted, to assume that love and contentment exist because ‘we are husband and wife.” In a perfect world, being married to a perfect man,your vows would be sacred. But that will not work in our present culture. Cultivate his love for you. Pray that you can remind him of the loveliness and beauty that first attracted him to you.”
Never demand that a man love you and cherish you because he ought to. Earn every smile and shared moment.
Why Marriage Can Be Challenging… What I explained to my daughter, is that because two people who get married, are both, in reality, ‘sinners’ or self-centered, there are going to be conflicts. If, in the daily process of learning to give and take, you begin to feel like he isn’t doing ‘his part’…not being thoughtful enough or caring enough or giving you enough attention, or being short with you, and if you decide to withhold your smiles, friendship, approval and admiration until he starts ‘treating you right’, you will find yourself in a deadly game. It might be years before things derail but by the time you realize it, you may find out you have already lost. And with that attitude…focused on how “HE is treating ME”, you will never feel that he has met your expectations. Guess what the result is--he never gets your smiles!! And you never get to feel his love in return. This is a recipe for disaster! Who wants a marriage like that?
The best advice I ever got about marriage was to keep short accounts! Forget and forgive everything that happened before today. Give your spouse a clean bill of health just like the Lord Jesus does for you EVERY day! Then you won’t be holding grudges and you can smile again, hug, and cuddle, and be the cheerleader your husband so desperately needs. And he will LOVE you for it! You will be ‘his girl’ again! I promise!!
The bible clearly says,Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye give to others, it shall be measured to you again. Luke 6:38
If you read this in context, it has absolutely nothing to do with money and everything to do with relationship! Don’t believe me?? Try not leaving comments on people’s posts and see how much feedback you will get! Lay down your rights and you will find love overflowing in your heart.
It’s very easy to allow walls to be built in a marriage, if you are not regularly forgiving your spouse and even overlooking things, for the sake of a close relationship with each other. No one ever thinks the other spouse is doing his part. Be assured that your lack of friendliness, kindness, and compassion are just as visible to your spouse as his lack might be to you. (And both of you probably feel quite justified in holding back!) Remember that the disciples asked how many times they must forgive their brother and the Lord replied, “7 x 70” meaning of course..as many times as they need forgiveness.
Someone has to take the first step and give without expectation of getting back and when you do this and do it consistently, (the heart of genuine Christian love), you will rekindle the love and fellowship that brought you together in the first place. So call a truce today…a cease-fire if you will…if you find yourself feeling like ‘poor me’. It takes two to have a fight, but one of you can change everything by choosing to love the other..because it’s the right thing to do.
“Always remember, that the day you stop smiling is the day you stop trying to make your marriage heavenly, and it is the first day leading to your divorce proceedings! STAND BY YOUR MAN!” (Debbie Pearl)
The bible says it best in I Peter 3:9
New Living Translation (©2007)
Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it.
In closing Debbie says,
“Being pitiful, hurt, discouraged, and even sickly is one side of a “bad marriage’ coin. Men in general , are repulsed by women who project this image. A man’s spirit tells him his woman is rejecting him and manipulating him when she regularly manifests a broken spirit, and he will react with anger. The other side of the bad coin includes having a bitter, angry, and resentful spirit.
Toss that old, destructive coin out the door before it buys you a divorce! Make a decision, right now, to break the ‘poor me’ habit. Tomorrow, wake up with joy in your heart and home.
Click here for the best book about marriage that I have ever read next to The Love Dare!Establish a new habit. What can I do today that will make him smile?
Love...Donna
I don't sing very professionally, but if you'd like to hear a pretty little song that I wrote for Tim
when we first got married click here.
Here are the words....
Our Love
When first we met and hearts did greet,
some special something woke.
With friendly smiles and openness,
and kindly words we spoke.
Then happy times and visions shared,
and fellowship in God,
Brought oneness and companionship,
the first fruits of our love.
chorus: Our love,
is as strong as a mountain..
as sweet as a meadow..
as deep as the sea.
Our love...
is as gentle as a whisper.
Our love is all that love was meant to be,
because it comes from God,
our love will last..until eternity..
I'm so glad that God chose you...
for me!
VS.2
VS.2
When it was young our love was like,
the glow of burning embers,
so quick to grow yet fragile,
oh yes, my heart remembers..
But now our loves keeps growing,
as time moves swiftly on.
we find a love more steady,
and a fire burning strong.
Vs.3
Vs.3
The struggles and the burdens,
the weakness in the one,
gives the other chance to live and love,
in the image of the Son.
I know our love will blossom,
our hearts, the hurts, will prune,
and oneness by the Grace of God,
will keep our love in bloom.
This post by Becky of Jones Journey, was a perfect example of how to respond in a difficult situation... I"m so proud of her!!
Way to go Becky!
Thanks so much for sharing Becky!!
In Christ's Love...Donna
This post by Becky of Jones Journey, was a perfect example of how to respond in a difficult situation... I"m so proud of her!!
Way to go Becky!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Wisdom....I hope
A few minutes ago I was over at my house fixing some chicken spaghetti for a homebirth party we will be going to in a little bit. As I was scurrying around the kitchen I see my 13 year old brother in law coming over escorting Tyrel. I asked what they were doing since everyone else was hanging out over at Granola's.
MJ told me that Tyrel had pooped in his underwear. I immediately felt myself giving way to being mad. Not at Tyrel, but at Stephen. I have to deal with this day in and day out all the time. And yet, when everyone is over visiting at Granola's and I'm already missing out on that, he sends him to me to deal with it, rather than dealing with it himself.
I grabbed Tyrel's arm and dragged him to the bathroom to deal with his mess. All the time seething at how inconsiderate, lazy and mean my husband was being. Now this is NOT my normal attitude. I adore my sweet husband. In our almost 5 years of marriage we have almost never had an argument and when we do they are short lived.
I finished dealing with Tyrel, sat him down in the rocker to think about NOT doing that again any time soon. He is nearly 3 and should NOT still be doing that.
I went back to fixing lunch, but this time with a dark cloud hanging over me. Telling myself all the things Stephen does wrong. Getting more mad as the time passed. Then I thought to myself. Great, I want to introduce Stephen to my friends I met at retreat today, and we're going to be mad at each other. Because I had every intention of telling him everything that was running through my head. Then I thought, Wait a second, we haven't fought. He doesn't even know I'm mad. What if I got happy, and never made a fight of it? Why does the day have to turn out bad? So I prayed and asked God to help me change my attitude. Not fake change it, but really get happy. Because really what is one more change of pants in the grand scheme of things. Within moments I was chatting happily with Tyrel, not upset at all.
Now here I sit with the spaghetti in the oven, waiting to leave. And so glad I didn't choose to ruin this day.
Posted by Becky at 10:19 AM 2 comments
http://bsjonesjourney.blogspot.com/
Wisdom....I hope
A few minutes ago I was over at my house fixing some chicken spaghetti for a homebirth party we will be going to in a little bit. As I was scurrying around the kitchen I see my 13 year old brother in law coming over escorting Tyrel. I asked what they were doing since everyone else was hanging out over at Granola's.
MJ told me that Tyrel had pooped in his underwear. I immediately felt myself giving way to being mad. Not at Tyrel, but at Stephen. I have to deal with this day in and day out all the time. And yet, when everyone is over visiting at Granola's and I'm already missing out on that, he sends him to me to deal with it, rather than dealing with it himself.
I grabbed Tyrel's arm and dragged him to the bathroom to deal with his mess. All the time seething at how inconsiderate, lazy and mean my husband was being. Now this is NOT my normal attitude. I adore my sweet husband. In our almost 5 years of marriage we have almost never had an argument and when we do they are short lived.
I finished dealing with Tyrel, sat him down in the rocker to think about NOT doing that again any time soon. He is nearly 3 and should NOT still be doing that.
I went back to fixing lunch, but this time with a dark cloud hanging over me. Telling myself all the things Stephen does wrong. Getting more mad as the time passed. Then I thought to myself. Great, I want to introduce Stephen to my friends I met at retreat today, and we're going to be mad at each other. Because I had every intention of telling him everything that was running through my head. Then I thought, Wait a second, we haven't fought. He doesn't even know I'm mad. What if I got happy, and never made a fight of it? Why does the day have to turn out bad? So I prayed and asked God to help me change my attitude. Not fake change it, but really get happy. Because really what is one more change of pants in the grand scheme of things. Within moments I was chatting happily with Tyrel, not upset at all.
Now here I sit with the spaghetti in the oven, waiting to leave. And so glad I didn't choose to ruin this day.
Posted by Becky at 10:19 AM 2 comments
http://bsjonesjourney.blogspot.com/
Thanks so much for sharing Becky!!
In Christ's Love...Donna
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