Thursday, June 23, 2011

Day 3 of the Deployment Love Dare

Love is not selfish!

If there were ever a word that basically means the opposite of love, it's selfishness. The grim reality is that we are all selfish, we are born that way. It is something we all have to fight against.


We are all familiar with 1 Corinthians 13, The Love Chapter. Some of you might have even had it as apart of your wedding. We usually stop before verse 11, but if you continue, it says this:


"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me."


So.....the question of the day is......"have you put your childish ways behind you?" Are you treating others the way you would like to be treated?


Are you treating your spouse as the precious gift from God that they are?


Here is the challenge:
Mail something special to your spouse. Something that says you are thinking of them.

I found this card at the exchange today. I love it! sooo cute! My hubby is a reservists currently on active duty so this card is perfect for us! :-)


www.excellentorpraiseworthy.org


Saturday, June 18, 2011

Father's Day when Daddy is away...

Tomorrow is Father's Day which is bittersweet for us this year with R gone. As you know, I've been doing the deployment Love Dare the last couple days....so I've been staying positive and sending little kindness e-mails. Doing the Dare has started to change me also. I've been coming face to face with how blessed we are because of him.


So, we came up with a Father's Day care package. We included things he loves.....movies, caramel popcorn, Husker window decals, homemade cards and kids artwork, cookies, and pictures! Lots of pictures.




You've all heard of Flat Daddies, right? Have you heard of Flat Brats though?


Flat Brats were created by Beth Allen of Troops in Touch. You print out the page, have the kiddos color it. Cut it out. You can laminate them or make sturdier with a stick on the back. But.....we took it a step further. We cut out their heads on pictures and glued them to the flat brat. The kids are sooo excited to see all the places Daddy takes them! Pictures to come. :-)

Day 2: Love is Kind

Love is Kind

"Kindness is love in action. If patience is how love reacts in order to minimize a negative circumstance, kindness is how love acts to maximize a positive circumstance. Patience avoids a problem; kindness creates a blessing. One is preventive, the other proactive." (p6)

The challenge: During deployment, in addition to not saying anything negative or hurtful, add at least one unexpected act of kindness. Because of distance, it could be a kind word, a compliment, or a simple Thank You.

A kind hearted woman gains respect. Proverbs 11:16

I am sending my sweet husband an e-card this evening!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Deployment Love Dare

I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about staying connected to my husband during deployment. I'm learning that it takes even more intention to stay connected and engaged while he is away. Excellent or Praiseworthy has a deployment love dare.....so I say....why not!!!

Day 1: Love is Patient

I love this part.....
As sure as a lack of patience will turn your home into a war zone, (so true, so true), the practice of patience will foster peace and quiet......(my goal is to accomplish patience without gritted teeth...ha ha)......patience is where love meets wisdom....patience helps you give your spouse permission to be human.....it gives you the ability to hold on during the tough times in your relationship rather than bailing out under pressure.

Here is the challenge: Do not say anything negitive in phone, e-mail, letter, or skype. Do not say or write anything critical or negitive. Choose to be positive or quiet.

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Eph 4:2

Deployment

Myself and 3 kiddos are one month in a 12 month deployment. I hope to use this outlet to share what we did during deployment and just maybe it'll help someone else.

Today, I came across Psalm 131 and I knew right away it is a deployment verse for me. Here it is in the message version:

"God, I'm not trying to rule the roost, I don't want to be king of the mountain.
I haven't meddled where I have no business or fantisized grandeois plans.

I've kept my feet on the ground,
I've cultivated a quiet heart.
Like a baby content in it's mother's arms,
my sould is a baby content.

Wait, Isreal, for God. Wait with hope!
Hope now; hope always!

This does not describe my personality at all.....I want it to be a victory verse after this deployment. I know I need to quiet my soul sometimes and not meddle where I have no business.

LORD, help me to be still and know YOU are God!