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Sunday, May 11, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 40

Love is covenant.

I am elated as I enter my fortieth day of the Love Dare. It marks my commitment to myself and my wife. But even as I come to the end of the dare, I am nakedly aware that this is only part of a journey.

The experience and challenge of loving my wife is something that never comes to an end.

"Where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God" (Ruth 1:16).

I am rededicating myself to my wife.

The rededication has no expiration date - "till death do us part".

I am taking up my role as a covenant keeper.

No matter what may arise hereafter to challenge my faithfulness to this covenant, I give myself to my wife and commit to this marriage for life.

This covenant cuts off all avenues of retreat or withdrawal.

I fasten my love afresh on the one the Lord has given me to cherish, prize, and honor.

I dare to take hold of it and never let go!  

Saturday, May 10, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 39

Love endures.
"Love never fails" (1 Cor. 13:8).

Though threatened, love keeps pursuing. Though mistreated and rejected, love refuses to give up.

If love can be told to quit loving, then it's not really love. Love that is from God is unending, unstoppable.

Love is based on the will of God, the calling of God, the Word of God. When all else fails, the truth of God will still be standing.

Therefore, my love should bear the same unchanging characteristics. 

Loves never fails.
Never!

Friday, May 9, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 38

Love fulfills dreams.

"Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4).

Dreams and desires come in all shapes and sizes. But love takes careful notice of each one.

Many are the moments when I have found myself asking what is it that my wife would really, really love.

Unfortunately, I have let "no" become too quick a response to such moments.

Yet in today's dare I am reminded that love sometimes needs to be extravagant.

I am also reminded of the many times God's love has met needs in my heart that once seemed out of the question. Yes, there have been many occasions in my life when I have thought life was over as certain setback took all the wind out of my sails. In such moments I break down and cry out to God. Though it has not always been easy getting back up and trod on, I have somehow found myself surviving the storms. God has in many of such moments met me with His promised peace "which surpasses all comprehension" (Philippians 4:7) and kept me on my feet.

I am thus reminded that God is the One my love is designed to imitate! I dare to be extravagant in loving my wife.

I dare bring forth to mind the things that are unique to our relationship, the pleasures and enjoyments that bring a smile to our faces.

I dare to daydream about the many opportunities to pour out my love so regularly that my wife's desires become mine as well.

I dare to overwhelm her with love!

Thursday, May 8, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 37

Love agrees in prayer.

"If two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by my Father" (Matthew 18:19). 

The unity that grows between a man and woman who regularly pray together forms an intense and powerful connection. 

When we were joined together as husband and wife, God gave me a perfect wedding gift - a permanent prayer partner for life. 

In prayer, two people remember that God has made them one. Praying for my wife leads my heart to care more deeply about her. 

Prayer is a privilege to be enjoyed on a consistent, daily basis. God's blessing falls on us when we agree in prayer.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 36

Love is God's Word.

God has the right plan for everything. God has revealed these plans in God's Word.

"Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105).

Because the Holy Spirit now lives in my heart, by way of salvation, He illuminates my path with the truth of my Maker. This I know because "these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God" (1 Cor. 2:10).

As the Scripture says about the rules of God: "More to be desired are they than gold, even fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb" (Psalm 19:10).

Today's dare remind that I have to continue establishing my marriage and home on the rock of God's unchanging Word which insures against destruction. Amen.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 35

Love is accountable.

"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel" (Proverbs 12:15).

Everyone needs wise counsel throughout life.

A couple that faces problems alone is more likely to fall apart during tough times.

Couples who interlock their lives in a network of other strong marriages radically increase their chances of surviving the fiercest of storms.

Wise people constantly seek counsel and gladly receive it.

The unfortunate thing with most of us is that we waste years of life learning painful lessons when we could discover those same truths during a few hours of wise counsel.

We ought to have the courage to cross bridges others have built.

I cannot deny, I need today's dare more than anyone else. I do not know if it is pride or fear of "exposing" self that hinders me to seek other people's counsel or something else. Courage Brother do not stumble. Trust in God and do the Right!

Monday, May 5, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 34

Love celebrates godliness.

"Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth" (1 Cor . 13:6).

 "The report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil" (Romans 16:19).

The pursuit of godliness, purity, and faithfulness is the only way for me to find joy and ultimate fulfillment.

God's Word is the ultimate expression of what real life is. Scripture is God's ideals and instructions that are the only pathways to real blessing and when we see people follow them in obedience to the Lord, it should cause us to rejoice.

Love rejoices most in the things that please God. We should be doubly thrilled and excitedly cheering our spouses on for what they're allowing God to accomplish in their lives.

Sunday, May 4, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 33

Love completes each other.

"Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. If two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone?" (Ecclesiastes 4:9-11.)

Marriage origin intention was for woman and man to complete each other:
Differing Natures and temperaments were meant to provide balance;
Teamwork raise the two to health and maturity;
Where one is weak, the other is strong ;
When one needs building up, the other is equipped to enhance and encourage; 
We multiply one another's joys and divide one another's sorrows.

Our differences can frequently be the source of misunderstanding and conflict, yet they can be ongoing blessings if I respect them.

Working together on purpose honors God's design for my relationship and guards the oneness God intends.

Saturday, May 3, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 32

Love meets sexual needs.
In marriage, romance is meant to thrive and flourish.

The Song of Songs is a good example and a beautiful love story where romance is celebrated. It expresses how honesty and understanding in sexual matters lead to a life of confident love together.

In the act of romance, we join our hearts to each other in an expression of love that no other form of communication can match.

All the Dares so far - patience, kindness, selflessness, thoughtfulness, protection, honor, forgiveness - will play a role in renewing sexual intimacy.

LOVE DARe: Day 31

Love and marriage.
Leave. And cleave. And dare to walk as one.

Leaving = means to break from a natural tie. This, though an issue in many marriages, at least it has not affected my marriage in any significant way. 

We have successfully cut the apron strings.

The purpose of "leaving", is not to abandon all contact with the familial ties but rather to preserve the unique oneness that marriage is designed to capture.

Cleaving = carries the idea of catching someone by pursuit, clinging to her as my new rock of refuge and safety.

Of course tasked with the responsibility of loving my wife "just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25).

As a result we are free to become everything God meant when God declared us "one flesh":
In decision making
In priorities 
In affections.

Leave. And cleave. And dare to walk as one.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 30

Love brings unity.

Just like love, unity is of God.
Some of the unshakable hallmarks of our God are: Unity, Togetherness, Oneness.

In this spirit of oneness, husband and wife (though two distinct individuals) are spiritually united into the mystery of "one flesh".

The mystery is so compelling that God uses the imagery of marriage to explain God's love for the church.

In today's dare, I am reminded that the preservation of oneness with my wife is worth every sacrifice and expression of love.

I ask of God's strength as I make it my mission to do everything possible to promote togetherness of heart with my wife.

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 29

Love's motivation.

"Render service with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to men" (Ephesians 6:7).

Love motivated by mere duty cannot hold out for very long.

Love that is only motivated by favorable conditions can never be assured of sufficient oxygen to keep it breathing.

Definitely, moods and emotions can create all kinds of moving motivational targets. 

But love comes from God.
Therefore, when God is my reason for loving, my ability to love is guaranteed.

The love that is demanded from me in marriage should not be dependent on my wife's sweetness or sustainability. 

The love between my wife and I should have one chief objective, honoring the Lord with devotion and sincerity.

The blessing that that kind if love brings to my beloved in the process is simply a wonderful, additional benefit.

Only love that is lifted up as an offering to God is able to to sustain itself when all other reasons have lost their ability to energize me.

Love that has God as its primary focus is unlimited in the heights it can attain!

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 28

Love makes sacrifices.

I must admit today's dare is the hardest so far. 

Yet Scripture reminds that lives that have been raised from death by Jesus' sacrifice should be ready and willing to make daily sacrifices to meet the needs of others.

I am nakedly aware that I am usually the first to feel it when I am the one being mistreated or inconvenienced.

When life is difficult for me, I notice.

Unfortunately, the only way I notice that life is hard for my wife is when she start complaining about it.

Her pain and pressure most of the time do not register with me the way it does when it is my pain and pressure.

Yet when I complain, I expect her to understand and feel sorry for me.

Today's dare challenges that love does not have to be jarred awake by my wife's obvious signs of distress.

Love desires that I be sensitive to my  wife. 

Love makes sacrifice.
Love shows compassion.

Love inspires to say "no" to what I want, in order to say "yes" to what my wife needs ( Matthew 25:35-36).

I have to let love pick me up out of my self-pity and turn my attention to my wife's needs.

Love is willing to make sacrifices to see that the needs of my wife are given my very best effort and focus.

LOVE DARe: Day 27

Love encourages.

"Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble " ( Isaiah 35:3).

"Encourage one another and build up one another ... Encourage the faint hearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone (1 Thessalonians 5:11, 14).

I continue being reminded that marriage is a unique friendship designed by God where two people live together in flawed imperfection but deal with it by encouraging each other, not discouraging them.

Perhaps I have spent most of my past years as a "speck" inspector making my loved ones spend most days sensing more of my disapproval than my acceptance.

I choose to live by encouragement rather than by expectations. 

I choose to focus on personal responsibility and improving myself rather than on demanding more from my wife. 

Marriage is a relationship to be enjoyed  and savored along the way.

I am making a commitment tonight to daily let go of unrealistic expectations and become my wife's greatest encourager. 

Oh! That you may grant me this Grace, God, I beg of you in Jesus precious name. Amen.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 26

Love is responsible.

Love is responsible and is willing to admit and correct its faults and errors up front.
Love does not pass the blame so easily or justify selfish motives.

Personal responsibility is something we wish others to have but struggle to maintain it ourselves.
We are so quick to justify our motives.
So quick to deflect criticism.
So quick to find fault with our spouse who is of course the easiest one to blame.

Love is not nearly as concerned with its own performance as with others' needs.

Love does not make excuses.

I must re-learn to first admit my own wrongs instead of passing blame.

Love also calls me to take responsibility for my wife.
To love her.
To honor her.
To cherish her.

Pride is very resistant to responsibility, but humility and honesty before God and my wife is crucial for a healthy relationship (1 John 1:8-9).
This is my honest pray.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 25

Love forgives.

Great marriages are not created by people who never hurt each other, only by people who choose to keep "no record of wrongs" (1 Corinthians 13:5).

Inability to forgive is the most complex problem of all ( Matthew 18).

Forgiveness cannot just be considered and contemplated but must be deliberately put in practice.

Many a times we are unable to forgive because of perceived dangers and risks involved in forgiving others. 

Nevertheless, forgiveness does not absolve anyone of blame. It does not clear the offenders record with God.

Forgiveness saves the forgiver the trouble of trying to win.

Forgiveness is about freedom.

It is about letting go.

By forgiving I release my anger and the responsibility for judging the offender to the Lord.

Friday, April 25, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 24

Love vs. Lust

Lust is in opposition to love.
Lust simply means to set our heart and passions on something forbidden. 
It is likened to the bottomless pit of unmet longings.

This includes but not limited to seeking sexual fulfillment in another person; lust after possessions or power or prideful ambition.
Lust always breeds lust.

Lust is the first step out of fellowship with the Lord and with others.
It represents the beginnings of a lie.

Rather than fulfillment, lust leads to emptiness.
It breeds anger, numbs hearts, and destroys marriages.

Only God's love can fill me. Lust is a misguided thirst for satisfaction that only God can fulfill.

I dare choose love.
I run to God for satisfaction (2 Peter 1:3-4).
I choose to be grateful for everything God has already given me rather than choosing discontentment.

While I am at it, I set my eyes and heart on my wife (Proverbs 5:18-21).

Lust is the best this world has to offer, but love offers me the best life in the world. Amen.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 23

Love always protects.

There are many enemies conspiring to destroy marriages:

Harmful influence;
Unhealthy relationships;
Shame;
Parasites.

I choose to guard the gate and stand my ground against anything that could threaten my wife or marriage.
I will guard my heart from things that may blur my perception of reality and put unfair expectation on my wife.

Indeed, love always protects.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 22

Love is faithful.

Christian love is the basis of our entire identity (John 3:16 & Luke 10:27).

Our love for each other is the root and ground of our existence (Ephesians 3:17). 

The account of prophet Hosea's union to Gomer serves as a metaphor of God's love and God's faithfulness.

In God we have the model of what rejected love does. It stays faithful.

I can and will give undeserved love to my wife because God gave undeserved love to me.

Love is expressed the most to those who deserve it least.

I pray to God that He fills me with the kind of love only God can provide.

I purpose to give that love to my wife in a way that reflects my gratefulness to God for loving me. Amen .

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 21

Love is satisfied in God.

The last two dares leave no doubt that I need God every single day.
God alone can satisfy, even when all else fails me.
God can always be trusted to deliver on God's promises.

I am becoming increasingly aware my wife will never be able to satisfy all the demands I ask of her - partly because some of my demands are unreasonable, partly because she is human.

I dare to approach God in utter dependence each day for the real needs in my life (Philippians 4:6-13).

I dare plug into God for my need to be loved; my need for acceptance; and my need for joy.

This I believe - God's faithfulness, God's truth, and God's promises to God's children will always remain the same.

God changes not!
God is my everyday supply. 
Of everything I need (Psalm 37:4; Philippians 4:19).
Amen and amen!

Monday, April 21, 2014

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).

By His death, Jesus made invalid the idea that I am unloved and devalued.

His love cannot be fully comprehended. 

Such love cannot be earned. It is to be received!

When I have received this love as my own, I am free to love in ways I have never been capable before.

Because of His great love displayed on the Cross, I am able through Grace to walk in the fullness and blessing of His love.

True Love is found in Christ Alone. Oh Jesus, help my unbelief!

I dare to take God at His Word.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 19

Love is impossible.
I cannot manufacture unconditional love out of my own heart.
It is impossible.
It is beyond all of my capabilities.

No amount of hard work and commitment can muster up unconditional, long term, sacrificial love from my heart.

Love (agape) is of God and from God (1 John 4:7).
Only God who can love unconditionally.
It is only God who chooses to express His love for my wife through me!
I choose to follow God's leading on how to love my wife.

Saturday, April 19, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 18

Love seeks understanding.

When a man falls in love, he studies the love of his life. He learns her likes, dislikes, and habits.

But after he wins her heart and marries her, the desire and motivation to learn about her fade away.

The mystery and challenge of knowing my wife is a lifelong journey that ought to draw my heart ever closer to her.

Imperfections and flaws ought not rob me off the admiration and respect for the love of my life.

Each nuance in my wife's character has a back story.

I dare to discover the hidden gems about my wife. 

I dare to know my wife's greatest hopes and dreams.

I dare to understand how my wife prefers to give and receive love.

I dare to know what my wife's greatest fears are and why she struggles with them.

I dare to make a commitment to know my wife more than I do now.

LOVE DARe: Day 17

Love promotes intimacy.
Marriage is the most intimate of all human relationships.

Living and sharing a home with another person who knows me down to the most intimate detail is part of the deep pleasure of marriage.

One who knows another person so intimately can either love deeply or wound in ways that can never be fully recovered.

I pledge to make my wife safe not scared. Our home shall always be a place of safety.

My wife should never feel pressured to be perfect in order to receive my approval.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:28).

Thursday, April 17, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 16

Love intercedes.

As much as I want, I cannot change my wife.

Only God who can reach into others heart and mold them into what God wants them to be.

I ought to learn from the farmer who knows he cannot make a seed grow into a fruitful crop.
Instead, he plants, waters, manures, fertilizes, cultivates, and then turn it over to God.

Love dare means that instead of wasting my time and energy trying to play God over the life of my wife, I ought to seek to personally change from the inside out. 

I must play my part and then depend on God for results.
This is most successful through effective prayer.

No one knows better how to pray for my wife than myself. 

I will pray instead of quitting.
I will pray when stressed out and worried.

Every time I feel the Spirit moving in my heart I will pray!

I dare turn my complaints into prayer!

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

What Cars and Marriage Have in Common by Nick Sorani (Shared by my good friend Anne Wheeler)

What Cars and Marriage Have in Common (On the Homefront with Nick Sorani for 04/03/2014, Abundant Life Now) .

(Nick Sorani is a Presbyterian minister who is in a ministry of Life Coaching.  His special focus is on marriage and families.)

What Cars and Marriage Have In Common

Most of us invest a certain degreeof time and money into servicing our car and keeping it in good running condition.
Winter-Car-Breakdown
Even if car maintenance is not our thing, none of us wants to break down on the side of the road.  All breakdowns are untimely, and many cost us a significantly bigger chunk of our time and money, not to mention the hardship for a few days or weeks without reliable transportation.
Because we know this we do certain basic things like change our car’s oil, replace worn tires, check the fluid levels and fan belts.  This need for regular maintenance never seems to arise at a time when it’s convenient, but most of us still find a way to do it because we know what happens if we neglect this for too long.
The same is true in a marriage relationship, or any relationship for that matter.  If we neglect taking the effort, time, and sometimes money to invest in and keep our relationship in good health, we may well find our marriage broken down along the side of the road.
This kind of a breakdown, even small breakdowns that are repairable, can cost us greatly in all areas of our life.  Logically we know this, but I have always wondered why it is that most of us tend to service our cars preventively, and yet in our marriage relationships we tend to wait until the breakdown to begin re-investing.
Walking With Pebbles in Our Shoes
Somehow we are content to walk for quite a long time with large pebbles in our shoes rather than open ourselves up to self-reflection and work on a few habits or emotions.  This makes sense, as it is not easy to take responsibility for our actions, to lower our pride, or change a habit or pattern we have.
Most couples or individuals wait too long, sometimes their whole lives.  Yes, wouldn’t it be great if there was a marriage “Jiffy Lube” we could stop at and sip our Starbucks while we wait.  No pain, no scraped knuckles or grease stains, just a quick stop that let’s others do the work.
Of course the difference is that cars are mechanical, while marriage is between two people with patterns, systems and emotional baggage.  Nevertheless,  the analogy stands that we must invest in each other and maintain the relationship.  Below are a few thoughts, and I invite you to share your own ideas of what has worked for you.
  • Talk.  Remember the days you used to talk and really listen to each other, actually wanting to get to know everything about them?  Now it’s just kids, schedules, work, house, and whatever other warning light is going off.  Find time and get back to it.
  • Listen.  This should really be first on the list because if we don’t listen well we won’t be able to talk and share very effectively.  Two things: ask questions, and don’t interrupt in mid-sentence.  Seek to understand before you seek to correct, challenge or one-up the other.
  • What warning light is going off lately?  Are you operating in excessive anger, frustration, sadness, confusion, or some other emotion?  Do you know what it is that has triggered or caused this?  Have you considered working with a counselor or someone who can help you move out of this place?
  • Take the car out for a drive.  Get out and do something together that you enjoy.  Find and do things that make you laugh, or give you satisfaction and meaning.
  • Appreciate and affirm your spouse regularly.  This is one I constantly have to work on.  This is akin to changing your cars oil regularly, the most important and basic task of maintaining your vehicle.  Write her a letter, or challenge yourself to affirm her at least once a day.  Tell him you appreciate this or that about him.   The lifeblood of marriage is to feel wanted, needed, respected and appreciated.  Too often we just critique, blame or shame each other.
Just like a good road trip, all of these take intention and effort.  What we put in is what we get out.  Here’s to some great road trips ahead! 

LOVE DARe: Day 15

Love is honorable.

Love honors even when it is rejected. 
Love treats its beloved as special and sacred even when an ungrateful attitude is all one gets in return. 

To honor someone means to give them respect and high esteem.
It means to treat them as being special and of great worth.

To love is to honor.
This means also that when I speak to my wife, I should always keep my language clean and understandable.
I should always be polite and courteous.
When my wife speaks to me, I should take her seriously, giving her words weight and significance. 

I pledge to give my wife's voice and opinion equal influence in my mind.

My wife is one person that I pledge to always honor, praise, and defend.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 14

Love takes delight.
In order to delight in those we love, we must learn how to lead our heart rather than follow it.

We ought not allow our feelings and emotions to do the driving.

I should choose to delight in my wife and to love her no matter how long we have been married.

Love that chooses to love is just as powerful (perhaps truer) as love that feels like loving.

If I am irritable, it is because I choose to be.

If I pick at my wife more than I praise her, it is because I have allowed my heart to be selfish.

Those who choose to lead their heart will delight in their beloved even when the new wears off.

It is time to dream again. Delightfully! 

Monday, April 14, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 13

Love fights fair.
Love is not a fight, but it is always worth fighting for.

As fallen humanity, we enter marriage not just with hopes and dreams but also with hurts, fears, imperfections, and emotional baggage.

Once in marriage we soon begin to realize, unpleasantly though, how sinful and selfish each could be.

The storms of life also begin testing and revealing what we are really made of. Conflict sets in.

In the thick of conflict, pride is strongest. Anger is hottest. In conflict, I am most selfish and judgmental. Words contain the most venom. Unbridled conflict can lead marriage to self-destruct.

This is where love comes in.
Love helps install airbags and helps set up guard rails in marriage.

I must learn to work through conflict more effectively.

I must learn to fight clean by establishing healthy rules of engagement.

The dare is to figure out how to stay in bounds when the action heats up.

I will never mention divorce.
I must learn not to bring up old, unrelated items from the past.
I will never fight in public or in front of our children.
I will seek a "time out" when things escalate to a damaging level.
I will never touch my wife in a harmful way. 
I we re-learn to never go to bed angry with my wife.
Failure is not an option!

Fighting fair means changing my weapons! Disagreeing with dignity!

Saturday, April 12, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 12

Love lets the other win.
"The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield" (James 3:17).

"Willing" is the key word in today's dare.
This is an attitude and spirit of cooperation that should permeate every conversation.

I should be like a palm tree by the ocean that endures the greatest winds because it knows how to gracefully bend.

Jesus gives us an example of selfless love (Philippians 2).

Even though he had every right to stubbornly seek to be served by all humanity, he willingly laid down his life for our sins. 

I should have the attitude of willingness, flexibility, and humble submission. 

I will, willingly, lay down for the good of others what I have the right to claim for myself. 

I must re-learn not to stay entrenched and unbending even though I know it will cost me pride and discomfort.

Instead of treating my wife like an enemy or someone to be guarded against, I will treat her as my closest, most honored and trusted friend.

I choose to honor the one I love.

LOVE DARe: Day 11

Love cherishes. 
"Husbands ought also to love their own wives as their bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it" (Ephesians 5:28-29).

My wife and I are a part of one another.
My wife is part of who I am.
Our lives are now interwoven together.

Marriage is a very beautiful mystery created by God, joining two lives together as one.

I will cherish my wife as I do to myself. 
I will treat her with respect and tenderness. 
I will take pleasure in who she is.

I must treat my wife with the same nurture and care that I treat myself.

I dare to treasure my wife as a priceless gift!

Thursday, April 10, 2014

LOVE DARe: Day 10

Love is unconditional.
Love is a choice.
God's love is a choice.
We love because God first loved us (1 John 4:19).

The reason for loving my wife should not be based on something to do with her qualities.
Reason: when those qualities suddenly or gradually disappear, the basis for love is over!

The only way love can last a lifetime is if it is unconditional.

Unconditional love is not determined by the one being loved but rather by the one choosing to love.

This love is:
"In sickness and health" love;
"For richer or poorer" love;
"For better or worse" love.
This is true love - agape.
This is God's kind of love (1 John 4:10).

Love is not based on feelings or circumstances but on commitment.

This is love that "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Cor. 13:7).

I dare to no longer say to my wife, "I love you because ..." Instead I will say, "I love you, period!"

Sharing Journeys of Promise: Conversations with Kenyan Immigrants Living in the United States

A KWR Broadcast [featuring Rev. Priscilla Nyawĩra, Mary Waturi, Alice Waithera, Ngotho wa Njũgũna, and Chef Daniel Wainaina]. There are ...