Spouse….. Take The Challenge!

Ever feel challenged to do something that you don’t necessarily feel like doing?.

Maybe it’s talking with someone who you know  needs some love, or cleaning out that hallway closet you’ve been putting off for months.  OR ….. serving our spouse the way God intended us to.  Meaning, serving them with the right attitude!

You may have picked up too many socks, put down too many toilet seats or have to re-organize that shelf again.  But this is your spouse – the gift God gave you to be with.

All too often, I hear about wives and husbands complaining about their spouse, rather than getting their eyes off themselves, and serving them out of love. I’m not talking about turning into a maid, or a butler, but working together as a team to meet each others needs.

Romans 12 : 10, 11 reads   ‘ Love each other with genuine affection,[a] and take delight in honoring each other.11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.’

We should be taking delight in our spouses and honoring them!  Another version actually said “outdo one another”. Wow!  this should give us something to think about.

So, I thought we could take a challenge!   A ‘SERVE YOUR SPOUSE WITH JOY’  challenge!

Here are a few ideas:

• Do something nice for your spouse, when they are LEAST expecting it.
• Get up early one morning and make coffee and breakfast for them.  It’s always better when someone else makes the food.
• Pick up those socks!  ….. sometimes you’ve just gotta do what you need to do!
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• Make time for your spouse, planning one on one times. Dates, walks or coffee on the porch are much needed for couples to connect.
• Make them their favorite meal or dessert. (For my husband, that’s extra meat and lots of chocolate!!)
• Listen to your spouse.  It doesn’t take much, sometimes all you need to do is give your undivided attention!.
• Give them an extra hug, kiss or touch. Make your children blush!
• SMILE and enjoy your spouse
• ASK your spouse what  ways you can serve him/her better.  Whenever you are stuck, just ask.

Serving the one you love can be the most satisfying and rewarding thing you do. What ever way you serve your spouse, make sure it’s done with a joyful attitude.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. Phil 2 : 3 – 4

What are some of the ways YOU serve your spouse?.

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More Than Just a Date!

We set a date, and I seem to get SO excited!

It doesn’t matter that we have been married for eleven years …. when my husband and I set  time for a date night, my heart still flutters as though we are engaged.

I could care less where we go. It could be a fancy restaurant, a new cafe, or the big McDonald’s….. as long as we get uninterrupted ‘us’ time!. ( well…. ok, maybe NOT the McDonald’s, but you get my drift)

Over the years of our marriage, we decided that this small area, was an area that we weren’t going to sacrifice in!.  No matter how tight the budget was, or how busy our schedule looked,  we were not sacrificing our dates.

Of course, there has been times where we scheduled a ‘date’ downstairs on the couch watching TV (just as important!),  but there is nothing like enjoying a certain time away with your spouse to catch up, talk, and appreciate each other!

This became more important as we kept having more children. The busier our life became, the more special those dates became (all you parents out there KNOW what I am talking about!) Just setting aside a few hours of quiet, one on one  time meant the world to us, and did so much for our marriage. It’s amazing how refreshed and happy you are after such a precious time with your spouse.

Just like we need to spend that precious time with Jesus every day, to know him, love on him and work with him, the same goes for our marriage.  If we are always just ‘passing’ each other everyday, and never stopping to spending that quality time with each other, how are we going reconnect? work together? and love each other the way we should?.  (As a side note … the more we love on each other, the more that love trickles down to our kids!)

Our dates me so much to us, what couple doesn’t love a date?…. but you see, my husband and don’t have too much in common.  He likes watching sports and meat. and I love working out and veggies.  We discovered that going out and trying new restaurants while eating new foods was the ‘thing’ we loved to do together! …. I guess you could call us foodies. It’s so fun!

So, if there is one thing I can encourage you in ….. it’s GO ON A DATE!. Because it’s more than just a date, it’s a time to strengthen each other and your marriage. As the world’s gets busier, and life goes into fast mode, this could be one of the most important things we do for our families.

Grab a great babysitter, pick a place, and enjoy each other!