Take the Love Dare Challenge!!

To take the "Love Dare  14 Day Challenge," hosted by Ordinary Inspirations!

My sister in-law bought me this book over a year ago, and I have never committed to doing this. So, after I found this challenge, I'm more excited than ever!! At the end of the 14 days, she wants us to share how our husbands responded to this!

Here is the schedule for the next 14 days!!! It starts on February 1st!

Day 1 (Feb 1) "Love is patient" Eph. 4:2

Patience helps you give your spouse permission to be human.  Love is built on two pillars that best define what it is.  Those pillars are patience and kindness.  Choose to respond with patience towards your husband in all things.

Day 2 (Feb 2) "Love is kind" Eph. 4:32
Kindness inspires you to be agreeable.  Instead of being obstinate, reluctant, or stubborn, you cooperate, you stay flexible.  Rather than complaining and making excuses, you look for reasons to compromise and accommodate.  A kind wife ends thousands of potential arguments by her willingness to listen first rather than demand her way.

Day 3 (Feb 3) "Love is not selfish" Rom. 12:10

One ironic aspect of selfishness is that even generous actions can be selfish if the motive is to gain bragging rights or receive a reward.  If you do even a good thing to deceitfully manipulate your husband, you are still being selfish.  The bottom line is that you either make decisions out of love for others or love for yourself.

Day 4 (Feb 4) "Love is thoughtful" Psalm 139:17-18
When was the last time you spent a few minutes thinking about how you could better understand and demonstrate love to your spouse?  What immediate need can you meet?  What's the next even you could be preparing for?  Great marriages come from great thinking.

 

Day 5 (Feb 5) "Love is not rude" Proverbs 27:14
How does your husband feel about the way you speak and act around him?  How does your behavior affect your mate's sense of worth and self-esteem?  Would your husband say you're a blessing or that you're condescending and embarrassing?

Day 6 (Feb 6) "Love is not irritable" Proverbs 16:32
A loving wife is not overly sensitive or cranky but exercises emotional self-control.  She chooses to be a flower among the thorns and respond pleasantly during prickly situations.

Day 7 (Feb 7) "Love believes the best" 1 Cor. 13:7
Your husband is a living, breathing, endless book to be read.  Dreams and hopes have  yet to be realized.  Talents and abilities may be discovered like hidden treasure.  But the choice to explore them starts with a decision by you.  Develop a habit of reining in your negative thoughts and focusing on the positive attributes of your husband.

Day 8 (Feb 8) "Love is not jealous" Song of Sol. 8:6
If you're not careful, jealousy slithers like a viper into your heart and strikes your motivations and relationships.  It can poison you from living the life of love God intended.

Day 9 (Feb 9) "Love makes good impressions" 1 Pet. 5:14
You can tell a lot about the state of a couple's relationship from the way they greet one another.  You can see it in their expression and countenance, as well as how they speak to each other.  It is even more obvious by their physical contact.  Work on greeting your husband "special" when he arrives home from work!

Day 10 (Feb 10) "Love is unconditional" Rom. 5:8
When you rebuild your marriage with agape love as its foundation, then the friendship and romantic aspects of your love become more endearing than ever before.  When your enjoyment of each other as best friends and lovers is based on unwavering commitment, you will experience an intimacy that cannot be achieved any other way.

Day 11 (Feb 11) "Love cherishes" Eph. 5:28
Don't let the culture around you determine the worth of your marriage.  To compare it with something that can be discarded or replaced is to dishonor god's purpose for it.  That would be like amputating a limb.  Instead, it should be a picture of love between two imperfect people who choose to love each other regardless.

Day 12 (Feb 12) "Love lets others win" Phil. 2:4
Are you willing to bend to demonstrate love to your husband?  Or are you refusing to give in because of pride?  If it doesn't matter in the long run--especially in eternity--then give up your rights and choose to honor the one you love.  It will be good for you and good for your marriage.

Day 13 (Feb 13) "Love fights fair" Mark 3:25
The deepest, most heartbreaking damage you'll ever do (or ever have done) to your marriage will most likely occur in the thick of conflict.  But love reminds you that your marriage is too valuable to allow it to self-destruct, and that your love for your husband is more important than whatever you're fighting about.  Married couples who learn to work through conflict tend to be closer, more trusting, more intimate, and enjoy a much deeper connection afterwards.

Day 14 (Feb 14) "Love takes delight" Eccles. 9:9
In your marriage relationship, you won't always feel like loving.  It is unrealistic for your heart to constantly thrill at the thought of spending every moment with your husband.  Nobody can maintain a burning desire for togetherness just on feelings along.  However, there is something very powerful about the decision to delight in your husband and to love him no matter how long you've been married, or what "feelings" may or may not be there at the moment.