A few years ago the Love Dare by Stephen Kendrick and Alex Kendrick was a huge fad and a friend of mine gave me the book when I was struggling through a divorce. Unfortunately I never made it completely through the book and honestly I don’t remember many details of the book but I’ve recently decided to pick it back up and give it another shot. Our church did a big series on this and asked that we take the 40-day challenge. I’ve heard nothing but great things about the outcome of this challenge, even for couples who aren’t struggling. This program stresses kindness, attentiveness and rediscovery.
I decided to take on the Love Dare for a couple of reasons, the first one to redirect our relationship towards God and not the daily routine of life which can be so distracting. It’s so easy to stray away from the important things, as little as they may be. Second is the importance to strengthen my relationship with Troy. I admit that I can be a selfish person and a lot of times in relationships it’s easy to think about what you want out of the relationship instead of thinking about what makes the other person happy and fulfilled. Lastly, I’m a control freak and these pregnancy hormones have made me a complete mad woman, poor Troy doesn’t know how to handle me sometimes. So I’ve decided to take control of myself and my actions with these little daily reminders to keep my head on straight.
I completed Day 1 yesterday which was Patience and focusing on saying nothing negative. It was surprisingly easier than I expected. Usually after a long day at the office and a long drive home in the heat, I’m lacking in the patience department. I may have had a slight advantage with Troy completely consumed with studying while I was making dinner, however, we did spend the majority of the evening together and I must say I’m impressed with my conscious effort to say nothing negative and have patience. =] I was reminded to react to people and situations in a wise way instead of with frustration or anger and acknowledge that people are people and we all make mistakes. It’s such a breath of fresh air actually. I thought I would go through the day biting my lip in frustration but instead I took a deep breath and responded differently without impulse.
On to Day 2 which is Kindness. In addition to not saying anything negative today, do one unexpected gesture as an act of kindness. I’m not sure what random act of kindness I will demonstrate today, but I’ll know when the opportunity arises! The book talks about patience to avoid a situation and kindness creates a blessing. One is preventative and the other is proactive. It sounds silly but I’m anxious to apply these little things to my life!
On a completely separate note, Presley (my giant Great Dane lovey dog) was SUCH a snuggler last night. She hates whenever I take her picture so I always have to be super sneaky. I managed to get this cute one of her awkwardly passed out on my lap. =]]]
Have a great day!!! =]
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