Laurie's Everyday Notions

So, at the turn of this New Year I had decided that 2013 is the Year of Relationship . One relationship that I want to strengthen is the relationship with my husband. There's a few areas in my "wife-hood" where I am failing miserably. I mean MISERABLY. I need to love my husband better. It's funny but I've noticed that when I put effort into loving him better that I also start seeing how he blesses me. A heart trained for finding gratitude in all things really can see the blessings in ALL THINGS. :) Today Courtney, at Women Living Well, announced her four week "Be My Valentine"~Marriage Challenge! WAHOO! I'm on board! Here's what Courtney wrote in her announcement: Each week the challenge will be the same – to  praise, encourage, inspire, admire, build up, thank and appreciate your husband.  But each week I will give you different ways to express your praise. Feel free to tweak it for what you think is best for your husband. Week 1 Januar...

Yesterday, while perusing Facebook, I found that The Time-Warp Wife has just started a series called "The Ultimate Marriage Vow". As 2013 is my Year of Relationship , and lovin' on my hubs is on the top of the list, I decided to mosey on over to see what Darlene had to say.  Day 1 was " BE A CONSTANT FRIEND AND COMPANION " (head over to blog to read). And then in the afternoon I heard this song......... I love this song because it makes me want to sway and sing along. I listened to the words a little differently. Love songs don't affect me like they did in high school. In fact, I'm not sure when love songs stopped stirring my heart. Somewhere along the lines the words in love songs where just that. Meaningless words. Was it before meeting my husband, that after many years of disappointments and hurts my heart had become hardened? Or did love songs stir my heart in the beginning of our relationship but they've been quieted because the "hon...

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,  the Pharisees got together.   One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:     “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied:  “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’   This is the first and greatest commandment.   And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’   All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”   Matthew 22:34-40

Last year I dubbed 2012 as the Year of Less . Less stuff, less clutter, less stress, less body fat, less debt........you know the list. All are great goals, and ones that I will probably continue to work on for the rest of my life, but all are quite me-focused. I don't want 2013 to be about me. Although I will always strive to better myself, I am an imperfect person made whole by a perfect God. My focus, my word for 2013, should be God-driven and not self-driven. A week ago, while reflecting on the past year and preparing for the coming New Year, I began to panic. No word was sticking out for me. What should be my word for 2013? Words came racing through my head yet none seemed quite right. I quieted my thoughts and decided that I'd wait. Instead of finding the right word I let the word come find me. I prayed, "God, please use me for your purpose."  And I waited. Until, on our way to have dinner with friends on New Year's Eve, the word found me. Relationship. I ...

How many opportunities have I missed because I shrugged off the little heart tugs? You know, that little yearning that says, "Reach out!" or "Say something!" yet fear stops those tugs dead in their tracks.  Fear shouts outs, "LOOK THE OTHER WAY!", "Don't intrude!" or "M.Y.O.B." (mind your own business ~remember that from grade school?) Could these heart tugs be the Holy Spirit trying to lead me? Quite possibly and by not following the direct call of God, by missing the opportunity to touch another human being with the love of Christ, I am failing God miserably.  As I embrace my Year of Relationship, the year of loving like Jesus, I need to embrace each heart tug. I need to rid myself of caution and fear so that I may love selflessly, with compassion and with an attitude of servitude.    Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13 Jesus loved us so much that he lay down h...