Over the past few weeks I have continued to participate in The Love Dare Challenge. At the beginning of the challenge many of the days had activities that involved me doing something for Stephen. For example, cooking dinner, neglecting an activity, etc. Now later in the challenge the days call for me to think about and pray about different areas of our marriage. Because of these I have been spending a lot of time in prayer with Jesus about our marriage. Although Stephen and I have a great marriage, reflecting on things to make it better is always a great thing to do. Below are Days 22 through 32 of The Love Dare Challenge that I have been participating in.

Day 22: Choose today to be committed to love even if your spouse has lost most of their interest in receiving it.  Say to them today in words similar to these, “I love you.  Period.” – Hosea 2:20

Day 23: Remove anything that is hindering your relationship, any addiction or influence that’s stealing your affections and turning your heart away from your spouse. – 1 Corinthians 13:7

Day 24: End it now.  Identify every object of lust in your life and remove it.  Single out every lie you’ve swallowed in pursuing forbidden pleasure and reject it. – 1 John 2:17

Day 25: Whatever you haven’t forgiven in your mate, forgive it today. – 2 Corinthians 2:10

Day 26: Take time to pray through your areas of wrongdoing.  As for God’s forgiveness, then humble yourself enough to admit them to your spouse.  Do it sincerely and truthfully.  Ask your spouse for forgiveness as well. - Romans 2:1

Day 27: Think of one area where your spouse has told you you’re expecting too much, and tell them you’re sorry for being so hard on them about it.  Promise them you’ll seek to understand, and assure them of your unconditional love. – Psalm 25:20

Day 28: What is one of the greatest needs in your spouse’s life right now?  Is there a need you could lift from their shoulders today by a daring act of sacrifice on your part?  Whether the need is big or small, purpose to do what you can to meet the need. – 1 John 3:16

Day 29: Before you see your spouse again today, pray for them by name and for their needs.  – Ephesians 6:7

Day 30: Isolate one area of division in your marriage, and look on today as a fresh opportunity to pray about it.  – John 17:11

Day 31: Is there a “leaving” issue you haven’t been brave enough to conquer yet?  Confess it to your spouse today, and resolve to make it right. – Genesis 2:24

Day 32: If at all possible, try to initiate sex with your husband or wife today.  Do this in a way that honors what your spouse has told you (or implied to you) about what they need from you sexually. – 1 Corinthians 7:3

I was so glad Tenley got a one on one date. I just really feel she is super real and genuine. She is also so sweet and so pretty. I think that her and Jake have a lot of the same values and outlook on life. Some of the other girls just don’t have that and I think that Jake is aware of what Tenley has that he also values.

Corrie’s joke was hilarious about the two on one date !! Ali was about to flip a lid. It was funny, but really cruel. I thought is two girls were going to have to have a date together, Gia and Vienna were the best combination. The winery castle that Gia and Vienna went to was so amazingly gorgeous !! I didn’t like how Vienna dominated the two on one date and it was annoying when she was walking around the castle looking for Jake and Gia. On this date I was glad Jake kicked Vienna out of her room. I can’t believe he said he was thinking dirty thoughts, because that so isn’t him. But .. kicking her out was a good choice because her being down their all night wouldn’t have been ok.

It’s also annoys me that Vienna calls Jake her boyfriend all the time. I mean I know he technically is, but it isn’t like she should call him that all the time. It isn’t a normal situation and I guess she just gets on my nerves.

I was starting to like Corrie more. I had gone back and forth about liking her. I was happy to see her show her great values. It was funny that she said 90/10 about the kiss and he said 80/20. There was just something about their relationship that was slow and I felt like they were able to get over that hump. After they talked I am really glad that Jake kissed Corrie. Then when he said he had been waiting a long time to kiss her, that was so sweet !! I think he really did treasure her values and morals.

Side note – I think it would be really, really cool to be at a museum with just Stephen – No one else but us two. That would be amazing.

I was excited for Ali to show Jake around on her one on one date. She got to show him the places she loves and lives and that was just really cool. When they were talking about Sundays in San Francisco I thought about the mornings in LA when I have visited. I so wanted to be there experiencing a Sunday morning at a coffee shop sitting outside. Heaven !! Also, when Ali would squeal because of her excitement I just smiled because it was just too cute.

Does it annoy anyone else how Vienna bites on her nails all the time? I mean they are fake and she constantly has them in her mouth. Just stop !!

I am really torn on what to think about Vienna. I haven’t really hated her as much as everyone else has, I just feel like she isn’t right for him. I don’t think they have the same outlook on life or values. But it seems like her is really falling for her. So .. I just want him to find someone he can be with forever and if that is Vienna I will be happy for him.

After last week I kind of got annoyed with Ali and Tenley moved ahead of her on my list, but now I think they are back even again. I love Tenley and her values and just like Jake said, they want the same things out of life. But I think Ali and Jake have an extremely natural connection.

I totally knew he was going to send Corrie home. I wanted it to be Vienna then Gia, but I knew it was going to be Corrie.

At the end with Tenley and Corrie were singing opera – that was hilarious !! They are going to look back at that and be so embarrassed, but who cares !!

Next week looks intense. I am wondering why there isn’t going to be a rose ceremony. It will be great to see Jake interact with the girls in their hometowns around their families.

That’s all I guess. What are your thoughts?

**This blog post was written on Friday, January 29th.

Guidance is what I am seeking from God. Due to several changes in the education world in Colorado, I found out yesterday that I will not have a job next year.

When I got this job as a second grade teacher, it was only a one year position. Most of the time though, one-year teachers get to stay. Well .. that isn’t the case for me.

The state of Colorado is cutting many millions of dollars for education. Because of this, teachers are being cut, and one-year hires are going first. The likelihood of me being rehired for another position is very slim. Since teachers are being cut, the teachers that were hired for a continual contract are going to be placed first. Therefore, a one year teacher being hired is not likely because overages will be placed first.

So .. needless to say I am seeking guidance from God as to what I am supposed to do next. I had known that this was coming, but to actually hear it really hit hard. I haven’t had the same teaching job for two years in a row. Moving to Colorado was a decision Stephen and I made so this move was expected. The move my first year wasn’t expected and was a hard thing to deal with. So, here I am dealing with the fact that I don’t have a job at all. I know God is in control and will take care of any and everything, but the hurt and sad feelings are still there.

I just wanted to update my friends and ask that you pray for me and Stephen. We have talked about many different options for my career because of the fact that being a teacher in the state of Colorado next year is pretty much impossible. We are trusting God and feel him more during these rough times.

I am so thankful that I have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Without him, I would be lost. The last year of my life has been really different and I have just completely put it in God’s hands, which is what I needed to do. I am trying to patiently wait on his direction, but as you all know, waiting is very challenging. Please pray for me, that I can FULLY trust God to take care of everything because he is the only one that truly can. Pray that I can have a positive attitude and reflect Christ in all my words and thoughts.

Thanks for being my friends.

Day 14: Pray for three specific areas where you desire for God to work in your spouse’s life and in your marriage. – 3 John 2

This was an easy activity for the day. I pray for Stephen and our marriage daily so this wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. I won’t tell you all three things I prayed for, but I will tell you one. I prayed that we would keep Jesus in the center of our relationship. I will admit it is hard to keep Jesus in the center of my life, much less our relationship. If Jesus isn’t in the center of my life, he isn’t going to be in the center of our relationship. So that was a big area I prayed about.

Day 15: Talk with your spouse about establishing healthy rules of engagement and resolve to abide by them when the next disagreement occurs. – Mark 3:25

We didn’t actually talk about this on Day 15, but this is something we really do. We always try to settle disagreements nicely. We don’t put each other down or intentionally hurt one another. We seldom fight or have huge disagreements that require thought about how to handle the situation, but when we do, I believe we do so in the correct way. Now there are those times when one of us loses our cool, but we always talk about it after a cool down time and go back to settling the issue correctly in a loving and caring way.

Day 16: Choose a way to show honor and respect to your spouse that is above your normal routine. – I Peter 3:7

I actual live to honor and respect Stephen as a person and as my husband. His love language is Words of Affirmation and I try on a daily basis to affirm him. Stephen is the head of our family, just as God intended it, and with this belief I do this every day.

Day 17: Determine to guard your mate’s secrets and pray for them. – Proverbs 17:9

Not only is Stephen my husband, but he is my BEST FRIEND !! We tell each other everything under the sun. We spend hours each day talking about our days and anything else. I do pray for my husband every day and so today wasn’t anything new. We have an extremely close and loving relationship, as we should and we do respect and trust each other with everything.

Day 18: Prepare a special dinner at home and focus this time on getting to know your spouse better. – Proverbs 3:13

This night I made spaghetti. Until we moved to Denver, I didn’t eat spaghetti because I threw it up in second grade. One day I decided to try it. I am glad I did. It is such a good, easy dinner to make. The funny thing about this night is that in our new apartment we decided to not put out our dining room table. It will fit, we just decided to put the piano out instead. So .. we got out two TV trays put on in front of the chair in the living room and put another TV tray across from it. I then used the ottoman as my chair and Stephen sat in the actual chair. Then we were sitting across from each other, enjoying our dinner and growing through conversation. It is kind of funny, but really sweet. You do whatcha gotta do.

Day 19: Ask God to show you where you stand with him, and ask for the strength and grace to settle your eternal destination. – I John 4:7

I have been honest with you before and  I will again. I didn’t get to this challenge on this day. We were watching football, I was doing homework, and Stephen’s dad came into town. I didn’t even look at the challenge for the day. But, since I do pray every day I speak with him about this often and pray for strength and grace every day !! I mess up a lot and need all the strength I can get, so this is a common prayer of mine.

Day 20: Dare to take God at His Word. Dare to trust Jesus Christ for salvation. – Romans 5:6

For this challenge I was supposed to take Jesus at this word and trust that he is who he says he is. If you hadn’t accepted Christ into your life, that was the point of the day. Since I have already made that choice, I reflected today on how amazing my life is since I have Jesus in it. Since moving to Denver, a lot has changed for me. I have met different types of people that I have never known. I pray that they would meet Jesus. I want to introduce them to him and be a witness for him. I can’t imagine a life without him. I would have a huge void in my life. I am grateful to have met Jesus and have an amazing husband who knows and lives for Jesus as well.

Day 21: Make time to pray and read your bible today. – Isaiah 58:11

I actually haven’t done this yet, but it is on my list of things to do after blogging. Stephen is such a great influence in this area. He reads EVERY SINGLE DAY. If he doesn’t read in the morning, he will do it at night. I fail at this a lot of the time, but when he reads and I am around, it is a great chance for me to follow his example and read as well.

Wow. What a weird night on The Bachelor.

Let me just preface this entry by saying that Tenley is slowly moving ahead of Ali in my book. My top three were Ali, Tenley, and Katherine, but since Katherine is gone, she obviously isn’t in my top three anymore. I don’t like anyone as much as I like Tenley and Ali, so now I just have a top two.

One on One Date with Gia – I don’t know what to think about her. She is absolutely gorgeous !! I just don’t believe that she is his type. I know she said on the date that she was enjoying the “camping” but I don’t really think she was. I kind of thought Jake wasn’t really into her until he gave her the rose. It was kind of shocking. I don’t think she will be around much longer though.

Two on One Date with Ella and Katherine – I said it before it held true that Ella wasn’t going to be around for too much longer. I believe Jake thought she was a great woman, they just weren’t in the same place in life. Yes he liked her and enjoyed her kid, but he just isn’t there yet. I believe he wants that and will be there soon, but she has just experienced way too much for him. She had to grow up fast, and that made her very mature. I just think that is what wasn’t working between them. I am sad Katherine is gone. I really liked her and just thought she was so, so pretty. I said in the past that I wanted to see more of her, but now it is clear why we didn’t. Jake wasn’t feeling it with her. He was keeping her around because he was so physically attracted to her, but he wasn’t feeling any chemistry with her. I do believe he really wanted to and that is why he kept her around. I don’t wish he would have kept her around though because what is awesome about Jake is that if he isn’t feeling something, he isn’t going to string women along. So he went ahead and let both of them go. That was weird, but kind of uneventful in my opinion.

Group Date – The thing that sticks out to me about this date is Vienna’s comment about wanting to talk with him last. What a snob. I’m sorry. I just think that was really selfish and uncalled for. She should just be lucky he wanted one on one time with her in the first place. I was kind of hoping he would just not talk with her because she said that, but something is going on with them. (More on that later.) I thought Jake and Tenley were really, really cute when he was laying on her lap. I just really feel like they have the same priorities in life and that is what he likes about her. Of course she is gorgeous also, and that helps. I was glad that Jake and Ali got to talk. I think he feels comfortable in his relationship with her so he is trying to spend time on girls he is unsure about. I mean, the one on one date they had in the park was the cutest thing ever. Seriously !!

Ashleigh – Glad she is gone. Didn’t like her. That is all.

Jessie – I wished he would have kept her. I guess he didn’t feel anything with her. I was confused because he had kept her around but hadn’t really done anything with her. I kind of thought more was going to come of their relationship, but I guess not.

Corrie – I still don’t know what to think about this girl. I said it before, I liked her on the first night, but there is just something weird about her. I guess if I had to say like or dislike, I would say like. I think she is really pretty as well.

Vienna – Here we go. I can’t believe he is keeping her around. He obviously feels something major for her. With all the things the other girls have been telling him, it is just really confusing. He even made some comments about what the other girls say, but it is like he isn’t even giving those comments the time of day. I guess that can be good or bad. He wants to know her for what he sees, but that might come back to bite him. I really thought it was going to be her and Ashleigh leaving and Jessie staying, but Wow .. that was a surprise. I didn’t like the way Ali acted when he called Vienna’s name. She is really starting to make herself look bad. I still think her and Jake have a good relationship and that is why she is in my top two, but she needs to just give it up. We all know how she feels, she has mentioned it to Jake, so move on. You don’t have to like the girl, but just ignore her. She does have a point though. If Jake likes Vienna, then maybe Ali isn’t the one for him. If Jake would want a girl like Vienna, that maybe there is something about him that Ali doesn’t want. Who Knows?

I am still happy with Jake and his character. I still don’t think this is what he thought it was going to be. I don’t think he is good at this whole “finding love on TV” thing. I am glad that he doesn’t give roses when he doesn’t want to. He didn’t have to give a rose on the two on one date. He didn’t have to hand out all the roses. It just speaks volumes about his character and intentions.

Ready for Next Week .. Like Always !!

Wow. Last night’s episode of The Bachelor was CRAZY !! It was good though in my opinion, for two main reasons.

1) Bye Bye Psycho Michelle
2) Bye Bye Crazy Elizabeth

I originally liked Elizabeth but after week 2 I could tell she was going to be a weirdo. She turned freaky and was suck a tease to Jake. She also just did not understand that he didn’t want to kiss her, he just wanted her to stop teasing him. She thought it was all about him kissing her. She was too dumb to realize what he was really saying.

My three favorites are still Ali, Tenley, and Kathryn. I am a little considered with Ali, but I think the show is just showcasing her comments to Vienna and Michelle. You know all the other girls say stuff too, they just aren’t showing that. It makes her look bad. But on the other hand, she wasn’t saying those things to be mean and rude. She was just trying to stick up for the girls in the house. At the Rose Ceremony she was also just trying to tell Vienna that it wasn’t right of her to take away Jake when she already had a rose, especially when he was in a conversation with Elizabeth.

I want to see more of Tenley. It is so sad that she had to go through what she went through. It was sad when she said, “I wish I didn’t have to tell anyone this, but it is part of my life now.” What a jerk to cheat on her and leave her. I think he really lost something when he left her. I think she would be good for Jake. I think they have a lot of the same priorities in life. I hope she gets some time with him next week. The previews do show them kissing so we will see.

I really, really like Kathryn. She cusses a lot, but that isn’t such a big deal I guess. I just wish she wouldn’t because it kind of makes her look bad. I want her to get some one on one time with Jake so they can see if they have anything. She is just so pretty to me. I don’t know what it is. She is also a flight attendant so they have that in common. Hopefully we will see more of her.

I was sad to see Felicia go. I just liked her for some reason. They never showed much of her, but she seemed really sweet and down to earth. I wish he would have sent Ashleigh home instead of her. But .. oh well.

I don’t know what to think about Jessie. She is so quiet. She has gone one two dates with him but is just so quiet. They haven’t shown any reason for him to keep her around, but obviously there is something we aren’t seeing.

I’m ready for Ashleigh to go. Her little hissy fit over the comedy show was ridiculous !! She ended up doing good too with the blonde jokes. I’m a blonde myself and even I think they are funny. I don’t think you can go wrong with the blonde jokes. Ha Ha. Anyway .. Ashleigh just seems to me like she is a totally different person than Jake. She doesn’t seem as down to earth and there is just something about her that strikes me as bad. Who knows.

Vienna. What to say about her. There has got to be something we and Jake aren’t seeing that makes all the other girls in the house not like her. I think she is way to immature for Jake. I haven’t liked her from the beginning. Her little rich girl shot in the first episode just made me say “No” to her. I don’t know what he really saw in her. It kind of seemed like they had something, but I just don’t think it would work out between them. Plus I love three other girls much more !!

I think Corrie made herself kind of look bad at the comedy show. I know the whole point of that was to make fun of Vienna, and she had to include others in that. I just think it made her look bad. I think it opened Jake’s eyes to how they all view Vienna, but I think he might think it wasn’t so cool that she made fun of others. I liked her on the first episode, but nothing is really sticking out to me since then.

Last girl, Ella. For some reason she just looks a lot older than 29. Anyone agree with me? I know Jenn and Jim do. I just think she is too mature for him and has to experience more in life than what he is looking for. I personally don’t think she will make it much further. She kind of reminds me of that chick from the season when Jason was the bachelor. The one that had the daughter who Jason brought to the beach. Anyway .. I don’t know that she is right for him.

I really like how Jake stands up for himself. He doesn’t need to wait until the Rose Ceremony to send some home that he isn’t in to. I don’t really feel like this show is for him. There are just some things he says that show it is really hard for him. You can tell her really wants to find the woman to spend the rest of his life with and doesn’t want to mess anything up.

I am excited for next week. I am really curious about what was shown on the previews. Chris said something like, “You know there are two girls in their who aren’t for you.” I wonder who he is talking about. I really don’t think he would be talking about Ali or Vienna since he feels something for both of them unless something happens. We will see.

Anyone agree? Other thoughts?

Stephen and I moved apartments a couple of weekends ago. We moved to a different apartment in the same complex. We moved to a cheaper apartment that is a little bit smaller, not too much though. There are some great things in this apartment that we didn’t have in the other like a coat closet and a balcony. (Two actually). We love all the windows that give us natural sunlight. We also love that we are in a quieter area. The person above us still stomps around, but that is just what is going to happen unless you are on the top floor. There are four floors in this building and we are on the third. So .. the video ended up being pretty long. It is like 7 minutes. If you have the time, watch it and enjoy.

New Apartment Tour from Stelor Webb on Vimeo.

Day 7: Share with your spouse how glad you are about a success he or she recently enjoyed. – Song of Solomon 8:6

On this day Stephen had to work the night shift. He also had to work the night shift the next day. So I wasn’t even going to be able to see him or really talk to him until Day 9 of the Love Dare. So therefore, I did not do this activity on this day, but I did do it on Day 8.

Day 8: On a sheet of paper, write out positive things about your spouse. At some point during the day, pick a positive attribute from the list and thank your spouse for having the characteristic. – I Corinthians 13:7

For this activity I decided to write Stephen a note and leave it for him. I wasn’t going to see him until the morning of Day 9 so I left it out for him to see when he got home from working the night shift. I wrote him a three page letter that told him I was proud of him for being such a positive influence in people’s lives. He can really talk to strangers and form relationships with them to further share Christ with them. This was the challenge from Day 7 and I included it in Day 8’s letter. I also wrote positive attributes about him and his character. I told him how much I appreciated how he takes care of me. I also told him many other things. I told him how blessed I was to have him as a husband and how thankful I was that he is who he is.

Day 9: Do something out of the ordinary today for your spouse. – Romans 5:8

For this activity I gave Stephen a foot massage. This isn’t something too out of the ordinary, but he really enjoys getting his feet rubbed. I don’t like to do it often or give back massages because my hands get really tired and hurt. I can’t do it for very long, but on this day I toughed it out and rubbed his feet for a while. He loved it because he had worked three nights straight and had been on his feet for many hours.

Day 10: Think of a way to greet your spouse today to reflect your love for them, and then do it with a smile and enthusiasm. – I Peter 5:14

A lot of the time when I am home already and Stephen comes home I stay laying on the couch or continue doing what I am doing. I usually don’t stop to hug him and greet him. On this particular day I was laying on the couch watching TV when he got home. I jumped off the couch and ran over to him and gave him a hug and kiss. I told him I loved him. He knew me getting up from laying on the couch after a long day at work was a sacrifice. (Not a big one, but still). I need to do this more often. It is something I want to teach my kids to do, so I better get a jump on it.

Day 11: Demonstrate love by willingly choosing to give in to an area of disagreement between you and your spouse. – Philippians 2:4

Isn’t it funny how God works. Of course on the day of this challenge, an area of disagreement arose. Wow. Just makes me laugh. It wasn’t a big deal but I chose not to say anything and just agree with him. This is a big area that I need to work in. I like to stand up for myself and sometimes it just isn’t worth arguing. We agree on almost everything, but sometimes things do arise. I was able to stay calm and understand where he was coming from.

Day 12: What need does your spouse have that you could meet today? Example: Choose a gesture that says “I love you” and do it with a smile. – Ephesians 5:28

To be completely honest with you, I didn’t do this activity on Day 12. I actually did it today, Day 13. I don’t know why I didn’t  do it on Day 12, I just didn’t. Today when Stephen gets off work he is going to go out of town to have a staff retreat with the Coursey and Thompson. They are going to do some planning for The Reaction. While he is at work this morning I packed his bag for him. He is going to leave right after work and needed his bag ready. I told him I would pack it for him. This was a need he had, and I meet it for him. I also didn’t mind so I did have a smile on my face.

Day 13: Purposefully neglect an activity you would normally do so you can spend quality time with your spouse. – Ecclesiastes 9:9

This activity isn’t going to be completed today. Stephen is at work this morning and as soon as he gets off he is going to head out of town. I will have to save this challenge for another day when he is here. I do have something in mind though, so I will let you know when I do it.

I am really enjoying this challenge. It is stretching me as a wife. I love Stephen and we have a great relationship, and The Love Dare is making me look at and think about the little things. Our marriage is growing and I thank God for that !!

The first date was really cool. It was so cute to see the girls take fun pictures with Jake. I did feel sorry for Christina. I would have been the same way if I was in her shoes. To have to take pictures in front of everyone would have made me very nervous. As the date went on and they were at the pool party I really grew to not like Rozlyn even more. (I knew what was coming with her.) Christina went a little overboard with the alcohol and that really showed and gave her some bad points, I think. But .. she didn’t make it and I am sad for her, but I would rather him choose the ones he did.

Let me just say .. I LOVE ALI !! I loved her on the first episode. She is so cute and I am so glad she got the one on one date with Jake. He was really sweet to her about the whole flying thing and I love that she was happy to do it since it is such a huge part of his life. Their date was just amazing. They were so cute dancing in the park. And .. her dress was beautiful !!

The second group date .. HOW FUN !! To have an amusement park all to your self would be such a blast. The girls on this date were Ashley, Katherine, Jessie, Elizabeth, and Vienna. I really, really like Katherine. They haven’t shown too much of her, but she seems very sweet and down to earth.  Plus I just think she is super pretty. I don’t know what to think about Elizabeth. I liked her last week but I don’t really know anymore. Her request to Jake shows she has some great values. I’m just not so sure about her. I also don’t know what to think about Vienna. Her story was very unexpected. Her revealing that really made me change my opinion about her though. At first I thought she might not be there for the right reason, but maybe she is.

I think Michelle is crazy. I will just leave that at that. Why did he keep her around. She is PSYCHO !!

Is it bad to think that Rozlyn would have been the one to be involved with the staff member? NO !! I had heard of the situation before but didn’t know who is was. And did she really say, “I don’t think my personal life is anyone’s business.” Seriously? She is on a freakin’ reality show to fall in love. That was a dumb statement. Plus she didn’t even seem sad to leave. She had this horrible smirk on her face. She is awful !! At least she is gone though.  But guess what .. we are talking about her and that is probably what she wanted. Enough of her .. time to move on.

Final Thoughts:

Glad Tenley is still around. Hopefully she will tell him her past next episode. Also glad Felicia is still around. I don’t know much about her, but I like her. I am not sure about Corrie but I liked her last week and still do. I don’t know if Ashleigh H. has the right intentions. I just have a bad feeling about her. I don’t really mind that Ashley is gone. There was just something a little strange about her. I still am not sure about Ella. I just think she isn’t good for him. SO GLAD HE KEPT KATHERINE !!

Let me just remind everyone .. TEAM ALI all the way !!

Next week ..

Is going to be intense !! What he says about not needing to wait for a rose ceremony. WOW !! Can’t wait !!

The other day I was listening to a local Christian radio station and they were talking about doing the Love Dare challenge from the movie Fireproof. After listening for a while I decided that I wanted to do it as well. The day I heard it was Day 3 out of 40, but I went ahead and started anyway. The 40 day challenge will end of Valentine’s Day.  Although Stephen and I don’t have a troubled marriage, it is still a great thing to participate in. I started thinking about the couples that are participating that need a miracle in their marriage. I began to pray for those couples that God would come into their marriage and help them fall in love again. While thinking about this I was reminded, as I am daily, how amazing my husband is. He is just the most perfect man for me. I am thankful daily for God bringing him into my life. We fit together so perfectly and I can’t imagine my life without him.

Below I am going to write about the days that have passed so far and the assignment for that day.

Day 1: Resolve to say nothing negative about your spouse today. – Ephesians 4:2

Since I didn’t actually start until Day 3, I didn’t do this on “Day 1,” but I strive to do this daily. I have done this today though on Day 6 for sure.

Day 2: Do at least one unexpected gesture to your spouse as an act of kindness. – Ephesians 4:32

I haven’t done this yet either because I didn’t start until Day 3. But I do have something in mind that I will be doing one of the other days.

Day 3: Buy your spouse something that says, “I was thinking about you today.” – Romans 12:10

This is the day I started and I did do this on the day. I bought Stephen a pack of Twizzlers. I know he loves those and since we are trying to eat healthy, this was a not so bad treat for him. He was excited about them and guess what .. they are already gone.

Day 4: Contact your spouse sometime during the day and ask how he or she is doing and if there is anything you could do for them. – Psalm 139: 17-18

Honestly, I didn’t do this on this day because we were moving apartments all day. I saw him off and on as he and the guys brought loads over to the new apartment. However, I did do it today (Day 6) while he was at work. I call him often during the day so this wasn’t something unusual.

Day 5: Ask your spouse to tell you three things that cause him or her to be uncomfortable or irritated with you. You must do so without attacking them. – Proverbs 27:14

This was a challenge to be honest with you. I asked Stephen to tell me three things that frustrate him. After thinking for a while, he told me the three things. This wasn’t the first time I had heard these, but it was hard to listen and not say anything to combat anything he was saying. It was a great exercise though and I have really tried yesterday and today to take the things he mentioned into consideration. The things he did mention weren’t things that were unchangeable so I am working toward changing for myself and for him.

Day 6: Choose to react to tough circumstances in your marriage in loving ways instead of with irritation. – Proverbs 16:32

This is a great one for today and the next few days actually. Stephen has to work tonight the next two nights as well. Since I go to work before he wakes up on these days I don’t get to see him until he comes home and of course, I am already asleep. So, since he is bummed about this too, I have tried not to complain about it. I will continue to do so for the next two days as he has work nights as well.

I am excited about the remaining 34 days. I know that this will grow my marriage to an even deeper level than it already is. Jump on board if you want. You can search 40 day Love Dare challenge calendar and find the challenge for each day. Let me know if you are going to join me in this amazing adventure to grow your relationship.