This month my husband and I celebrate 5 years of marriage. Time flies! Things are even better now than they were when we were first married. I just had a flash-back to our first weeks of being married, reading through the 5 love languages book. We'd read a chapter once a week and learn about how we could better love each other. While I don't agree with everything they say, nor recommend it hands-down against other marriage/love books, I did appreciate that it gave us a means to discuss our marriage.
The flash-back was fun and I learned something about marriage. Needs can change over time. It's important to keep communicating them your marriage. After taking the test again, I laughed about the happenings of our life and how they've influenced my love-language. I'm sure they'll continue to change over time. I'm grateful we make time to talk about our marriage and how we can improve. I'm grateful we take time to plan loving each other.
If you are interested in the 5 love languages or if you haven't taken the test in awhile, venture over there for a date night sometime with your spouse! It can give you a fun laugh and provide a way for you to communicate your needs. Just a small, but important step on the road of "happily ever after".
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Pairing Down the Projects!
Ever since I was called to lead the Young Women (Girl's age 12-18) Organization in our church, I have been feeling pretty unbalanced. I feel like I'm always juggling and while some things are going well, others seem to fade further and further into extinction. I suppose that's why God called me to do this, so I could really focus my energies on the work that really matters & a few basic tools I can use to accomplish them. What are they?
The Work.
1. God. My personal relationship with Him. Time spent in the temple. Time to ponder. Time to study. Time to pray - to really pray. Without interruptions...
2. Family. Namely education with and playing with my children. These are the times I feel eternity most. When we play in the boy's room, which has no clock on the wall, I lose track of time and just enjoy reading to them, playing, & creating. It also means that I am self-disciplined creating a structure for our home, which I still haven't grasped since our youngest was born. It means that the family time is planned and meaningful. It means regular time to strengthen my marriage. This has grown to take so much more effort since #2 came along and my husband started school again.
3. Church & Friendships. The growth of others. The real, sincere service that helps others draw closer to Christ. It means having to live more by the Spirit, being directed to know what to do and when to do it. I feel so dependent on the Lord in working with the Young Women. They truly are His daughters and He has a plan for them. I just have to be humble and still enough to know the plan so I can help.
Tools to help me accomplish these works:
1. Health. Providing healthy meals my family can gather around. It's so much easier to prevent illness and have energy to do the work of the Lord when you eat healthy. It is a PROJECT - phew! But either you put the work in to stay healthy or it catches up to you when you get sick.
2. Family History. A close second for me to family is preserving my family history. I love to learn about my ancestors and teach my children about their family. I love to record what is going on in our family (which I do mostly at www.asmithfam.blogspot.com). It's important to me that we enjoy and capture the moments that are so precious in helping us grow together to become like Jesus Christ.
3. Music. To me it really means God, and family, and church. I realized the other day singing a beautiful song about Christ that music is how I gained my testimony. It's how my mother shared her testimony with me. It unified our family. I've pushed it aside for other projects, but dusted it off and started using this tool again to help me accomplish all of the above. The nice thing is, while I'm still working to improve, it's a skill I'm already proficient in. It's a polished tool I can use, not one I'm trying to acquire.
These are the "projects". They hardly seemed like projects if you asked me even a year ago. But when I was faced with entirely too many things to do, constant piles of unfinished business in my tiny house, and unhappy children, I had to focus and figure out what is most important for me. It means I'm cutting out things I REALLY love doing or I'd like to learn. I know there will come another time in life to pull those other things out. I realized I just have to be me. I have to do what I can and simplify. For me for now, it's back to the basics.
The Work.
1. God. My personal relationship with Him. Time spent in the temple. Time to ponder. Time to study. Time to pray - to really pray. Without interruptions...
2. Family. Namely education with and playing with my children. These are the times I feel eternity most. When we play in the boy's room, which has no clock on the wall, I lose track of time and just enjoy reading to them, playing, & creating. It also means that I am self-disciplined creating a structure for our home, which I still haven't grasped since our youngest was born. It means that the family time is planned and meaningful. It means regular time to strengthen my marriage. This has grown to take so much more effort since #2 came along and my husband started school again.
3. Church & Friendships. The growth of others. The real, sincere service that helps others draw closer to Christ. It means having to live more by the Spirit, being directed to know what to do and when to do it. I feel so dependent on the Lord in working with the Young Women. They truly are His daughters and He has a plan for them. I just have to be humble and still enough to know the plan so I can help.
Tools to help me accomplish these works:
1. Health. Providing healthy meals my family can gather around. It's so much easier to prevent illness and have energy to do the work of the Lord when you eat healthy. It is a PROJECT - phew! But either you put the work in to stay healthy or it catches up to you when you get sick.
2. Family History. A close second for me to family is preserving my family history. I love to learn about my ancestors and teach my children about their family. I love to record what is going on in our family (which I do mostly at www.asmithfam.blogspot.com). It's important to me that we enjoy and capture the moments that are so precious in helping us grow together to become like Jesus Christ.
3. Music. To me it really means God, and family, and church. I realized the other day singing a beautiful song about Christ that music is how I gained my testimony. It's how my mother shared her testimony with me. It unified our family. I've pushed it aside for other projects, but dusted it off and started using this tool again to help me accomplish all of the above. The nice thing is, while I'm still working to improve, it's a skill I'm already proficient in. It's a polished tool I can use, not one I'm trying to acquire.
These are the "projects". They hardly seemed like projects if you asked me even a year ago. But when I was faced with entirely too many things to do, constant piles of unfinished business in my tiny house, and unhappy children, I had to focus and figure out what is most important for me. It means I'm cutting out things I REALLY love doing or I'd like to learn. I know there will come another time in life to pull those other things out. I realized I just have to be me. I have to do what I can and simplify. For me for now, it's back to the basics.
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