Forever Beloved

I deal with different fears, insecurities and worries on a daily basis.  I am a worrier by nature.   It’s not one of my better qualities.  I worry about paying the bills, about Joey driving, about my dog having arthritis, about Joe’s work, my family’s health, about my housework, about my business, on and on.  My to-do lists keep me awake at night. Questions like what if and should I have swirl around my mind, holding me hostage and keeping me chained to my worries and fears.

The trouble with worry is that it doesn’t seem all that harmful.  It has taken on the form of a acceptable sin.  We all do it…so, why even call it a sin?  Let’s just gloss over it, sweep it under the rug and call it a day.  Or better yet, let’s rename it.  That way we can not feel guilty about it.  Let’s call it stress, anxiety or just concern.

Don’t y’all hate that never-ending feeling of doom? I know I sure do. Don’t we all want to be free from that feeling? I feel the first pang of fear and think “I am NOT going to be afraid or worry, I’m just going to pray about it”. And what do I end up doing? Worrying about it anyways. I give it to Him and then I take it right back. Why is it so hard for us to trust that He will do what is best for us at the right time? We know that the Bible tells us not to worry, but it seems like such a part of us that we don’t know how to stop.  Think of how much energy we absolutely waste on it.

We can’t trust God and then worry, those simply don’t go together. Worrying is the absolute opposite of trusting God. But when we replace worry with prayer, then we have trust.  We need to faithfully turn to God in prayer. We are to give our worries to God in prayer, trusting Him with all our burdens and cares. As a result, we will receive in return the peace we long for.  That feeling of doom will go away and a feeling of peace will wash over you.

When we enter into marriage, our main focus is each other. But as time goes on, our focus tends to turn to jobs, bills, or children and less on each other. So many times we just get caught up in life and forget things like this are super important.  Unfortunately, this causes many marriages to have problems. It’s time to put our focus back on our spouse!  Every day is a perfect day to show your husband a little extra love and remind him (and maybe you) of how thankful you are for him.

You can communicate your love in so many ways other than speech and I just bet he would be super excited that you did.  Here are some ways for you to show your husband your love. Choose at least five every day and watch your marriage blossom into a wonderful relationship!

• pray for him
• say I’m sorry
• never ever ever go to bed mad
• meet him at the door with a kiss and a smile
• an encouraging word
• make his favorite meal
• let your home be a haven were your husband can retreat from the stresses of life
• let him know that you respect and admire his leadership
• take interest in his hobbies
• send him a little love text or email for his eyes only
• flirt with him
• thank him for everything
• snuggle in front of a fire
• write an encouraging verse and put it on his steering wheel
• let him be the man of the house
• buy new lingerie 
• wear an outfit you know he likes
• laugh together
• tell him 5 reasons why you love him
• make your bedroom a special retreat
• get him his fav treat while your out shopping
• go for a long drive together
• wake him up with kisses
• speak highly and lovingly about him to other people
• give him a back-rub
• take a walk together
• hold his hand
• trust him
• don’t hold on to grudges
• hide a love note somewhere he’ll find it
• pack his lunch for him
• plan a date night
• listen to him when he is stressed
• talk him up in front of his (and your) friends
• keep your promises
• do his chores for him
• laugh and have fun with him
• bite your lip and don’t nag or complain
• love him