Think About Your Closest Relationships

by | Oct 31, 2024 | second try

SECOND TRY

HARMONIZE –  (Day 5 of 6)
(Need to start at the beginning? Day 1)

Let’s spend another day experimenting with working well with others.

Live in harmony with one another. Romans 12:16a ESV

I’ve been thinking through each of my closest relationships and how well I interact with them. Do I make enough room for them? Am I willing to navigate our differences? How can I engage them better and make them feel welcome in my world?

A part of that is paying better attention to things like personality, love languages, season of life, and so forth.

DUET

I also like to give special emphasis to using our weekly concept with my spouse. Where do I need to consider his wishes? Where do we have any friction? How might I play a more harmonious note where he is concerned?

What have you learned so far? What has worked well for you? What will you do today?

When either (or both) of us travel south, we always stop at the Country Mercantile. It was on the way to Paul’s men’s retreat so he stopped in.

YUMMY TRUFFLES

Need I say more?

 

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Image credits – duet © Mariia Korneeva / Adobe Stock, yummy truffles © Lori / Doing Marriage Well
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Unwilling Heart?

by | Oct 30, 2024 | road blocks

WHAT'S STOPPING YOU?

HARMONIZE  (Day 4 of 6)
(Need to start at the beginning? Day 1)

What keeps us from being willing to work with others?

Live in harmony with one another. Romans 12:16a ESV

It’s amazing how past wounding can mess us up. It’s hard to give a little or be creative when we’re being self-protective. Protecting our sense of self or just not wanting a repeat of unkind experiences can hang us up.

UNHAPPY COUPLE

Being tired or rushed makes it difficult as well. Who has time to consider options when there’s laundry to do or that report to finish?

And then there’s general selfishness. I get it. I like having things my way too.

What makes harmonizing difficult for you? Where did you struggle yesterday? What was happening in your head and heart?

Paul often sends me pictures of beautiful scenery.

BEAUTIFUL VIEW

He took this one on his recent trip to a men’s retreat. Love those clouds

 

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Image credits – unhappy couple © ARAMYAN / Adobe Stock, beautiful view © Paul / Doing Marriage Well
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Look for Creative Options

by | Oct 29, 2024 | first try

GIVE IT A TRY

HARMONIZE  (Day 3 of 6)
(Need to start at the beginning? Day 1)

As you go through your day, look for ways to walk in agreement with others (especially your sweetie).

Live in harmony with one another. Romans 12:16a ESV

You don’t have to imitate others or wholly agree with them, just be yourself and look for ways to work with others.

Paul and I often find ourselves doing opposites.

Recently, we were working on a new garden fence for our personal vegetable garden (8 feet to keep the deer out). Paul wanted to make the top of the garden fence run level at a 90° angle to the fence posts, and I was trying to make the fence run nicely along the ground (which is in no way even approaching level). He wanted the top line of the fence to visually work with the fence posts and I wanted to make the bottom snug to the ground to keep out small critters.

FENCE POST

We considered our “whys.” Neither of them were wrong. We finally decided to go with a level top (for Paul’s sanity) and we’re looking at a couple of creative workarounds for the bottom. We could cut the bottom of the fencing to match the ground or put a line of smaller gaped wire along the bottom. (That’s a spring project, so we have time to think it through.) The fence is up and the deer are out. It’s all good.

We approached the project differently, but we found a way to value both of our wishes and harmonize.

Where do you and your spouse struggle? Can you find a way to honor both of your needs and wishes? Get creative!

I think Tilly wants in.

TILLY ON THE DOOR

 

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Image credits – fence post © Karsten Paulick / Pixabay, Tilly on the door © Lori / Doing Marriage Well
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How Do You Play?

by | Oct 28, 2024 | self-examination

SELF-EXAMINATION

HARMONIZE  (Day 2 of 6)
(Need to start at the beginning? Day 1)

So, what are your thoughts?

Live in harmony with one another. Romans 12:16a ESV

In looking at your life, how has living in harmony played out (or not)?

I grew up in a not too healthy household, so harmony wasn’t really an option. I did what I was told and kept my head down.

As an adult, I rather like the concept of harmony.

SINGING KITTIES

It makes room for everyone. It sometimes takes real effort to make it all come together well, but there are multiple options and creative solutions to be had.

Take the day and consider what role harmony has played in your life.

I’ve been playing around with my day planner … again.

BULLET JOURNAL

I’m going back to a bullet journal after using something of my own design for a couple of years. I got tired of having to create pages. It was a lot of work up front and that made it harder to use.

I’m a firm believer in making things as easy as possible.

 

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Image credits – singing kitties © Wall / Adobe Stock, bullet journal © existentia / Adobe Stock
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Play Well Together

by | Oct 27, 2024 | concept

CONCEPT FOR THE WEEK

HARMONIZE (Day 1 of 6)

I was thinking about yesterday’s post where I wrote about married couples being both a couple and individuals at the same time. Then I ran across this.

Live in harmony with one another. Romans 12:16a ESV

I played the piano when I was a kid, so I’m familiar with harmony (both good and bad). 😉Harmony is where you’ve got different notes that play well together.

SHEET MUSIC

Isn’t that a cute analogy? We can be individual (and often quite different) people that work and play well with each other.

Let’s take the day and give some thought to harmonizing with others. Who do you know that does that well? What does harmony look like in a marriage? What does dis-harmony look like?

I bought this cute tableware holder when thrifting the other day. Then, when I got home, I realized why it was at the thrift store. It didn’t have any dividers inside, and all the pieces just slid around together.

TABLEWARE CONTAINER

So I got a little creative with ribbon to create my own dividers. I still want to come up with some sturdy dividers on the inside, but for now it works and I’m getting ready for the holidays.

 

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.
Image credits – sheet music © Gina Janosch / Pixabay, tableware container © Lori / Doing Marriage Well
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Be You Too!

by | Oct 26, 2024 | let's chat

SAT AM COFFEE CHAT

I just dropped my husband off at our church. He’s meeting a group of guys and carpooling to a campground for a men’s retreat.

MEN AROUND CAMPFIRE

I do miss my sweetie, but it’s kind of a fun time for both of us. He gets to hang with friends, old and new, and I get to putter around the house working on various projects.

I just cleaned out my fridge (I know, not really that fun), set up a bin for new quail chickies (5 more days till hatch day!), and I’ve started in on a few creative projects. Pictures to follow.

I mention all this because I think it’s important to be individuals as well as a married couple.

Yes, we need to spend plenty of time together and build a life together, but there are still those friendships and interests that are unique to us as individuals. That side of us needs expression too for us to be whole people and to use our personal gifts.

Have a great weekend!

We’re beginning to pull the last of the produce from our greenhouse.

MAKING TOMATO SOUP

Paul made some tomato soup base before he left. Lots of yummy soup for winter.

 

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Image credits – men around campfire © Hunman / Adobe Stock, making tomato soup © Paul / Doing Marriage Well
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