SERVE OTHERS –  (Day 6 of 6)
(Need to start at the beginning? Day 1)

What did you learn this week?

Who you love, I’ll love. How You serve, I’ll serve. Christ Tomlin, I Will Follow

I renewed a love of small ways to serve others. Small helps are easier to give and receive. They’re also far more impactful than we often give them credit.

I have a good friend who bakes cookies. Little bags of cookies make it to my purse on occasion, and that small gift means so much to me. She routinely uses her time to serve her family and friends in sweet ways.

I also spent some time thinking about the heart attitude of service and what larger acts of service could mean.

Our extended family recently took in a teen and will likely end up with another. I’d appreciate your prayers as we navigate this new responsibility.

What did you learn about service this week? Were you able to serve your spouse with genuine care?

I have been terrible about taking pictures lately, so I started looking through old files. I ran across this one of Paul.

He’s heading out for a men’s retreat today. Pray for him. Pray for me. (I have to make my own coffee while he’s gone and he is a far better barista than I am.)

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Image credits – chocolate chip cookies © dmarr515 / Pixabay, Paul in a grandpa t-shirt © Lori / Doing Marriage Well
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BE CONTENT –  (Day 6 of 6)
(Need to start at the beginning? Day 1)

How is your heart?

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Hebrews 13:5-6  ESV

Were you able to lean into God and his provision? Did you and your sweetie have any interesting conversations about money? Were you generous? What are you grateful for?

This was an interesting week for me. I asked myself questions like, “Am I making this choice in contentment knowing that God is my provision?” or “Am I being stressed and focused on money choices?”

I had fun being generous this week as well. Generosity lightens my heart. (I love being sneaky generous.)

I’ll own I love thrifting. Linda, the other MIL on the property, and I ran away to spend the day in Spokane thrift stores. My feet hate me, but we had a lot of fun.

My DIL collects teapots and I found this cutie made in Sweden. Can’t wait to gift it to her. 🙂

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Image credits – woman making choices © luismolinero / Adobe Stock, teapot © Lori / Doing Marriage Well
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GROWING IN STABILITY –  (Day 6 of 6)
(Need to start at the beginning? Day 1)

How did your week go?

… with a man of understanding and knowledge, [a land’s] stability will long continue. Proverbs 28:2b ESV

Did you learn anything new about yourself?

I sure did. I had that “Where do I need to grow up?” talk with Paul and it’s given me plenty to think about.

I’ll give you a window into where I need to grow. I’m aging and I need to ease up a bit (plus I’ve been sick recently). I’m not keen on slowing down and when I run out of energy I get cranky. I’m done, just done and I’m unhappy about having to reducing my pace and/or cut back a bit. (Apparently I am no fun to be around.) 

A part of aging is learning to pace myself better and wisdom says it’s better to grow old gracefully. I can seek knowledge and understanding with this next season of my life so that I can take good care of myself and become a little easier to get along with. I’m going to need some humility and patience too.

One of the neat things about living out past the boonies and having community is that people tend to grow extra (you never know how the weather will treat your garden) and share their excess.

Friends gifted us with a mess of apples (for eating and pies) and some grapes (for yummy jelly).

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Image credits – woman looking in mirror © Taylor Smith / Unsplash, grapes and apples © Lori / Doing Marriage Well
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BE LOYAL –  (Day 6 of 6)
(Need to start at the beginning? Day 1)

This week, we’ve been thinking about and practicing expressions of loyalty.

But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” Ruth 1:16-17 ESV

Having Ruth’s example was very helpful for me. I asked myself did I have this sense of loyalty toward God, my husband, my friends, etc.

Ruth’s loyalty was pretty intense and life impacting (she gave up and risked a lot). Did I have that same passion and intention aimed toward my loved ones? What am I willing to give up to stand with them?

How did you do this week? What did you learn?

I confess my garden has more than its fair share of weeds.

This one is a mullein plant and I haven’t decided if I will let it stay or pull it. It has large fuzzy leaves and is a very cool weed.

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Image credits – letterpress spelling loyalty © Yury Zap / Adobe Stock, mullein © Lori / Doing Marriage Well
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BE THERE IN THE HARD TIMES –  (Day 6 of 6)
(Need to start at the beginning? Day 1)

I have a love/hate relationship with technology. It is a blessing in so many ways, but a challenge to handle as well.

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.  Proverbs 17:17  ESV

One thing I love is the ability to connect and communicate with others. I’m on a couple of text groups where needs are shared. Makes it easier for me to pray and help out as I am able.

What did you learn about yourself this week? Were you able to stand with your spouse and others as they faced a stressful world?

I hadn’t worked on a jigsaw puzzle in a while.

It was fun to finish this one up on my day off.

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Image credits – couple texting © Dean Moriarty / Pixabay, jigsaw puzzle © Lori / Doing Marriage Well
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THINK POSITIVE –  (Day 6 of 6)
(Need to start at the beginning? Day 1)

How did your week go?

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8 ESV

Were you able to keep an eye on your thoughts? Were you able to lean into more positive thought? Are you thinking more positive thoughts about your spouse?

I did fairly well. A few times I found a new area of negativity to think through and deal with. It’s amazing the ideas I’ve picked up through life, some of them pretty far off the mark.

It’s takes effort to make that kind of change, but it’s so freeing to agree with God instead of following down the more common negative mental rut.

As a weekend assignment, try thinking through all your spouse’s positive qualities and mention a few to them (doing so in front of others is nice as well).

What is it about kitties and shopping bags?

Tilly is having way too much fun.

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Image credits – road ruts © Mar / Pixabay, Tilly in a bag © Lori / Doing Marriage Well
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