long, gossipy, blogpost- forgiveness, love.

There are 2 things my husband does that drive me insane.. Well to be honest, the first drives me insane, the second is just annoying.  And while I'm being honest, there are surely more than two things he does that I find reason to nag... But these are the two I'll focus on today:

First:  I watch sales for weeks, clip coupons and finally select the finest ingredients to make whatever dish I'm making. I do not settle for HFCS and white sugar/flour.  I bust my butt to serve this family healthy food and stay within our budget.  When it comes to actually cooking the meal I slave away for what seems like FOREVER, chopping veggies, measuring, watching for a boil, then simmering... and cooling for the kids... etc.  And the result is a delicious mostly organic, amazing soup that I feel I could take to the fair and win a prize. 
Here's where I get mad... He leaves the plastic (PLASTIC!.... Remember, toxins FREAK ME OUT) ladle in the soup after he dishes his up.  Leaves it IN the hot pan! 
So after numerous arguments I bought a stainless steel ladle and said I didn't want to argue about it any more. 
But now...  My sweetheart has decided to remember to remove the ladle, and place it on the STOVE (the nice clean stove) after he dishes up his soup.
 
I know it's silly, & I remember this:
1.God loves Chad just as much as he loves me. 
2.God is pretty disappointed in me when I'm screaming (yes... it makes me that angry) over a plastic ladle. 
Then I move on, and don't look back. 

Secondly- My husband prefers his shirts hung up facing the left.  I just hang the shirts, and it doesn't bother me a bit which way they go (I hang over 30 shirts a week, I just want it done, I don't care if it's done "right", really).  So for years I would put them on the hanger however I grabbed them.  Then I find him changing them around to face the "right way" (um... well, left).  I have (in the distant past, before I cared about being a better wife) purposely hung shirts up the "wrong" way.. just to catch him switching the shirts and start a fight where I knew I was right.  How pathetic, huh?

This long, gossipy, blog post is to tell you two things:
1- There is usually more than one way to do things, but that doesn't make one of the ways wrong.
2-  Pick your battles, chose wisely, and know that above all, Jesus is your defender.  You don't have to make known everything you think is right.  Sometimes ( a lot of times) silence is your best defense.


So now that I know these things about my husband, I chose to LOVE them.  I love that he cares enough to remove the ladle now, and I LOVE that he cares how his clothes look in his closet.  I love him.  And when we love someone we shouldn't be so hard on them. 
My husband makes me feel safe, he provides for our family, he is an honest person, and he loves me (and I KNOW that cannot be an easy thing to do, as I even struggle with this).

For everything I dislike, I can think of several more that I DO like.

This week, I challenge you to do the same.  Love your spouses flaws, Because they probably aren't really flaws, they're just different from how you do things.  Make list of what you LOVE about your spouse, forget about the things that you don't like.

Psalm 62:6 (King James Version)
 He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.

Exodus 14:14 (New King James Version)
 The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

HOLD YOUR PEACE

PS- I do hang his shirts facing the left now, because it makes him happy, and I sure love it when he's happy :-)

You know what is SO cool.

 My favorite 3 year old just peeled a banana, that judging by the peel, I said was too far gone to enjoy ( I thought this first 2 days ago, but it stayed on the counter.  I had bought new bananas and placed them next to this one anyway).  But he insisted, even though I said it would be mushy, and he wouldn't like it, I said he could grab a new one.. yet he kept pushing
"Mommy, I love bananas". 
 I warned, "If you peel it, you must eat the whole thing". 
He replies "I will, I really will".

I'm cringing as he pulls back the bruised peel (thinking we'd soon be discussing him finishing it, and not throwing it away), but I stood amazed at the sight.. A perfect banana, not one bruise on the fruit.  And it actually had much more of that banana flavor that he loves.  And he DID love it, "yummy".
 
And so what, even if the fruit were a little damaged, the coolest part is that even a rotting awful banana
can be made into something wonderful...Moist, Delicious banana bread that would fill the house with the
glorious scent of goodness.  The heat from the oven would warm our bodies and we would be satisfied. 

I think back and wonder how many times I have passed up a good opportunity to meet someone (or develop a deeper relationship) based on their "peel".  That thought leaves ME feeling rotten.  What if God were to pass me up based on MY peel, and my mistakes?  It's heart breaking to think how selfish we are to judge others.  But it is our choice to do so, and our choice NOT to do so.  Today, I chose NOT to judge.

Psalm 119:18 (GOD’S WORD Translation)
Uncover my eyes so that I may see the miraculous things in your teachings
 

Are you a Facebooker?

Are you a Facebooker? 
If so, read the article found on the link below, then take a good look at your friends list.  In my opinion, it's not just the opposite sex and 'friendships that form' sort of thing, as much as the attention that you are taking away from your spouse/family by spending so much time on FB (or Internet in general) reading things that:
 A) Aren't too important, or B) Aren't any of your business. 

I have struggled in the past finding balance between hopping online for a few minutes and spending time with my family.  I'm so easily distracted.. I get online to find a recipe, 30 minutes later supper still hasn't been started ..BUT I now know the latest in the FB world, and really, why? 

Okay enough from me, here is the link

http://www.crosswalk.com/family/marriage/divorce-and-remarriage/facebook-divorce-stats-couples-be-wise-experts-say.html