365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 140

I picked up a book at the library this week by Gary Chapman called Love As a Way of Life. He expands on the idea of our love languages with 7 keys that each us should do no matter what our love language is. I found the way he defines authentic love to be very insightful. He says, ‘Love is not an emotion that comes over us or an elusive goal dependent on the actions of others. Authentic love is something within our capabilities, originating in our attitudes and culminating in our actions.’ This definition really hit home after listening to the sermon from church yesterday. It is not our words that make a difference but our actions. We can say we love someone but without actions it is not truly heartfelt, not truly authentic love. Actions require sacrifice. We have to take the time or the cost that will show the proof of our love. Chapman says, ‘We cannot love authentically if we are not willing to sacrifice’. But authentic love has to start with calling on the Holy Spirit within us to make us capable of authentic love. And we need to cultivate our attitude to be one of service. Just as Jesus served so must we. So here is my affirmation and prayer to help prepare me for living a life with authentic love: I am capable of loving others authentically with the Holy Spirit within me and my attitude is one of service to others no matter the sacrifice.

1John 3:18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 129

A little bit of wisdom applied can go a long way... My awesome hubbie unexpectedly said lets go out for a drink. Sitting face to face with the man you live with day in and day out just doesn't seem to happen enough. He told me his love tank was at rock bottom. Ouch. But God led him to listen to the audio book by Gary Chapman, The Five Love Languages-Men's Edition. It was something I had suggested he read after I had read the books and discovered so much value in them. We had such a great heart-to-heart talk and I learned more about what will make him feel loved. However, I know it is in human nature to forget. Life will start creeping it's way back in and around us and I will end up not speaking his love language which we discovered is totally opposite of mine which is words of affirmation. So, what to do, what to do? My first thought is to create a positive affirmation to read everyday and write a prayer card to have at work. Like this challenge of praising God everyday, I am challenging myself to show my love to my hubbie in ways that will fill up his love tank. Lord, help me to shower my husband with the love he can feel. Amen.
Proverbs 17:24 A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.