Day 3...

This Love Dare challenge is more difficult than I thought. It is really hard to be intentional about being kind and noticing when you're not. I think it has brought to the surface a lot of things that I took for granted and made me realize how blessed I am by being married to Dana. He is already doing almost everything the book has been challenging me to do, and he is not even reading the chapters. It is natural to him.

Now that doesn't mean he's perfect... If anything, it demonstrates that a marriage isn't about being perfect, it's about being intentional in how we relate to our spouse. We have to PUT ON the marriage just as we decide what to wear everyday and how we have to PUT ON our clothes... We have to PUT ON intentional effort to make our marriages stronger.

Day 3 was to do something that showed how much you cared for your spouse by buying them something that spoke your love to them...

Now this is my part of "Buying" something for Dana... We decided to take the girls to Johnson Bayou to swim in the ocean, but there was still bacterial warning signs, so we didn't swim, but he did borrow his boss's boat and we went boating all day on Big Lake... the girls got to go crabbing and I actually have pictures of the day, but they are on Ashton's camera which she took with her to camp... So maybe I'll post them when she gets back.

Back to the buying thing... Dana wanted to buy a Rod and Reel to take out with him, and I let him... Does that count? He really wanted it, and I really wanted him to have it, so he bought it. And then, he took me out to eat that night for seafood and that is what I wanted so we can call day three done...

Yesterday the girls left for camp after church and the college department had a picnic at the civic center... It was a beautiful day and you never know who'll you'll meet at the park. Do you notice people who are different than you? We were making our sandwiches and this man walked by that appeared to be homeless and Miriam asked him if he'd like a sandwich... He didn't take her up on the offer, but as I was walking toward the group from the other side, and he stopped me and said to tell the group "thank you" for him that today was payday and he didn't need anything... I asked him again to eat with us, but he declined... But I watched him for a little while as he went farther down the sidewalk. He looked so sad... He moved on and the moment passed, but as we were picking things up, another man came by and said that someone had told him he could get a sandwich from us. We immediately fixed him something to eat and gave him a couple of our waters, and he thanked us with "Shalom". He said he was Jewish, that he owned the hotel across the road, and that we could rent a room from him. Then he went over to one of the trees and sat down to eat his sandwich. I watched him too, and he made the sign of the cross before he ate so I assumed he had been introduced to Jesus Christ, since that is what the cross sign represents... We can't know what a person's spiritual condition is... Even if they say one thing and do something else, that still doesn't give us an inclining of how they stand spiritually... But the Bible does say that we are known by our fruit... We will reap what we sow, and if we are bearing fruit, then our life will be an example to others. We don't have to tell others what we believe, it will be obvious in our actions and our life...

Since Day 4 was actually on Sunday, and I didn't do much except siesta after the picnic, so I will do Day 4's challenge today... I've already started but will share with you the results tomorrow...

I ask for you to pray for me, because as I mentioned on the first day, I was also going to apply this concept to my coworkers, clients and agencies... I need help where this is concerned. Not everyone I encounter, but some of them are starting to weigh on my nerves and I need help in my attitude adjustment... I can get a little judgmental and condescending and I don't want to be that way. HELP!!!

Press on and conquer...
Lea Anne

Day 2... Love Dare

I completed Day 2 and I have to say that when you are intentional about being kind to someone, it is a little difficult. Not that Dana and I aren't already in a great marriage, but when you set out to make it better, all the things that aren't so nice are a little amplified. One thing that I noticed is that I would be sharp with Dana about something and immediately I was pricked about having to be "Kind" to him, so it would bring me up short and I'd say "I'm sorry"... It's amazing how this intentional effort of being Kind is good for the intended, but it really brings to the forefront how negative we can be in an unintentional, but still very biting way in the way we interact with our spouse. One thing that we can't control is how our spouse will react to us, but we can control how we respond to them... So if your first inclination is to be sharp or biting in response to something, then you can stop it before it comes out... You be the change you want to see happen in your marriage. Don't wait for your spouse to change... you start being kind to them and then they will respond back. Marriage isn't 50/50... It is you going 100% of the way expecting nothing from your spouse, and then you'll be amazed that they start meeting you half-way...

For instance, my challenge for Day 2 was this...

In addition to NOT saying anything negative, I was suppose to demonstrate Kindness to my spouse by doing something unexpected...

Okay, so we went to lunch together... although this isn't unusual because we TRY to have lunch together everyday... or as often as we can, because this has always been our time to connect with each other. So we did that...

Then I handled my insurance mess so Dana wouldn't have to... I thought that was HUGE, because I don't handle things like that usually... I went to Allstate claims, got the appraisal form and check, then went to the body shop and dropped it off so he could order the part, and now I'm waiting for them to call me to change it out... Here's something unexpected and delightful and all about the goodness of God... I have accident forgiveness for one accident, AND I have a $300 deductible credit due to my outstanding driving record... So this little "Accident" isn't going to cost me any out of pocket expense!!! Hallelujah!!

Then I had a party to go to for my boss for his 50th birthday and I invited Dana along... It was SO fun to sit out on the patio and tell stories and talk with other couples and eat party food!!

Then we went to Sonic and bought icecream for the girls and came home to enjoy some "family" time... This was our family time... I went to take a bath (while eating my butterfinger blast) the girls were watching a movie in their upstairs area, Dana went to his man cave to eat his icecream (while sharing it with the dog) You've never seen an animal that loves icecream as much as Max does)... Then I went to bed...

Of course Dana joined me later and I continued to show him some "Unexpected" kindness...

So Day 1 and 2 is finished...
Today is Day 3...
I'll keep you posted..

Oh a big shout out to my sister, Chantay, she's getting married today... She'll be Mrs. Chris Miles in about 20 minutes... Congratulations Big Sis... I love you and wish you the best with Chris...

Lea Anne

Love Dare...

We started the Love Dare challenge at church last night and we had over 17 couples represented there. Great discussions and video clips from the movie "Fireproof".

The challenge for today is

to not say anything negative to my spouse today.

The challenge went on to say...and if that's too difficult, don't say anything at all...

I'm suppose to record how my challenge turned out each day, and I can tell you honestly, that it has been a breeze so far. I haven't said one negative word to Dana all day... Of course, we've both been at work and haven't had a chance to see each other, so the true test will start tonight as we interface.

As I thought about this challenge I began to relate it to how I interact with my coworkers, clients, and agencies that I deal with on a daily basis too. I thought, I should take this same concept to them. This will be WAAAAY tougher than dealing with Dana, but I feel like I'm up to the challenge. So today, I decided not to say one negative thing to or about my clients, coworkers, or agencies... I succeeded, until 8:05 am, when I got my first complaint... I mean, call...

This may be harder than I thought...

I will press on to Day 2 though...

I'll keep you posted on how my progress is going.

I hope you Dare to Love someone today!!
Lea Anne

To Complain is to Remain...

I wish I could take credit for the phrase in the title, but I heard Joyce Meyer say it yesterday on "Enjoying Everyday Life". I will take her advice and not complain about the situation I found myself in yesterday, but I will comment about it. I was backing out of the parking slot like I always do, and I turned too sharply and caught the bumper of the truck beside me. This is the result of that "Bump."

And this is the other bumper that I caught...

Barely even scratched the dirt off the bumper. So I tell the engineering guy that I did it and for him to make sure that his truck was okay and I thought it was taken care of. He came up yesterday afternoon and said it did leave a dent and that the paint was scratched off and we would have to file it, and I said, "What dent?" He said, "On the right side rear bumper." I said, "I hit the left side rear bumper with the right front side of my truck." I even had a witness as one of the girls I work with was out taking a smoking break and she came over to look at it.

Well, short story even shorter, he said, "I believe you... don't worry about it."

Now I have to deal with getting my bumper replaced...

Just wanted to share that with you.

Lea Anne

A little prayer for Ashton today

I'm sending out a little prayer request for Ashton today as she tries out for Barbe Softball... She is really nervous and I just ask you all to remember her this week as she works to fulfill her dream of playing High School sports.

Thanks for your prayers,
Lea Anne

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Back on just to say Ashton didn't make the softball team. She was okay with it but I'm a little bummed out for her. Thanks anyway.

Setting a Good Example

“Few things are harder to put up with than the ANNOYANCE of a good example.”
Mark Twain (1835–1910)American writer

I have a sanctuary in my room where I do all of my Bible Study and journaling, but I usually do it behind closed doors or when everyone else is still asleep or gone because I like the quiet time. But I recently read an entry on someone else's blog about things she wished she had done while her kids were growing up, and one of them was for them to see her studying the Word of God and meeting with God more than they did. To do it as an example of what they should do... Or to use it as an opening in discussing their own personal quiet time moments with God. And I thought I would take her advice and start leaving the door open when I do my Bible Study to encourage those who want to talk to me or happen to walk by my door to know they are invited in.

As soon as I made that connection with opening my door, God is so good to test me on it. Last night we had a late night at the ballpark and didn't get home until 9pm. We ate Taco Bell takeout and I immediately went and had my bath and piled into my comfy bed to do a little of my night time reading and studying... And I'm sure you can predict what happened...

I left the door open, and one by one, the kids started coming by... First Keelea, then Leslie (a friend of Ashton's who was staying the night) then Ragan, (who put a load of clothes on right outside my door.) Of course she was in a bad mood and didn't need me for anything, just wanted to complain about having to find a job... and then Angela (she's one of my Sunday School members who's living with us for a little while)... It's amazing how involved we can be with others when we open our doors.

I set my Bible Study aside
and took a moment to just
listen... All people really need is for us to listen and sometimes they want advice but mostly they just want us to hear them.




It is so important to record the things we are experiencing in our lives so that we can remember the times that seemed so frustrating and worrisome and see that God brought us through that time. I always take a moment to jot down the people in my life that I'm praying for, their specific needs and the dreams that I feel God is laying on my heart. I encourage you to journal as well. I have neglected this little book because of what I do on line now, but I make sure to update the specific things I'm praying for. So I can remember.

I was able to share with Angela last night about a time in my life when I was waiting on God for what job he had for me, and it was this great job that I have now, but at the time of waiting, I couldn't see what God was up to until after I reflected through my journal... In one of the entries I recorded the words to a song that I still remember the lyrics to. It's called "Help is on the Way."

Some of the words are these: Don't give up the ship, even when you feel it sinking, and you don't know what to do. Don't give up your dreams, even when you may be thinking, "it'll never come true." Life has it's own ideas of how things come about, and if you keep believing, life always seems to work things out... Help is on the way, from places you don't know about today. From people you haven't met yet, believe me when I say, I know... Help is on the way.
You don't have to know, where the path you're on is leading, you just have to walk along. Praying as you go, asking for the things you're needing. You'll never be alone. If you have faith that things are happening as the should, then don't give up, they're leading you to something good.. Help is on the way, from places you don't know about today, from men you may have never met yet, believe me when I say, I know, help is on the way...
So open your heart, open your eyes, and realize that Help is on the way, from people you don't know about today. From men, you may have never met yet, believe me when I say, I know, Help is on the way.

I don't know why I felt the need to write the words of that song down, but I just remember when I heard it, how much it impressed me with the fact that God heard me and cared about me and wanted me to know it would be okay... And it was....

So just remember, that you are leaving an example to your kids and those that are watching you, and although we can't change people, we can impress them with our actions and by the example we live.

Go be an example today for someone.
I love you,
Lea Anne

I'm waiting.....

I'm waiting for SOMEONE to send me some of their pictures from this past weekend in Arkansas at the Callaway Family Reunion. I didn't have a camera of my own and have to depend on my relatives to share theirs with me. This is always a great time to connect with those long lost relatives, that you really do like and want to spend more time with, but never seem to have the time to do it.

As soon as some of those fabulous people share some pictures with me I'll post them on the blog... Until then... I'm waiting...
Love you!
Lea Anne