Learning!

I really do want to write down all that God is teaching Brent, Ivy and I...oh and Hayley is sure learning a lot too! Hayley is learning how to scream EAT! EAT! EAT! BITE! BITE! BITE! Such a hungry little girl lately! I think she is catching up from being sick so long!

Last weekend, Brent and I went on a "Date Night" that Family Life held at the seminary. Brent was so kind to register us. Thanks Brent! The meal and the talk were great. Before going on the date, we both had to complete a marriage oneness profile online. It provided great things for us to think through and talk about. The thing I took away from completing the profile online was...Praise God for the good things in our marriage. For those of you who know us well, I hope you take a minute right now and reflect on how far God has brought us. Some of you will remember the chap stick! Some of you will remember how I didn't want to go to church at Brent's church. Some of you will remember so much more than I can remember.  God really has done a work in Brent and I. He is continuing to do a work! I am so thankful for the Sanctification process. So friends who read this take some time to look back over your marriage and WRITE OUT how God has blessed! It's so easy to forget how God has been faithful. It's so easy to focus on the negative.

I'm also taking a class right now on Marriage and Family. We are reading Creative Counterpart by Linda Dillow. It's got some good reminders! Being intentional to set asside time for each other has been really important for Brent and I. It's so easy to put the kids in bed, take a shower and fall into bed. We both are tired. But, we have been asking God to help us find time to just talk and connect. Sometimes, it's when the girls are still awake. We sure haven't done it perfectly but we are praying that we would be more and more intentional.

Here are some questions that you can ask your husband....(You can find your own questions if you don't like these...but Brent and I liked the idea of having questions to ask each other!)

1. What is the happiest thing that has ever happened to your husband?
2. What has been the hardest experience of his life?
3. What are his secret ambitions, his goals for life?
4. What are his deep fears?
5. What about you does he appreciate the most?
6. What traits of you would he like to see changed?
7. What man or men does he admire most?

Here are some questions that you can give your husband to ask you:
1. What could I do to make you feel more loved?
2. What could I do to make you feel more respected?
3. What could I do to make you feel more understood?
4. What could I do to make you more secure?
5. What can I do to make you feel more confident in our future direction?
6. What attribute would you like me to develop?
7. What attribute would you like me to help you pray to develop?
8. What achievement in my life would bring you greatest joy?
9. What would indicate to you that I really desire to be more like Christ?
10.  What mutual goal would you like to see us accomplish?