“Kiss me with the kisses of your mouth, because your love is better than wine.” S of S 1:2
Stepping Stone #1 Pucker Up. Note to self: I’m not talking pleasant pecks or six second smooches. How long does it take to enjoy a good glass of wine? Alrighty then… that’s more like it. Take joy in dental hygiene, slather on some savory lip gloss, take a mouthful of something deliciously palatable and KISS the man..
Stepping Stone #2 Smell Good. Note to self: Become conscious of the fact that my husband coming home from work IS a special occasion. Having the kids all in bed and some time on the couch together is a VERY special occasion… spritz away!! Mhm.
Stepping Stone #3. Call Him Names. Note to self; don’t throw his name around like a bus boy title, or with an air of frustration and/or desperation. Use it as a term of endearment and let it sound and taste sweet on your lips. And don’t forget to frequently exercise all those other pet names he likes.
Stepping Stone #4. Pursue Him. Note to self; it’s okay to be the aggressor here. Tell him for once that YOU only want to be with HIM. Give up something else to show him that you revel in HIS company. Be hungry for alone time and make memories running around or just lounging around together.
Stepping Stone #5 Shine. Note to self; the Shulammite peasant girl was as self conscious and insecure of her societal flaws (let’s face it, that’s what they are, ingrained in us through a secular and humanistic worldview… mental flaws if you will!) as the next girl but she recognized and claimed her beauty and loveliness. Don’t let your self image be a stumbling block to your marriage. Embrace and nurture your beauty and take joy in presenting that beauty as a gift to your spouse. She wasn’t perfect, but she went from peasant to princess, and she knew how to shine.
9 comments:
I'm going to add "know your spouse" to the list. Sounds dorky, but if I don't tend to some other housekeeping issues first, there's no point in proceeding. If he's welcomed home with clean counters and a tidy front entrance, it will encourage dh to come in, relax and enjoy my company. His headspace is instantly crowded when he comes home tired from work to a big mess at home. I gotta remember this more often!! ;) (I do love your stepping stones- I'll see what I can do - better get moving!)
totally. it's coming. stepping stone #11. The order is not in priority sequence, just embracing them as they come up chronologically in Song of Solomon. There are ALOT of stepping stones to come! Thought I'd set down five at a time and be sure of my footing as I go :)
Love what you shared, love that you recognize that. love that you love him enough to "see him" and meet him where you know he thrives.
Once again you are talking about such an important part of our lives as women. Today's stepping stones are so important further down the marriage path. As we get older it is easier to let bad habits take hold than to work at our relationship - making it stronger and mutually supportive.
I know you will get to it but laughter and having fun together is something we also have to work at.
May God continue to give you courage and wisdom as you work through some of these things in your own life. You are blessing others by sharing your experiences.
Love it! And, I can so relate to Chris. A messy "welcome home" (or, "unwelcome" as it may be) can often be the final straw in Larry's day.
Variations of your project are certainly on minds these days - I know it's on mine.
This weekend, we have no kids - first time in... well, I can't remember when. Larry has left the planning up to me. He thinks we're traveling somewhere for the weekend. Little does he know, I'm using the money we'd otherwise spend to spruce up our bed and bath. (Hard, as things other than cleaning all have to wait 'til he leaves for work on Friday morning... gives me roughly 7 hours of work time!) We have some gift cards for restaurants that we received as Christmas gifts that we'll use as well a few other little surprises.
I'm enjoying your thoughts as I begin preparing (both in our home and in my mind) for this fun weekend alone!
This will be fun reading (o:
Ok, your stepping stone #2, smell good, has convicted me! The boys and I have been to the park where I ran 6 miles, so I don't smell to wonderful, and I was going to wait till later tonight to shower... but now after reading this I am convicted that I should shower before my man comes home so I will smell and look better!!
Blessings to you and yours!
@Bev... mmmm... laughter and having fun... YES.
@Dawn... so excited for your big weekend, I have found that those odd times I get to have a staycation and really prioritize to make it relaxing and refreshing have been some of my FAVORITES vacations! So pumped for you.
@Grammy, I hope so!
@Tricia, :) I hear ya. I've been making a point of rushing to put nice clothes on, brush my hair and apply some scent and makeup when I hear my husband sign off his computer at work (then I know I have about 20 min's before he gets home). It gives a whole new unerstanding of the words "freshening up".
I love these little reminders...just wondering where you came up with them?? DId you make them up yourself?? or are you taking them from a awesome book?? just curious...off i go to read the rest...and them "freshen up"!
@Christina, The Peasant Princess is a sermon series by Mark Driscoll on Song of Solomons. The background to what I am sharing here comes from there, the stepping stones and notes to self are my own way of "claiming" what I'm processing, so yeah... I made them up :)
@Dawn, totally going to email you but dying to hear how your weekend went!!
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