Archive for December, 2009
Look UP!
Check out this amazing video snippet – so clever and TRUE!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXeCAeACmJE
Wishing you much “UP Time” in 2010!
Shannon
Why “Love Stinks”
Yesterday I twittered about how I was eating some bing cherries that one of my BLAST participants sent me for Christmas – you know, the dried cherries that are dipped in rich milk chocolate and then covered with a red chocolate shell. I can down those things like there’s no tomorrow!
In fact, last Christmas Eve, I downed way too many bing cherries, and they came back up again at 4 a.m.! Mr. Claus didn’t expect to be holding Mrs. Claus’ hair out of her face while she puked her bing cherry guts up, but that’s how we spent our Christmas morning 2008. I remember feeling so loved by Greg’s compassion in my time of crisis, but I have assured him that I’m trying to exercise more moderation this year!
Then I received this video clip from a friend this morning, and I laughed until I almost spewed milk from my nose. Take a look, laugh hysterically too, and then I’ll bring my thoughts on why “Love Stinks” full circle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhmL_wSkBZQ
Okay, that may be a little gross… or more accurately VERY gross… but it makes my point perfectly. It’s funny how we envision “love” or “romance” as a bunch of rose petals and champagne flutes and flickering candles and maybe a hot tub or a cheesy heart-shaped bed with mirrors on the ceiling. When we think of “love” we don’t think of washing the skid marks out of our husband’s underwear, or holding someone’s hair out of their face while they’re vomiting, or pointing out the spinach in their teeth or a booger in their nose. But isn’t that what love really is? To be there for a person in their most awkward time of need? To gently point things out that they surely wouldn’t want the rest of the world to see? To come alongside someone to help clean up life’s little messes, no matter how much they stink?
That’s exactly what Jesus did. He boldly placed his hands directly on the leper’s skin to bring comfort and complete healing. He compassionately broke the news to the woman at the well that she was looking for love in all the wrong places and developing quite the reputation in the process. Jesus reached into a rotting grave and brought Lazarus from death back to life again with two simple words: “Come Forth!” He washed His disciples’ smelly feet, and my guess is that they had some pretty nasty toe jam after all of that walking around in the desert in leather sandals.
Jesus knew that “love stinks.” But He didn’t care. He chose to put up with the stench, and love people anyway. And that’s why we still celebrate Him two-thousand years later. Because we know He loves us like crazy, no matter how badly our sin reeks.
So as we celebrate Jesus’ birthday, let’s honor Him by loving others the way He loves us!
What are some un-stereotypical ways you can show love to your husband and children this holiday season?
No commentsTemptation is a Friendly Old Lady
On occasion someone else’s blog post reaches out, grabs me, and says, “Share me with your readers!” This is one of them, found at http://www.sarahmarkley.com. Thanks for your clever words of wisdom, Sarah, and for granting copyright permission.
An older woman sat across from me in Starbucks on Tuesday.
“Can I just rest here while they make my drink?” she asked me. The unfortunate responsibility of claiming the table nearest to the barista’s bar, I smiled and nodded my head. I went back to working on chapter twelve.
I could barely hear her through my headphones and as she obviously wanted to have a conversation, I took them out. “That guy over there is really tall,” she noticed. “And very cute, don’t you think?”
I glanced over to see who she was referring to. An attractive man towered over the others in the line waiting for lattes and peppermint mochas. I smiled at the woman and nodded again. I didn’t know how to answer her. “But not for me!” she laughed, referring to her age.
“Not for me either,” I replied.
He grabbed his drink and walked past us and out the door.
No one else for me. Ever. I thought.
And I didn’t even look up as he passed by us. I didn’t want to look up.
I’m not perfect, but I know what my limits are. I know that if I’m sitting in Starbucks and Tall Attractive Guy sits near me so that I can see him while I’m working, I’d better turn around or leave altogether. I know not to catch the eye of the good looking guy dropping off his kid at school the same time as me. I know to spend time with the moms rather than the dads at the soccer games. I do my best not to put myself in the place of being tempted at all.
Because to be honest, I don’t want to have to make those types of decisions ever again. The ones that mean life or death. I want to preclude them by safeguarding myself before I even get to that point.
Sitting there by myself I would NEVER have looked up to glance at the guy. But sometimes temptation comes in the form of a friendly old woman calling my attention what she thinks is a harmless cute guy standing in the Starbucks line. But if I linger, and I chat with him and I laugh then it isn’t harmless anymore. So I stop it before I even look. Before I even want to linger and chat.
Some of it is that I’m content.
Some of it is desire to be honest and true to the promises I’ve made.
And some of it is just habit that I’ve built over the last six years.
I never want to put myself in the situation ever again to even have the opportunity to make a good or bad choice when it comes to marital faithfulness. Anything less than this is too risky for me, for my husband and for our relationship. So I do all that I can to keep my own heart safe.
Because if I safeguard my own heart, I safeguard my marriage.
How do you keep your heart safe? Your marriage? Do you think I’m being TOO prudish?
Grace!
This is a powerful reminder of just how AMAZING grace really is. I’m sure you’ll agree, Mrs. Haggard is a hero for how she’s chosen to stand by her man during this incredibly difficult season of their lives.
http://www.qideas.org/video/people-of-a-second-chance.aspx
2 commentsMy Marriage-Sabbatical Commercial
For those who’ve asked how our 3-day marriage sabbatical went this past weekend (and for those longing to have special time with their mates but think they can’t afford to), allow me to share my “commercial” with you…
One downtown Dallas apartment that needed house-sitting while a friend was out of town, along with enough Thanksgiving leftovers to satisfy our appetites for three days: ZERO DOLLARS
One bargain-bin Christian bookstore find entitled Men are Clams, Woman are Crowbars: FIVE DOLLARS
One Blockbuster video rental of the movie Fireproof: THREE DOLLARS
Three days of gut-level honesty, humbling ourselves and asking forgiveness, and of course, great make-up sex: PRICELESS
For those of you who think that you can’t afford to invest in a marriage sabbatical of your own, THINK AGAIN! You can’t afford NOT to! If we did it for less than $10, so can you.
Wishing you plenty of time & creativity to invest in the most important relationship of your life,
Shannon Ethridge, M.A.
www.shannonethridge.com
www.sexuallyconfidentwife.com