Day 7: Love believes the BEST...

DARE: For today's dare, get two sheets of paper. On the first one, spend a few minute writing out positive things about your spouse. Then do the same with the negative things on the second sheet=. Place both sheets in a secret place for another day. There is a different purpose and plan for each. At some point during the remainder of the day, picka positive attribute from teh frist list and thank your spouse for having this characterisitic!
Before I again, two things MUST be said.

1. DEAR GOD, I AM SO SORRY FOR Failing to find Cory's positive attirbutes in our marriage. This DARE has nailed it for me, and I think it began that negativity in our marraige! It is my fault. I sinned. Please forgive me. And thank-you for opening my eyes to such a horrible sin!
2. To all my friends out there reading this, struggling with your marraige and not working on it. This is a good place to begin! No exceptions. Start here....

The book states there are two rooms in our hearts.

The appreciation room: where we go to encounter positive and encouraging things about our spouse. The walls are covered with kind words and phrases. These phrases feel the wall on your heart typically at the beginning of your relationship. For Cory and I, I remember I loved him because of few things. He went church without being made and was a christain. He was from a great family. He was Hot! He was considerate. He wanted to be with me. He was HOT! He spent money on me. He was HOT! He managed his life very well. He was HOT! He had a great career! hE WAS HOT! Just to name a few......I spent a lot of time dwelling on these things...which led to my desire to want ot be married to him. But then, after marriage, there came the....

Depreciation room: where the walls are covered with things that irrate me. They were placed there out of frustration, hurt feelings, and disappointment of unmet expectations. I stayed in thhis wrong too long during my pregnancy. I got hurt and Satan used my unstable hormones to fill this room with all of Cory's negative habits. I started thinking..."he is a jerk. he is so selfish. I'm carrying his baby and just need a little love and attention. How could I have married the wrong person again!" I dwelled on these things and in this room....which ultimately led to sin! I would tell myself and convinced others that all these things in this room were true. He was hurtful. He showed me attention. He could name ever football player on Auburn's team and where they went to high school, but couldn't remember by doctor's apt?! Serously! That hurt! BUT, as those things are true in that room, so are the things true in the appreciation room....

Everyone fails! I fail! Everyone needs growth. I need growth! But I have tendency to downplay my own negative attributes, whle putting his failure's under a mganifying glass. Like his are what led to our issues. It isn't right! It hurt my wonderful relationship with the most wonderful man in this world!! REAL LOVE choses not to live in this room.. I now chose not to live in this room! I (and my friends out there) MUST stop running to this room and lingering there for any amount of time and especially after any frustrating event in my relationship! It is time to be different. Be the change!

The book says the only reason you should EVER glance in the door of depreciation is to know how to pray for your spouse! WHAT?! I pray for my friends. I pray for total strangers from message on face book, but i NEVER pray for Cory and the things that might line his wall in the depreciation room. The book says that if I must go in there to find what to prayer for, I need to write in big letters...COVERED IN LOVE!!!!

So, today, I am going to focus on one telling Cory how thankful I am for him. He has stuck by me. He loves me. I will change my focus from the negative thougts and focus more on the positives attributes on Cory. There are so many! Whether he deserves it or not!

LOVEY YALL!