Ferocious Flirting: Making Marriage Wonderful

Part of a text of a talk I heard on marriage. I'll post a link to the entire thing, once it is available. "Marriage brings greater possibilities for happiness than does any other human relationship. Yet, some married couples fall short of their full potential. They let their romance become rusty, take each other for granted, allow other interests or clouds of neglect to obscure their vision of what their marriage really could be. Marriages would be happier if nurtured more carefully. "Marriage is the foundry for social order, the fountain of virtue and the foundation for eternal exaltation." True marriage is a partnership with God. Three action verbs — to appreciate, to communicate and to contemplate — are helpful in strengthening marriages. "Begin with sincere desire. Identify those actions needed to bless your spiritual unity and purpose. Above all, do not be selfish. Generate a spirit of selflessness and generosity. Celebrate and commemora

Being part of an agenda beyond ourselves liberates us to complement each other rather than compete with each other. Joseph Stowell Make your marriage that agenda and find ways to complement your spouse, rather than feeling like you need to compete with them.

Living under the Time Pressure Originally uploaded by Arnold Pouteau's . At work I have a calendar on the computer that keeps my schedule and lets eveyone else know if I am in meetings or otherwise not available. This allows me to plan my time and also manage the expectations of others. People know I won't be at my desk if my calendar says I'm in a meeting. It also keeps people from double booking meetings. My time at work is very precious and needs to be managed accordingly. One thing I do is schedule an hour a day for excersise. This simple act ensures that no meeting is schedule at that time. The computer even reminds me when its time to go workout. Isn't your time with your family no less important than your time at work? Find ways to schedule your personal life the same way you schedule your work life. When all is said and done, your relationship with your sweetie is far more important than your work or career. If need be, I will put an "appo

Small things, done in great love, bring joy and peace. Mother Teresa (1910-1997, Albanian-born Roman Catholic missionary)

Vernal Halo Tree Trance Originally uploaded by Elkhead . After 17 years of marriage, my sweetie has left me, for a few days. She is being a chaperone for the high school band trip. Its a weird feeling not having her here. I travel about once a year to training and whatnot, but she has never been the one to go and leave me home. Its more differenter than I thought it was going to be. So I've been Mr. Mom for a few days. No big deal. I arranged to work from home and so I can be here for the little critter when they get home from school. We've being having fun. The point of this posting is this: I want to prepare a little surprise for my sweetheart for when she returns. I have a few ideas, most of which have been posted previously. What I need now is your ideas. What are some romantic ways to welcome home that special sweetie when you've been apart for a few days? Email or post your comments.

I am working on getting my sweetie a free iPod . A friend of mine found this site where you can get free iPods. I told him, "Talk to me about it when I see the iPod in your hands". To make a long story short, he was able to get one for himself and one for his sweetheart. I tried it and got one for myself. Now I am working on one for my sweetie. What's the catch? The way it works is you register at the site, then you need to "complete an offer". That means to signup for some online service from the list they give you. I signed up for Real Arcade because it was quite cheap and I could cancel it if I decided I didn't really want to keep the service. Then, you need 5 people to register under you and do the same. That's it. From my experience, most people are hesitant at first. But, once they understand that its not a scam, they are happy to give it a try.

I normally avoid the "thou shalt not" in favor of the "thou shalt" in all my postings. Telling someone what the wrong answer is, is not the same as giving them the right answer. Also, having a positive approach can be more encouraging and gives the blog as a whole a more uplifting attitude. Today, I am going to break with my custom and go with a "thou shalt not". In Matthew 5:28 we read: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. This verse has been popping into my brain often over the past several months, so I am finally going to post about it. There is a lot of salacious material (I am avoiding the "p" word) available on the Internet, in magazines and in movies. I could harp on how indulging in such material destroys self-confidence, is addicting and reduces the respect your sweetheart and children have for you. There has been a lot written on the su