And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.
Mark 3:25 – English Standard Version (ESV)

The deepest, most heartbreaking damage you’ll ever do (or have done) to your marriage will most likely occur in the thick of conflict.

*based on The Love Dare by Stephen Kendrick

Regarding my post of Jan 28th, my coworker has not been in the office since, so I have yet to hear of the reaction. I will keep you posted.

I decided to take just a second and snap a photo of aforementioned prank.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Philippians 2:4 – English Standard Version (ESV)

All it takes for your present arguments to continue is for both of you to stay entrenched and unbending.

Said another way, I’d rather be happy than right.

*based on The Love Dare by Stephen Kendrick

In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.
Ephesians 5:28 – English Standard Version (ESV)

Don’t let the culture around you determine the worth of your marriage.

How do I determine the worth of something? If it’s Action Comics issue # 1 the value is currently stated at $1,830,000 or, my personal favorite, if it’s Superman issue # 1 the worth is $925,000. What does that number really reflect? Typically, in the case of rare merchandise, this is simply the last price someone was willing to pay for the item. In fact any item is only valued at the price the buyer sets.

A seller can set any price they desire, but unless a buyer is willing to pay that price, it has no value.

Our culture can “tell” me that marriage is cheap with such statements as: “the hassles are not worth it,” “too much work,” or “you weren’t meant for each other.” But that price is artificial and of no value. Only I can determine the value of my spouse and according to the verse above the standard should be that of the most precious person to me, me.

As the two become one there are no longer two therefore the value of each individual is indistinguishable from the other.

*based on The Love Dare by Stephen Kendrick

There’s a little prankster in me who just like to keep things light. I don’t like to get carried away or do it too often but it’s fun every now and then to create confusion and confoundment with a co-worker.

Over the years I have been known to find the little know sequence to buttons on the office phone that causes HOLD music to play on the phones speaker as background music, shift a strategic key on the keyboard (doesn’t work unless they type like me) and the like. I’ve been contemplating something for several months now and just never landed on the right thing.

A co-worker is in an office with a window facing the office traffic. He has continually stated that he feels like he’s in a fishbowl and has wanted to block the window with something. Initially my idea was to find something to block the window but facing outward toward the office would be a photo of him at work. I could never find the right thing so nothing happened. Eventually he put a world map over the top of the window so now all one see as they walk by is the back of the map. He sees the world map as he sits at his desk.

Today it came to me in a flash of inspiration. I would find a picture of a human eye, actual size and carefully cut it out and tape it in the middle of a country. Brazil happened to be the best color map to camouflage the eye. Now it begins, the wait. If my plan succeeds my co-worker will go for weeks without noticing a thing, then one day he’ll look up and an eye in the middle of Brazil will be staring him in the face.

I imagine it’ll be quite a shock talking to a customer and suddenly see an eye staring at you.

God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8 – English Standard Version (ESV)

Lasting, unconditional love says, “I love you, period,” not “I love you because …”

This does not infer that there aren’t reasons for the love – it just says the love is unconditional regardless of whether of some of those qualities (or all of the qualities) go away. I love you, period. That’s a big one. It takes something beyond myself to manifest that kind of love from the heart.

*based on The Love Dare by Stephen Kendrick

Greet one another with the kiss of love.
1 Peter 5:14a – English Standard Version (ESV)

Consider the difference it would make in your spouses day if everything about you expressed the fact that you were really, really glad to see them.

As I thought about these words, it occurred to me that I could use a lot of improvement in this arena. “Really, really” means over-the-top, a lot, excited.

*based on The Love Dare by Stephen Kendrick

Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD.
Song of Solomon 8:6 – English Standard Version (ESV)

An unhealthy jealousy is sparked when someone else upstages you and gets something you want.

How many things, ideas and people do I find myself jealous of? This is a pretty big thought to ponder and even bigger is “what has it cost me?”

*based on The Love Dare by Stephen Kendrick

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:7 – English Standard Version (ESV)

Everyone fails and has areas that need growth. Everyone has unresolved issues, hurts, and personal baggage. This is a sad aspect of being human. Love chooses to focus on the good qualities.

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to think of anything nice when you’ve spent time pondering the negative? Or, conversely, ever notice how hard it is to see the bad when things are looking so good? There’s an important lesson here for me.

*based on The Love Dare by Stephen Kendrick

Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
Proverbs 16:32 – English Standard Version (ESV)

Strategically allow time in your weekly schedule to recharge, refocus and add breathing room so that the stresses of life which come at us from every direction will not be our undoing.

*based on The Love Dare by Stephen Kendrick