My 1st What I'm Loving Wednesday! + Challenge Day 4

Today I'm linking up with Jamie for "What I'm Loving Wednesday"!  I have soooo many things to be grateful for this week but here are just a few:

• I'm thankful for the new leather couch with chaise that the hubby and I picked out at American Signature Furniture! It should be coming in on the 28th of this month and I will definitely be posting pics!

•  I'm thankful for the Dry Shampoo I just got! I have never tried dry shampoo before but I decided to give it a shot because I was so tired of my hair looking flat and/or oily on the days in-between washing my hair.  I definitely recommend it and for only $7.99 it's worth every single penny! If you do decide to try it out, just make sure to only use it about twice a week and spray the roots ONLY or it could make your hair feel a little dry.

• I'm thankful that I will be a USF grad by the end of this year! Dec. 10th cannot come soon enough!

I'm thankful most of all for my loving, supportive, intelligent and dedicated husband!

Moving on to the 30-Day Encouraging Your Husband Challenge that I have been doing, I am a complete slacker! I stink at keeping up with challenges because after about the 3rd day I either get bored, decide it's not for me, or forget all about it! In this case I have been thinking about the challenge non-stop but haven't been continuing with it because I'm still trying to accomplish the tasks from  Days 1-3! It's so hard to be a loving and understanding wife, but I thank God for His Grace and mercies that are new every day! So I'm going to attempt Day 4 (finally!) and you can join me! It is as follows:


Day Four:
"...let him labor, working with his hands what is good..." Eph. 4:28
We are all accountable for the things we say, both negative and positive words. Have you embraced the challenge to speak only positive things to your husband and to others about him? Here's a suggestion that touches the core of your husband's world. Some women take their husband's career for granted, and they show it in many ways. Do you "dump" on your husband at the end of the workday, or do you strengthen and encourage him with your words? A wise wife will make her husband feel that she values and appreciates his work. Let him know that you are glad he is a hard worker. Take opportunities to praise his diligence and resourcefulness to others. If your husband is out of work, unable to work, or refuses to work, you'll need to be more creative. Praise him for a character quality that you see in him that would be a vital part of a successful career - such as persistence, decisiveness, strength, an analytical mind, organizational skills, good with people, good listener, determination, etc.

After reading this I thought about a character quality I see in my husband that is truly outstanding and I realized that in moments of stress and trials in my life he is always great at finding ways to make me see the positive in the situation or will encourage me to the point that I feel so silly and ridiculous for even stressing over something so small compared to the big picture of our lives.  What is a quality about your husband  that you admire and cherish?

Hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday!

love always,

Follow @AshasAspects

Encouraging Your Husband - Day 3

Happy Friday!!


I couldn't be more thankful that Friday has arrived than I am today!  It seems like ever since I took on this Encouragement Challenge from Revive Our Hearts I have been put to the test in my marriage more than ever! Even the smallest situations that we would never concern ourselves about have been turning into mountains!  So if you have decided to join me on this 30-day challenge to become a more loving and supportive wife be warned - this is not for the weak! You will want to give up every single day along the way, but if you somehow manage to just get through it I know it will make a life-changing difference! So here we go again...
 
Day 3:
 "...love suffers long, and is kind..." 1 Cor. 13:4
"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:19
Love indeed suffers long and is kind. As you consider your Encouragement Challenge, determine today that you will not say anything negative to or about your husband. Speak kindly to him with words of genuine encouragement. If your husband is considerate of your needs, let him know that you have noticed. Thank
him for his kindness and consideration. Thank the Lord that your husband knows how to be both tough and tender. Sometimes it's difficult for a man to be gentle, kind or tender - especially if he hasn't had role models in these areas. If he's not a considerate person, appeal to him for help without complaining. Let him know that it's hard for you to handle some things alone. Then, when he moves in to help, don't insist that he do it your way. Be glad that he is responding, and express your gratitude. Ultimately, you can't expect your husband to make you feel more secure, loved, etc.
Remember that only God can meet the deepest needs of your heart.

 I wish you all the best in this challenge and am keeping your marriages in my prayers, hope you'll do the same for me :)

P.S. - Epcot pics coming soon (for real this time)! We had such a great time there and pictures are so wonderful because every time you look at them, it brings you right back into that moment when they were taken! Hope you all have wonderful weekends!!!

love always,

 

Follow @AshasAspects

Jiggle Challenge & Encouragement Day 2!

I have been bad. Reeeally bad! For 2 weeks I have not posted for the weight loss challenge, and I did that purposely! Why oh why would I do that, you ask? Because I gained back three of the four pounds that I lost when I was sick and did NOT want to put that out there.  But I have realized it's better to be held accountable so at least I stick with my goal instead of just giving up because I was out of control during Easter!  So here's my updated list of goals for the Jiggle Challenge hosted by Lindsey and Rachel:

• Run or do some form of cardio exercise 5x a week
• Do arms and abs workouts every other day of the week
• No food past 7pm (this is the hardest thing for me!)
• Keep a food journal

As of right now I don't have a weight goal for myself but I will be diligent in doing what I listed above and see what the outcome is in the next four weeks! Wish me luck!

Now moving on to my "30 Days of Encouragement" Challenge from Revive Our Hearts, here are the tasks to complete for Day 2 of loving and appreciating your husband more:

Day 2:
"...through love serve one another." Gal. 5:13b
How did you do yesterday with your first day of blessing and encouraging your husband? Was it easy? Was it hard to hold your tongue when you wanted to say something negative? We hope you're off to a good start. (If you blew it, don't give up - start again today!) There are so many practical things you can praise, if you look for them. Today, find some way that your husband is serving you or your family. Does he help around the house? Take care of the car? Fix things that are broken? If your budget allows, give him a new, small tool with a big bow attached. But make sure he doesn't think it's part of a "Honey Do" list!

Maybe your husband's not a handyman, but does he run errands for you? Let you go first? Take care of you when you are sick? Help you make decisions? Praise him for his willingness to serve others. Let him know that you see his unique service as a great strength.

In just two days this Challenge has opened my eyes to so many areas where my husband has shown love and dedication towards me but I overlooked them in the hard times.  I'm excited to what will come out of this challenge in the next 28 days and hope you will join me in this experience.

Have a terrific Thursday!!!


love always,

Follow @AshasAspects

30 Day Challenge - Encouraging Your Husband!

Happy Wednesday Everyone!


As every newlywed soon finds out, everything you thought marriage would be like couldn't be farther from how it actually is! Since Danny and I have been married one of the hardest things we (okay, mostly me) battle with is trying to find a balance between dealing with the pressures of life and being a loving, encouraging spouse.

I found this great 30-day Challenge from Revive Our Hearts that I will be doing starting TODAY on how to be a more encouraging wife. I know it takes 21 days to make (or break) a habit so I'm hoping that through this I will make the habit to be more loving and not just give up after the next 30 days!  If you want to join me on this month-long journey let me know by posting a comment :) So here is Day 1:

"The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does
him good and not evil all the days of her life." Prov. 31:11-12
Here are the rules for the 30-Day Encouragement Challenge:
* You can't say anything negative about your husband ...to your husband...or to anyone else, about your husband.
* Say something that you admire or appreciate about your husband...to your husband...and to someone else, about your husband!
To help you get started, have you ever thanked your husband for "choosing you" above all other women? He found you attractive as a person, and appreciated you. Though many circumstances in your marriage may have changed, let your husband know that you are glad God led you together, and that you want to be a blessing to him for the rest of your marriage. Let him know that he can trust you to be in his corner. One of the best opportunities to express your gratitude is first thing in the morning. How do you greet your husband each morning? Is he confident in your love? Give him a "wake up call" that he'll never forget-a big "I love you" and an "I'm so glad I'm your wife!"

I'll let you know my progress and look forward to hearing how everyone else does!

love always,

Follow @AshasAspects