Day one and two

I am NOT sure why--but parts of this post showed up in red and some in black/purplish--there is no reason for it to be like that--nor does it have any special meaning--so sorry!
AND--I have learned that it is much easier to type your blog in another word program and then paste it on here--Also these posts are kind of long, but they are also doubling as my journal (I keep all the really good stuff in another handwritten journal--sorry) :)---now on to the real post.

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The first thing I have learned while doing this life dare is...

that when Lucas is home it helps me accomplish one part, but hinders the other parts.

Of course the marriage part is much easier to accomplish when he is around, but the housekeeping part is a little harder. I am not sure why when Lucas is home I am less motivated to do the housework. strange.


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Anyway--here is just a few notes I have from day one first

Day One

From the whole Love Dare section--this is the part I highlighted...so if it doesn't seem to flow easlily, it is because I stole bits and pieces through out the whole thing.

Love Dare:We are born with a lifelong thirst for love. Our hearts desperately need it like our lungs need oxygen. Love is built on two pillars that best define what it is. Those pillars are patience and kindness. When you choose to be patient, you respond in a positive way to a negative situation. You are slow to anger. Rather than being restless and demanding, love helps you settle down. Anger almost never makes things better. In fact, it usually generates additional problems. But patience stops problems in their tracks. It is a choice to control your emotions rather than allowing your emotions to control you, Patience is where love meets wisdom Patience helps you give your spouse permission to be human. It understands that everyone fails. Few of us do patience very well, and none of us do it naturally.
For the next day, resolve to demonstrate
patience and to say nothing negative
to your spouse at all. If the temptation
arises, choose not to say anything.


Personal Dare
Get up ontime and Shower--get all the way ready for the day first thing.

Spiritual Dare
Pray both morning and night

House (This is from Flylady)
Shine your sink.

Well first day---

I didn't shower--mock me if you want, but I don't shower daily--I shower about 4 times a week, and one of those times is on Sunday morning (or Saturday night), so I didn't feel the need Monday to shower (if I did something that got me dirty enough to shower daily I would). So I didn't shower and I didn't do anything special with my hair or make-up so I feel like I kind of failed at this one-

Spiritual
I did pray both morning and night and even a little though out the day, but not the on my knees type of prayer I desired--so I will keep working on it.

House
I did get most of the dishes done and the kitchen a little cleaned up--which to me is better than shining my sink.

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Day Two

Love Dare
(again--this is just the parts I highlighted! Let me tell you this was something I needed to hear!)
Kindness is love in action. kindness is how love acts to maximize a positive circumstance.
Patience avoids a problem; kindness creates a blessing. One is preventive, the other proactive.

Even if you need to say hard things, you’ll bend over backwards to make your rebuke or challenge as easy to hear as possible. You speak the truth in love.

Being kind means you meet the needs of the moment. If it’s housework, you get busy. A listening ear? You give it. Kindness graces a wife with the ability to serve her husband without worrying about her rights. Kindness makes a husband curious to discover what his wife needs, then motivates him to be the one who steps up and ensures those needs are met—even if his are put on hold.

Rather than complaining and making excuses, you look for reasons to compromise and accommodate.

Initiative. Kindness thinks ahead, then takes the first step. It doesn’t sit around waiting to be prompted or coerced before getting off the couch. The kind husband or wife will be the one who greets first, smiles first, serves first, and forgives first. They don’t require the other to get his or her act together before showing love. When acting from kindness, you see the need, then make your move. First.

Do you wait to be asked, or do you take the initiative to help? Don’t wait for your spouse to be kind first.

It is difficult to demonstrate love when you feel little to no motivation. But love in its truest sense is not based on feelings. Rather, love determines to show thoughtful actions even when there seems to be no reward. You will never learn to love until you learn to demonstrate kindness.

Personal

Floss and brush teeth REALLY well--

Spiritual

Pray and Read scriptures for at least 10 minutes

House

FLy Lady again---But she is just helping my goal from yesterday

Get Dressed---down to your shoes.

Self Evaluation

Love Dare---I did ok on this, I think I could have done better, but I can always keep trying. I hope this one gets easier.

Personal---Done

Spiritual--Didn't read scriptures this morning (but I did make Lucas breakfast--my excuse, but not a good one--I had time to do both--so I will quit lying to myself. I am reading scriptures as soon as I am done here.

Home---didn't do so well---Girls didn't have school this morning so I slept in--but then I did get dressed, but that hair and make-up thing is hard for me! Gotta keep working on it!

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The first two days were not successful--I can make a list of reasons why, but they are all excuses (ok, here are some of them--Lucas was home for two nights, and I am not normally that lucky to have him home two nights in a row, the girls had a snow day, Sedona had a doctors appointment yesterday, it has been colder these last few days than all of winter so far, Sedona is sick, I have an infected finger, I watched my nieces and nephew today, I have gone to Alamosa way more than normal this week, and papers dealing with getting our taxes together are still everywhere--we are self employeed so it isn't like we take a W2 form in and we are done--we have to know each month what we spent and where we spent it --have it documented with recipes and bank statements and all that joy!) Fine it is out of my system--tomorrow is a no excuse day.

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By the end of the first week (actually 10 days)---I will have build on the love dare each day--trying to keep building on the lesson the day before--

House, personal, and spiritual--They will have somethings that will last all 40 days--such as getting up at a normal time and getting dressed, keeping up with my kitchen daily, and praying and reading scriptures daily--that sort of thing.

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So I have been thinking---I wonder if it would help me the next day by reading a day ahead, or if I should keep doing what I am doing and read it first thing in the morning? I am not sure, this week I think I will read in the morning and next week change to the night before and see which one works better.
Anyway--it is almost bedtime so have a lovely night!