Touch

     Happy Valentine's Day from Ohio!  We made it across the country in one piece.  :-)  Thanks for your prayers.  Now, back on topic.  The first two Love Languages we talked about were quality time and gifts.  The third is touch.  This can be holding hands, rubbing someone's feet, letting your kiddo sit on your lap, lots of things.  If you have a spouse or kid who is always snuggling up next to you, then one of his or her main love languages may be touch.  This is another major one for my son.  The other day I told him he could sit on the floor or on the couch beside me to play a video game with his friend.  Where does he sit?  My lap.  :-)  Which did not surprise me at all.  And just reaffirms that one of his love languages is touch.
     If your spouse has this love language, or if you do, the touch does not have to be sexual at all.  It could just be holding hands at the mall or having them touch your back.  It is about touch conveying love.  I hope that this information is getting you interested in The Five Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman.  Are you beginning to see what your love language(s) might be?  What about the people that you care the most about?  Thanks for reading.  :-) 

Leaving on a Jet Plane

     We interrupt our regularly scheduled blog about the Love Languages to make an important announcement.  My kiddos and I are going to Ohio to visit my family for two weeks.  I am going to try to blog, but I don't know if I will every day.  Please pray for our travels there and back.  Also, pray that my kids can adjust to the time zone change.  And that we all get great family time.  :-)  Hopefully, tomorrow we will be back to the Love Languages.  Have a fabulous day everyone!!  Thanks for reading.  :-)

Gift Giving

     In review from yesterday, Dr. Gary Chapman wrote The Five Love Languages.  He describes how we can show each other that we love each other.  For more info, read yesterday's post.  :-)  Today we look at gift giving as a love language.  With gift giving, it is not the cost of the gift that matters.  What is important is that you thought of the person.  You saw something they liked and got it.  It can be tic-tacs.  It shows that you were thinking of them.  Surprise them with a card.  With a candy bar.  It really is not about how much you spent.  That is hard for me to wrap my head around, but I have had years to keep trying.  One of my husband's main love languages is gift giving.  This was hard for me at first.  I (still sometimes) get stuck on the idea that the higher the price, the higher the amount of love shown.  Which then, makes it so I didn't buy things as often.  Really, it is better for me to get lots of inexpensive things and surprise him often.  I am learning.  :-)   
      Another problem with me and gifts.  Sometimes, my husband would give me a gift and I wouldn't respond well.  My negative response, really hurt him.  It hurt him more because gifts is one of his love languages.  I didn't know this information at the time, or I would have responded differently.  So, remember, whatever some one's main love language is, not responding to that well to that will really hurt them.  Be careful how you respond.  Apologize to someone if you have reacted badly.  I had to.  :-/  Keeping loving well.  Thanks for reading.  :-)

Love Languages

     Today at MOPS we talked about love languages.  Dr. Gary Chapman wrote The Five Love Languages.  The idea is that we all have a "love tank."  When we feel loved, our tank fills up; when we don't, it gets empty.  Different people feel love in ways.  We all know there are multiple, multiple languages that people speak all over the world.  There can be miscommunication if someone who is speaking English is trying to talk with someone who only speaks Japanese.  In the same way, just because you feel loved when someone gives you a gift, doesn't mean that those around you feel as loved when they get a gift.  Miscommunication can occur when two people speak different love languages.  By learning what your love language is and what the love languages of your spouse, children, and loved ones are, you can help one another to feel loved.
     So, for the next few days, we are going to look at the different love languages.  There are five: quality time, words of affirmation, physical touch, gifts, and acts of service.  Each language has different dialects, so even if two people have the same language, they could speak it a little differently.  Like how Americans and Australians both speak English, but it can sound very different.  Today's language is quality time.  One way that quality time as a love language can be expressed is that someone would want a person to be around them- to be close.  They may not have to be doing the same activity, just be together. 
     Another way that quality time can be conveyed is that you may want to be engaged in quality conversation.  One person wants the other to actively listen and talk about feelings they have about situations in life.  This situation is about connecting and talking and understanding each other.  It is not about trying to fix whatever the problems might be.
     Thirdly, it could be that a person wants to do a quality activity together.  Maybe a puzzle or a game.  A person wants all of the attention when the activity is taking place.  This is not a time to multi-task.  Just DO the activity.  Don't try to watch TV and do the puzzle.  Just do the puzzle together.  It is a time to share an experience and to connect with one another. 
     Quality time is my main love language, so I like this one.  :-)  You would think that would mean it is super easy for me to speak.  And it is often times.  However, it is also one of my son's main one's too.  Sometimes though, I still don't get it right.  I sit at the computer as he asks me to play with him.  In the last few months, I have been trying really hard to actually making sure that I am filling his love tank.  I am getting better, not perfect, but better.  I want him to know that he is loved.
     As you read through the last few paragraphs, did you find yourself relating to any of them?  Do you think quality time might be your love language?  Or your spouses?  Or your kids?  Take some time and think about it.  Join me tomorrow for more on Love Languages.  Thanks for reading.  :-)

The Long Haul

     Sometimes I don't want to have to wait for things.  I want to see results right now.  With losing weight, saving money, or running, I don't get to see immediate results most of the time.  I want to be able to run as fast as I want to right now.  I want to be at my goal weight now.  I want to have our emergency fund saved already.  I like to check things off lists.  I have been feeling like I can't check these long term things off.  I know, I know.  Babysteps.  Reward yourself along the way.  I know all the right things to say.  But, sometimes I just want to see the results right now.  That's how it is, right?  Sometimes we need the people around us to tell us it is ok that we don't get to check things off.  That babysteps are really worth it.  I am thankful that I have those people in my life.
     But really, when I think about it.  Most things that are really valuable to us are things that we are in for the long haul.  Things that we can't easily cross off of a list.  Love my husband.  Build my marriage.  Love my kids.  Teach my kids.  Love my family and friends.  Build relationship.  Wouldn't it be weird if we checked those off the list and moved on?  We can't.  Everyday we continue to work on the things that are important to us.  So, when I need a pep talk about being healthy or saving money, I can remind myself of all of the things in life that I will never really "check off" but love doing every day anyway.  Thanks for reading.  :-)

Baking

     I love to bake.  Anytime I get a chance to bake for something, I do.  Today, I baked a lot of cookies!  Tomorrow is the cookie sale at my church.  All of the money raised goes to the women's retreat.  Baking the fifteen dozen or a little more cookies was so much fun.  It was a great day to relax with my family and have fun.  And I got to do a hobby that I enjoy.  :-)  Make sure to take time to do the hobbies that help relax you.  Thanks for reading.  :-)

Play

     I have recently decided I want to play more.  I have played board games with my husband, lots of stuff with the kids and then things with friends.  But, I really do want my life to have more play.  I have been trying to play more board games with the kiddos.  More coloring.  More video games with my son.  More board games with my honey.  Sometimes, when life is going crazy, it can seem like coloring with my baby girl is a waste of time.  Or that I can't stop for a few moments and ACTIVELY BE with my family.  I want my family to remember that I played.  I want my family to remember that they were more important to me than the laundry or the dishes or a meeting I needed to get ready for. 
     It's hard for me sometimes, because I want those tasks to get done.  But, I need to remind myself that I will get stuff done, but it doesn't necessarily need to get done right this moment, some things maybe, but not most.  Playing is important too.  When my son wants to play video games, it is not a waste of time.  That is speaking love to my wonderful son.  When my baby girl wants to color. I am telling her I love her.  Playing a game with my husband shows him that he is loved.  These are things that are important.  I want to make sure they are a priority.  How can you play today?  Thanks for reading.  :-)