Friday, May 11, 2007

What's your Love Language?

Dr. Gary Chapman addresses a very important subject in his book "The 5 Love Languages." He explains them as specific ways that you need love communicated to you in order for you to feel loved by another person. That's my paraphrase, by the way. Here's the list:

Words of Affirmation
Quality Time
Receiving Gifts
Acts of Service
Physical Touch

I mention these because I am discovering what my 3 year old son's love language is. I think it is Quality Time. And we had some really good Quality Time today. We did some gardening together, went to the chiropractor together, got a pizza for dinner together, watched Daddy work in the garage together, got a screw started in a piece of wood together... he really likes to do things TOGETHER with me. It makes him feel loved and secure. And because I love Jesus, I want to make sure that my sweet boy knows that I love HIM, too. I think it makes BOTH of them happy.

Monday, May 7, 2007

Can I be thankful for illness?

My head feels fuzzy, my sinuses are full to overflowing, and I can't lose this cough no matter HOW many medications I take. You would think I have every reason to want to be cranky, irritable and a hermit! But God has been working on me.... I don't me He's a medication, and He's doing what He's supposed to do. By that I also don't mean that I have called on Him and He is being effective for the purpose I called Him. God has been working on me, in that I am starting to see things more through His eyes. I have noticed myself being more gentle with my family, more selfless, more loving, etc. God is working on me by chiseling off the bad parts so that the good parts of me can show through. God has been softening the hard parts of me and smoothing out the rough parts. He is helping me to see that yes, even this cold is part of his plan, not that He wanted it to happen, but that He PLANNED IT TO HAPPEN, so that His glory could be revealed. I don't know if I can be thankful FOR this illness, but I can be thankful THROUGH this illness, knowing that GOD is holding me in His hand and that nothing is too big for His plan.