A child's heart- What means most?

The other day I was talking with my Dad, and then I asked him "Dad, do you know what my greatest childhood memory is?". Not to my surprise, he said "No, what is it?" I told him it was the memory of riding with him in the truck to collect his paycheck. He was completely shocked. He asked "How? Why would it be that? Didn't you like the other things we did like going to the lake, baseball, etc.?" I simply replied "It's just the one that meant the most to me". That did get me thinking though..Do we really understand what our children are seeking from us? They want something money cannot buy, and that is our TIME. It's a relationship that demands contributed time and energy. If you are forsaking time with your children to buy them more "things" maybe there is a better way.

Turning daily phrases into Love notes

Men, consider the difference in the following: 
1)"That dress is beautiful" vs. "Wow, YOU make that dress look beautiful"
2)"Are you having a good day?" vs. "Tell me about your day"
3)"Do you need anything at the store" vs. "What can I get you while I'm at the store"

One says we're meeting the minimum, but the other says we really care. Make a difference in the way your wife feels daily with only a few word changes. I encourage you to find all of those casual phrases and turn them into uplifting love notes that show you care.

The job no man wants that women line up to volunteer for

If you were looking for a new career and saw the following post, would you click on it to express interest?

JOB OPENING: No pay, 7 day work week, no vacation, little support, no recognition, no advancement opportunity, strenuous, multi-tasking is a must, no benefits, must be able to lift 25+ lbs continuously, many nights required, on call 24/7, counseling experience a plus. Must have patience and be willing to sacrifice your personal time when needed. Overtime is a requirement with no pay.

Does this sound like an interesting job? Well, I would run from it; but my wife does it with a smile. Men, thank your wives and mothers because they perform jobs we cannot. Ladies, may the Lord bless you and give you the strength daily to perform a job no man would ever apply for. I know I left much out, but truly the list of duties for a wife and mother are endless.

You don't have to like your spouse to love your spouse

If you read the title to this you probably got a little curious or skeptical. However, in a marriage there are countless times we may not like our spouse. Sure, we all want to live in the fantasy of singing birds and everlasting happiness. But in the real world, we have arguments, disagreements, grievances, and any other word you want to use to describe tension between people. Do we honestly like our spouse all of the time? If you really think about it you'll probably find at least a few times you can answer "no" to that question.

Regardless of whether we like our spouse or not, the important thing is that we love them. Our Messiah set a clear example for us to follow demonstrating how we can love someone without liking them. He had many occasions where He was angry at the people and frustrated with His disciples. However, His frustration and/or anger never changed His love for the world The Father created. Whether your spouse is on the top of your list right now or barely hanging on from the bottom of the last thread LOVE THEM!!! Even if you're at the point where you're saying "I'll love em alright. I'll love my spouse with a kick in the rear". Just turn the "kick" into "kiss" and the "rear" into "ear" and you've completely changed your motive. Now, they might even be pleasantly shocked by a gentle or even not so gentle kiss on the ear. Emotions will fluctuate, feelings will change, frustrations will die down, but loving them is a choice you need to make and keep making it 900 times a day if you have to (and sometimes it actually takes that many :) ). I hope you will look past whatever you are going through and decide to love your spouse unconditionally today, and tomorrow, and every day after that. May you receive the strength you need to resist all temptations that will divide your marriage.