Day One

So today is the first day of the 30 day Husband Encouragement Challenge for Wives that I have so eagerly joined with my sisters in Christ from Crosswalk. I can't say that I'll have time everyday to update but I'm going to try to as often as I possibly can...so here's what the challenge says for today:

"The heart of her husband safely trust her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life." Proverbs 31:11-12

To refresh your memory...here's the 30-Day Encouragement Challenge...for the next 30 days:
*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 have to admit that reading this first day made me feel pretty good...simply because I already do tell my husband pretty frequently that I appreciate him choosing me. The exact phrase I say to him almost daily is: 'Thanks for picking me'. I also telling him pretty often that I am glad that I'm his wife and that I'm proud to be his wife. Both of which are very true! I am one lucky girl in my opinion!

Despite the fact that I do today's 'assignment' already just naturally...I decided to make sure that I did it with a little extra emphasis this morning. So using one of the many various note cards I've printed up on the computer to use to leave him little love notes from time to time, I made him a handwritten thank you note for choosing me over all the other women in the world. Since I will likely be gone from home when he actually gets up today, I put it on his computer for him to find. I also put a few other 'touches' on the morning. I couldn't sleep so I just started the day early...I (quietly) got the housecleaning done (except for vacuuming which I can't think of a way to do quietly...lol) so he could get up to a clean and fresh smelling home. I went ahead to the grocery store about 3:00 AM and while I was there I picked up some doughnuts (one of the things he likes on Saturday mornings) and I put coffee on the timer to brew about the time he usually wakes up on weekends. So even though I'll probably be at my hair appointment, when he gets up he will have no doubt that he was on my mind this morning!

Something else that I've decided to do while participating in this challenge is to re-read some of the books I have picked up over the years that related to building and growing marriage. All of them I took something away from at the time...but many of which I read years ago, so I've forgotten some of the 'finer points' of their messages. Also, I hope that I've grown in my relationship with Christ since originally reading them and that can only help me to take even more from the message of honoring my husband. The first one I've chosen to read is "Romancing Your Husband" by Debra White Smith...I'm a few chapters into it already this morning and have found it to be inspiring. I can't wait to see just how I can build my husband up through this challenge...I'm truly excited!