Tags
devotion, faithfulness, husband, kindness, love, marriage, thought of day
What have I done for my spouse today?
What have I done to help make his life easier, more meaningful, happier?
How have I supported him/her? Have I prayed for him/her? Have I spoken an encouraging word? Have I hugged him/her? Given an encouraging pat? A gentle kiss? An eye-lock with the message of my devotion and even yearning?
In what way have I helped him/her on this journey of life and eased the natural burdens of it?
Does he/she know I love him/her?
How?
If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury. It does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1Corinthians 13: 1-7
My grandfather was very devoted to my grandmother. Whenever we gathered at their home for a holiday meal, everyone crowded around the table and then Grandpa Kloska said grace. Then, with Grandma (who had worked very hard in the kitchen preparing the large Polish meal) sitting down, he promptly served her FIRST. This made an impression on me. Amidst many guests, Grandpa put Grandma first. I hope to set a similar example to my children and always put my husband first, as my spouse and greatest helpmate.
Click here to read about your influence on the man you love.
This is so beautiful!
Thank you- Every marriage can be beautiful with just a little bit of nurturing and a lot of love
I love hearing about your grandpa’s manners!
He sure did it right.
Don’t you just love watching in love old people? They are more fun to watch than in love young people 
I totally agree! I saw a couple wandering out of a store recently, probably in their 80s, and the man grabbed his wife close, wrapping his arm around her and they mosied out hip to hip
!
Oh! {{{hands clutched to chest}}} how SWEET! love it!
Theresa, this is so beautiful, thank you for your words of wisdom..
Do you have anything good on marital discernment? What is your story with your husband (if you don’t mind me asking!)
Thanks and God bless.
Hi Christi,
Thanks for your kind words!
Re: marriage discernment- Well, here’s what I think-
-PRAY for your future spouse. Begin now. We could all use a few prayers, no? And who is more deserving of your request to God for blessings than the man you will marry some day? I have been praying for my children’s future spouses since the day they were born!
-BE the kind of person you want in a spouse. Be kind, good, faith-filled,upbeat, positive, a hard worker, interested and engaged in life.
-Jot down the qualities you absolutely want in a spouse and remind yourself of these when you consider dating someone- I don’t mean meaningless things like “romantic brown eyes”
You could pass up lots of fantastic husband material when you limit yourself there. What I mean is virtues or traits. You want someone who is going to respect you, have similar religious beliefs (or you’ll be in for a rough go when the kids start coming), someone who is a hard worker, has the propensity to make a lifetime commitment; someone who is reliable, fun, can see the bright side in things, isn’t addicted to something (be it drugs, pornography, alcohol, or even anger…) You are not looking for a PERFECT person (none of us is that!) but an emotionally healthy person who can take on the serious responsibilities and challenges that married life in the 21st century demands. There will be unexpected trials and struggles as you live life (big things like death and illness do not escape anyone) and little things like dealing with bad days, the daily grind, and in-between things like neighbors or in-laws who stir up trouble, career decisions, home decisions, etc. You want to be the best possible helpmate to your spouse and he to you- but you also want to have FUN because marriage to the right person can not only enhance YOUR life but those around you as your love naturally spills out to others you meet- your eventual children of course, but also neighbors, co-workers, extended family, friends. Your spouse can be a channel of grace for you and you for him; he can even ‘sandpaper’ your ‘rough’ edges and help you be a better person.
So, those are the kinds of qualities you want- and don’t you think that a quality guy will want that in you too? He will want someone who is appreciative of his efforts, who admires his masculinity and strength – of body and character, and who is positive and encourages him to dream big dreams and be his best! (as you should be doing too!) Developing a grateful heart is good preparation to being a wife.
See beauty in little things. Do good. Look for Truth. Appreciate the truly Beautiful things in life (see my “Bad Day” post on May 9 for people who have seemed to really get that down! 
Try to be at least somewhat organized- there is beauty in order. (and it comes in very handy when you set up house and especially when the children come along- You’ll have to practice what you preach and all that) None of us is perfect but we should all strive to be our best possible selves. This always attracts quality people.
My story with my husband? Oh, I love telling it! He was my very first date ever- His dad was golf pro at the country club to which my parents belonged at the time. He was an outstanding amateur golfer (and quarterback on the high school football team- side note- I wasn’t the least bit knowledgeable or interested in that at the time- lol) and he helped his dad give golf lessons, which I took. He is several years older than me and I have no older brothers (boys were a mystery to me at the time) so I was intimidated by him. He asked my dad if he could take me out and he didn’t know it but I was only 15 at the time. My dad said when I was 16 he could ask. So he did. We went to the 4H County Fair. We dated on and off for the next couple years- I was young and he went on to college at the state school- I went to a small private all women’s college. We realized we were right for eachother one summer after a date to the movies (ET of all movies…. LOL) and he kissed me over a pizza box. By that time, we knew eachother’s families really well and had talked about just about everything under the sun. We knew our worldview was the same- that we wanted the same things in life- that family was important to us, as was our faith, and we wanted a traditional marriage where Dad goes to work and Mom stays home with the kids when babies would arrive. He made me laugh, had (and still has) a great positive outlook, and a silly side that was a good compliment to my naturally serious nature. Plus, he was soooo handsome and charming
I remember being in church and praying that things would work out after we hit a couple rough spots during the college years, and he shared with me years later that he was praying for the exact same thing at the exact same time- even in the same church! lol
We married shortly after he graduated from law school. It was the best decision I ever made.
We still like to sneak out and golf together when we can, although it’s been tricky to do so while raising 9 kids-