Love Dare Day 21: April 9, 2020
What is Day 21 about:
This chapter begins by making a bold statement that Day 20 was the most important day of The Love Dare, so if you missed it, go back, but if not, let’s talk about routine.
What do I think about the material:
We talked yesterday about how we are not capable of loving our spouse unconditionally without tapping into the true source of that love. A friend asked me that if I thought love in general came from God, even if that person isn’t saved.
It is my strong belief that everything on earth was created by God and we chose what to do with his creation. We can use love for good, just as well as using it for evil. We can use this powerful emotion to take care of others or manipulate them into us leading them to their own demise.
Sound a little harsh? Well, the truth of the matter is that God’s love is incredibly powerful and not something we should take lightly. So how do we know if we are using his love wrong?
This chapter basically deals with this situation. The first point he makes is that we often look at love from our mate as the source of our satisfaction each day. And to be frank, that’s simply not fair. Your significant other is a flawed human being, so don’t you think they deserve some grace and not be the soul source of your need for love?
The good news is that we have access to the source and the best way to fully understand His power is to get into a routine to drink from the well daily. Okay, that is enough metaphors. Get into a routine to read the Bible every day.
Before I get into my morning routine, please relax for a moment. I have made the mistake many times over to stress out over this and commit to audacious plans to make sure I read the Bible each day. Only when I learned to first swallow my chill pill was I successful.
My task and how did I perform the task:
Like I said before, my morning routine has been a point of contention for many years in my life. It is actually now an ongoing joke that I only set alarms on my phone so I can snooze them later, thanks Jess.
The biggest thing that brought me change to my routine was a book called The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson. This post is not about that book so I will quickly summarize. The book is about the mindset of changing your belief and make small incremental changes to create massive movements.
I took this principle and ran with it. I also listened to a podcast or two out there to help me establish a morning routine. The Ed Mylett Show is a good one, but I warn you, he is one passionate guy!
So here is my morning routine:
- Wake up at 5:00 am. (To get there, I took my old wake up time and reduced it by 15 minutes each week until I was happy with my new time)
- Get dressed. I don’t shower, shave or even put on deodorant. Even if I plan to change later, I get dressed.
- Drink 12 oz of water. I have heard this a million times, but never believed its incredible affect it has on your body.
- Do something cold for 10 minutes. For me, I go for a walk down my long driveway and talk to God at the same time.
- Morning pages. I want to say so much about this, but not now. If you are curious, check out The Artists Way by Julia Cameron.
- Read my Bible. This is where I have gone off the rails in the past. There is so much to digest that deciding wha to do can be overwhelming. I currently am reading Luke. I read one situation at a time. Sometimes that is a chapter and sometimes it is 1 to 2 versus. I read and digest the situation and that is all. I leave it up to God to let it speak to my heart.
- Feed my soul. This is a self-help read. Obviously I am currently reading The Love Dare, but if you want recommendations, let me know. My shelves are full of good ones.
- I blog. This one I think is specific to me because I am a writer. But it allows me to tap into my creativity before the workday begins.
After this I work. If I do things right, I have this done before the kids are up for the day. If I don’t complete my morning routine, I can feel it as the stress of the day builds.
One last note. I do everything in my power not to look at my phone. To be completely honest, this is still a huge struggle in my routine.
Jessica’s reaction:
Jess has her own routine that she has been working on for quite some time. She has been way more successful than I. I hope that having my own routine has encouraged her to stay the course with hers.
Have you ever wanted to be a copywriter or looking for a side-hustle? Check out Nicki’s page. She got me started down this amazing journey.
Satisfaction in the bedroom is one of the most important components of a happy life. If you’re feeling stuck or looking for the next adventure. Check out Jessica B. and her lotions, potions and things that go buzz in the night!
Curious what I do on my free time when I am not writing?
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