She gave Mommy a tube of light pink lotion with a dark pink rose on it. She can’t read the label, but it’s pretty and smells good and it’s something a mother should have. So it’s just what a little girl should give to her mommy for Christmas.
Then she held the flat package up to Daddy, paper and ribbon all in place. And he smiled to find two new “screwdribers.” She gave them because they’re shiny and useful and just what a dad would need. And so he should have them …

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There was much she might have pondered-
The unplanned pregnancy and the pain it brought;
Or how the words turned to whispers which turned everyone away;
There was the near-divorce and the tiring third-trimester trip;
The wish for a clean room that led to a barn floor;
And then there was the firstborn her family would never celebrate.
 
Nothing seemed to be right.
 
But what was it that she treasured?
That He is mindful-even of her;
That He performs mighty deeds-with his own arm;
That He remembers His mercy to …

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Deadline presses hard, hard against my mind and thoughts. And so my fingers press harder; harder against the keyboard. Striking words, pushing thoughts, from the inside to the out. 
Minutes pass, and hours; the pendulum sways them all away. We pass into the new day together.
Until a small voice cries; grows insistent. It rouses me from the silence of myself. I am no longer alone. And I remember now: I never was.
For a moment, the pendulum stops swinging. Gives me a chance to weigh which deadline cries the louder, then presses on.
I stand, decision made, and push …

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Welcome, friends! If you’ve come over from (In)Courage, thanks for visiting. Feel free to send me any questions or thoughts at janine@janinepetry.com, or leave a comment here. If you’ve dropped by today and you haven’t visited (In)Courage, please follow me over there to read some encouraging words from an island girl on hope, titled “The Dock.” See you there!

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Thoughtlessness is a silent enemy to a loving relationship….Great marriages come from great thinking (Love Dare, Day 4).
Sometimes it’s my thinking that gets in the way. Okay, a lot of times. I over think, I think wrongly, I think instead.
But how many more times has not thinking at all led to regretful consequences in my relationships? More times that I’d care to confront.
Today, the Dare started with these words: “Love thinks. It’s not a mindless feeling that rides on waves of emotion …

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“Yes.”
I start with the answer.
“Yes, Lord.”
Every morning, it’s becoming a habit. Before the questions are presented, before they arise in the happenings of the day and in the needs of my children and husband and those around me, I get the answer in order. (See What Happens When Women Say Yes to God.)
“Yes, Lord.”
If the Lord asks it of me, there is only one answer. And I know He’s asking when it requires me to lay down my life to offer love in …

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Like a child might stand on daddy’s feet just to have the dance, so his tiny fingers rested on mine, that they might play the song too.
My hands move this way, over many notes, picking out the ones that fit and work and always have. His little hands move this way too.
My hands move back that way, following the tune there and keeping it, a lifelong friend. His hands, limp, move that way too.
Back and forth, the dance continues. Listening eyes and rested fingers, effortlessly playing the song of many years.
From the eyes of a …

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Love changes our motivation for living. Relationships become meaningful with it. No marriage is successful without it. (The Love Dare, p. 1)
Love changes our motivations, adds meaning, brings success.
This morning it dawned on me that it’s hard to split apart my two marriages—my relationship with Christ, the heavenly union; and the picture of it that I live out day by day on the dirt of this earth. 
But then the Truth sets me free to think rightly where the confusion wants to …

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Don’t follow your heart; your heart can be deceived. You’ve got to lead your heart.  –Fireproof
[Leading your heart] is a key to lasting, fulfilling relationships. —The Love Dare
 This is how to adventure begins. It’s not about waiting on the heart to feel all warm and fuzzy—toward our spouse or others. It’s not a simple, tame undertaking to reignite our wants and wishes and enhance our date nights with an extra little spark.
This is a challenge to lead the heart on a journey—a risky, …

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Starting tomorrow, 7 gal-friends and I are going to be taking the Dare.
The Love Dare, to be exact.
It might be risky, but we’re going to start turning some new pages in our hearts and minds—and prayerfully, in our marriages too. The days we’ve spent waiting to begin are like the slow hike to the top of the roller coaster. But we’re almost there!
While I’m genuinely praying for God to do mighty acts in our marriages, I’m not sure that will be the most thrilling …

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