Roses & Thorns:

Jon:

• Rose – Angie baked a bunch of delicious cookies for me which I really enjoyed.
• Thorn – Being grumpy which lead to an unnecessary argument.

Angie:

• Rose – Figuring out how to work my electronic otoscope.
• Thorn – Learning we only had one semi-mature follicle when I had been hoping for more.

Weekly Discussion Topic/Question:  How do we want to grow as a couple and what practical steps will we take to make those things happen?

Jon and Angie:  We want to spend more “quality” time together, in this case giving each other our undivided attention.  We decided during our Friday night date nights that we will be putting our phones away so that we do not get distracted and really get a chance to connect with each other.

Devotional/Book Reading: Following the Clues taken from Gary Chapman’s The One Year Love Language Minute Devotional

I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other.  Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.  Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. – John 13:34 – 35

Synopsis: This reading explains that what your spouse most often requests from you is usually a clue to what love language they speak.  While God’s love for us is infallible, we are not infallible human beings.  However, we can work to love our spouse in a better way by expressing love to them in their love language.

Our takeaway:  We again went over our love languages, mine being acts of service and Jon’s being words of affirmation.  Jon put it simply, for you (Angie) it is actions and I offered, for you (Jon) it’s affirmations.  This past week we have tried to speak each other’s love language.  Jon did many acts of service, I affirmed him with words and while we both do these regularly, making the effort and knowing that we each were doing so made a tremendous difference.

The key to showing your spouse love, is speaking their language. Learn it, master it and you will have a full and content marriage.

Please share your rose and thorn for the week, along with the things you hope to happen in your life this year.  If you have an opinion on the Five Love Languages, or know your own we would love to hear that too!