Posts Tagged ‘child in us’

Child in Us: Dream

Friday, April 30th, 2010

Remember when you were younger and people would ask you what you wanted to be when you got older? I remember when I was really little wanting to be a veterinarian, then it was a marine biologist, then a professional soccer player, and I think super model was in there at some point too. Obviously, at least half of those were completely unrealistic, but I didn’t care when I was little. The point is that there were no limits to what we thought we could be. We based it off of desire and a dream that wasn’t limited by what others told us we were capable of or not capable of. We dared to dream big for the best.

As we get older, we start limiting ourselves. We stop dreaming and start settling for anything. Suddenly it’s as if life has nothing to do with enjoying it but rather surviving it, which is not a way to live. Life is not a mere sprint to a dead end; it’s an adventure with memories, laughter, achievements, and joy peppered in along the way. Why is it that as we get older we stop dreaming? We stop dreaming for ourselves and stop dreaming for our marriage. We don’t need to stop dreaming, and in fact, we need to start dreaming again to put a little fun and adventure back into our life.

I remember hearing the quote by Les Brown ”Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss you will land among the stars.” Dreaming is a way to strive for something and put a little adventure as well as planning into your life. Marriage is no exception. Taking time to dream together is one of the joys of marriage. Dream big for your marriage and life together. What do you hope will happen? Where do you want to go? What are your goals? How do you see your life in 5, 10, 15, 20 years? I know for me, I dream of being madly in love for our entire lives and making people wonder how we look at each other like it’s the first time we were in love every time. We dream of a nice, comfortable home that’s cozy and filled with memories and laughter. We dream of traveling to fun places and exploring together. It’s so fun to dream. You laugh at them, talk about previous dreams that fell apart, and you get excited at the prospect of your future together. Dreaming for your marriage is like adding a little spice to the recipe of life. I would highly recommend trying it :)

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Child in Us: Play & Fun

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

One of the things I think definitely gets lost in the process of growing up is the concept of having fun and playing. It is challenging when you have the weight of caring for a family, holding down a job, maintaining finances, and all of the other responsibilities we tackle as adults. The best way to combat stress though as well as keep things fresh, fun, and growing in your life & marriage is to let out that child in you in order to have some fun and play.

When I think of playing, my first thought is of children. As adults though, we need to play too and remember to enjoy life with a little childish vigor. Sure we may not enjoy playing with Barbies and trucks anymore, but we can adapt our ways of playing to fit being an adult. Maybe you and your spouse love sports; you could join a city league of your choice of sport, play some mini-golf, get some beach volleyball going with some friends, etc. Maybe you and your spouse enjoy games; dust off some Uno or a deck of cards, play some Wii together, go to your local arcade or Boomers, or grab some friends for a board game night. You could check out your local amusement park, go horseback riding, go paint-balling, rollerblading, biking, to the beach, camping, or hiking through the woods. There are tons of fun things to do out there that cultivate laughter and joy in life.

The point is that playing means fun which usually means laughter, memories, and joy. Those things combat the stresses and problems of life. We have all heard the saying “Laughter is the best medicine.” Or there is a verse in Proverbs 17:22 that says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” There are so many verses throughout the Bible that talk about how powerful joy is. Life is chaotic, stressful, painful, and we just need to take a step back sometimes to remember the child in us. Let that child out to play and have fun to cultivate joy and laughter bringing medicine to your life and to your marriage.

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The Child in Us: Introduction

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

Sometimes when I think about it, it seems like forever since I was a kid. I watch my nieces and nephew growing up so quickly, and I have flashbacks of what it was like when I was their age. How quickly those years went by. It’s funny though how I can remember what it was like being a kid, and I realize that there is still a kid inside this adult facade. There are still basic, raw needs just like when being a kid. There is still that desire to have fun and be care free, to play and laugh, to just enjoy. While we all have to grow up, we shouldn’t forget to let the kid in us out sometimes, and that includes within the context of marriage.

No doubt marriage can be complicated and difficult. It can push us to our limits. At the same time, I think as adults we over complicate things. We have so many responsibilities in life, and sometimes we can’t see things entirely clearly or simply. That’s why this week, I want to talk about unlocking the child in us to put a little childlike pizazz and attitude into our marriage.

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