Relationship Secret 1: "Know And Do The Basics Part 1

Relationship Secret 1: "Know And Do The Basics Part 2

Relationship Secret 1: "Know And Do The Basics Part 3

Relationship Secret 1: "Know And Do The Basics Part 4

HIDDEN TREASURE

Marriage is also like a field with HIDDEN TREASURE. 

Matthew 13:44: "Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field."

WHEN I BECAME A MAN

There comes a time when we stop acting like a boy and become men!

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT MY WIFE

I love how wonderful it feels when I hold her, the amorous fragrance of her perfume, her feminine hands and glances she gives me that seem to say, without words, "I love you." I especially love the way she looks in a romantic restaurant where the light, though it may be dim, seems to gently highlight all that is so irresistibly attractive about her. I love the way she looks in her high heels and yet there are so many other things I love about her. However, more than anything else I love the essence of who she is. I love Sharon. Yes I know I am a preacher, but I am also a man; a man who is in love with his wife. Is there anything wrong with that?

RELATIONSHIP SECRET2: SHE THINKS YOU KNOW

IDENTIFYING THE EVE FACTOR - Part2

IDENTIFYING THE EVE FACTOR - Part1

YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOSE YOUR MANHOOD

INTRODUCING THE EVE FACTOR

HEY GUYS HERE'S SECRET #2: SHE THINKS YOU KNOW

Have you ever experienced the following scenario? Your lady is upset with you, you don’t know why and when you ask her what is wrong she responds, “You know what’s wrong”? Well the truth is she really thinks you know what’s wrong. It’s not that she feels you can read her mind, but in some ways she feels that you should be in tuned with her enough to know what’s going on. Sometimes a woman’s thought process see something is so obvious that she assumes you see it too. I know you can’t read her mind, but that’s the way it sometimes is. We can wait and expect for her to start thinking like a man ( which may result in making the situation worse) or we can take the lead in the matter. Let her know that you are totally committed to making the relationship work, but because males and females sometimes communicate differently you are unable to do so without her help. Tell her, “I can see that there are things which occur within a relationship that are clearly discernable to you, however they are not that way from the male perspective. It has nothing to do with my love for you, it is just a difference in the male-female view of things.” From that point suggest to her that, “It is something that we can get better at if we are willing to take the time. It won’t happen overnight, but we will get better.” Remind her again that you truly don’t know what the problem is, but would like to know. After she tells you what it is, then proceed to make sure you understand what she is conveying to you by repeating it back to her. Repeat this until you have a clear understanding of what’s troubling the relationship. From that point the two you can begin to come up with a resolution. 

HEY GUYS HERE'S SECRET #1: KNOW AND DO THE BASICS

 If you know anything about an automobile, then you know that basic maintenance will cause it to last a long time giving you great enjoyment. Well the same thing applies to our relationships with the ladies in our lives. If you are like most of us guys you really want your relationship to work, but sometimes need a little help. I have been quite fortunate to have some older men in my life who took the time out to explain some things to me. One of the greatest lessons they’ve given me is “The Basics.” Let me put it to you like this. If your lady has ever said, “Why can’t you be more romantic?” or “You don’t show your love for me”, then learning the basics will show you how to handle it and a number of other issues.

Let’s get started by defining what “The Basics” are. The basics are ways you show her know that you care, appreciate, notice and are in tune with her. The basics are not dependent on special days (birthdays/holidays), special moments or events. They do not appear to be timed, rehearsed or calculated (in a negative/deceptive way as in trying to deceive or making up for an obvious Dog House moment). The basics are done just because.

You Care: She needs to know that she matters to you. It is important for her to know that she is a priority in your life. In other words do things that lets her know that she comes first.

You Appreciate Her: Let her know in little ways that you are thankful for what she does. Believe me it does not take away our manhood to do this. Actually this brings some very nice benefits. This is so easy. If she cooks a meal and usually washes the dishes, then just take over the kitchen duties for the night and let her relax. You guys are really going to be dangerous.

You Notice Her: Whenever she does something different she wants you to be aware of it. So whenever she changes her hairstyle, wears a different outfit or fixes a special meal for you, compliment her. Try this out and watch her reaction.

You’re In Tune With Her: Have you ever given her something and you got the feeling that she didn’t really feel happy about it? You probably felt that she wasn’t grateful, but what really happened is that you gave her something that indicates that you really don’t know her. You may have given her a big box of chocolate and she would have been satisfied with a small bag of Hershey’s Kisses. This is all about listening to and knowing your lady. I’ve got a lot more info on this, but you’ve got to read my book entitled “The Eve Factor.”

If you are the type of guy who thinks that he doesn’t have to do all of this, then you are also a guy who is totally missing out on the many benefits that the rest of us are enjoying.

WHO CARES HOW ATTRACTIVE THEY ARE?

All of us have met someone who was drop dead gorgeous to later find out that they were not at all who we were looking for. Let’s be for real. We all like having someone who is attractive on our arm. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, but when it comes to finding that special someone who we intend to spend the rest of our lives with, looks should not be the beginning and end of our relationship criteria. As I have said on previous occasions we’ve got to know ourselves prior to making that selection. We have got to know our likes, dislikes, needs, things we can truly learn to live with, things we clearly know we will not tolerate and especially those that we deep down within know that will totally break the deal. You see there are those things that we ignore just because. Are you asking me “because of what?” Don’t play games with yourself or me. You know good and well what you’ve settled for to only EXPLODE later in the relationship. Again you’ve got to get to the point where it is over whenever someone crosses the line that you have personally defined as something you totally will not tolerate. If you are honest with yourself you will admit that there were times when you ignored things “just because.” Don’t forget you chose to enter the relationship. So let us grow up a little and stop being so angry with the other person. Is it really worth our time and energy? It only precludes you from moving forward in your life. We could really be doing something more productive. I also don’t want anyone out there to beat up on him or herself for allowing this to happen. All of this is simply a part of life. If you haven’t made a mistake, then you haven’t lived. Besides you are learning how to make better choices.

WHAT MAKES A LADY ATTRACTIVE? COULD IT BE THE FRAGRANCE?

What makes a lady attractive to males? Is it just an overall pretty face, attractive eyes, lips, skin tone, figure, hair, manner of dress, talents, walk, talk or personality? Certainly all of these things, collectively and individually, cause males to be attracted to her, for some she may not look attractive enough, to others she’s the things dreams were made of.

What makes a lady attractive to males? As we said earlier there are many things, but two of the most attractive attributes a woman can possess is her femininity and self confidence (which I define as a love and respect for herself coupled with a strong dose of self reliance and a solid sense of direction). These qualities, in combination, make up what I call “The Fragrance!” When a woman has the Fragrance she is most attractive to a male. It is then that she’s her most sassy, sexy, alluring and winsome. Guys love seeing her, talking to her, being acknowledged by her and simply being in her presence. There is something about a woman who has the Fragrance that supersedes everything else. She doesn’t need to present herself as overtly sexy or anything like that. She could have just come out of the backyard wearing a jean skirt, wrinkled blouse, and gloves with dirt on her face and she would still look great! Know anyone like that? 

DEPENDABILITY + TRUST = VULNERABILITY

LADIES PLEASE MAKE SURE THIS NEED IS NOT MET TOO SOON BY THE WRONG PERSON!! One of the things that we want to make women aware of is their vulnerability to what appears to be a dependable man. It doesn't matter how strong or independent she may be, if she allows a male that is a non-relative become dependable, then her wall of protection will come down leaving her highly vulnerable. For that matter we also want to inform good males that they need to protect this vulnerability in their female relatives. Please understand that one of the most desired qualities ladies look for in a male is that he simply be someone upon whom she can depend and trust. In many cases, the man that she is with may not be as aware of this need as he should be, so for his sake we want to help him become keenly responsive to this requirement. For many men, fixing something around the house is not always a top priority but for the woman it is very important. Leaving the house broken for her is like leaving herself broken or undone. In other words it becomes personal and not just an inanimate object sitting in the home. It gives her a sense of wholeness and security when the male handles things in a timely manner or at least let’s her know when he plans to take care of it. Of course if he makes a schedule of when he is going to actually fix things he needs to keep his word. In fact it gives her a feeling of comfort and confidence when he handles things without her ever having to tell him at all.

This is part of what she means when she says that she wants him to be a man. Basically, she is saying that she wants him to be responsible, to take the initiative in handling things that need to be taken care of and  be willing to make decisions. When a man is not aware of this or fails to handle this responsibility and another male consistently steps into this place; the male in her life is leaving her vulnerable to the possibility of infidelity , harm or possibly placing her in a position where she will begin to question his manhood. This doesn’t have to be verbal. She can simply stop asking you to handle certain things and do them herself. This is not good because whenever a female has to look past you it becomes not just a matter of dependability but also matters of trust, and trust is not an easy thing to get regain. There are many men whose wives (or other women in their lives) have taken the reigns and are not willing to trust him to handle his position as the male or man in her life. As we said earlier women desire to have a male that they can depend on.

The story of Joseph (Genesis 39:1-19) gives the best example of how this can happen. While Joseph was a slave in the house of Potipher, he became supervisor over everything that they owned. He made sure that all the needs of Potipher’s family were met, kept a record of everything they produced and brought great wealth to his masters. According to the scriptures his master didn’t even know how much money he had. As a result of this Joseph was not treated like an ordinary slave. He wore the best clothes and in the eyes of the entire household Joseph was the man of the house. Now it must be understood that Joseph never flirted with Mrs. Potipher, but in her eyes he was the man in her life. Why, you may ask? It is because he was the one who met her needs on a consistent basis and because of this she became quite comfortable with him causing her to see him in a totally different light. His motives were honorable but that didn’t matter to her. Her husband had allowed her to become vulnerable and she let herself feed into this fantasy to the point that she was ready to force Joseph to have sex with her. Now let us go over some lessons that cam be learned from this episode. Brothers, make sure that you are aware of the need for a woman to have a male that she can depend upon. Secondly, protect her and yourself by taking care of your responsibilities and finally be careful of being so helpful to other women who are not relatives for you are not quite as strong as you think. Sisters, true to the Eve Factor this is something that is innate so you need to make yourself aware of it. You also need to be aware that some men are not conscious of this, so if you have a husband, son, boyfriend etc. you need to clearly warn him. You need to spell it out for him in plain old English. You need to get him this book! Don’t beat around the bush. Tell it like it is. I'd like to say to both males and females, "Please be aware that there are males and females that are experts at this and are looking for opportunities to capture prey. The way this works is simple. First there is Mister Helpful, then trust is built and over a period of time someone gets too comfortable."  That’s why the formula is DEPENDABILITY + TRUST = VULNERABILITY.

LEARNING TO COUNT

As children we learn to count. We count toys, days, years, money and all sorts of things that are important to us. It has been a powerful tool that helps us get through life. Counting can tell you what you have, what you don’t have and how much you need. Within a relationship these figures are vital. If you are brave enough to take the time to count the blessings and wonderful qualities you’ve been afforded through your relationship with your partner, you will then realize that you’ve got a lot to be thankful for. It will also remind you why this person is so important to you causing you to again value what you have. It will also tell you what you could potentially lose if you are not careful. Go ahead and count them. Do it now. You’ll be so glad you did.

When you do the math and find out what you don’t have, then you become privileged to what your relationship can be by adding in what it is lacking. The formula for this calculation is: You + Your Mate times Conversation on what you can do to make your relationship better = An awesome plan for a better relationship. Guys the ladies usually know exactly how to do this, so bravely dive right in. Of course all of this takes time, but believe me it is time worth taking.

In taking an honest introspective inventory of yourself you can come up with what and how much you truly need from your relationship. Too many people have no true idea as to what they need from a relationship. What’s worse is we either are afraid to ask or don’t know how or what to ask for. In many cases we are too often escaping or running from something or someone that we’ve never taken the time to know ourselves enough to know what we want prior to entering into a new relationship (see Blog Entry:  “WHY DO I ALWAYS CHOOSE THE WRONG PERSON”). Take time for you and do the inventory on whom you are and what you need. You’re worth it. 

When you learn to count and do the math you come out with some very interesting numbers.

LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH

This is an oldie, but goodie from SWM

Matthew 22:39: “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

Ephesians 5:28: “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.”

Most of us clearly understand God’s command that we love others, but unfortunately some of us don’t realize that this has to first begin with love for ourselves. Oh yes we can name the Greek words for love with great pride as they roll off of our tongue “Philios, Storge, Eros and Agape”, but when it comes to loving ourselves we sometimes come up short. One cannot properly love someone else if they don’t love themselves. Loving one self is the basis on which we are able to love others. It is also that which helps us know the boundaries of that love. That’s why we are taught to love others as (we first love) ourselves. This principle helps us maintain a healthy balance when it comes to love. In other words you don’t love someone to the point of smothering them or hurting yourself. People who do not maintain self love can: forgive others, but find difficulty forgiving self, see worth in others, but not in themselves, find time to do good for others and little or no time for themselves, give compliments to others, but find it hard to receive them, see others as lovable, but themselves as unlovable. Furthermore it seems that we become confused with the scripture that tells us to deny ourselves. Some of us think it tells us to neglect ourselves. The denying of ourselves, as spoken by the scripture, is neglecting and forsaking our ways of doing, viewing and pursuing and embracing God’s ways of doing, viewing and pursuing. For instance we tend to curse those that curse us, but God’s way is to bless them that curse us and pray for them that despitefully use us (Luke 6:28). It is trading in of our old ways to embrace His ways and has nothing to do with treating ourselves bad. Loving yourself is self preserving and not selfish or self centered. It causes us to protect ourselves and thereby survive. That’s why we are taught to “save ourselves” (Acts 2:40). So before you run out there and love someone else; make sure that you already “Love The One You’re With!”

A Letter Gets Heard When You Don't

In all of my experience teaching couples to build strong, lasting and loving relationships I have found that everyone experiences a point where communication with one another becomes difficult. Sometimes situations are either too painful or problematic where verbal communication just can't be done without explosive results. I'm talking about those times where both parties want to be heard and are not interested in listening to the other person's side of the story. Everyone knows that if there is no communication the only thing that we have  left are bad attitudes, assumptions and an ever growing unhealthy situation. Whenever I have a couple that are experiencing this I always encourage them to find a way to communicate. One of the best ways that I have found to break the ice is to mail a letter to the other person without a return address. In the letter take the time to tactfully convey what you want your mate to know. Why a letter?

• It is because people will read a letter even when they have no interest in talking to you. 
• They can't argue with a letter.
• While they may get angry with what they read there is no real physical confrontation.
• They will know what is on your heart
•  It shows that you value your relationship enough to do what it takes to keep communication alive

I have never seen this fail to open up communication. Try it. Don't be surprised if you get a letter back.