The 2 Girls in my Life

I ask both of them, regularly...."Do you love me today?"

It's not because I'm unsure of the answer.

And it's not because I'm fishing for a compliment to soothe my insecurity.

It's more simple than that. 

I ask because I want them to hear my reply, "Thank you for your love.  I love you too."

So thankful for their love this morning. 

Follow @joeandheidi

What is true love?

Month of Love - Day 28 - The wedding

The boys

The girls

My hearts affection

The day

The exit


The end

Month of Love - Day 27 - Communication

Today...heidi said to me, "You are not making sense"

It reminded me of this video:

Month of Love - Day 26 - Doin' it because you love it

love is...

Month of Love - Day 21 - Sex

What follows is an excerpt from some of the work of Paddy Ducklow, Counselor and Pastor of CapChurch. He was a proff of mine. You can download the entire article here.

Great Sex: Reclaiming a Christian Sexual Ethic
God has designed us to move beyond ourselves:

Genesis 2:18 The LORD God said, "It is not
good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."

God has written into our sexuality a call to community:

Genesis 2:23-25 The man said, "This is
now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of
man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they
will become one flesh. The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

God gave us sexuality for peoplemaking:

Ecclesiastes 11:5 “As you do not know the path of the
wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.”

God wants us to have an earthy spirituality:

I Corinthians 7:5 “Do not deprive each other except
by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come
together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”

Month of Love - Day 20 - Intimacy

Here are some good questions we came across today:

• What is the difference between having sex and making love?
• Is there anything about our intimate life that could be improved upon?
• How can we better connect heart-to-heart?
• What are your dreams for the future?
• Do we regularly connect soul-to-soul?
• How could we make connecting soul-to-soul a priority?
• Is there anything I need to seek your forgiveness for in this area of our lives?
• What do you love most about our marriage?

Are you willing to ask them?


We take good pictures....but does the image of love represent the reality? It could. It could not. Ask the questions...

Month of Love - Day 19 - Fireproof

Have you seen the movie "Fireproof"?

We saw it recently. Take a look at the trailer:


Fireproof Teaser Trailer from Mike Stecker on Vimeo.

Our thoughts.

We liked it.
and - it was cheesy and poorly acted
We appreciated it.
and - it was cheesy and poorly acted
We understand why the movie is important.
and - it was cheesy and poorly acted.
We recommend it.
so - be prepared for cheese and poor acting.

Month of Love - Day 18

From Henri Nouwen's book "The Inner Voice of Love"

Do not hesitate to love and to love deeply.

You might be afraid of the pain that deep love can cause. When those you love deeply reject you, leave you, or die, your heart will be broken. But that should not hold you back from loving deeply. The pain that comes from deep love makes your love ever more fruitful. It is like a plow that breaks the ground to allow the seed to take root and grow into a strong plant. Every time you experience the pain of rejection, absence, or death, you are faced with a choice. You can become bitter and decide not to love again, or you can stand straight in your pain and let the soil on which you stand become richer and more able to give life to new seeds.

The more you have loved and have allowed yourself to suffer because of your love, the more you will be able to let your heart grow wider and deeper. When your love is truly giving and receiving, those whom you love will not leave your heart even when they depart from you. They will become part of your self and thus gradually build a community within you.

Those you have deeply loved become part of you. The longer you live, there will always be more people to be loved by you and to become part of your inner community. The wider your inner community becomes, the more easily you will recognize your own brothers and sisters in the strangers around you. Those who are alive within you will recognize those who are alive around you. The wider the community of your heart, the wider the community around you. Thus the pain of rejection, absence, and death can become fruitful. Yes, as you love deeply the ground of your heart will be broken more and more, but you will rejoice in the abundance of the fruit it will bear.

Month of Love - Day 17

Made me giggle....

We sang this to each other today:

Doin' it wrong

Do you ever feel like doing the exact opposite of something you have been told to do?
Mom says "clean your room," you say, "later."
Dad says, "mow the lawn," you say, "never."
School says, "turn it in," you say, "if I do, you'll win."

Question: What is it that pulls us to disobedience?

Jesus says, "If you love me, you will obey what I command."

Answer: lovelessness