I really enjoyed reading the contributions there and am really excited to have these creative ideas ready to go, to bless my man. Ladies, I think it's well worth a look of your own at this page, (especially since the top way to bless your man, which we all know, but is cutely shared, is better mentioned there than on this family blog!. Still, I'll sum up my other favorites and a few of my own thoughts here:
1- Drop the kids off at the end of the afternoon at a friends house so Matt comes home to a refreshing surprise. I got to do this for him last week (Thanks DC!!) it was a fantastic treat for both of us.
2- tell the kids often how blessed they are to have him for a dad, encourage and help them to express this to him with hugs and notes and gifts
3- tell his parents how well he blesses me, speak confidently of him to others
4- be gracious with his faults and weaknesses and quick to forgive
5- At the end of a long day, prepare a snack plate and a drink for him in our room so he can come home and rest a minute before he has to be “on” for me and the kids.
6- email him, text him encouraging notes
7- encourage him and provide dinner for him to have a guys night at our place
8- spend money wisely, honor the constraints of the budget he has set
9- be self controlled in emotion and expression when communicating with him- try to calmly, clearly communicate.
10- Clear time for him to “cave”, to work on his own things and not have to always be on call to answer questions or help in some way
11- PRAY FOR HIM. journal it.
12- Encourage dates for him with the kids and special dates with me.
And... while I'm at it, I'll share the top things that Matt does to bless me. (I'm just listing five things- but they are more broad categories of blessing he gives me :) )
1- Lead. I feel so provided for and cared for when Matt is aware of our family situations and makes decisions for us, sets goals and a plan for reaching them (ie. training our kids about the Lord, or determining priorities for a week's schedule). Especially as a mom of young kids, sometimes making a decision about something is just more than I can add to a day that's been filled to the brim with craziness already. He blesses when he leads confidently in Christ, sensitively and lovingingly towards me, and joyously in his role as the head of our home.
2- "Connecting Night." We started doing this earlier this year- once a week, put the kids down and then the two of us snuggle up and chat on the couch, like an in-house date night. It's far more doable for us than finding a babysitter and spending money going out every week. Spending one evening a week to catch up with each other and grow together in marriage, parenting, or just pursuing the Lord together, is a great encouragement to me! (I'm also realizing that some special times out of the house are probably well- worth the investment too!)
3- Bless our kids. I love to see how Matt loves our kids. I love watching him enjoy them, and make them laugh. Both our kids delight in their father's love, delight in the fun he is with them, and they both are blessed by instruction and discipline from him. And I have to say, my man is growing in his role as a father.... he seems to be getting better and better at this job!
4- Be diligent at his work. I love to see him work excellently to the Lord's glory in the many different responsibilities he has. It makes me admire and respect him all the more.
5- My man is wise in his relationships with others, often challenging me, and regularly meeting with other guys for accountability and mentoring. He also blesses me tremendously with his maturity in relationship with other ladies, being careful to not leave room for misunderstanding or even the "appearance of evil."
