adjective – lacking interest or excitement; dull

Much of life can be mundane.  All of us women out there who dreamed of getting married and living a romantic movie every day of life got hit with a slice of reality not long after the honeymoon. Oh, it’s not that we don’t love our chosen one, but it’s just not like all those fairy-tales that  we read as a child, or the romantic love stories we watched over and over again as a teen.

But it is in the mundane, the un-exciting times of life that true love shows its face. It’s the every day balance of work, family, marriage, soccer practice, band performances, and laundry that love gets to prove it’s for real.  And it’s those times when we need to be sure to tell our spouse that he/she is valued, loved, and cherished. Once we let the dullness of life seep into our relationships, the downhill slide into “marital strife” begins.

So with today’s Word Gift we will challenge the mundane part of life to a duel of thanksgiving.  (I’m here to tell you that thanksgiving and gratefulness win every time.) How will we express our thankfulness for our spouse? By creating a love note frame of thanks. (You might have seen this ingenious idea on Pinterest.)

It’s simple.  Purchase an 4×6 picture frame.  Place a piece of scrapbooking paper as the photo and write (or print out) the words “Today, I love you because…” Put the frame back together and now by simply writing with a dry erase marker, we can let someone know why we love them in this moment. Maybe it’s because they did dishes after dinner, or washed the car, or spent uninterrupted time with us, or read the kids a story before bedtime, or cut the grass, or made us laugh. Whatever the reason, let them know.  Some days it may be harder to find a reason, but pushing ourselves to consistently appreciate our spouse will do wonders for our marriage.

But wait, there’s more! Our children benefit from this as well because when we honor our spouse in this way, it’s announced to the whole family.  They learn both in love and gratefulness. Eventually, everyone will want to get in on the act. One morning we might walk by the frame to see that someone in the house is thankful for us. Even though the thought may be erased from the frame, it will never be erased from the heart of the receiver.