Things I Don't Miss/Do Miss About Being Single

There are pros and cons to every stage of life!  I am SO thankful God sent me my "Mr. Right" in his PERFECT timing!  I was 37 and a half and 5 days old when I got married.  In a week we will have been married for 8 months already!  Time sure flies!  Here are some of the things I don't miss/do miss about being single.  I had PLENTY of time to be single, so even though there are some things I miss, I am overall so much more content being married to Jonathan and having his love, support, stability and encouragement!  I'm just SO glad I didn't settle just to have someone in my life!  Making the changes/sacrifices it takes to be married are well worth it for the right person!  Here is a picture of us which was taken on our honeymoon.

 

Don't Miss:

1. Looking at every guy that I knew//met, who happened to be single, as a potential love interest. 
2. Feeling like I didn't "belong".
3. Being asked if I was dating anyone (as if I wasn't ok just being me) over and over and over again.
4. Feeling especially lonely, and feeling like my singleness was accentuated over the Holidays.
5. Knowing that no one would know if I lived or died on my way home, since I lived alone for most of my single years, unless I didn't show up for work for a few days.
6. The uncertainty of dating. (Do I or don't I plan for a future with this person?)
7. Having no one to rely on consistently.
8. Flying solo in a "couple's world".
9. Not having companionship, oftentimes not having anyone to do stuff with.

Do Miss:

1. Having the apartment all to myself so that I could have a girlfriend over to hang out/drink wine/talk without having to go anywhere.  Now we meet for dinner/coffee/walking somewhere in public.  Unless of course, my friend happens to be single.
2. Having total control of the remote control and what I wanted to watch on TV.  
3. Being able to come and go as I pleased without having to let anyone know.
4. Feeling like God's purpose for me was for me to minister to other singles.  I know I still can, but sometimes I think singles may not be able to relate to me as much now that I'm married.
5. Having more time to blog.
6. Having more time to keep in touch with friends. 
7. Making purchases/not making purchases without having to consult anyone.

Can you relate to any of these pros & cons?  Please leave your comments!  I would love to hear from you! :)

We Are Learning Each Other's Love Languages!

     Do you know what your significant other's love language is?  Do you know what your love language is?  If not, I think it is imperative to your relationship that you find out what each other's love language is!  We often communicate our love for others in ways that we like to receive love.  You may have the best of intentions, and be trying really hard to show someone how much they mean to you!  However, if how they receive love is different from how you are giving love, your significant other's love tank is not going to get filled up. This leaves him/her feeling unloved.  Dr. Gary Chapman wrote a book, which I'm sure you have heard of. It's called "The 5 Love Languages".  The 5 Love Languages are:

1. Quality Time

2. Words of Affirmation

3. Gifts

4. Acts of Service

5. Physical Touch

     Your love languages can also change over time. I think Physical Touch was my primary love language when I wasn't dating anyone, because I wasn't getting many hugs, etc.  It was only a year ago that I found out "Gifts" were one of my top love languages. 

     Jonathan's primary love language is Physical Touch.  This isn't just referring to sex.  He loves hugs, hand holding, etc.  Jonathan feels loved when he is given physical touch. 

     My primary love language is Words of Affirmation.  Therefore, I tend to give words of affirmation to Jonathan.  If I don't give Jonathan physical touch, words of affirmation aren't going to make him feel loved.  I could compliment him till I'm blue in the face and he would like hearing it, but it's not going to make him feel nearly as loved as if I were to hug him.  He has come SO far in learning my love language!

     My second love language is Gifts.  However, I didn't know that gifts were one of my love languages until we didn't get each other anything for Christmas or Valentine's Day right after we got engaged. Let's just say we both learned from those days! :)  How could Jonathan know Gifts were one of my love languages, if I didn't even know?  I think that's often how we find out what our love languages are, when our needs are not met.  Now that Jonathan knows that gifts are my second love language, he can work at meeting that need, and he has been doing a wonderful job! :)  He got me these roses for our 1 year Engagiversary:

 He got me this beautiful diamond necklace for Christmas! :)

     And he got me these beautiful flowers for Valentine's Day, along with a water bottle and Season One of "Mike & Molly"!  This was my best Valentine's Day ever!  Thank you honey! :)  It's not about the money spent, it's about the thoughts, efforts, feelings that go into getting/giving the gifts!  Here is an awesome quote I saw this week on Facebook (It was a status of "Things I wish I'd Known Before We Got Married":

The important thing is not the gift, but the emotional love that is communicated by the gift...the gift is quickly gone but the memory lingers.

There is a 5 week love languages challenge going on, which I signed up for and was going to blog about.  However, it wasn't what I expected.  The first challenge it gave me, because Jonathan's love language is physical touch, was to read a book about sex and discuss it with Jonathan.  Jonathan thought that idea was not helpful either!  I thought it would give me daily reminders to hug him, kiss him etc.  Anways, that's why I decided to just blog about the 5 love languages! :)

I would like to know what your love language is.  I'm asking everyone who reads this blog to please take the love language quiz, and let me know what your top love language is! :)  All you need to do is click here, take the quiz and then comment back on my blog with your primary love language.  Please, for the sake of your relationships, if you have a significant other, ask them to take it as well!  You will learn a lot about each other, and what they need to feel loved by you. You will also learn ways that they may be showing you love, just not in the way that you need to be shown it.

Now, go show love to your neighbor, friend, spouse, parent, children, etc! :)  We all need to be shown love!