United We Stand
by Sylvia Todd April 12th, 2017
Earlier this week, United Airlines forceably removed Dr. David Dao, sixty-nine years old, as he was seated in a plane at Chicago O'Hare. Their reason was that the seats were needed for employees heading to another flight, which may have cause that flight to be cancelled. When no passengers volunteered to step down, some were selected involuntarily. One of those passengers was Dr. Dao, who refused,...
The Love Dare: Day 40
by Sylvia Todd February 20th, 2016
Day 40
Love is a Covenant
Where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. – Ruth 1:16
Congratulations. You’ve reached the end of the Love Dare – the book. But the experience and challenge of loving your mate is something that never comes to an end. It goes on for the rest of your life.
This...
The Love Dare: Day 39
by Sylvia Todd February 20th, 2016
Day 39
Love Endures
Love never fails. – 1 Corinthians 13:8
Of all the things love dares to do, this the ultimate. Though threatened, it keeps pursuing. Though challenged, it keeps moving forward. Though mistreated and rejected, it refuses to give up.
Love never fails.
Many times when a marriage is in crisis, the spouse who is trying to make things work will go to the other,...
The Love Dare: Day 38
by Sylvia Todd February 20th, 2016
Day 38
Love Fulfills Dreams
Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. – Psalm 37:4
What is something your spouse would really, really love? And how often do you ask yourself that question?
Common sense tells us we can’t give our wife or husband everything they might like. Our budgets and account balances...
The Love Dare: Day 37
by Sylvia Todd February 20th, 2016
Day 37
Love Agrees in Prayer
If two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by May Father. – Matthew 18:19
If someone told you that by changing one thing about your marriage, you could guarantee with near 100 percent assurance that your life together would significantly improve, you would at least want to know what it was. And...
The Love Dare: Day 36
by Sylvia Todd February 20th, 2016
Day 36
Love is God's Word
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. – Psalm 119:105
For some people, the Bible seems just too big to understand. It’s like an impossible challenge. They don’t know where or how to begin. But as a Christian, you’re not left alone to try grasping the major themes and deep meanings...
The Love Dare: Day 35
by Sylvia Todd February 20th, 2016
Day 35
Love is Accountable
Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. – Proverbs 15:22
Mighty sequoia trees tower hundreds of feet in the air and can withstand intense environmental pressures. Lightning can strike them, fierce winds can blow, and forest fires can rage around them. But the sequoia endures, standing firm, only...
The Love Dare: Day 34
by Sylvia Todd February 20th, 2016
Day 34
Love Celebrates Godliness
[Love] does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. – 1 Corinthians 13:6
From the moment you close your Bible in the morning nearly everything else you’ll encounter throughout the day will be luring you away from its truths. The opinions of your coworkers, the news coverage on television, your typical Websites,...
The Love Dare: Day 33
by Sylvia Todd February 19th, 2016
Day 33
Love Completes Each Other
If two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? -- Ecclesiastes 4:11
God creates marriage by taking a man and a woman and uniting them as one. And although love must be willing to act alone if necessary, it is always better when it is not just a solo performance. Love can function on its own if there is no other way, but...
The Love Dare: Day 32
by Sylvia Todd February 19th, 2016
Day 32
Love Meets Sexual Needs
The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. – 1 Corinthians 7:3
Some people think the Bible has nothing good to say about sex, as though all God seems concerned about is telling us when not to do it and who not `and the blessing it can be for both husband and wife. Even its boundaries and restrictions are...
The Love Dare: Day 31
by Sylvia Todd February 19th, 2016
Day 31
Love and Marriage
A man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. – Genesis 2:24
This verse is God’s original blueprint for how marriage is supposed to work. It involves a tearing away and a knitting together. It reconfigures existing relationships while establishing a brand new one. Marriage changes everything.
That’s...
The Love Dare: Day 30
by Sylvia Todd February 19th, 2016
Day 30
Love Brings Unity
Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. – John 17:11
One of the most impressive things about the Bible is the way it linked together, with consistent themes running throughout, from beginning to end. Though written over a span of 1,600 years and composed by more than forty writers of various backgrounds...
The Love Dare: Day 29
by Sylvia Todd February 19th, 2016
Day 29
Love's Motivation
Render service with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to men. – Ephesians 6:7 HCSB
It doesn’t take much experience to discover that your mate will not always motivate your love. In fact, many times they will de-motivate it. More often than you’d like, it will seem difficult to find the inspiration to demonstrated your love. They...
The Love Dare: Day 28
by Sylvia Todd February 19th, 2016
Day 28
Love Makes Sacrifices
He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers. – 1 John 3:16 HCSB
Life can be hard. But what we usually mean is that our life can be hard. We’re the first to feel it when we’re the ones being mistreated or inconvenienced. We’re quick to sulk when we’re the ones who feel deprived or...
The Love Dare: Day 27
by Sylvia Todd February 19th, 2016
Day 27
Love Encourages
Guard my soul and deliver me; do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You. – Psalm 25:20
Marriage has a way of altering our vision. We go in expecting our mate to fulfill our hopes and to make us happy. But this is an impossible order for our spouse to fill. Unrealistic expectations breed disappointment. The higher your expectations, the more likely...
The Love Dare: Day 26
by Sylvia Todd February 19th, 2016
Day 26
Love is Responsible
When you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things. – Romans 2:1 HCSB
Today will be hard. But as you seek God’s strength and wisdom, you will be able to get through it. This day could be a milestone in your marriage if you allow it to be. So resolve to focus on what the Lord may be saying to you, and...
The Love Dare: Day 25
by Sylvia Todd February 19th, 2016
Day 25
Love Forgives
What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ. – 2 Corinthians 2:10
This one is tough – perhaps the toughest dare in the book. But if there is to be any hope for your marriage, this is a challenge that must absolutely be taken seriously. Counselors and ministers who deal with broken...
The Love Dare: Day 24
by Sylvia Todd February 19th, 2016
Day 24
Love vs. Lust
The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. – 1 John 2:17
Adam and Eve were supplied with everything they needed in the Garden of Eden. They had fellowship with God and intimacy with one another. But after Eve was deceived by the serpent, she saw the forbidden fruit and set her heart on it. Before...
The Love Dare: Day 23
by Sylvia Todd February 19th, 2016
Day 23
Love Always Protects
While we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. –Romans 5:6
Marriage is made up of many things, including joys, sorrows, successes, and failures. But when you think about what you want marriage to be like, the furthest thing from your mind is a battleground. However, there are some battles you should be more than willing...
The Love Dare: Day 22
by Sylvia Todd February 19th, 2016
Day 22
Love is Faithful
I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the Lord. – Hosea 2:20
As Christians, love is the basis of our whole identity. Our spiritual rebirth came about because “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
When...
The Love Dare: Day 21
by Sylvia Todd February 19th, 2016
Day 21
Love is Satisfied in God
The Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire. – Isaiah 58:11
Day 20 was a vitally important day in the Love Dare – and in your life. You came face-to-face with the glaring need of every human heart. And perhaps for the very first time, you became aware of how personal this need really is. You may have realized that nothing in...
The Love Dare: Day 20
by Sylvia Todd January 30th, 2016
Day 20
Love is Jesus Christ
While we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. –Romans 5:6
The previous day and dare lead to no other conclusion that this. Thankfully, it’s a conclusion you can live with—today, tomorrow, and forever.
Jesus has come “to seek and to save” you (Luke 19:10). Everything you’ve...
The Love Dare: Day 19
by Sylvia Todd January 30th, 2016
Day 19
Love is Impossible
Let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. –I John 4:7
The Love Dare starts with a secret. And though it’s been an unspoken element throughout each day, you’ve likely grown more and more suspicious of it all the time. Now that you’re this far, it’s a secret...
The Love Dare: Day 18
by Sylvia Todd January 30th, 2016
Day 18
Love Seeks to Understand
How blessed is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding. – Proverbs 3:13
We enjoy discovering as much as we can about the things we truly care about. If it’s our favorite football team, we’ll read any article that helps us keep up with how they’re doing. If it’s cooking, we’ll...
The Love Dare: Day 17
by Sylvia Todd January 30th, 2016
Day 17
Love Promotes Intimacy
He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. – Proverbs 17:9 NIV
You can be close to a good friend you’ve known since childhood or college days. You can be close to a sibling, your parents, or a cousin who’s about your same age. But nothing rivals the closeness...
The Love Dare: Day 16
by Sylvia Todd January 30th, 2016
Day 16
Love Intercedes
Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. – 3 John 2
You cannot change your spouse. As much as you may want to, you cannot play God and reach into their heart and mold them into what you want them to be. But that’s what most couples spend a large part of their time trying...
The Love Dare: Day 15
by Sylvia Todd January 30th, 2016
Day 15
Love is Honorable
Live with your wives in an understanding way … and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life. – 1 Peter 3:7
There are certain words in our language that have powerful meanings. Whenever these words are used, an air of respect is associated with them. These words never lose their timeless quality, class, and...
The Love Dare: Day 14
by Sylvia Todd January 30th, 2016
Day 14
Love Takes Delight
Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your fleeting life. – Ecclesiastes 9:9 HCSB
One of the most important things you should learn on your Love Dare journey is that you should not just follow your heart. You should lead it. You don’t let your feelings and emotions do the driving. You put them in the back...
The Love Dare: Day 13
by Sylvia Todd January 30th, 2016
Day 13
Love Fights Fair
If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. – Mark 3:25
Like it or not, conflict in marriage is simply inevitable. When you tied the knot as bride and groom, you joined not only your hopes and dreams but also your hurts, fears, imperfections, and emotional baggage. From the moment you unpacked from your...
The Love Dare: Day 12
by Sylvia Todd January 30th, 2016
Day 12
Love Lets the Other Win
Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests others. – Philippians 2:4
If you were asked to name three areas where you and your spouse disagree, you’d likely be able to do it without thinking very hard. You might even be able to produce a top ten list if given a few more minutes. And...