RAYMO’S RAMBLINGS -SPEAKING LOVE

the-five-love-languages-gary-chapman-1

SPEAKING LOVE

If you know me, I don’t read many books. Yes, I host a library show every week on the radio and it might seem like I read lots of books. The truth is I have only read 20 books in my lifetime, if that. Two books however have changed my life dramatically.  The first is the Bible, especially the New Testament. This verse explains the Bibles power. Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and active”. I read scripture every morning, and it continues to speak to me and change me. The other book changed my marriage. “The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman.

The Five Love Languages is a revolutionary book. I read it with my wife, Roxie, and we both put into practice what Mr. Chapman suggested. This book outlines five ways to express and experience love, called the “love languages,” receiving gifts, quality time, words of affirmation, acts of service (devotion), and physical touch. It is a simple book, easy to read and easy to understand. My kind of book!

I’m going to get a little personal here, and my wife has given permission for me to do so.  I think every marriage goes through tough times, and ours was no different. The stresses of life, raising a family, work, and finances are all hard on a marriage. We were in our thirties and started to drift apart. We weren’t making each other a priority, thus both of us didn’t feel loved by the other.

The Five Love Languages entered our lives at the right time. God knows what he is doing. We studied the book in a Bible study with other couples. Long story short, we weren’t speaking each other’s love language, or taking the time to make that a priority in our lives.

For example; I always bought Roxie flowers, jewelry, and other gifts. I thought I was being good to her only to find out after she took the survey in the back of the book that receiving gifts was last on her list of the five love languages. Receiving gifts wasn’t important to her, it doesn’t speak love to her! The light bulb went on! Quality time and acts of service is what spoke love to her. I put this into practice and started spending quality time with her and I also started vacuuming the house and doing dishes. Boom! She felt loved!

For me, my love language is words of affirmation and physical touch! She put that into practice and boom! I felt loved! It is an amazing concept. Everyone has a love language, adults and children. Find out what a person’s love language is and then speak that love to them. You can find out by taking the simple quiz in the back of the book. I encourage everyone to do this. I’ve attached the link for you to get started.

http://www.5lovelanguages.com/profile/

That concept of speaking the person’s love language was mind blowing to me. It changed everything.

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RAYMO’S RAMBLINGS – PUPPY LOVE

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PUPPY LOVE

Today is Valentine’s Day. Two things come to my mind whenever I think of Valentine’s Day. I was in the fifth grade and the night before Valentine’s Day my mother would give me Valentine’s cards to sign for my classmates at school. I had a huge crush on a girl named Tammy.  I remember making her Valentine’s card special. The next day I couldn’t wait to give her my Valentine card and receive a card from her. I wrote all over her card and colored it and made it a big deal. I remember getting her card with excitement. She didn’t even sign her card, it was just a plain valentine card and it didn’t even say “Will you be my Valentine”. She didn’t even smile at me when giving me her card. It was like I had a disease. I was crushed and hurt. She doesn’t like me! I hate Valentine’s Day! Yes, I remember well what happened to me on that Valentine’s Day in fifth grade.

Fast forward to me in my forties and happily married. Now I am going to brag. I would not say I’m a romantic guy, but I try to be. Our church always held a Valentines banquet and it got to be a pretty big event over the years with well over one hundred people attending the banquet. It was a nice couples evening out. I was asked by the people who were in charge of the Valentines banquet if I would serenade my wife Roxie in front of everyone as part of the program. I said I would.

So I pondered about what to sing to her in front of everyone. Then it came to me. She is the biggest Donny Osmond fan I know. In high school she had all the Osmond albums, posters of Donny Osmond in her room, collected any teen magazine with Donny of the cover. Donny’s biggest hit was Puppy Love. So I decided to serenade my wife with the song Puppy Love. How fitting is that, since we started dating when we were freshman in high school.

I can’t tell you how many times I practiced singing the song Puppy Love in my car. I had a cassette tape of Puppy Love and played it over and over and over. Singing loudly in my car traveling down the road. I perfected it!

Puppy Love

Donny Osmond

And they called it puppy love
Oh, I guess they’ll never know
How a young heart really feels
And why I love her so

And they called it puppy love
Just because we’re in our teens
Tell them all, please tell them it isn’t fair
To take away my only dream

I cry each night my tears for you
My tears are all in vain
I’ll hope and I’ll pray that maybe someday
You’ll be back in my arms once again

Someone, help me, help me, help me please
Is the answer up above
How can I, oh how can I tell them
This is not a puppy love

Someone, help me, help me, help me please
Is the answer up above
How can I, oh how can I tell them
This is not a puppy love, not a puppy love

 

So at the Valentines banquet, Roxie had no idea what was about to happen. After a nice dinner the program began and the master of ceremonies asked Roxie to come up front. He sat Roxie in a chair facing the hundred some people that were in attendance. He said to her that we have a surprise for you. So the music started and I got up from my chair and walked toward the front where Roxie was sitting. While approaching her I started singing Puppy Love to her. Got down on my knee and held her hand and belted the song out the best I could. Her reaction was something I will always remember. Complete shock, and at first it was funny, but as I was ending the song with the words “This is not a puppy love, not a puppy love” The tears began to flow, she was overcome with emotions. We both cried and gave each other a long hug. Roxie will tell you that was thee most romantic thing I have ever done for her. She still talks about it. Every Valentine’s Day she reminds me of that moment.

 

paul-singing-to-roxie-valentines

My suggestion on Valentine’s Day is to give your loved one a hug and kiss and say I love you. It is that simple and a cheap thing to do. Actually you should do that every day. Happy Valentine’s Day.

 

Today is Valentine’s Day. Two things come to my mind whenever I think of Valentine’s Day. I was in the fifth grade and the night before Valentine’s Day my mother would give me Valentine’s cards to sign for my classmates at school. I had a huge crush on a girl named Tammy.  I remember making her Valentine’s card special. The next day I couldn’t wait to give her my Valentine card and receive a card from her. I wrote all over her card and colored it and made it a big deal. I remember getting her card with excitement. She didn’t even sign her card, it was just a plain valentine card and it didn’t even say “Will you be my Valentine”. She didn’t even smile at me when giving me her card. It was like I had a disease. I was crushed and hurt. She doesn’t like me! I hate Valentine’s Day! Yes, I remember well what happened to me on that Valentine’s Day in fifth grade.

Fast forward to me in my forties and happily married. Now I am going to brag. I would not say I’m a romantic guy, but I try to be. Our church always held a Valentines banquet and it got to be a pretty big event over the years with well over one hundred people attending the banquet. It was a nice couples evening out. I was asked by the people who were in charge of the Valentines banquet if I would serenade my wife Roxie in front of everyone as part of the program. I said I would.

So I pondered about what to sing to her in front of everyone. Then it came to me. She is the biggest Donny Osmond fan I know. In high school she had all the Osmond albums, posters of Donny Osmond in her room, collected any teen magazine with Donny of the cover. Donny’s biggest hit was Puppy Love. So I decided to serenade my wife with the song Puppy Love. How fitting is that, since we started dating when we were freshman in high school.

I can’t tell you how many times I practiced singing the song Puppy Love in my car. I had a cassette tape of Puppy Love and played it over and over and over. Singing loudly in my car traveling down the road. I perfected it!

Puppy Love
And they called it puppy love
Oh, I guess they’ll never know
How a young heart really feels
And why I love her so
And they called it puppy love
Just because we’re in our teens
Tell them all, please tell them it isn’t fair
To take away my only dream
I cry each night my tears for you
My tears are all in vain
I’ll hope and I’ll pray that maybe someday
You’ll be back in my arms once again
Someone, help me, help me, help me please
Is the answer up above
How can I, oh how can I tell them
This is not a puppy love
Someone, help me, help me, help me please
Is the answer up above
How can I, oh how can I tell them
This is not a puppy love, not a puppy love
 
 
So at the Valentines banquet, Roxie had no idea what was about to happen. After a nice dinner the program began and the master of ceremonies asked Roxie to come up front. He sat Roxie in a chair facing the hundred some people that were in attendance. He said to her that we have a surprise for you. So the music started and I got up from my chair and walked toward the front where Roxie was sitting. While approaching her I started singing Puppy Love to her. Got down on my knee and held her hand and belted the song out the best I could. Her reaction was something I will always remember. Complete shock, and at first it was funny, but as I was ending the song with the words “This is not a puppy love, not a puppy love” The tears began to flow, she was overcome with emotions. We both cried and gave each other a long hug. Roxie will tell you that was thee most romantic thing I have ever done for her. She still talks about it. Every Valentine’s Day she reminds me of that moment.
 
paul singing to Roxie Valentines
 

My suggestion on Valentines Day is to give your loved one a hug and kiss and say I love you. It is that simple and a cheap thing to do. Actually you should do that every day. Happy Valentines Day.

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