Kiss Me Like You Mean It Read Online Free PDF Page B

says Shulamith is perfect, and he’s not exaggerating. He means it. He wants to convince his wife that she is the absolute best, one of a kind, and far superior in every way to every other woman. He’s not saying he doesn’t notice other women. He’s saying they can’t hold a candle to his woman.
    Peel Yourself Off the Big Six
    Your spouse is more important than everyone and everything else in your life. To make this biblical truth a reality, peel yourself off whomever and whatever is above your spouse. Give your spouse permission to tell you—anytime— when he or she does not feel like the top priority in your life. Your response to any such expression ought to be, “You’re right. I’m sorry. How can I make you feel and know you are the priority in my life?” Then, do what your spouse asks you to do.

Best Friends
    Great passion cannot exist without great friendship. In their Song of love, Solomon and Shulamith live out this truth. They are, unquestionably, best friends.
    From 4:9–5:2, Solomon calls Shulamith “my sister” five times. It is a term of intense affection and indicates that he considers their relationship to be as close as brother and sister. It is as if they are bonded by blood.
    Shulamith (5:16) “This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.”
    Shulamith wants others to know that Solomon is more than the man she loves. He is also her friend. In fact, I don’t believe that you become beloved without also being a friend.
    In 5:1, God seems to confirm the lovers’ deep, rich friendship by calling them “friends.” He does this, interestingly enough, at the same time they are experiencing sexual intercourse for the first time.

Tell Me First
    One simple way to cultivate best friend status in your marriage is to always share your life experiences first with your spouse. As you go through your day, all kinds of things happen to you. Routine things. Funny things. Interesting things. Painful things. Stressful things. Spiritual things. Even zany things. Save these personal events and let your spouse be the first one to hear them.
    If you blab to others before sharing with your spouse, you water down the impact of your experiences. Your thoughts and emotions get diluted and lose their vibrancy. When you share something, it has much more punch the first time you share it. You and your first-time listener form an emotional, relational bond that subsequent retellings cannot produce.
    If you want to tell others later, fine. Let them get less punch and less bonding. Let your spouse get the original, fresh version when you and your emotions are deeper and more spontaneous. This way, the two of you have a better chance to connect at the heart level and branch off into a great conversation.

Make Time and Talk
    A common misconception about the Song is that it’s all about sex—you know, a lot of kissing, touching, and intercourse going on. And, believe me, a lot of this kind of erotic, physical behavior does go on in the book. (More on the physical in later chapters.)
    But the Song is filled with passages on communication and emotional connection. God, through Solomon and Shulamith, is telling us that regular, intimate conversations prepare lovers for great, passionate sex.
    Shulamith (2:3)
“In his shade I took great delight and sat down,
And his fruit was sweet to my taste.”
    Shulamith is with Solomon in a private place. She feels safe and protected with him. She is praising his speech and saying that she is getting to know him intimately. She is delighting in their deepening communication. The two sweethearts will soon enjoy physical intimacy, but they prepare for physical closeness with emotional closeness.
    Solomon (2:14)
“O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
In the secret place of the steep pathway,
Let me see your form,
Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is sweet,
And your form is lovely.”
    Solomon has made time to be alone with Shulamith. They are together in a