In Acts 20:35, the apostle Paul refers back to something Jesus said, which isn’t recorded elsewhere. Not surprising, since Jesus surely said much more than what’s recorded in the Gospel accounts. Here’s that second half of that verse: “…remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ “

I’m betting you’ve heard that one before. Parents often use the better to give than receive line to make a kid surrender part of his spending money to the church collection plate or to share the bigger piece of pie with his sibling. But, not using it as a hammer, there’s certainly a lot of truth here — more blessed to give than to receive.

Admittedly, when it comes to sexual intimacy, I’m not always sure about this maxim. When the focus is on my pleasure, I’m sort of wrapped up in that joy of that moment that I think receiving is pretty darn good. But when I look more broadly at our sex life, I know the blessings that come from a giving nature.

We can truly enjoy the pleasure we bring to our husband, from the small affections we express to the shuddering climax we evoke from our beloved. There’s so much to enjoy from being a giver, not a taker:

• The sly smile on his face when you offer him a look-see of your intimate places.
• The excitement that sizzles under his skin when you suggest a new sexual activity or old one you both enjoy.
• The improved mood of man who knows he’s loved in every way by his wife.
• The confidence he feels in his abilities as a good husband and lover.
• The sexual satisfaction that helps to keep his heart and mind focused on the good thing he’s got waiting at home.
• The kid-in-a-candy-factory expression on his face during some great foreplay or right after you’ve made love.
• The knowledge that you are following God’s design for sexual intimacy in your marriage.

Take that attitude into your marriage this week, and into your marital bedroom: It is more blessed to give than receive. What can you give your husband that would make him happy and you blessed?

And speaking of giving…

If you were here in September, you know that I announced this great giveaway with lots of goodies and the rules and blah, blah, blah. But then, my entire month was thrown into a tailspin. Long story short: My father died. The event of his death, though not the timing, was expected, and it was a positive goodbye to a life well-lived. But it did reek major havoc with my calendar.

At one moment of surrender, I said to myself, The giveaway is not happening this month. Some of the personal pressure I was feeling lifted from my shoulders, and I decided I’d reschedule when my life was a little more predictable.

So I’m rebooting! The giveaway starts today and will run through the month of November. It is indeed more blessed to give than receive, and I feel very blessed to have these items as part of my giveaway:

• Hot, Holy, and Humorous: Sex in Marriage by God’s Design, three copies signed by me
• Lovemaking: 10 Secrets to Extravagant Intimacy in Marriage (two copies) andSeven Secrets of a Supernatural Marriage: The Joy of Spirit-Led Intimacy,donated by Dr. Dan and Linda Wilson
• Sheet Music: Uncovering the Secrets of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage by Kevin Leman
• The Cookie Sutra: An Ancient Treatise that Love Shall Never Grow Stale. Nor Crumble. by Edward Jaye
• Foreplay in a Row adult game, donated by MarriedDance.com
• Sliquid Dude Lube Ride sample pack of lubricant
• Sliquid Lip Lickers sample pack of flavored lubricant
• Gift certificate for $40.00 to Heavenly Secrets, an online Christian lingerie boutique (sizes XS through 4XLarge)
• Flame-less, flickering LED pillar candles
• All in a beautiful storage box

Total value = approximately $200! And here are the rules:

The giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian residents only. (Sorry, international followers, I just can’t ship that far!) Find copies of my book in your local bookstore. It’s usually shelved somewhere in Christian Life: Marriage.

To Enter Once: Snap a picture of yourself holding the book in the bookstore and email it to j [at] hotholyhumorous [dot] com, identifying where the photo was taken (bookstore, city, state).

To Enter Twice: Snap that picture, email it to me, and include express permission for me to post it on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest). I will not include a name unless you want me to do so, but I would like to include location.

To Enter Three Times: Snap a picture of yourself buying the book at the cashier and holding the book and your purchase receipt, send it to me, and you’ll be entered three times.

That’s it. Send me the photo anytime up through November 30, and I’ll randomly draw a winner the first week of December. If you win, you’ll receive the package just in time to wrap it up and put it under the Christmas tree for your spouse! (And don’t tell me you’ve already done all your Christmas shopping, or I might have to throw tomatoes at you instead. )

I’m excited to see where my book has shown up and to blessedly give away a great prize to one lucky reader.

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