I am challenged!!

   Last night we had our monthly marriage class at our Church and it was on sex...Woohoo right? I just have to say that we have the funniest people at our Church!!! I really did grasp some great truths from the message about God, sex & my husband. I think though that I had a couple of things that stuck out more than the sex part. In one part of the video that we watched, they had a group discussion with couples, they were sharing about what lures each spouse in. One husband said, "my wife tells me how amazing I am in so many different ways, she speaks this to me and I feel like I am the best husband ever." Then another part, a husband talked about how his wife always told him thank you and showed appreciation for doing things around the house or in the yard. My teacher, Janine said that men like a parade when they do these things & its our job to throw it. EVEN if it doesn't seem right, our men want our praises because two things that they desire the most (not including sex) is respect/honor & appreciation.
   Hearing these two gut wrenching discussions had me looking like a deer in headlights!! I mean, don't get me wrong I do tell Mike thank you but I surely don't throw a parade!! Mike is a hard worker, he will come home and go straight to work outside in the yard or doing something to the house or on a car, he has done these things during our entire marriage. I think that I have taken those things for granted because they come naturally to Mike, it is what he does. Then the part of telling him how amazing he is...whew... it's not that I "don't" think this. I actually say it a lot to my friends and I do tell him at times how awesome he is but often might really be narrowed down to seldom. I am just not built to let the words flow out like that, it feels risky, as crazy as that sounds. I can look at him and think these things to myself but why is it when I sit here & imagine myself letting the words come out, does it seem like it would be fake? Is it pride, is it wounds, is it untruths that the enemy has lead me to think? Not only do men desire praise & honor but read the verse below from the Bible, I have 2 versions here. They seem a little different, one version just says respect but the other one goes deeper, explaining what respect should be given.
 ³³ So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
And the wife must see to it that she deeply respects her husband--obeying, praising, and honoring him" Ephesians 5:33
I am challenged and even saying those 3 words brought out a sigh. I am going to pray through whatever it is that keeps me from showing respect, honor & praise with my words/mouth because my heart does truly want my husband to feel like my hero!!!