Love is like a wood stove
- if you want the romance to stay hot, you have to feed it!
- if you neglect it, the fire will go out.
- You can’t keep the fires going in your stove, by feeding somebody else’s stove.
- If you don’t get the smoke outside the house, it will kill the fire and you!
(We all have our quirks. But don’t keep harping on them.)
- Sometimes you have to shut it down to get the ashes out and clean it up!
(Sometimes you have to be apart to really appreciate each other.)
- You can’t expect a good fire by trying to burn wet wood.
(Emotional placebos and empty promises don’t work)
- To build a fire, you start with little kindling, then add the big stuff.
(Kindness and gentleness go a long way in cultivating love)
- To keep the fires going through the long nights, you have to add some wet wood to the hot fire. It may smolder for a while, but in the end, it will last through the night.
(don’t be afraid to speak your mind, even when it seems difficult. You’ll be glad you did later on)
- If you shut the air supply down, (called the draw) even the hottest the fire will go out.
(Shutting down the Communication, will also shut down the romance)
- If you don’t control the damper. (The flapper in the stove pipe) the fire will burn hot, but not last.
(If you don’t control your words, things will heat up, but the romance will go out)
- There’s a lot of work in getting the wood early, so it can be dry and seasoned when needed.
(Showing love all year long, will carry you through the disagreements.)
- If you don’t put a covering on top of the stove pipe, the first storm will blow your fire into the house.
(Love and romance are great, but keep you have to protect it. Or it will turn into wild fire)
- Sealing up you house for winter, is better than 100 cords of dry wood!
(Defending your home life, is better than 1000 I’m sorry’s!)
- Never keep your wood exposed to the winter snow, rain, wind or ice.
(Never let the caustic attitude of others, influence your relationship)
- Putting your stove in the center of the house, will heat the whole house!
(don’t hide your affection for your wife, from your kids. They need to see you holding hands)
- It’s better to eat a hot soup off the wood stove with family, than cold steak in an empty house.
(Love in the home is the foundation of the home. but cold indifferent attitudes lead to an empty house)
- Sitting around the warm stove for family time, is better than sitting in a cold room alone. (If your home is just a house, build a fire in the stove, love, kindness and laughter will transform a cold house into a warm castle)
- There should always be plenty of room around a stove, for heating and also for fire safety. (Quality time together is essential, but so is personal space)
- Teaching the little children to stay away from the wood stove, is always for their protection. (Keep your family protected from the wild fires of youth)
- Keeping a few bends in the stove pipe, will help high winds from pulling your fire out of the fire box. (the boundaries set in the home, will keep the home a home)
- Never put explosive ANYTHING into a wood stove! Like gasoline!
(Maturity by example is a must, when teaching your children self-control)
- It takes time to cook a hot meal on a kitchen wood stove, but slow cooking will taste better than best restaurant in town!
(quality Time invested in your family, is better than the shallow amusement park entertainment)
- Kitchen stove take small wood, heating stoves take big wood, mixing them up will never work.
(Don’t treat your spouse like a kid, or your kids like a spouse)-
- NEVER burn coal in a wood stove!
(don’t overload your kids with responsibility, or they will burn out under a heavy load)
- Some things are never meant to burned in a wood stove! keep them out at all cost!
(Some people if allowed in your home, will destroy it)
- A good wood stove will turn those old chunky/crusty/ rust cast iron skillets into looking like new again! But don’t try it with the dishes!
(Keep your tools in the garage, and the dishes in the kitchen)
- Some wood burns too hot for a cheap woodstove. (It will burn the bottom out of the stove). starting with a quality stove, is better than rebuilding your house, or burying those who were in the house.
(don’t let problems in your home, destroy why you have a home)!
- Putting sand in the bottom of a cheap stove usually work. But not always.
(You can be too thrifty, and put bitterness into your loved ones.)
- If the stove is too big for the house, you won’t be able to regulate the heat.
(Being too busy outside of the home, will cause you to lose control of the home.)
- If the stove is too small for the house, you won’t be able to keep the house warm.
(If you hide your love from your family, their hearts will grow cold)
- Never throw water into a hot stove!
(When your family gets inspired to do something different, let them.)
- Never go to sleep to near the stove!
(Don’t let misplaced priorities rob you of your responsibilities)
- A good stove won’t do you any good, if you keep the inside doors closed, or the outside windows open!
(Your example in the home, must match your example outside the home. otherwise its just a bunch of high sounding idea’s)
- A bad stove will never fix itself!
(If problems in the home aren’t addressed, they will only get worse.)
- Its not good to leave a hot stove unattended for very long!
(Kids have some very creative ideas. Don’t leave them un-attended)
- a beautiful ornate woodstove, will heat just as good as a quality common one.
(don’t push your kids to be achievers! Teach them to be faithful)
- the best woodstove you can find, is of no avail:
- if it’s not used when needed.
- if you don’t know how to use it.
- if you don’t have one.
- if you have no wood.
(The best intentions and finest motives, will not work if you neglect them!)