Across the country, schools are letting out for summer. And if you have school-age kids, that means your house is about to get a lot busier from now until the fall. With your normal routines disrupted, it can be challenging to keep intimacy alive in your marriage. But the truth is, it doesn’t have to be that way. Summer is a great time of year to deepen your connection and spend some much-needed time together. Whether you have small children or teens, summer offers a wide variety of activities and opportunities that will bring you and your spouse closer than…
So your spouse wants to go back to school. Maybe this comes as a shock to you: College? Graduate School? Now? Or maybe this has been an ongoing conversation for a while, but now your spouse says it’s time. The pressure’s on. You’re not sure your spouse going to undergraduate or graduate school is the best idea for your family right now. The thought of reducing or losing your spouse’s income makes you sweat buckets, and you’re not sure if you’re up to the challenge of shouldering more financial burden and responsibility at home–not to mention the possibility of student…
Our side of the world is finally beginning to thaw from the wintertime freeze. That means it’s a great time to make the most of the fresh, new season. We love the warm weather and sunshine–and we know you do, too–so we’ve compiled a list of some fun springtime dates for you to enjoy together. From backyard picnics to national parks, bike rides to folk art festivals, there are plenty of dates you can go on with your sweetheart this spring. Each of these ideas can help you get to know one another better and build a stronger, more connected…
Do you and your spouse set aside time once a year to plan for the next 12 months? Making time together for planning, intention, and strategic thought as you move into the future together will bind you closer together and give you shared goals to work toward as a couple. We’ve found that there’s great value in pausing to talk about the direction you’re headed going forward. The New Year’s celebration might be behind us already, but you don’t have to wait until next January to build a shared vision with your spouse. It’s never too late to dream and…
There’s more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. I Corinthians 6:16 The loss of passionate romance is a common complaint in marriage. It seems that once the confetti and rice are swept away and the last of the wedding cake is put in the freezer, so is the couple’s passion. But marriage in no way requires passion to be put on ice. Love grows less exciting with time for the same reasons that the second run on a fast toboggan slide is less exciting than the first. But as any…
Marriage is all about partnership, and often that involves compromising on things you don’t necessarily agree upon. One topic we hear couples discuss often is the dilemma they face when it comes to celebrating special occasions together, like Valentine’s Day or anniversaries. You might get excited about the prospect of having a romantic experience together; sharing special affection and gifts may speak to you in a way it doesn’t to your spouse. On the other hand, your spouse might dread the looming celebration. The gap between expectation and reality can create uncomfortable friction between you as the big day approaches….
For many of us in the United States, wintertime is in full swing right now. This time of year, it’s not unusual for many areas to see snow…and, in some places, a little bit of snow can mean a lot of time spent together at home, waiting for the roads to thaw. If you and your spouse find yourselves with an unexpected snow-day-in (or two…or three) this winter, there are plenty of ways you can create joyful memories with one another during your downtime. 1. Play in the snow There’s nothing quite like putting day-to-day responsibilities on hold and reconnecting…
To grow together as soul mates, you and your spouse need to tend to one another—and your marriage–on a spiritual level. Without working together to feed your souls, your bond will remain surface-level, putting your marriage at risk for falling apart when restlessness strikes. But when you anchor yourselves spiritually and grow your soul-bond with intention, you allow God’s presence to fill your relationship. Spiritual nurturing can be achieved by building simple practices into your marriage, then making them habits. Caring for the soul of your marriage doesn’t have to be boring, monotonous, or complicated; on the contrary, the simplicity…
Holidays are a wonderful time of year, but sometimes they can become a source of burnout that puts a damper on your spirit and your ability to enjoy this time together. Whether one or both spouses is feeling this way, holiday burnout can strain your relationship and inhibit your ability to enjoy what should be an otherwise peaceful and happy time. Instead of stressing us out, the holidays are meant to be a time of year to reflect, celebrate together, and enjoy a season of giving. In last week’s post, we shared three tips for avoiding (or overcoming) burnout together…
Are you and your spouse looking forward to the holidays this year—or are you dreading them? Do you find yourselves struggling to enjoy a season that’s supposed to be happy and fulfilling? This time of year is fast-paced and crammed with activities, and if we’re not careful, we can end up getting burned out and exhausted instead of truly allowing ourselves to savor every moment together. If the two of you are anticipating burnout—or are already stressed to the max, even before the holidays arrive—that’s okay. Every couple experiences holiday burnout at one time or another, but you can work…