26 Ways to Make Date Nights as Easy as ABC

26 Ways to Make Date Nights as Easy as ABC

by | Sep 9, 2020 | Articles

Isn’t it amazing to think of how easy it used to be to squeeze in a date night? In fact, can you believe that there was once a time where that’s literally almost all you did together? But, if you think of what dating provided for you way back then, you’d quickly discover why it’s SO important to keep those date nights alive.

Dating helped you establish your friendship, it helped you discover both of your likes and dislikes, and it likely provided a lot of laughter too. All the things that bonded you as a couple back then, can still bond you together as a married couple now. That’s why date nights are so necessary.

But we totally understand if you’re running out of ideas, so we’d love to help you with that. No matter how busy life gets, with just a little bit of effort, we truly believe date nights can be as easy as the ABCs, and here’s the proof….

A. Adventurous Eats- Go out for food you haven’t eaten before

B. Bike riding, explore your neighborhood or find a new place

C. Chalk drawing encouraging messages on sidewalks for strangers

D. Dessert and Dancing at home

E. Escape room. Grab some friends and take on the challenge

F. Fishing. Farmers Market or Food Truck

G. Game night at home or with friends

H. Horseback riding. Hammocks at the park. Hiking.

I. Ice cream sundaes. Go all out!

J. Journey through old photo albums

K. Kite flying. Karaoke.

L. Live music. Learn a new skill.

M. Massages at home or at a salon

N. Netflix new series

O. Outside fire pit or outside swing

P. Pedicures. Popcorn and a classic movie. Picnic. Photoshoot

Q. Quickie somewhere new

R. Random act of kindness together

S. State park

T. Trivia night.

U. Unwind by relaxing at home without technology

V. Vacation dreaming and planning.

W. Walk in a park you’ve never been to

X. Xbox gaming together

Y. Yard games.

Z. Zip lining. Zoo.

One more thing date nights do—they help you learn more about each other, and just because you’re married, that doesn’t mean you’re done getting to know each other. In addition to these date night ideas, if you’d like to keep on getting to know each other and have some things to talk about while you’re out, go ahead and grab our 25 Date Night Conversations from the tab below!

Now go on, get out there and have some fun!

*Disclaimer: The information discussed here is meant for entertainment purposes and is not meant to replace counseling or working with a trained healthcare professional.

Christian marriage counseling and marriage coaching online
5 Ways to Know if your Marriage is Headed for Trouble

5 Ways to Know if your Marriage is Headed for Trouble

by | Sep 9, 2020 | Articles

I’m assuming that you’re here reading this because something in your marriage seems to be missing or just perhaps isn’t right. We want to get really specific and help you identify if any of these potential warning signs might be going off in your marriage. But, if they are, don’t fret, they can ALL be repaired, turned around, and redeemed. It’s important to know that even in your worst-case scenario, hope is available.

One of the simplest early warning signs is that you’re just NOT SATISFIED. Keeping in mind that happiness is not the end all, be all, but a lack of it certainly can be a clue that things may not be okay. Despite what society might tell you, a lack of happiness is not a reason to move on and head towards divorce. There are so many deeper, more profound goals of a marriage than just to be happy. BUT your marriage indeed should be generally satisfying, so if it’s not, it’s time to address it.

If your COMMUNICATION is erratic, non-existent, hostile, involves name calling, or if you aren’t talking at all, this is a problem. The more you ignore it, the more you will find yourself going in circles, and guess what? Circles lead to nowhere! Communication is critical to have in a marriage.

Next up, is if you or your spouse have CHECKED OUT. Being checked out in your marriage really is just another way of saying you just don’t care anymore. This can happen to couples who have let things go a little longer than they should and now hopelessness is creeping in. If this is you, it’s definitely time to get some help. If this goes on for a length of time, it will take your marriage to a place that you never meant for it to go.

Now let’s talk about JUST STAYING TOGETHER FOR THE KIDS. We can’t even begin to tell you how wrong this mentality is. Your kids don’t want you to just stay together, they want you to be in a marriage together. Simply staying together for the kids just teaches them to grow up, get married and do the exact same thing. While you’re simply just staying together, you are also actively modeling what marriage should look like. If your marriage isn’t a marriage you want your kids to have, then work on it so you can actually model a healthy one for them. Show them what it is to fight for your marriage. That’s something they will appreciate.

Lastly, it’s the most obvious one, if you’re using the D WORD, your marriage is in trouble. If you’ve said it, you’ve thought about it, and if you’ve thought about it, it won’t be long before you do it.

We tell you these things not to solely help you identify that your marriage might be in trouble, but we say these things to let you know it’s time for a change. In order for things in your marriage to change, things in your marriage will need to change. We know it can feel hopeless sometimes, but there are people out there like us, who willing to loan you our hope until you find yours once again.

God is for your marriage. He wants it to be good, connected and healthy. Afterall, it represents the love Christ has for his Bride, the Church. Let the Lord use your hard times for growth instead of destruction. Reach out for help, get reconnected and start talking.

*Disclaimer: The information discussed here is meant for entertainment purposes and is not meant to replace counseling or working with a trained healthcare professional.

Christian marriage counseling and marriage coaching online
5 Questions to Ask your Spouse When You’ve Run Out of Things to Say

5 Questions to Ask your Spouse When You’ve Run Out of Things to Say

by | Aug 5, 2020 | Articles, Communication

If you’ve been married for any length of time, it’s likely that you’ve already developed a routine in your marriage. So much so that if I were to ask you what your next week would look like, perhaps even your next month, you would likely already know—well, unless it’s 2020, then you’d have absolutely NO IDEA what to expect! Shew! Come on 2021!

Anyways, the point is, marriage can get pretty predictable and pretty mundane—not in every season, but in many. If you want to spice it up, you have to be intentional about it.

One of the ways you can get trapped in the mundane is when you run out of things to say to one another simply because you’ve become so conditioned to only talking about the “business” of your family—the work schedules, the kids, the bills, the home repairs, you name it. But at the end of it all, you might be finding yourself a bit clueless about what else there even is to say.

Well, if that’s you, you’re in the right place! We can help!

If you want conversations to flow between the two of you, it’s going to require reconnecting—and that will involve seeing each other once again, as something other than just mom and dad.

It’s time to start talking, start dreaming and start connecting, and here are the questions to get you there… 

What do you miss about us? Asking each other this allows you each to tap into that empty space you may have, the space that longs for the connection. The space that can really only be filled by one another.

When you get your answer, you have a solution. Do those things. Get back what went missing! 

When the kids are grown, what do you want our life together to look like? Moving towards future thoughts allows you to dream of more than where you are now. Not as if the now is bad, but it’s also not the end. There’s more ahead. Talk about it, dream about it and get excited.

What do you think about our sex life? Talk about what you like or dislike. Reminisce over what it was like the first time you made love. Don’t be shy, your spouse is exactly who you should share this with. An active sex life is a great gift to a marriage—and when you can talk about it, that’s better yet. Talking about the physical connection invites in the emotional connection.

Do you want to plan a vacation? Who doesn’t want to do that? Keep in mind that it doesn’t matter if you’re in a financial position or the best stage of life to do so—talk about it anyway. Make a plan for 2 years down the road. Make a plan sooner for somewhere cheap and easy. A change of locations shoves all the stress aside and brings to the surface the relaxed side of each other.

Can I tell you what I love about you? Ding—Ding—Ding!!! We have a winner! Of course, you can tell me why I’m so great, Honey! But seriously, when you get caught up in routines, another part of that is taking one another for granted. You begin to forget those things that you love and spend more time focusing on the things that you perhaps, well, don’t love. That’s not good, so go ahead and ask this question and then deliver your list—oh, special tip—know what you’re going to say before you ask this, otherwise that long pause isn’t going to go over so well!

Be intentional in your marriage, quality time and conversation won’t just happen on its own. Prioritize your marriage and then make time for the important things to happen. And, if you get to where you want to go out on a date, we’ve got you covered for that too! Check out our 25 Date Night Conversations and keep the communication going!

 
52 week couples devotional for newly weds and newlywed wanna be's, even if you have been married for over 30 years you can benefit your marriage
Buy Now on Amazon

Book

Newlywed Couple's Devotional

(for Newlywed Couples and Newlywed Wanna-Be's)

features:

•  52 Weekly Devotionals that explore common issues and themes every couple experiences, such as intimacy, love, commitment, household duties, finances, and more

•  Everyday Scripture and Reflective Bible Studies that provide practical solutions to bringing marriages closer to God

•  Action-Oriented Discussion Prompts that hold couples accountable for maintaining their God-anchored vows

•  Weekly Prayers that are specific and relevant to the topics discussed

5 Things your Husband Needs to Hear

5 Things your Husband Needs to Hear

by | Aug 3, 2020 | Articles

Husbands often get a rap for being simple and uncomplicated, and while to a degree this is true, it doesn’t mean they don’t have a need for their wives to understand them. As strong and as put together as they may appear on the outside, they can actually quite often battle with inadequacy or the fear of being found out that they aren’t as great as everyone may think they are. 

Husbands struggle with the fear of not being good enough as much as wives do. 

As a wife, if you want to do your part to pour into the life of your husband, here are a few things they need to hear from you.

I believe in you—Your husband needs to know that you are behind him and that you are believing in him. They truly do care about how you feel about things and your belief in them is a big part of what propels them to do most of the things they do. Remind him of your support frequently.

It’s okay to take time for yourself—Many husbands often feel guilty over their desires to do some things on their own that they enjoy. More often than not, men don’t like sacrificing family time for free time, but just as it is necessary for you, it is also necessary for them to have this time—and your encouragement/permission, helps 

them to de-stress in their fun and filling ways without feeling all of the guilt.

I appreciate your efforts—More than likely your husband works hard—and it’s also more than likely that their work often looks easy for them.  But that doesn’t mean that it is. Sorry men, but you’re known for not revealing your feelings to your wives, so it’s not unlikely that your hubby has work stress that he’s not letting you see. He is probably dealing with some things that he doesn’t want to burden you with, so he keeps them to himself. Your reminder that all of his work efforts and provisions for the family will be much appreciated. 

It’s okay that you failed—that doesn’t mean you are a failure. It’s a big deal for most husbands to be really hard on themselves when they mess up or miss the mark. In fact, the fear of failure often keeps many husbands from making bold moves that they would really love to make. Reminding them that their failures are ok and a necessary part of life and totally disconnected to who they are as a person, will go a long way.

I don’t hold the past against you—Wives, put down your scoreboards. Us wives are so good at remembering all.the.things, and it’s not uncommon for us to dump out that whole bag of past mistakes during every argument. Setting that scoreboard down will not only help your husband, it will also provide great freedom for you from carrying it all around. A husband who believes every mistake will be held over his head is a husband who will likely give up and quit trying, because he starts believing that no matter what he does, you will always find something to be unsatisfied with.

At the end of the day, your words hold power over your husband’s life. They can speak life and hope, or they can crush a spirit. A husband who feels believed in, empowered and courageous, is a husband who will impact his family greatly. 

If you want to encourage your husband but don’t know the exact words to use, click the link below and get the simplified list of Sweet Things to Say to your Husband.

3 Things to Help Protect your Marriage During the Holidays

3 Things to Help Protect your Marriage During the Holidays

by | Jul 14, 2020 | Articles

The holidays are always a time of joy and excitement, but they can also be a time of escalated stress and overwhelm—but then enters all that is 2020, and who knows what they might bring this year! Am I right?!

Regardless of what this holiday season has in store for us this year, we know that these three things are essential in order for your marriage to maintain its health.

Let’s start with PRIORITIES. You have to know what you prioritize as a couple and as individuals. In order to do that, you’re going to have to make a time to sit down and discuss these things. At the end of this blog, go grab your copy of Important Holiday Conversations, and we’ll help you with that. 

The reality is, if you don’t know what your priorities are during the holidays, then it’s pretty much a guarantee that you won’t be prioritizing any of them. This is going to lead to a lot of frustration and unfulfillment. However, when you can vocalize your priorities, you can then, together, strategize, and therefore be sure to keep first things first. This is a must because there’s nothing worse than a holiday season that is filled with hardly anything that you value!

Now, let’s move on to EXPECTATIONS—otherwise known as what we like to refer to as premeditated resentments. Expectations are those things that you have strong beliefs about–like believing that thing will happen, or that person will do that. When it comes to holidays, statistically speaking, the wives feel like the burden of pulling off a good holiday season falls completely on them, which means there’s likely a lot of unmet expectations on the other end of that.

Another big thing with expectations is the ones we often put on ourselves. It’s not difficult to spend the holidays exhausting ourselves while we run around doing all the things that we feel are expected of us. You can avoid a lot of that stress by bringing those things to light in advance and talking them through together. Again, we’re going to help you do that, so don’t worry!

Lastly, let’s wrap it up with this thing we like to call BOUNDARIES. Such a cringy, scary word isn’t it? Aren’t boundaries those things people get mad at you for? Well, sometimes, but the truth is, those people who get mad at you for having them are the exact people you likely need to have them for. So, there’s that.

But really, boundaries actually have nothing to do with other people. Boundaries have everything to do with YOU. They are a way of saying what you are ok and not ok with—they are how you protect your family, your peace and your well-being. People who love and respect you will get that, and actually should encourage it.

Boundaries can get especially tricky around the holidays when parents get upset you’re not coming home for Christmas, or when you can’t go to 3 different family members houses for Thanksgiving, or when you just can’t afford to buy cousin Johnny, who you really don’t even know, a gift. 

Boundaries are essential during the holidays and it is important that you create them together as a husband and wife. Together, you need to do what you need to do to protect your family and make sure you have the holiday that fits who you are as a family. 

As you move forward in creating PRIORITIES, EXPECTATIONS, and BOUNDARIES, let us come with you and guide the way. Down below, go ahead and get your copy of Important Holiday Conversations and let us help you navigate these essentials, so you can have the holiday that you desire.
52 week couples devotional for newly weds and newlywed wanna be's, even if you have been married for over 30 years you can benefit your marriage
Buy Now on Amazon

Book

Newlywed Couple's Devotional

(for Newlywed Couples and Newlywed Wanna-Be's)

features:

•  52 Weekly Devotionals that explore common issues and themes every couple experiences, such as intimacy, love, commitment, household duties, finances, and more

•  Everyday Scripture and Reflective Bible Studies that provide practical solutions to bringing marriages closer to God

•  Action-Oriented Discussion Prompts that hold couples accountable for maintaining their God-anchored vows

•  Weekly Prayers that are specific and relevant to the topics discussed