Mark: Several years ago Jill and I took a ballroom dancing class. I admit I was NOT excited about this activity. However, I knew it was important for us to do some different activities in order to keep our relationship fresh. I knew we needed to invest intentionally in our relationship and to change things up every once in a while.
Jill: I was excited about taking the dance classes together. More than dancing together, I just looked forward to being together one night a week. We got in a habit of taking the class and then going out for dessert afterwards. We learned swing dancing, salsa, the two-step, and the waltz. Today we can only swing dance. For some reason that one stuck in our brains…but it was the only one!
Mark: February is a great month to start a new “habit” for your marriage. Use Valentine’s Day to make a weekly/monthly plan to do something together as a couple. You don’t even have to leave home to make investment happen.
Jill: Maybe it’s a commitment to turn off the television and play a game together one night a week (Bananagrams is one of our favorite games to play as a couple). Maybe it’s praying together after you turn out the lights. Maybe it’s signing up for a dance class.
Mark: And what if you’re willing but your spouse is not? Determine to BE the right person in the midst of that disappointment. Ask God to show you how to love well, even when it is hard. Commit to stand in the gap for your marriage and pray.
Jill: If you’re looking for something to do together for the next four weeks, you, or you and your spouse can sign up for our FREE No More Perfect Marriages e-Challenge. You’ll receive a once-a-week quick-read email that will link to a short quiz for each of you to take to better know yourselves and each other. Then we encourage you to talk with each other about your quiz results.
Mark: Whatever you do, do your best to make 2017 your year of marriage investment! We’re going to do our best to help you do that here on the blog and with all kinds of resources we’re creating to go along with the No More Perfect Marriages book that will be released in just a few weeks! We’re excited and we hope you are too!
