Celebrate … US!
The month of February was filled with celebrations of love. Oh, I’m sure people celebrated on Valentine’s Day, and there were some that may have known about National Marriage Week to go on a “date night” one night that week. For my husband and I, though, we decided to take advantage of the entire month of February to celebrate … US!
Date nights used to be so rare for us. With rushing children from daycare, school, and their extra curricular activities, to all of the commitments we had and committees we were on at church, it was rare for us to have a single moment to ourselves. When we did, we were TIRED! Now that our children are older, we do have a bit more freedom. We also realized a few years ago that we were really getting burnt out going and doing everything! We decided to perfect saying, “No.” While that did not go over well with some, it was what we needed to do for us and our sanity. I even had a friend tell me once a few years ago that she was tired just from hearing about our hectic schedule. The thing is, at the time, we did not realize that we HAD such a hectic schedule. We just thought we were a normal family affording our children with the best opportunities by having them involved in different activities that interested them. Growing up, I never had these opportunities, so I gladly offered them to my children. From ballet, clogging, and soft ball, we were quite busy, but they loved it! At first. After several years, though, they lost interest in the pointe shoes they were working hard to earn, and the tapping and clicking of their clogging shoes no longer held their interest. Likewise, the ball heading straight for them no longer thrilled them when they dove forward to give it a good wack to send it sailing over the net. It was at this point that we said, “Okay … we’ll rest.” AND, we all breathed a big sigh of relief!
In came more family time together … and more time for each other!
While the children and I were technically “together” in the car as I carted them here and there, we were not sharing in an activity together as a family. My husband and I also did not have very much “alone time.” Now, though, we make date nights a priority, and we LOVE trail riding together as a family!!
Family time really and truly is important. Couple time is just as important, too!
We have always made sure to have family meals together at the table. That has been an important part of our evenings is gathering together for a nice meal. Here, we reconnected after a long, hard day. We could each talk about how our days were or what we had on our minds at that particular point in time. It really makes a difference when you carve out time for those that mean the world to you! There are so many people pulling on us during the course of the day making demands of us that it is quite refreshing when we’re gathered together as a family. No demands. Nothing required of us. Just our little family enjoying each other’s company!
When was the last time you and your special someone carved out time just for the two of you? If it’s been a while, I encourage you to make time!!! You cannot go wrong by investing in your relationship together. Whether you enjoy dinner and a movie, or strolling by the water’s edge with the sand between your toes, do something that shuts the entire world out and only has room for two as you celebrate each other.
For us, we enjoy camping with our horses. We went a month or so ago in 25 degree weather camping overnight just to have some time together; us and nature. It was perfect!
Since then, we’ve made special reservations at a few pricey restaurants that we’ve been wanting to try out, and took the time to celebrate … us! Why wait for a special occasion? Take any opportunity you can to make an ordinary day special for your loved one. We’ve learned to do just that and encourage you to as well!
If dining out isn’t your thing, make a nice meal at home and have it by candlelight with soft music playing in the background.
You just can’t go wrong when you put your mate first and make spending time together a priority!
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Dirty Socks
I read something this week where women were complaining about their husbands leaving their dirty socks – or laundry in general – on the floor. One woman said that the devil was right there to whisper, “Your husband does not love you when he leaves his dirty socks for you to pick up.”
Have you felt this way before?
While I haven’t exactly felt unloved by dirty socks on the floor, it has been a little annoying when it happens occasionally. What we have to realize is that, despite what the devil tries to whisper in our ears, our husbands really aren’t doing it intentionally to cause us any harm. They certainly aren’t doing it to say, “Hey, I don’t value you or appreciate that you keep the house clean … and by the way, I don’t love you and here’s a dirty sock to prove it!” In all honesty, they aren’t thinking of anything other than getting those socks off of their feet at the end of the evening. Should they pick them up when they leave the living room after watching a movie and put them in the hamper in the bathroom? Yes, it would be much appreciated. But, chances are, unless they’ve tripped over them, they didn’t give those socks another thought once they took them off and tossed them on the floor beside them.
My point in all of this is that while we would appreciate that he didn’t leave those dirty socks laying around, what harm does it do to pick them up if it happens every now and then? If it is something that happens every day, then yes, bring it to their attention and ask that they put the dirty socks in the hamper. But, if it is only occasionally that this happens, extend grace.
After all, don’t you also need grace? I know I do!
When I leave my pants draped over the shoe tree in my closet because I just didn’t take the time to hang them up, I appreciate that my husband doesn’t make a big deal about it. And, if you want to know what’s better than him not saying anything about it … is the fact that he will do a favor for me and put them on hangers himself at times without my asking. Now that is SWEET that not only does he extend grace to me instead of making a big deal about my clothes hanging on the shoe tree, he’ll hang them up for me occasionally as well. If he does that for me, surely I can extend grace over the times when he will occasionally leave his dirty socks around, and I can pick them up without making a big deal about it.
My point with the whole dirty socks thing is … extend grace. Just as you’d want your spouse to extend grace to you.
Pick your battles. Are those dirty socks REALLY worth going to battle over with your spouse?
Just when the devil is there to whisper, “See … he doesn’t love you. There are those dirty socks again.” Shut him down, humble yourself to pick those socks up off the floor and put them away yourself. Choose to LOVE your spouse and believe that your spouse loves you, too, despite those dirty socks and lies from the devil!
Remember, the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Don’t allow him to plant untruths in your head about your marriage. Don’t let him steal your joy or the love you feel for your spouse, and don’t let him destroy the marriage that God has blessed you with!
