Date Nights
Remember what it was like when you were young and in love? How you looked forward to a phone call from that special someone and even more so to the upcoming weekend because you would be going on a date with them! Just because we are older now and married does not mean that we have to lose that feeling or that excitement.
Why do a lot of married couples feel that they no longer have to do all of the things that they once did when they were dating? Just because they’ve “caught” the one they were chasing after does not mean that the romance has to end. The days of whispering sweet nothings in your special someone’s ear does not have to cease, and neither do date nights!
I know that with demands from the job, a family, etc., some things fall by the wayside. Romance in your marriage should not be one of them! Make it a priority! If people would continue to do all of the things that they once did to win their mates over, their relationships wouldn’t be in ruins today. Be purposeful about time spent with your mate.
My husband and I have learned this the hard way. Things were great in the beginning of our marriage. We were happy and so much in love. Then other things started creeping in, and we stopped making our marriage a priority. We focused more on the children, our jobs, household chores, everything BUT taking time out for each other and our marriage. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise, then, what happened next. We started drifting further and further apart. We felt disconnected from each other. The slightest little thing would irritate us or aggravate us. We couldn’t quite put our finger on what was going on!
Do not let this happen in your marriage!
We finally realized that something was missing, and we became intentional about the time we would spend together. We started making time for each other. All other things had to wait on days that we would plan an outing for just the two of us or a romantic evening together. We would make sure that the children were well taken care of, and then off we would go!
Whether we spent time on a dinner cruise, walking hand in hand on the beach, or grooming horses in our backyard, it was time spent together doing something that we enjoyed. It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant, unless you want it to be. It’s just important to spend time together. One of my most favorite things to do is just talk. Hold hands across the table as we are dining out, and just talk to each other without a lot of interruptions, except from the waitress occasionally checking on us. Then take a walk by the water’s edge holding each other as we pause to look up at the moon and the stars sparkling for all the world to see but feeling in that moment that they’re dancing just for us.
This may seem small and like one of those “where have you been” moments! Just know that this happens more often than you may think in relationships and marriages. That is why it is so important to make time, be intentionally focused on your mate, and spend time together. Continue to keep the love, romance, and passion alive in your marriages. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been married five years or fifty years. Show your spouse that they are important to you, that you love, cherish, and treasure them, and that nothing else matters in that moment but them.
My husband and I aren’t just planning a date night this time. No, today we are taking an entire day to go on an adventure together – just the two of us. I am looking so forward to our time together. As he was sitting near me drinking his coffee this morning, I asked him for his thoughts on this whole subject of date nights. Here is his response, in his own words:
I have really enjoyed our time together. It gives us time to reconnect and appreciate each other. My wife is a blessing to me. I feel much closer and the bond is greater than before. It’s like another level of intimacy has entered our marriage, and I look forward to our time together. It makes me appreciate my wife, care for her, and cherish her even more. My world feels complete when we’re together talking, snuggling together, holding hands, hugging … just showing affection. It’s huge! I have also realized that this is key in a relationship to maintain the connection, to show the other that you care and appreciate them. You reach out to them for no other reason than to hold them, to have that actual connection, to share your feelings.
I will leave you with that as we begin our adventure together today. Make time for those that you love. Carve out time for memory making moments together.
Change Is Possible
I firmly believe that if a person truly wants to change, they will find a way to make the needed changes in their lives. It might take a situation where the person reaches rock bottom before they finally make that much needed change, but I believe that everyone has it in them to do so if they set their mind to it.
There are addictions of all kinds (i.e. drugs, alcohol, food, sex, etc.). It can be hard to get out from underneath the grip that these things may have on you, but I know that all things are possible with Christ! You don’t have to try to do this alone. He will help you if you only ask. I’m sure you are filled with remorse for having let yourself down as well as your family, but if you ask forgiveness and truly show that your heart and ways have changed, you will slowly gain the trust back from those that you love and who love you.
I have encountered a lot of negativity when I have been supportive toward someone close to me that has just within the past few months admitted that they were addicted to one of the above mentioned things. I will not call the person out, identify them in any way, nor will I state which addiction they have as they deserve privacy and respect. I will, however, say that I have had to endure countless “lectures” on how this person is never going to change, how they don’t believe that this person’s heart has been changed, and how they don’t believe that this person truly wants to make a lasting change. They feel that this person is talking the talk but is not walking the walk. They are standing in judgment of the individual to the point that it angers me. Why such strong emotion? Because this is someone that I love, and whether I’m considered naive, “in denial,” or just plain stupid, I still have faith in this individual. Why? Simply because I know that this is not truly who this person is nor what they are about. I have faith in this person because I know that they have the strength within them and through God to conquer this and squash this addiction once and for all. I know that this person is better than this, they just have to think more of themselves than to allow this cycle to continue.
This person has had a “rock bottom moment” within the past few months so much so that I truly believe the change that they have made for the better will be a lasting change. Sure, in the past it has only lasted two weeks at the max before things reverted back to the way they were before. However, I don’t see that happening now. I see a person that is in recovery. I see a person that has sought help all on their own for their addiction, and I see a person that desperately wants to recover and live a different life. I see a person striving to do so every day. Sure there will be struggles and temptations along the way, but this person can draw on the strength that the Lord provides so that when they are tempted God will deliver them from evil.
The sad thing about this is the ones talking negatively are the ones that were addicts at one point or another in their lives. They sought help and recovered, and yet they doubt this person’s heart and ability to fully recover themselves. How would they have felt in the mist of their recovery process if they had heard such negativity from people that simply did not believe in them? Would it have helped them thrive and continue on in recovery, or would it have caused them to relapse.
People can change. Change is possible if the person is sincere. No one knows their heart but God. However, I choose to see the good in them and will encourage them on their road to recovery.
This post was inspired by the Five Minute Friday prompt word: Change.
Inspire Your Soul
If you’ve been with Light Love Hope for a while now, you know that we love Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen. I have read several of Joyce Meyer’s books, and I have her daily devotional on my phone with the Bible App. I also have a daily devotional book written by Joyce Meyer as well. My husband is a big Joel Osteen fan, and while we have many books written by him, my husband reads Joel’s daily devotional every morning. It doesn’t take long to read through what the devotional has to offer for that day, but the message stays with you throughout the day. You find that with both Joyce and Joel, you meditate on their words throughout the day. You find ways to apply what they’ve said to your life. I especially love the bible verses referenced and how it is biblically based. Some have argued about these two Christian speakers, but I have not found anything in my reading or in seeing them live in person that has not been in line with the Word of God.
With that said, imagine our excitement to learn that not only does Joyce have a new book to add to our collection, but Joel does as well! I can hardly wait to get my hands on a copy of Living Courageously by Joyce Meyer and You Can You Will by Joel Osteen. I enjoy reading their words of wisdom and how they speak the gospel. Having seen both Joyce and Joel in person at their events, I can almost hear them speaking with such power and conviction as I read the words in their books.
PreBuy Living Courageously by Joyce Meyer for just $14.97
at FamilyChristian.com!
PreBuy You Can You Will by Joel Osteen for just $14.97 at FamilyChristian.com
Speaking of daily devotionals, Aaron Tabor has a 365 Interactive Devotional entitled Jesus Daily. While I have not read Aaron Tabor’s work before, I am excited to see what he has to offer to inspire and uplift as we prepare to greet the day.
PreBuy Jesus Daily: 365 Interactive Devotions by Aaron Tabor at FamilyChristian.com for just $9.97
If you are looking for a good Christian Fiction book to read, you may be interested in AD30 by Ted Dekker. While I have not yet read this book, (as I tend to lean more toward self help type books, devotionals, and Non-Fiction), I may just give this book a try. From what I understand, it takes place in the year of our Lord, AD30. Wouldn’t that be an interesting read? I think so!
PreBuy A.D. 30 by Ted Dekker for just $14.97 at FamilyChristian.com
If you’re wondering where we found these jewels, it’s at a little store called Family Christian. You can shop online, or you can visit their various locations. We have two within driving distance that we frequent. I could spend hours in that store (and have … just ask my husband!). From Bibles, to candles, jewelry, prints, music, even performance tracks … they just about have everything you can think of to inspire your soul right there in their store! Check them out! They are sure to become a favorite of yours as well.
