I am back from an excellent weekend, celebrating my anniversary with my hubby. 🙂 We were able to reconnect, and just be a couple. That can be so important sometimes. To remember the identity you share as a couple. Not as a mom and dad, but as a couple. Remembering that, at one time, you were together and in love for a reason other than the kids.
We slept in late (By force, my body woke me up at 5:00 am and I told it to go back to sleep 🙂 ) and putted around at one of the local festivals in town. We enjoyed the historic area, and did much of nothing except to enjoy each others company.
I have to admit, my husband had to push me out the door to go. I wanted to spend our money more practically, but he insisted that sometimes we just have to live our life. I am grateful to him for pushing me and making me go.
One of the things we did together while alone was read a book we have had for quite sometime. We took the weekend to read The DNA of Relationships by Dr. Gary and Michael Smalley.What better time to focus on our relationship than on our anniversary.
We firmly believe in renewing our relationship, and finding new ways to love each other. Taking the time to read a book on relationships or going to a conference for couples, or a class at your church doesn’t have to be only when your marriage is in trouble. In fact we view it as “preventive maintenance”. We have been to counselors when we have had issues in our marriage we just could not seem to work through in our lives, ( Counseling does not only have to be when you are on the brink of divorce. ) but we also attempt to be proactive to make our marriage better. I don’t want a mediocre marriage, I want a great marriage.
I know, maybe you have heard it all before, maybe you know all there is to know about having a good marriage. But sometimes we need to hear things to refresh ourselves. Repetition is good for the memory, it keeps it in the forefront of our mind. It is also a good way to show your spouse that they are important enough for the investment. It opens dialogue to discuss things that may be important but never the right time to talk about.
If you don’t have time to read a book, or go to a conference or class at church, maybe start with something small. For example, Michael Smalley has a blog, CrashIntoLove.com . You can read it, and he can read it. Take the time once a week and talk about your favorite post. You do not even have to read them together, it just gives you topics to discuss and to create dialogue about your relationship. How do you agree or disagree, what do you each value?
If you have never done anything like this before, it may seem awkward at first, but you will find it so exciting as you reconnect with each other and make your relationship a priority.
Now I will make a plug here (Nothing in it for me) : If you are in the Atlanta area, my home church is having a marriage conference on the DNA of Relationships. Check it out by visiting trinitychapel.org . I will be there, and I hope you can be too.
YES, and sometimes you need to just get away together and love on each other with out everyone around. That does things that no book no con. can do.We are so busy that we don’t take that time thats needed.Its not always easy to find baby sitters ,dog sitters ,money to go away but GOD.I am so very happy that you and Ben did this for yourself.I have found out of 15 years that time is so much needed in our marriage.So for myself that is my goal,time alone with my wonderful husband.God ,showed us that early in our marriage,that things will try to still your time.You planted many seeds in your marriage that weekend.