-
Fan That Flame
Fan That Flame - 3 Ideas for Keeping the Flame of Intimacy Burning. I am sure that when you first started dating your spouse, spending time together was something you both couldn’t wait to do. You longed to be with them, you thought about them all the time, you often sent them cute messages, and when you finally saw them again you felt excitement and butterflies. We know that this initial intensity of feeling can’t last, life gets busy and we can get bogged down by the stresses and pressures that come our way. With more than 50% of marriages failing and many others living in unhappy, unfulfilling relationships,…
-
Exploring Old Stomping Grounds
Date Night Idea When you first met your future partner you spent hours talking about your likes, dislikes, your point of view on many different subjects and your personal history, as well as your hopes and goals for the future. While men are generally presented as the gender that doesn’t do a lot of talking, it is extremely common to hear newly smitten women describe an early date with, “We got on so well. He is so easy to talk to. We just talked and talked all night long!” New couples are fascinated with learning about the other person and intrigued by their similarities and differences. The Gottman Institute calls…
-
Moneytalks
Money Talks - 4 Foundations for Financial Success Everybody has heard the old adage, “Money doesn’t grow on trees”. Your parents probably said it to you many times as a child and you likely rolled your eyes in response. But, the older you get, the more you realise how true the statement really is. It often feels like the more money you earn the more you need, and it can certainly be a difficult process figuring out how to balance providing for your family while not making money an idol in your life. Unfortunately, though, money is a “necessary evil” in today's society, and given the emotions and…
-
A Cityscape Date
A Great Way to Keep Costs Down and Still Feel Like You've Had a Break Working on your friendship and making special memories as a couple is so significant for keeping love and passion in your marriage alive. According to relationship expert, and author of The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, Dr. John Gottman - happy marriages are based on a deep friendship. With long-term vitality and connection being maintained through moments of intentional friendship that are woven throughout the course of the relationship. Weekly, or fortnightly, Date Nights are a great way to carve out regular time together in busy schedules in which to work on maintaining and growing…
-
Let’s talk about sex
Let’s talk about sex baby! 4 tips for discussing sex with your spouse Sex, an intimate and beautiful act designed by God, but often presented in today's culture in crass and graphic ways. It is regularly shied away from in the church arena and can even be talked about as dirty or bad. Given the many mixed messages we receive about sex, it is no wonder that most couples struggle to talk about it. Sex is an awkward topic. There is so much emotion attached to it and it’s something most of us have had very little healthy education about. It is likely your parents struggled to have the “Birds…
-
It’s Puzzling – A Puzzle Date Night
Date Night Idea Life is busy. Whether you are enjoying the benefits of just being a couple, or you’ve been blessed with additions to your family, there are constantly “important” things that crop up in life. These things can end up keeping us from spending focused time with our spouse if we let them. Time when we can enjoy each other's company while doing something fun together. According to John Gottman (a scientist, who has studied couples and marriage relationships for over 40 years), there are a number of key things that couples with happy and healthy marriages have in common, 7 of them to be precise. The first three…
-
The Positivity Posture
The Positivity Posture A small perspective shift that significantly improved my marriage. For some people positivity is a gift. These people express words of affirmation exceedingly well and their outlook on life focuses on the good things. I am a strong choleric personality with a bent towards strategy, an ability to identify issues and then find ways to move forward. This means that positivity and affirmations are definitely something I need to work on. That's not to say I am always negative either, but critiquing does come naturally, much to my husband's dismay. About 6 months ago I was having a D & M (one of my favourite things to do)…
-
Picnic Party For Two
Date Night Idea If you are anything like me you love the idea of a picnic. Yummy food, awesome company, and the great outdoors. I own the fancy basket with the mini plastic wine glasses, flimsy cutlery, and tiny space to fit all your food – it’s pretty but not super practical. Unfortunately, though, the reality is we hardly ever have time during warm daylight hours to go on a proper picnic. But, who says you can’t take that pretty basket for a spin, winter or summer? So, last winter when it was cold outside, Mike and I had a picnic for Friday night date night – on our lounge room floor!…
-
Backwards Dating
Backwards Dating - Date Night Idea Who says dinner has to start with an entree? Why not start with dessert?! For my husband and me, our fortnightly date nights are something we both look forward to. This is an opportunity for us to just hang out as a couple, away from the pressures of daily life. A way to make fun new memories; to spend focused time talking, laughing and connecting with each other. However, for all my husbands' great qualities, creativity, especially when it comes to date night ideas, is a struggle. Mike would be very happy with some nice food and a board game or two every time. I,…
-
Lounge Room Slumber Party
Date Night Idea What is the secret to an awesome date night? Your significant other, some creativity and a little bit of planning. Mike and I strongly believe that even though we are married, we still want to date each other for the rest of our lives. But with our busy schedules, date nights don’t happen unless we are intentional and book them in. We have agreed that, for us, once a fortnight is a good frequency and before we book anything else in our month we make sure date night is marked in. Date nights are times when we do something fun together, something different from the norm. But…
