Tag: love

Faith and Love

“Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,” – Ephesians‬ ‭1:15‬ ‭KJV‬‬

What are you planting?

Your Life Speaks

This scripture from the Bible has stood out to me because of something that Paul says. While writing this letter to the church at Ephesus, he says that their faith  and their love are what he heard about. I’ve been thinking about this the last couple of days and I wonder if the same could be said of us. 

Your life speaks...what is it saying? #youspeakvolumes #livelife Click To Tweet

Does our faith speak? Does our love speak? They should speak to those around us. Our lives should be filled with faith and love. Everyone wants to make an impact, but how does real impact happen? 

Paul said that their faith and their love is what impacted him. The same should be said of our faith and love. One area that our faith and love can be seen is in our marriages. 

 

Faith in Your Marriage

 

Faith in your marriage can look like persevering  through hard times. It’s not always that you have to be on the brink of divorce for you to have faith in your marriage. Faith can look like praying for your marriage in the morning. It can also look like having peace in your day to day. Faith in your marriage can look like believing for a consistent date night. The point is that having faith in and for your marriage is more than waiting until your about to file for divorce. 

 

Love In Your Marriage

 

How does love in your marriage look? Do you picture it as your favorite rom-com movie? Or does it look like a relationship that you saw as a child?

 

Love in your marriage is two parts; how you give love and how you receive love. You need to know both. Does love look like handwritten letters or exotic vacations or even sitting on the couch watching your favorite show. 

 

So what does love look like for your marriage and what do you do to maintain it? Love has to continue to grow and develop. It’s a living part of your marriage and has to be treated as such. There are some practical things you can you like praying together, date nights, vacations together and communication are a way to get started. 

 

Building the faith and love in your marriage is what will speak to those around us.  Like Paul wrote to the believers in Ephesians ,their faith and love are what spoke to Paul. Your faith and love will also speak. 

 

Discussion Question:

What do you want your faith and love to say?

5 Fall Date Ideas

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” 

― Benjamin Franklin

 

I know that it’s the start of summer, the kids have just gotten out of school and the family summer plans are in full effect. It’s a little early to think of this upcoming fall season, but why not have some fun and begin the thought process of having some fun this fall. 

Fall Leaves

Fall is a great season to get close and spend time with your spouse. Everyone has their favorite season. I’m just a fan of any season that will let you get close to your spouse. Guys here are some great date ideas for the fall season. 

 

  1. Go Apple Picking at a local Orchard

 

While this may not be a new idea and you may have done this before, but there is a way to change it up. Try making it an apple-themed day, play the game “Apples to Apples”. You can eat at an Applebee’s and make sure to try a new dessert besides apple pie. Here’s a free recipe. 

 

  1. Having a Coffee Date

 

This is a great time to go to a coffee shop. I’m personally not a fan of pumpkin anything, but chocolate is always good as well anything with chai in the title. There’s nothing better than spending some quiet time together. Add to the coffee date by starting a new book that you read together. 

 

  1. Bake a Pie Together

 

Cooking with your spouse is always fun. It’s an easy way to flirt and you get to eat food together. Fall is a great season to try a classic pie(apple, pumpkin or sweet potato) or if you’re feeling adventurous you and your spouse each pick a new recipe and cook them both. 

 

  1. Cook Dinner for Each Other

 

There are so many great recipes out there with videos, instructions, and tools to help you that cooking a meal for your spouse isn’t as hard as it used to be. So take turns and cook each other a fall themed meal. You could do meals centered around colors (red, orange, yellow) or a meal based on specific foods (cranberries, squash). There are plenty of possibilities. 

 

  1. Make Homemade Caramel Apples

 

I have young children and this one can apply to a romantic evening for two or a family event. This fall we will definitely do this just as a couple and also with my young children. If you’re well versed in the kitchen you can make your own caramel or get some from a local grocery store. Either way, this is a good time by all. Here is a free homemade caramel recipe. 

 

All of these date ideas can be changed and styled after yourself. Like the quote at the start of this article, you want to plan ahead. Planning doesn’t mean you take the fun out of things. It just gives you an idea of what you want to do. 

 

Discussion Question: 

What fall date are you looking forward to doing with your spouse?

 

Love Habits

Marriage is not a noun; it’s a verb. It isn’t something you get. It’s something you do. It’s the way you love your partner every day. Barbara De Angelis

 

This whole month I’ve been writing about habits. It may seem odd, but it all leads us to this very discussion. Everything from how habits are formed and can be changed to establishing why habits are important leads to the goal of having habits that promote love and healthy relationships.

I’ve made mention of this once or twice, but this year I’ve decided to build a habit of doing something special for my wife each month. Something just for her that will communicate my love and appreciation for her. For the month of March, I decided to do five days of handwritten letters.

What’s important here is that I’m working on developing the habit of love. A habit that always has my wife on my mind and is thinking of ways that I can communicate my love for her. That’s what we want, or should desire, to keep our spouse on our minds and in our hearts at all times. Here are a couple of ways that we can develop the habit of love.

  1. Show respect to your partner

You would think that this is a given, but you’d be surprised at how many people do not show their partner respect. Showing respect to your partner is a habit that is worth creating, as it’s a necessary ingredient for creating a happy, healthy and long-lasting connection. When you express respect towards your partner, you are expressing your love, acceptance, and warmth. Respecting your partner is all about valuing them for who they are, including differences. You may have a different outlook on life but this does not mean that you should disrespect your partner and put them down.

Quality time is never wasted time Click To Tweet

  1. Turn the TV off at night and spend time with your spouse

How can you possibly connect with your spouse when the television is always on? There is no connection building when both of you are constantly staring at the television screen in the evenings. Make the decision to turn off the TV in the evenings, and spend quality time together. Occasionally, you can snuggle and watch a movie, but avoid watching television most evenings so that you can develop a  habit that creates connection and love. Snuggle up on the couch and talk with your partner; talk to each other and discuss how you can develop your relationship. You should always have something to talk about, whether it’s planning for the next vacation or your next date night. Focus on developing your relationship, and talk about issues that need to be addressed.

  1. Stay Connected Throughout the Day

We have such busy schedules that connecting with your spouse throughout the day can be the last priority, but if you want to have a happy, long-lasting relationship, reconnecting with your partner throughout the day is crucial. It can be as simple as sending a loving text during your lunch break or giving them a call on the way home. This habit is meant to keep the connection and focus with your partner. Even if you have a hectic schedule, you can still make the time to send a text message or give your spouse a phone call. Be creative. Think of ways that you can reconnect with your spouse throughout the day.

 

Discussion Question:

What are the habits that you are developing or have developed that keep you connected to your spouse?