Wednesday Spiritual Encouragement

Courtship Counts

During Marriage Week I have challenged my readers to a Date Night Challenge.

Date Night Challenge: During National Marriage Week plan a 2-hour date night with your spouse. This does not have to be away from home or spend any extra funds. Just 2 hours of one on one time doing something that you and your spouse finds enjoyable.

 Have you made plans for your date night yet? I have our date night almost squared away, and plan to do something on Valentines Day, which will be the last day of Marriage Week.

Why so much emphasis on Date Nights you ask?

There are many couples that feel like the normal day-to-day routine is drowning their marriages. Cooking, Cleaning, Working, Bills, can become so overwhelming at times. In these overwhelming times couples often drift apart if they do not put effort into staying connected. Unfortunately we know that when some couples drift apart they feel that the Love has faded and seek Love from other sources.

God has written a plan for our lives and especially our marriages. God brought you and your spouse together and he wants you to stay together. God knows that courtships count.

Here are a few Bible Versus that highlight to Continue Courtship in our Marriage:

1 Peter4:8

Proverbs 31:28

Romans 12:10

If we are looking for a positive change we must make a positive difference. Do something different to make a change for the betterment of your marriage.

How do you and your spouse make time for one another so that you do not drift apart ?

      In gathering my tips from real Marriages for another post for National Marriage Week, one readers shared :  "It is important  to read the Bible and pray together, as a couple, I think it's almost mandatory to help keep your relationship line "open" to God".-Lezlie Horst

I encourage you to Pray together and Seek God together if you are seeking your “Loving Lasting Marriage”.

Shalasha

National Marriage Week

It’s National Marriage Week and I am so excited!

What is National Marriage Week?

From February 7th to 14th every year— is a collaborative effort to encourage many diverse groups to strengthen individual marriages, reduce the divorce rate, and build a stronger marriage culture, which in turn helps curtail poverty and benefits children.

You can find out more information from the Official Site: National Marriage Week USA

Ebook

I am pleased to announce that I was able to participate in a creation of an ebook, Stay Connected : 18 Mediations to Help You Build A Marriage That Works !  This ebook was created with several other marriage educators and designed especially for National Marriage Week. You can find my contribution on page 16 of the ebook, which will give you a little more insight on my personal marriage journey. This is a free resource for you to download! You will find this ebook under the Resources Tab at the top of the home page.

Reader’s Challenge

During this Week I have 2 challenges for your and your Spouse:

1-    Date Night Challenge: I have written 2 posts on the importance of date night, but have you taken the step to initiate a date night? During National Marriage Week plan a 2-hour date night with your spouse. This does not have to be away from home or spend any extra funds. Just 2 hours of one on one time doing something that you and your spouse finds enjoyable.

2-    A Love Letter Challenge- Yes, a love letter challenge! When was the last time that you wrote your spouse a love letter, or when was the last time you received a love letter? Sit down and put into writing the reasons you love your spouse, reasons you appreciate your spouse, things you enjoy doing together, and even some things that you would enjoy doing more or begin to do.

I am hosting another Giveaway!

This giveaway will be in a separate post so be looking for it!

Upcoming Posts :

I will be sharing three Married Couples and One Engaged Couple Love stories during this week as well as Tips form Real Marriages!

Facebook page

I am launching “ A Loving Lasting Marriage” Facebook page!

To reach more couples, get more insights, and just spread the word about “A Loving Lasting Marriage” I have created a facebook page. Will you please join this page and share it with your friends.

My original intent for this blog was to catch a glimpse of the elements that create a “ Loving Lasting Marriage” such as one would do on a warm summer’s eve to lighting bugs in a jar . To create topics and ask questions for couple’s in varying stages of relationships and marriage to give their tips, advice, and insights. During 2012 I hope to tie together these insights to help others create or maintain their “ Loving Lasting Marriage”. I would like to thank each one of you that has added to our jar ! Please continue to be apart of this great effort to help ourselves through helping one another !

Shalasha

An Unexpected Date Night

My unexpected date night came with an unexpected phone call. I was told that I had won tickets to the Kelly Clarkson Concert!

A few days later when our tickets arrived in the mail the excitement grew.

I would not only get to see an amazing artist but also have a quiet car ride to and from the show toddler free.  Our son was left with amazing babysitters  (thanks again ladies!) and off we went toward Durham NC.

On the road trip to the concert the sky was filled with the most amazing sunset with deep purples and pinks.

We were able to talk about some important topics that will be happening in our lives over the next couple of months.

When we got to the concert we had to rush inside and find our seats. Soon the music began and we were able to have a couple of fun, no stress, no decision, no schedule, no worries hours.

As the rest of the theater snapped pictures, took videos, facebooked, and tweeted around us we just sat there and enjoyed the moment.

This unexpected date night allowed us to not only enjoy Kelly Clarkson and her upbeat and fun music but also to reconnect as a couple.

Other reasons date night can be an important element in marriage is because it creates bonding time with your spouse, allows you and your spouse to continue learning about one another through new experiences, as well as creates excitement in your marriage. Planning date night will allow you and your spouse to have something to look forward to together.

Date nights don’t have to wait until you win a contest! Here are a few ideas to get the ball rolling for your next date night!

100+ Great Date Night Ideas

Marriage has many instances that it is fun and fulfilling. Marriage is also a labor love, it takes work, time, and commit to allow it to grow.   I hope you are able to use these insights to create and/or maintain your "Loving Lasting Marriage". In addition, Pray together and Seek God together if you are seeking your Loving Lasting Marriage.  If you have any insights on this topic please share ! 

Shalasha