Date Night

Date Night at the Passion Play in Memphis.

I think one of the biggest problems facing couples is that we've forgotten the importance of dating. We get married, get busy with work, children, and other obligations, and dating slips by the way-side. Then when things begin to go astray, we wonder why. I find myself reminding people I meet with all the time that dating is what brought them together. It's the time when we get to know one another and spend hours on end talking about nothing. Why should saying vows end this? It shouldn't! Dating not only brings you together, but it helps keep you together. If you're not spending time with your spouse, if it's not already causing problems, it soon will. Let me pause here to say that dating doesn't have to be expensive. Mark and I often cut the Hastings coupon out of the Sunday paper for Rent 2 Movies and Get 2 Fountain Drinks for $6.99. We put the kids to bed, and then we watch movies and eat popcorn. We're even known to play Scrabble or Rummy.

And for those of you not romantically inclined, let me pause here to do a promo for Simply Romantic Nights which is a Christian resource from Family Life. Some friends of ours gave us this as a gift one year and I highly recommend it (note: it'll come up with the ideas for you)!

So be creative, plan a date, and rediscover what it means to genuinely know your spouse (and no, she's not the same person you married 10 years ago).