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Relationship Tips For A Happy Marriage Part 2: Time

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Relationship Tips For A Happy Marriage Part 2: Time

On June 14, 2013, Posted by , In All Posts,Happy Marriage, With No Comments

Whether you’ve been married for a short time or many years, every couple has challenges, disappointments, hurts and difficulties. There are no perfect marriages because marriage is a relationship between two imperfect people.

Human imperfections aside, it is possible to experience a lifetime of unity, deep intimacy and profound joy with your spouse. But you have to work at it because this doesn’t happen automatically.

To review, the first relationship tip for a happy marriage that I shared last week was: Start Over. Every marriage needs a fresh start – a new beginning. And I gave you five or six action steps for starting over.

Today, I’ll share one more:

Relationship Tip Number 2 For A Happy Marriage: Love Is Spelled “TIME”
Researchers say that healthy couples require fifteen hours of time together each week in order to maintain their strong marriage.

But get this: Couples in troubled marriages need 20 hours together WEEKLY to turn their relationship around.

Twenty hours. Wow.

Do you and your spouse spend 15-20 hours each week?

If not, then don’t you think your marriage is a worthy investment of that much time? Of course you think it is.

You have the time – all couples do. According to studies, people watch 28 hours of TV each week (and that’s a conservative estimate in my opinion). Bottom line? We have time for what matters most to us.

You need quality time AND quantity time with your spouse because love is spelled: TIME.

Ways You Can Do-Time Together
It’s a funny thing. When we first started dating our mate, we couldn’t get enough time – it didn’t even have to be anything special as long as we were together. Remember those days? What happened?

Well, here are a few ideas to get you started if you’re scratching your head wondering how you could ever begin to fill 15 or 20 hours of time with your spouse:

  • Do something fun with your friends
  • Go out for a special meal
  • Go to a ball game
  • Attend a play
  • Go to the movies
  • Snuggle close on the sofa while watching your favorite movie
  • Snuggle close on the sofa in a room full of lighted candles and soft music
  • Take a trip
  • Go to church
  • Go for a sunset walk

The important thing is to spend time together – time is more important at this stage than the activity you do. Just make sure it’s something you both enjoy.

Too Busy?
I know, I know, I know. You’re busy. Got it. Who isn’t these days? It’s not easy juggling careers, children, family obligations, managing the home, errands, preparing meals, keeping the house up. Everyone is busy. So you have to decide that even though your crazy busy you’re going to do whatever it takes to put your marriage first even if it means saying “no” to other things.

Make This A Must!
Which means you need to make time together an absolute must. And one of the best ways to make this happen is to schedule it on the calendar and then protect it fiercely.

Decide
Decide that once it’s on the schedule there is NO backing out no matter what unless for death or a life-threatening emergency.

Nothing is more important than your relationship and marriage. Yes, the kids are important, as is your relationship with your Creator. But you know what I mean.

So if you want to stay madly in love  (which I know you do or else you wouldn’t be taking the time to read this blog) then go right now and schedule at least one “date night” of some kind for you and your spouse to enjoy together within the next ten days.

(Still here? Go! Put it on your schedule. Do it now!)

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