RELATIONSHIPS
8 Little Things That Make a Big Difference
in your Marriage
New Life Ministries
CBN.com –
Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott offer these ideas to keep the love
alive in your marriage.
1. Once a day take time to touch if only for a minute.
The value of human touch is almost incalculable. Eight to ten
meaningful touches a day help you maintain emotional and physical
health. Make a commitment to cultivate this valuable practice
on a daily basis.
2. Once a day find something that makes you both laugh.
Laughter helps us cope. Laughter has been called "inner
jogging" because every system in your body gets a workout
when you have a hearty laugh. A marriage without a sense of humor
is like a wagon without springs - jolted by every pebble in the
road.
3. Once a week do something active that lifts your spirits.
Shared activity is one of the supreme gifts of married life, and
it is an insurance policy against the fading of passion and intimacy.
Shared is the key word here. Find activities that you both enjoy
and make the time to do them together. "Love must be fed
and nurtured . . . first and foremost it demands time."
4. Once a week boost your partner's self-esteem.
Encouragement is the finest gift you can give your spouse. This
doesn't mean just handing out compliments or flattery. Find the
things in your spouse's life that would help build them up in
an area in which they are insecure. Make a list of all the things
they do well and start from there.
5. Once a month rid yourselves of harmful residue.
Letting things build up day after day without discussing and resolving
them leads to anger, resentment and eventually, if not discussed
and resolved, loss of love for your partner. Rid your marriage
of harmful residue with a regular tune-up.
6. Once a month fire up passion in the bedroom.
No, we're not suggesting you have sex only once a month. Sex is
critically important for a quality marriage. Planning a special
time once a month that both of you are anticipating and planning
for can bring back the passion that has been missing.
7. Once a year review your top-ten highlights.
Sit together and look at a photo album, scrapbook or whatever
you have collected that will remind you of the fun and special
times you have had together since you have met.
8. Once a year chart your course for the coming year.
Charting the course of your marriage raises the quality of life
for you and your family and keeps you from the "Someday Syndrome".
Smart couples move beyond daydreams by charting their course for
a reality where dreams come true.
Taken from the book The Love List by Drs. Les & Leslie
Parrott. Used by permission of New Life Ministries. New Life Ministries
has a variety of resources on men, women and relationships. Call
1-800-NEW-LIFE or visit www.newlife.com.
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