7 Ways To Sharpen Your Relationship With Your Spouse-Part Two

The second tip I'd like to offer to anyone wanting to sharpen their relationship with their spouse is have fun with them. Many married women and men, not to mention experts on the subject of marriage, believe this is key to maintaining a healthy, vibrant relationship. One person that seems to feel this way is author and MOPS speaker Lorilee Craker.

In her book, Date Night In A Minivan, that was released earlier this year, Craker offers a variety of tips geared toward helping husbands and wives reclaim the relationship they had before their children arrived. And, one of the suggestions she included was "do something you love together."

According to Craker, she and her husband are quite different. She's a left-handed city girl from Canada who enjoys romantic movies, musicals and hockey, while he's a right-handed, American-born outdoorsman that likes action films, plays, and football. However, they both like rock 'n roll music.

Although she and her husband don't tend to favor the same recording artists, their appreciation of this type of music is "a communal passion" that Craker says they love to pursue together. It's the reason behind their trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has been the motivation behind many CD purchases for one another. Craker is also an entertainment reporter for a local publication and her husband often has the opportunity to accompany her when she attends concerts. It's during the drive home after some of these shows that Craker says she and her husband have enjoyed some of their "closest times."

Closing Thoughts:

Do you and your spouse currently have any common interests or activities that you enjoy doing together? If not, it's time that you find some. To get your started on your way, I've drafted a short list of ideas for you to consider:

Play outside together. No, I'm not saying you should chase your spouse around your yard (not unless the two of you think that would be fun). I'm simply encouraging you to think of activities that you could do together outdoors. You could go for a walk at the local park, ride bikes together, play miniature golf or visit an amusement park. Spending time outdoors gives husbands and wives a chance to enjoy God's creation while enriching their relationship with their spouse.

Take lessons together. If you've ever wanted to learn something new or hone existing skills, why not see if your spouse will join you? You could take dance or music lessons together at your local community college or university. Or, you could sign up for an art or gourmet cooking class at a nearby neighborhood recreation center. Many couples find studying--and practicing what they've learned--together a lot of fun.

Start a club together. You and your spouse may want to consider starting a club with other couples you know that share a common interest, such as a love of books, traveling, bible study, etc. You could come up with discussion points and agree to meet monthly at a mutually-decided upon location (e.g., your home, a local restaurant or library, etc.). So, this activity could edify your marriage and create new--or deeper--friendships with couples you know.

Attend a marriage conference/retreat together. If you've never been to a marriage event, I encourage you to try to attend one in the very near future. I know you and your spouse will be blessed by the topics covered and by the chance to spend some uninterrupted time together. And, if you've gone to one in the past, it may be time for a little refresher. Vince and I have attended a few conferences and seminars in the past--and even helped coordinate a couple of workshops at the church we used to attend--and we've always walked away from these experiences feeling even closer than we already did.

If none of these ideas interest you, I encourage you to work with your spouse to come up with your own list of fun activities. (And, after writing this, I'm reminded of the fact that Vince and I need to work on ours, too!) Isn't that what friends do when they want to spend time with one another? The key is simply to keep in mind that your goal is to have more fun with your spouse, your best friend.

Scripture of Encouragement:

"This is my lover, this is my friend..." (Song of Solomon 5:13b, NIV)