{"id":2087,"date":"2020-08-24T12:30:34","date_gmt":"2020-08-24T12:30:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lovetalks.tv\/?p=2087"},"modified":"2022-03-04T03:27:04","modified_gmt":"2022-03-04T03:27:04","slug":"keeping-your-love-alive-in-marriage-happy-valentines-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lovetalks.tv\/community\/keeping-your-love-alive-in-marriage-happy-valentines-day\/","title":{"rendered":"KEEPING YOUR LOVE ALIVE IN MARRIAGE"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"2087\" class=\"elementor elementor-2087\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9493a42 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9493a42\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{\"background_background\":\"classic\"}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7f65c81\" data-id=\"7f65c81\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a564f69 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a564f69\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.23.0 - 15-07-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: crimson text;\">As you know February is the month of love with Valentine\u2019s Day on the 14th of February and we are also celebrating marriages during Marriage Week which is also in February. Marriage Week UK celebrates the diversity and vibrancy of marriage as the basis for family life in the UK. It is timed to include Valentine\u2019s Day and has been held every year since 1997. It is an opportunity to celebrate the goodness and joy of married life, remembering to give thanks and asking for God\u2019s help for all those experiencing difficulties in marriage.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: crimson text;\">As I think about my marriage journey, I am so grateful to God for the last 17 years, the premarital classes that prepared us and all the wonderful couples that showed us through their godly examples that good marriages exist and is God\u2019s heart for every married couple. At the heart of every good marriage is a decision to become one, moving from a \u201cme\u201d mentality to an \u201cus\u201d mentality, making daily choices that are bringing \u201cus\u201d together rather than draw \u201cus\u201d away from each other.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: crimson text;\">There is no better time like now to remember that Love is an action word, meaning that expressing our love both in our words and deed is important. In marriage it is so easy to take each other for granted as we do life together, juggling the demands of life, work, parenting, other commitments etc. Valentine\u2019s day is a good opportunity to remind married couples of some disciplines that will help keep love alive, so here they are:<\/span><br \/><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: crimson text;\">.<\/span><br \/><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: crimson text;\"><strong>Say I love you, everyday!<br \/><\/strong>Don\u2019t leave your affection to speculation \u2013 Tell your spouse how you feel about them constantly. The world beyond the walls of your home can be a less than loving place so keep the scent of your love ever fresh, words are very powerful use them to build your Marriage. Proverbs 16:24 states that \u2018Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones\u2019.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: crimson text;\"><strong>Just Say I\u2019m sorry!<\/strong><\/span><br \/><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: crimson text;\">Don\u2019t wait for your spouse to ease the stalemate when there is an argument, or a party is hurt. Say I\u2019m sorry even when you\u2019ve been wronged. If you both adhere to this, you\u2019ll probably be jostling to be the first to apologise. Realise that Marriage is a gift from God. Don\u2019t let the enemy rob you of this gift. It is wisdom and humility to forgo an offence for the sake of your Marriage. Make a choice to live in harmony. Hey, glitches are a part of all relationships anyway; so why won\u2019t they occur in one as close as a Marriage? Proverbs 19:11 states \u2018A man\u2019s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense\u2019.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: crimson text;\"><strong>Choose to walk away from an angry or critical remark!<\/strong><\/span><br \/><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: crimson text;\">In every relationship opportunities for conflict arise constantly. What makes the difference is our choice to either overlook them or resolve them in an appropriate, Christ like manner. It may sound like make believe, yet it\u2019s possible for a couple to live with each other in a loving relationship where they rub each other up the wrong way at times yet are able to resolve the conflicts that arise, without these conflicts escalating from complaints to contempt for each other. It\u2019s a sign of spiritual awareness and hearts that are constantly submitted to God. Now I know it does not happen in a day! But we can all seek to get there. James 1:19 states \u2018Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry\u2019.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: crimson text;\"><strong>Be magnanimous towards your spouse everyday!<\/strong><\/span><br \/><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: crimson text;\">Let your spouse know they are number one in your life everyday! Hmm.. hmm.. next to the Lord of course!!! Be unreservedly, their greatest fan. Find out what is most important to your spouse and spare no expense in money (within reason of course) and effort to ensure your spouse has it. If it is your affirmation; shower it on your spouse. If it is your support don\u2019t deny your spouse. If it is your text and emails schedule them into your day. Get creative, find 365 ways of showing your love throughout this year, basically, celebrate your spouse, let them know you truly appreciate and value them. Don\u2019t just lend a hand, give your heart! Love is self-sacrificing. John 15:13 states \u2018Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends\u2019.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: crimson text;\"><strong>Take a vacation from the Telly! Not every day though!<\/strong><\/span><br \/><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: crimson text;\">But on a serious note, the television is certainly a poor substitute for real life. We spend a huge chunk of the best parts of our day with others at work and elsewhere. It\u2019s heart rending when the telly habit takes away the time of the day that is left for your spouse and children. Choose to have regular times that are set aside exclusively for your Marriage and make the extra effort to engage with each other on a deeper level. Of course, it goes without saying that if it is a backrub she wants on the afternoon of the FA Cup final, there is no better time to show her how much you really care! Although I must add that they may not be best time wives to ask for a back rub. Ephesians 5: 15-16 states \u2018Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil\u2019.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: crimson text;\"><strong>Do something you both enjoy regularly!<\/strong><\/span><br \/><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: crimson text;\">We spend our courtship days seeking what will make each other happy. We spend our time doing what the other will appreciate as we seek to make deposits into the others \u201caffection bank\u201d, both loving and seeking opportunities to discover the joy of new experiences together while finding out what makes each other tick. Yet when we get married, we let the routines and familiarity of daily life take charge and resign ourselves to seeking other pleasures. There is no pleasure quite as enjoyable as doing stuff together as a couple, It can be tough initially, and when this happens we only need to cast our minds back to how we both enjoyed doing things together in courtship to realise that what\u2019s missing now is that our mental attitudes have changed; now we want to have our own way, do our own things , isn\u2019t that interesting? knowing that God desires us to love sacrificially rather than conditionally can be of much help at these times!. Philippians 2: 1-3 states \u2018Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don\u2019t be selfish; don\u2019t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: crimson text;\"><strong>Forgive\u2026Forgive \u2026.Forgive every day!<\/strong><\/span><br \/><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: crimson text;\">No point expecting that your spouse won\u2019t hurt you or thinking you have the capacity to avoid hurting your spouse, just choose to forgive. We know from scripture that to maintain our own spiritual health, it is crucial that we understand and embrace the power of forgiveness. The Seventy times seven principle was not a burden placed on us by God, it\u2019s a gift from God which we give to ourselves when we obey the command to forgive. Forgiveness as a lifestyle is also crucial for a healthy Marriage; it ensures that the drains of everyday interaction remain clear and unblocked so the pipes continue to give passage to a smooth flowing relationship every day. Proverbs 17:9 states \u2018Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends\u2019 and Colossians 3:13 states \u2018Make allowance for each other\u2019s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others\u2019.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: crimson text;\"><strong>Enjoy each other!!!!<\/strong><\/span><br \/><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: crimson text;\">Sex is a gift from God to you both, enjoy each other\u2019s body. Create time to be with each other and enjoy your gift from God don\u2019t allow the busyness of everyday living to rob you of your love life. Make time for it and make it interesting. Enjoy\u2026.Enjoy\u2026.Enjoy\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: crimson text;\"><strong>Finally, pray with your spouse AND for your spouse every day! Yes, everyday!<\/strong><\/span><br \/><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: crimson text;\">Make praying with your spouse your number one priority. Pray often and together. Be your spouse\u2019s greatest intercessor and their number one watchman! If you are going to stop putting a thousand out of the ten thousand adversaries you encounter everyday to flight, you\u2019re going to have to start fighting together rather that apart.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: crimson text;\">Now that we have some practical tools for keeping our love alive, let\u2019s go for it, have fun. As we are in the month of love my next article will be on finding the love of your life.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As you know February is the month of love <br \/>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons\"><!-- wp:button --><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lovetalks.tv\/2020\/08\/24\/keeping-your-love-alive-in-marriage-happy-valentines-day\/\">read more<\/a><\/div>\n<p><!-- \/wp:button --><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3281,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2087","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marriage"],"comments_count":"0","content_native":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lovetalks.tv\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2087","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lovetalks.tv\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lovetalks.tv\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lovetalks.tv\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lovetalks.tv\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2087"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lovetalks.tv\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2087\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6915,"href":"https:\/\/lovetalks.tv\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2087\/revisions\/6915"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lovetalks.tv\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3281"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lovetalks.tv\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2087"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lovetalks.tv\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2087"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lovetalks.tv\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2087"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}