“But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.” (Psalm 68:3)
Hey, guess what? Your marriage can be MORE FUN! You can discover Psalm 68:3 firsthand--be glad, rejoice before God, and be happy and joyful—just by hanging out with your spouse.
Don’t believe it? This week, try these seven budget-friendly, relationship-building, memory-making ideas and find out for yourself…
1. Guess what’s in your spouse’s wallet or purse.
Imagine you’re a mentalist performing in a big show, then pick your spouse “randomly” out of the audience (or, well, out of the recliner). Take turns, and see if you can each guess up to 10 items that are currently in your spouse’s wallet or purse. When you’re done, compare your lists to see who got the most guesses right. Then ask what your lists reveal about each of you. Before you’re done, swap one item from each list as a souvenir of this experience.
2. Ask questions about the Bible.
Try this experiment with your spouse: Read an entire book of the Bible with a notepad right beside you. Each time a question about what you’re reading pops into your head, jot it down. (For example, “What exactly is a Leviathan?” “Why should we fear God?” “What does this verse really mean?” and so on.) When you’re finished, work together with your spouse to find answers. Check out Bible commentaries, ask leaders at your church, and get insight from friends to search out answers to the questions you wrote. Hey, you just might learn something important together!
3. Create a new dessert to share.
In the old days, romance was just two straws in a single drugstore-soda. Today our standards are higher. So… grab your spouse and gather your five favorite sweets. Then begin experimenting to find the best way to combine all five items into one super-duper, sharable dessert! For example, you might stick a candy bar into a slice of cheesecake, sprinkle it with jelly beans, crumble carrot cake into fudge sauce, and pour the sauce over the whole concoction. How romantic!
4. Say “I love you” seven different ways.
The goal here is to be able to say “I love you” to your spouse in a different way each day of the week. For instance, on Sunday you might say “Ég elska þig,” which is (of course) “I love you” in Icelandic. On Monday, you might etch the words into a steam-covered mirror. On Tuesday, you might leave Hershey’s Kisses® and a handwritten copy of your favorite Scripture on a pillow. On Wednesday you could buy your spouse a new Prius. (I’m kidding.) But you get the idea. Dream up seven creative ways to express your undying love for your spouse, and then spend next week trying out each and every one!
5. Mail your spouse a letter.
Take time to write an oooey-gooey sticky-sweet letter to your spouse, knowing it’ll be two or three days until he or she gets it. Write what you especially love about your spouse, what you’re currently reading in the Bible, your favorite thing from time with your spouse today, one special prayer you are praying for your spouse, and anything you want that person to remember (like “I love you” or “don’t forget to hug me!”). Go ahead and mail it. See how much changes in the time it takes for your spouse to receive it.
6. Look at the sky.
Want to know something cool? The “night sky” that awed King David in Psalm 8:3-4 is pretty much the same today as it was when he saw it thousands of years ago. So, what are you and your spouse waiting for? If possible (and safe), climb on your roof while you do this. Lie on your backs and take in the show going on above you, day or night. Count the number of colors you see in the sky. See how far you can focus your vision (be careful not to look directly in the sun in the daytime, though!). Pick out the farthest star at night. In daytime, take a moment to ponder that the daylight you feel started 93,000,000 miles away from where you are right now. And if the sun’s just right and the wind smells sweet, feel free to take a quick nap and enjoy the day.
A Spouse’s Prayer
Dear Jesus, thank you so much for giving me a spouse with whom I can be glad, rejoice before You, and be happy and joyful (Psalm 68:3). Thank you for giving me a reason to rejoice always with my spouse, to pray continually for my spouse and my marriage, and to give thanks in all circumstances in my marriage, knowing this is God’s will for me in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). You are awesome, God, and I see that in the blessing of my spouse. I’m so grateful. Amen!
Mike Nappa is an entertainment journalist at PopFam.com.
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