i love love love going on dates with my husband, whether they are little mini-dates we catch here and there or a full day together.  i love that feeling of just reconnecting with him and being able to give him my full attention without interruption.  i think it’s so important to take time out of our busy lives to solely focus on each other.  it keeps our marriage alive.

romance doesn’t have to be expensive to be great.  here is a list of free or nearly free ideas to make your dating a pure pleasure:

1.    walk through the mall, holding hands of course
2.    fill the bed of the truck up with pillows + blankets, head out in a field and hop in the back to count your lucky stars
3.    have a winter picnic.  put a blanket on the living room floor, turn the tv off, turn the music on and light candles
4.    wake your love up early.  have coffee, donuts and lead them outside to watch the sunrise together.
5.    take a spontaneous drive without having any destination in mind.  turn the music up, sing together, hold hands and enjoy the ride.  make a love song “mix tape” to enjoy during your drive.
6.    go to a park, push one another in the swings and talk.
7.    buy a pizza and play board games together
8.    celebrate your married romance by spending the day in bed together watching tv
9.    go to the drive-in, pack snacks and a blanket and get cozy in the back seat
10.  go for a walk together in the woods
11.  have a spa day by pampering each other with massages, candles and music
12.  go play mini-golf
13.  re-enact one of your favorite dates from your “dating days”
14.  write a love letter to each other, exchanging them after a candle light dinner
15.  have a photo shoot together
16.  build a snowman together
17.  have a “remember when” night.  reminisce about your dating days, when you fell in love and recall some of your best memories
18.  on a hot summer day, wash the car together, with the intent of splashing each other with water
19.  look through old photo albums together
20.  kiss, dance and play in the rain

out for now
~kisses

sometimes people come into your life and, just having them there, makes your life more difficult. maybe they are judgmental, drama filled, critical, needy, demand more than you can give or maybe they are just plain mean.  how do we deal with those people as Christians?

drama wears me out honestly.  and i have very little desire for it in my life.  and once it happens, if you’re like me, you pray for them to change.  for God to show them what they are doing wrong.  and that He’ll lay it on their heart to change.

but…what if this is about you?

what if this difficult person was placed directly in your life for a reason?  God might be allowing the difficulties in the relationship to work in your life.  when rocks are tumbled, they become smooth and beautiful.  people are the same way, when someone rubs them the right way, over time they change.