Life gets busy and complicated. Husbands work hard to provide for the family. Wives work hard keeping the home, raising the children, running a job from home, or even leaving the home to work. Children have schedules that take them away from home. How are we suppose to stay connected in this very busy society we live in?
Ken and I are empty nesters now so we have more time to connect. His schedule is incredibly busy, however, but we have created time to stay connected. Every morning, we cuddle and have devotions. I read the Bible and then he prays. Then, we talk about whatever is on our minds.
Later in the afternoon, we take a walk around the neighborhood discussing a variety of things. I will usually share comments I get on my blog or ideas I have to write about and he will give me advice. He tells me about his business and keeps me up to date.
Every Saturday morning, we walk along the beach and eat breakfast at our favorite restaurant. On Sundays, we go to church and hold hands during the service. We come home and watch football together.
When you have small children, it is harder to have that time to connect. We always took walks, even when my children were small. We'd put them in a stroller and away we would go. Now, when we are babysitting our grandbabies, we take them on walks with us.
Having family dinners and devotions together are great ways to stay connected. We watch our grandbabies once a week so Ryan and Erin can be alone together for awhile.
What are some ways you and your husband stay connected in the hustle and bustle of life? It would be great to hear from you who have many children, need to work outside the home, or even have health problems. Marriage is precious and needs to be cultivated to stay healthy and growing.
Complete my joy by being of the same mind,
having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
Philippians 2:2
Logging you in...
Cynthia · 583 weeks ago
For us, our observance means that for 24 hours each week, there is no driving, no talking on the phone or using electronic devices, no working (unless it is a matter of life and death - my husband is occasionally called into the hospital), no writing and no cooking. These don'ts make way for the things that we do instead: have a big, long, relaxed family dinner with guests, cuddle with the kids and have real talks with them, take really long walks during the warmer months, attend services together, have a nap, play cards or board games with the kids, visit with neighbors, have long talks, have some alone time, etc.
6 days a week, we are all really busy. We need this 7th day to reflect, recharge and reconnect.
These days, when everyone is always electronically connected, it's even harder to truly have time off and to relate face-to-face. Unplugging once a week creates an "island in time", and I find that I can truly relax.
Cynthia Swenson · 583 weeks ago
Tiffany · 583 weeks ago
Ways my husband and I stay connected....We get a babysitter, get dressed up, and go on a "real" date about every other week. We also make time to hang out together every night after the kids are in bed. We put them to bed by 8:00 so that we have a few hours to watch a show together, scratch each other's backs, talk, laugh, fold laundry, all that good stuff. :) We also stay connected during the day while he's at work, we email each other things we thought were funny or interesting, send text messages, etc. But one of the main ways we stay connected is through our faith. We have couples prayer every night before bed, and often in the morning too. We go to church together every week and sit next to each other, we even teach a children's class at church together. We also do a family home evening every Monday night where we teach the lesson to our children together. Pretty much we just try to spend as much time together as possible. It doesn't always matter what we are doing, as long as we are together we are connecting!
Ken · 583 weeks ago
Lori and I both felt the same way some 12 years ago. What were we going to do when the kids left home?!? But getting our marriage in great condition, and being able to enjoy each other is what has lead to us spending more time together.
I originally gave in and started walking with Lori every day as good exercise, and to please her, after my basketball days ended. I say affectionately that "I walk the wife."
She "walks the husband" on Saturday mornings, and some summer evenings, along the beach. I love the beach, so she accommodates my desires and we often walk to breakfast or to happy hour.
Where we connect best is in the mornings over devotions and cuddling, but where we connect all day long is "as iron sharpens iron" discussing the word of God, especially as it pertains to blog posts, but also anything that comes up on the news or church. We both love God's Word and want to know it more fully. I cannot tell you what a dream it is for a seminary student to have a wife who is constantly in the Word and can carry on an intelligent, wise conversation concerning what God has to say to us.
There is more, but I will leave it at that... and challenge all who want this connection to a husband to make yourself pleasing to him. It seems that most husbands are easy to get a connection with if they feel loved and a wife's desire to please. What may hold them back is past pain and hurts, which sometimes takes time to heal... hence perhaps add to "win him without a word" "with patience." The intimacy was not broken in a day, so it takes more than a day to rebuild trust and vulnerability that leads to a true connection.
Liz · 583 weeks ago
Kelley · 583 weeks ago
When we're not traveling throughout the Pacific, and when our schedules permit us to be at home, we have prayer time every evening at 7 p.m. My second favorite way we do this is him stretched out across our bed on his face before the Lord, and I am curled upon my two large prayer pillows. Af 7:30, we finish and chat together lying in bed. Then we take showers and relax for the rest of the evening.
My favorite way to pray together, however, is without a stitch of clothing on lying together in bed. I love to hear him pray over me, and hear his other prayers as well. He loves my prayers for him and to hear what else I am praying about as well. It's a beautiful ending to our evening.
After prayer time, we communicate intimately and our King Jesus smiles... and so does my king David.
Happy highways,
Kelley~
Zig · 583 weeks ago
Ziggy
Emily · 583 weeks ago
Carmine · 583 weeks ago
Thank you for all that you do! I have learned a lot from reading your blog and often have discussions with my husband about what I could be doing better to be more of a helpmeet after reading posts!
Courtney · 583 weeks ago
shannon · 583 weeks ago