Valentine's Day Is 365 Days A Year

A favourite blogger of mine, Sheila Wray Gregoire, recently posted about the need to intentionally invest in your marriage, in a feature she calls "Wifey Wednesdays". Knowing of several marriages on the rocks lately, I thought it would be good to share some of the books and other resources that my husband and I have greatly benefitted from in our own marriage.

We started reading a number of marriage counselling books together long before our wedding day, and since being married have taken every opportunity to continue learning about each other and improving our relationship skills. I think too many people take their marriage for granted. Like one joke I read: A woman asks her husband, "Do you love me?" Annoyed, he replies, "I said 'I Do' on our wedding day, didn't I? If anything changes, I'll let you know." Unfortunately, many people think that taking a marriage course or informal counselling is a last resort. The truth is that couples who are willing to invest some time in these things will be better equipped to handle rough times when a crisis arises... as they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Here are some of our favourites:

  • Love & Respect, by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs (Hardcover) ISBN 1591451876
  • The Most Important Year In A Man's / Woman's Life, by Robert & Bobbie Wolgemuth, Mark & Susan DeVries (Hardcover) ISBN 0310240069
  • Before The Ring, by William L. Coleman (Paperback) ISBN 1572931337
  • Fireproof (2008), Sony Pictures (DVD)
  • Getting Ready for Marriage Workbook : How to Really Get to Know the Person You're Going to Marry, by Jerry D. Hardin & Dianne C. Sloan (Softcover Workbook) ISBN-10: 0840733208
  • The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate, by Gary Chapman (Paperback) ISBN 1881273156
Whether any of these speak to you, or whether you've seen or heard of other resources that interest you more, take the time to read/watch/talk about something with your significant other that will enhance your relationship. Don't just do it once, but plan to do something to improve your relationship skills at least annually. Your relationship will be better for it.

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