"D" is for date night

The importance of date nights – why don’t we rate that importance? If we asked you to rate date nights on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the highest score, what would you give it?

Do you remember your first date with your special someone? I do. My husband and I started dating in December of 2004. We were both freshmen in college. We were at church one evening and he asked if I would be interested in going to the movies with him to go and see "Blade 3" and I said yes. I remember the day of our date going to the mall and buying a new shirt to wear because I wanted to look nice. I never would have thought that three years later he would have been the man I was going to marry, but I think God had other things in mind because he and I both needed each other....we just didn't know it yet.

I have always looked forward to spending time with husband and it is so important to make the time

for each other, even more so now that we have a baby. We live in an ever flowing fast paced society and it is very easy for married couples to get lost in that hussle and bussle. Sometimes, living the day to day occupies the forefront of our thinking like "I need to go grocery shopping," or "I had such a crazy, frustrating day at work." Insert the saying that fits your life because we all have one. Is it possible that if we spent only a quarter or more of our time and energy on our marriages that people would be happier or more satisfied in their relationships?

At our house, date night can be simple with takeout and a movie or a dinner out with drinks and dessert and both are equally enjoyable. I am blessed to have in laws who are willing and able to take our daughter for a while or a night to give me and my hubby time to our selves. I recognized that not everyone would be comfortable with something like that, but it is what works for our family. Date night are not simply excuses to get away from the kids though. It is a chance to talk and get reacquainted with one another. It offers you the opportunity to talk and remember the reasons you wanted to be together in the first place.

You can start out slowly (and cheaply if necessary) by making date night a once a month event. Here is a list of fun dating ideas: http://strongermarriage.org/htm/dating/fun-dating-ideas. No matter how simple, the time you spend with your spouse or partner is very significant. So, make time for it. You might just be surprised by the impact!