Happy Valentine’s Day!  Bethlie and I hope you and your sweetheart have a wonderful day and that the year ahead is filled with great blessings.

Here are some ways that we make every day a Valentine’s Day.  Hope they are a blessing to you in your marriage too.

1. We Pray together.  Spending a few moments together each day in prayer is an incredible asset to our marriage.  It is a wonderful way to bring matters to God and to connect with one another on a deep level spiritually.  We try to pray for each other and for  our children and for people we know who are hurting and needy.

2. We date each other.  Our goal has always been to have a weekly date – an event designed just for us to connect and be together and have fun together. When our children were younger and we were on the road, we often lacked babysitting opportunities. So we designated Wednesday evening as “Dave and Bethlie night” and taught the kids that it was our night for a date. They had to go to bed early on that night and be quiet and not disturb daddy and mommy! We would sometimes eat a snack together and watch a movie.  I would occasionally bring in food from a favorite fast food place. We would sometimes just sit and talk and sometimes would just decide to got to be early (wink, wink) and get a good night’s sleep.  As our kids have gotten older, our dates have evolved. We will often eat a nice meal or just go to a coffee shop. We sometimes shop (pray for me!) and we have even walked on the beach or on the Pensacola Pier and watched the sun set. Spending time together is a wonderful investment in our marriage!

3. We flirt up a storm!  Not every couple is as expressive as Bethlie and I, but every couple should learn to flirt at least some.  Flirting can be as simple as sending a text that says I love you or sharing a “code” word that suggests interest in each other. We leave notes for one another. We text flirty things to each other (a good way to use some of those emojis). We tease and touch (in non-sexual ways that might lead later to something else!!!). There is something special about flirting when it is done with your spouse.  There is no one else with whom we flirt so it is unique just to us in our marriage.  I highly recommend it.

4. We solve problems.  Believe it our not, Bethlie is not always right! LOL And neither is her husband. We have disagreements and misunderstandings and hurt feelings just like any other couple.  However, we solve those problems by talking through them and asking for forgiveness and giving it. We make up and make out! Some problems can take longer to solve than others, but we always make it clear that even when we are having a “problem” we still love each other and always will.  Don’t allow problems to compound and damage a wonderful relationship.  Solve them!

5. We work at staying sweet.  Life is so busy. Life is demanding. Kids are demanding too.  Sometimes we end up showing love and courtesy to perfect strangers more than to our own spouse. As a result, working to stay sweet is essential.  And asking for forgiveness when we fail is essential too. No matter what, have a sweet spirit and use sweet words to one another and respond sweetly even if one is failing in this area.  Work at staying sweet!

I am sure there are many more ways to make every day a Valentine’s Day.  What are some ways that you would recommend? Bethlie and I would love to hear about them.

As always, thanks for reading!

Your sincere friend,

Dave