I know it’s not Valentine’s Day, yet, but it’s been long enough that unless you’re the rare husband who is constantly romancing his wife (if you are that rare husband, please let me know, because I have a LOT of questions for you), it’s time for another reminder.

I found this article on All Pro Dad (have I mentioned that before?) and although it’s scheduled for Valentine’s Day, anytime can be Valentine’s Day if your heart is in it.

Here’s a 7 Day Challenge for You!!!  7 Little things you can do – 1 each day – that demonstrates Love for your Wife.  Are you up for it?

Day 1: Purchase her favorite candy and give it to her with a note sharing one of your favorite moments with her.

Day 2: Spell out her name; for each letter, find an adjective to describe her, your love for her, or why you love her. Hand write it on a piece of paper, a card, or something else. If you really want her to be touched, get one of your children to embellish the note.

Day 3: Find pictures of you together that represent specific moments and memories you’ve spent together. Create a collage in the shape of a heart or just give her the pictures one by one and explain why you like them.

Day 4: Use technology to make her feel special throughout the day by sending love notes, pictures of you, or anything that she’ll like to see.

Day 5: Cook for her. Cook breakfast, prepare her lunch, and/or cook dinner for her. Let her sit back, relax, and be served by you and the kids if they’re there.

Day 6: Read to her. Find some time alone, and pull out a marriage book or the Song of Solomon in the Bible and read to her lying next to you.

Day 7: Pamper her, or allow her to use a love well coupon for wives. Give her a back or foot massage. Fix a nice bubble bath for her, with candles, and allow her to take as long as she wants.

Here’s a link to the complete article on All Pro Dad: 7 Days of Love Challenge.

Are you reading? Ok, but are you reading on how to be a better spouse?  I don’t read anywhere near as much as I should, but I did read an older article from Mark Merrill, and I love the impact his first words have…

Do you love your spouse more than anything else in the world?

And then he goes on to say: “Or, do you find yourself loving things, your kids, your job, or your hobbies more than your spouse? Marriage is the centerpiece of the family. Research has shown time and again that a strong marriage has immense, innumerable benefits for the kids, community, and society.

But no matter how much “in love” you are when you first get married, other things (some of them really good things!) will eventually compete for your time and affection.

Here are some ways you might be loving things, kids, career, or friends more than your spouse and what to do about them:”

Read the rest of his great article here: Do you put your spouse first

In His Sacred Heart,

Timothy

I believe that every man needs and deserves some “recreation”.

Most of us, I believe, roll from one form of our ‘duty of state’ to another, with only the drive home and maybe a bathroom visit (sorry) that we can call our own.

The rest of our day is filled with home maintenance, our day job, volunteer work, helping with the kids, staying up on affairs of the world, our professional training, and maybe some physical exercise, and probably a part time job as well.

And if we have special needs children or teenagers (a special form of special needs child), and/or a wife who is overwhelmed with the pace of 21st century life, anything like free time is spent helping where we can.

<This is rambling, but stay with me>

Even Garcia Moreno, the Catholic Martyr of Ecuador allowed himself an hour a day of recreation.

“And the bow, if bent all the time, loses its ability to fire an arrow because it’s always drawn and tight.”

Recreation – or to ‘re create’ is meant to restore and repair us so that we can effectively fight again tomorrow.

But most men have no formal, regular form of recreation because they look at all their duties of state and the battle raging on all fronts, and walk back into the fire.

I believe that one of the healthiest things all of us could do is decide on, choose, and begin some form of regular even daily recreation.

Mowing the lawn, working in the garden or repairing the car doesn’t count! It’s just another one of our duties!

<Now here’s where I lose some people> But playing video games or watching movies, shows or another football game also doesn’t count!

I think it has to be something that we can do, and afterwards feel refreshed and at peace and with more energy to go back out to work tomorrow morning.

If you spend your day doing physical work, then drawing, painting, writing, reading, whittling, or any other non-productive activity is an amazing way to unwind at the end of the day – and all these activities are wife and child friendly.

And if you spend your day doing “knowledge work” like so many people – 8, 10, or 12 hours a day in front of a computer screen or in an office, then getting outside – to play a game of catch, or kickball, or just take a walk – one day for each child, and one for your wife – or anything that gives you 30 minutes of time to unwind – would be so beneficial.

There’s no time, of course, in anyone’s already crazy day to carve out 30 minutes for something so ‘useless’ as recreation.

But I’m convinced that if we did take 30 minutes a day – just for ourselves – to recreate – to “re create” – in a true manner that refreshes our bodies and souls – we would be more patient and more at peace – and good things would start to happen all over.

In His Sacred Heart,
Timothy