Couples who play together, stay together! Great advice but finding time to nurture our marriages amid the noise and busyness of life can be a difficult task. Whether you are newlyweds trying to manage jobs and a household for the first time, parents juggling work and kids’ schedules or empty nesters with lots of activities, most of us feel strapped for time, energy and financial resources. And even though we know how important our marriage is, this relationship often becomes neglected in the midst of our busy lives.

Unfortunately, failing to make time for playful activities together may come at a higher cost than just a few missed dates. The lifeblood of a relationship is the enjoyable time we spend together. Without fun time together, the connection between you withers and it becomes increasingly difficult to reconnect.

The great news is the more you invest in fun, play, and friendship in marriage, the happier and stronger your relationship will become over time. As a matter of fact, couples who participated in fun activities together reported greater increases in relationship quality. The quality of the relationship improved before and after enjoying just 7 minutes of quality time together! Having fun and being playful is a great way to get rid of stress, and it helps to compensate for the stressful time we spend with each other raising our children by taking time to escape together.

How to Play as a Couple

1. Stop acting your age! Children naturally search for fun in everything they do. And that continual search fills them with an amazing level of energy, creativity and optimism. So, stop acting your age and reacquaint yourself with your childlike willingness to have fun in whatever you are doing!

2. Don’t feel guilty. We need to develop our capacity for enjoyment. When we work, we need to work hard and when we play, we need to play hard. Give yourself permission to sit back and relax. There should be no guilt when we enjoy each other.

3. Get out of the “rut.” Married couples often fall into a rut because of the familiarity of their date night routine. The only way to shake yourself out of a date night rut is to avoid old habits and familiar routines and try something that is creative and different.

Refuse to allow busyness and responsibility to trump your enjoyment of each other. The more you invest in fun and friendship with your spouse, the more satisfying and stronger your martial relationship will get over time.

Be sure to visit www.nwamarriageadventures.com to learn more about how to have a great marriage date night adventure!

Thanks to all who commented on our last post, and congratulations to all of you who were awarded free tickets to our event!

We hope to see you and your spouse this Saturday at the Fayetteville Town Center!

Take some time and check out our new event that’s happening on Saturday, March 6th. If you are interested in attending, comment below and leave your contact information so we can give you free tickets. The first 10 people who comment will be given 2 tickets each to attend our event!

Welcome to the NEW marriage enrichment seminar by NWA Healthy Marriages called I “Still” Choose Us. We hope that you will consider joining us for this special event!

In order for intimacy and deep connection to occur in a marriage, two hearts must be fully open to each other. Unfortunately, the common thread in every marriage in crisis is that either one or both people have a closed heart. And a hardened heart is the “kiss of death” to a marriage!

Learn why the wisest man who ever lived, King Solomon, wisely encouraged us to “guard our heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” We say it is also the wellspring of a great marriage.

Dr. Gary Oliver and Dr. Greg Smalley use humor, practical insights and passionate to help you…

• Keep your own heart open
• Effectively manage the #1 heart closer: unhealthy anger
• Participate in relationships with a fully engaged heart
• Create new levels of safety and trust
• Use empathy to increase passion and deepen intimacy in your marriage
• Cultivate healthy conflict in ways that make your differences work FOR you rather than against you
• Refresh your heart and stay connected to your spouse in a BUSY world

A great marriage will never happen unless both hearts are completely open and fully engaged. Let us show you how!

March 6, 2010 | 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Fayetteville Town Center
$29.00 per Couple

Doors open at 8:30 am
Register by March 2, 2010
Box Lunch available for purchase ($20 per couple)
Conference fees are non-refundable

For the past week, the hottest topic on the internet and on television has been the saga of Tiger Woods.  He has traveled the road from a world-renown golfer and beloved by most everyone, to a vilified adulterer, scourged by anyone with a blog or webcam.  We have been bombarded by the media with 24/7 coverage of his house, his car, and his voicemails.

However, this is not just another blog about Tiger.  Here at NWA Healthy Marriages, we are more concerned with an alarming trend in our society.  Namely, that in the first sign of marital trouble, we immediately look towards divorce.  Take a look at the headline in this story about Tiger Woods:

Tiger Woods’ Wife Could Receive $300M in Divorce Settlement

We are not saying that his wife would be wrong in seeking divorce, nor that it would be right — we are just concerned about how divorce is considered a ho-hum reality of life and that the dollar signs are more important than the bond of marriage.

Should we flee our marriage at the first sign of trouble? (Let’s not be naive. The case of Tiger Woods and his “transgressions” may not be classified as the first sign of trouble.)  Or should we fight to make it better?  Here at NWA Healthy Marriages, we would encourage you to fight for your marriage, even in the face of “transgressions” and other problems.  Though the divorce may payoff in a large amount of dollars, it also may cost you in your quality of life.

We would love to hear what you think about this idea, so leave us a comment!

Have you noticed how the pace of life rapidly quickens around the Holiday season? It’s no wonder that most of us are already feeling the effects of our hectic pace with Thanksgiving right around the corner and Christmas close behind. As a result, the typical couple spends less than 4 minutes per day having meaningful conversation.

We (Greg and I) have become acutely aware of this issue in our own relationship. It has become very clear that there is much to be missed when traveling at such a fast pace and with little margin.

The definition for thankfulness is “to be aware of and to appreciate a benefit; to be grateful.” Can you imagine what we are missing by not intentionally having a spirit of thankfulness in our marriage? Take time this Thanksgiving and Christmas Season to display a grateful spirit to your spouse. Are you frustrated that your spouse didn’t cook dinner? Be thankful that you have a spouse to eat with—whether it is macaroni and cheese or a gourmet meal. Upset that the house is a wreck after you spent all day cleaning? Be grateful that there is someone else sharing your home with you.

There is no greater way to honor your spouse than to be grateful and thankful for their presence in your life. First and foremost, notice what your spouse does that you appreciate. Slow down and make a list of 10 things you appreciate about them and are grateful for. Then, express your list by sharing one item each day for the next 10 days.

Want to be an appreciated spouse? Be one!