Learning to Relish Life with Your Spouse

Most of us enter marriage with high expectations. We dream of long walks through the neighborhood every night and long walks along the beach in the summer. We imagine that every day will be romantic and exciting.

But somewhere between “I do” and “happily ever after” daily life settles into a predictable routine. And by “predictable” I mean “mundane” or – dare I even say – “boring.” Before long, we’re struggling under the “whens” and “if onlys” of life.

“When the baby is sleeping through the night, life will be better.”
“When the kids are in school, we’ll have more time together.”
“If only we had a bigger house, we could have people over.”
“If only I got a promotion, we could afford to go on vacation.”

When and if only … then life will be good.

But what if we can find joy and contentment in our marriage in everyday life?

On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Learning to Relish Life with Your Spouse,”Alexandra Kuykendall will share the results of a nine-month experiment she underwent to rekindle her love for what she calls “ordinary life.”

Alexandra picked nine areas of her life that she wanted to improve, then focused on a new one every 30 days for nine months. Here’s how she described them:

Bring It Down. How can you create quiet in the day to pray and listen to God?
First Things First. Does your morning routine set a positive tone for the day?
My Peeps. When you’re with your family, are you spending quality time together, or are you simply in the same room?
Be Kind to My Body. You take care of your kids’ physical needs, but are you taking care of your own?
Unleashing the Wild. How can you approach your daily routines in a way that mixes things up and infuses your day with a fresh perspective?
Pushing Through the Piles. What can be done to bring order to parts of your home that are disorganized, whether that be laundry and dishes or the family budget?
Love Is In the Details. How has God wired you to be creative? Gardening? Writing? Painting? Cooking? Music?
Three Times a Day. Family meals don’t have to be gourmet feasts, but households run more smoothly when you have a plan, even if it’s sandwiches.
I Am Made To Do Great Things. If you pursue your passions just a little every day, you’ll have something enriching to look forward to on a daily basis.

Tune in to our program “Learning to Relish Life with Your Spouse” on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or take us with you on our free phone app.

Alexandra Kuykendall’s book Loving My Actual Life: An Experiment in Relishing What’s Right in Front of Me is available for a gift of any amount. Visit our website for more information or call 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).