Thoughts to ponder – a great article
I subscribe to a great ezine by Michael Webb.
Below is his recent article which gives great ideas that we promote to couples to keep their relationship freezer full.
Michael describes what they did when they were nearing birth of a child. We live in the country and so we do similar things in regard to keeping our freezer full. It’s an hour round trip to the store. And we never know when someone will drop in.
The point is this: It’s not usually the big things that make or break relationships; it’s the small daily choices that you and I get to make. We can choose to stock up our relationship freezer so we can withstand sluggish times and energy shortages. I invite you to take Michael’s tips. Heck, just make it an experiment and see what happens for you.
Is Your Freezer Full?
by Michael Webb
When Ashton had been incubating for about seven or eight months in
my wife’s belly, we bought an upright freezer. I thought it might
be a good idea to make some dinners in advance since we had no idea
how busy and tired we might be when our son arrived.
Athena and I purchased a pack of aluminum pans. I made twelve large
pans of enchiladas and several other meals and put them in our
freezer. It’s one of the smartest things I have ever done. When
Ashton was born and we wanted a “home-cooked” meal we took a pan
out of the freezer and after 35 minutes in the oven, we had a tasty
dish of enchiladas or some other pre-made meal ready to devour. Our
birth/recovery period wasn’t nearly as difficult as what most
couples describe.
How much “reserves” do you have in your relationship? Are you
stocked up and prepared for the more difficult times ahead?
While all marriages face stressful situations, blissful
relationships don’t really have the same lows as your average
partnership. Do you know why? Couples in blissful relationships
have their freezer stocked for emergencies. I’m not talking
enchiladas here.
If you come upon a difficult period in your relationship and you
don’t have adequate “reserves” you can end up starving. Hungry
couples are edgy, irritable and are prone to arguments. If you
don’t want your relationship to starve in the future, start beefing
up your reserves.
Here are some great ways to stock up your relationship freezer.
* Attend an organized marriage retreat every year or two
* Schedule regular time away just for the two of you
* Read books/magazines/ezines on marriage enrichment and discuss
the concepts with your partner
* Have a weekly date night
* Find a way to grow spiritually together
Couples who have their reservoirs filled great memories, lots of
shared positive experiences, wisdom gained from publications and
friends, and constant interaction are able to weather almost any
drought that their marriage might face.
So, how full is YOUR freezer?
