My wife and I were able to take a short trip two weeks ago in celebration of our 6th anniversary. On the way to our destination, we spent about 13 hours one day sitting on a train. In that time, we read nearly two books each. One of the books I read was Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God by C.J. Mahaney. Here are a couple of excerpts from the book that I found really helpful:
pgs 40-41:
"a regular date night will help remind and reinforce in both of you the priority of your relationship. Together you will quickly get into the habit of looking forward to and enjoying this time together."
"I'll pick up the phone in a spare moment and call her just to say, "Hi,love. I just wanted to hear your voice. Is there anything I can do for you?" (Be sure to listen to her answer, guys.)"
pgs 48-49:
"I have a box in which I put items that I want to outlive me. This box contains various letters, e-mails, and records of significant events in our family history and in the life of our church. These are things that I want my great-grandchildren yet unborn to see and read, things I want them to know about our Savior and about their great-grandparents. These items I store away for a day I will not see and for a future generation I hope to influence with the gospel."
pgs 50-51:
"In God's mercy, he showed me the selfish motivation I was bringing home each evening. I saw that my commute could be best utilized as a time of transition, so that I might be prepared to finish the day by loving and serving my family well. So I made a practice of pulling the car over a few blocks from home so I could take a couple of minutes to make an effective transition in my soul. There on the side of the road, I meditated on Ephesians 4 as well as on some other passages. I confessed to God my sinful tendency to be selfish and sought to prepare my heart to serve my wife and children when I arrived home. In this way I learned to see my home as the context where I have my greatest privilege and opportunity to serve. This practice had a transforming effect, allowing me to walk through the front door with the mind and heart of a loving servant-leader. By God's grace, I found it an excellent help in building a loving marriage, enjoying my family, and minimizing regret."
pgs 96-97:
"It's really simple. No one should be more important to you than your wife or be the object of greater love and affection. So let us do two things. First, let us scrutinize our lives: Is there any other passion that may be eclipsing our passion for our wives? And second, let us give to our wives whatever assurance or reassurance of this unparalleled love they may need. How will you know if your wife is completely confident that you love her about all other things? Ask her."
Ben, that looks like an excellent book! So glad you are still learning. We are never too old to learn. God gave you a very special wife, cherish her!!!!