July 21, 2025 • 14 mins
Creative Ideas For Couples To Implement In Spite Of Time, Childcare, And Financial Challenges
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Starcares, a weekly program that delves into the
issues that impact you and your family. This program is
a public affairs feature of this radio station. Now here's
your host, Michael Leach.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
There are several hectic phases in parenthood, spanning everything from
the bleary eyed and newborn stage to the frenetic years
of chauffeuring kids some multiple sports, music lessons, and other activities.
Parents crave togetherness, but day nights they're elusive. In these seasons,
the idea of vacationing is a couple can seem like
it borders on absurdity. So how can couples prioritize their
(00:36):
relationship during these seasons with crazy schedules or tight finances
are concerned? Let's talk about it. My guest today is
Dina Thayer, an author and speaker with focus on the family.
She's here to help us out. Dina, thank you for
joining me and welcome to the show.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Thanks for having me, Michael and looking forward to the conversation.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
So describe the why of couple getaways.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Thanks for asking that, because I think when we have
a strong why, we're much more able to execute the
what and the how. Let me just share with couples.
Why this is so essential. When you spend time as
a couple away from your day to day responsibilities, this
can do all kinds of positive things for you. It
can bring fresh perspective to any situations you're facing, It
(01:19):
might bring you discernment on a topic you two are
praying about, or it could even just give you a
more cheerful outlook as you go back to tackling all
those day to day responsibilities. Research also shows that intentional
couple time improves mental health. And I would say if
you're an expectant family, your expectant parents, this is particularly important.
(01:40):
Try to capitalize on those last few weeks as a
family of two. So those new parents also who maybe
like you mentioned bleary eyed so true new parents also
benefit from this. This gives them a break from the
challenges of life with a newborn. But at any season,
that break from the day to day rhythm is just essential.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
So while all of this may seem obvious, there are
families that think this is completely not practical. This isn't
even possible in the season that we're in. I mean,
it could be somebody that has a nursing infinite home
and not ready to leave for an extended time, or
maybe one of the other out of the couple has
a health issue and travel is not recommended, or your
(02:19):
job just doesn't allow for this paid vacation time. Talk
to those people that are saying, Dina, we want it,
we just can't get it.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
You're exactly right. I appreciated your word choice at the
beginning there about absurdity borders on absurdity. I think some
couples are hearing something like this and saying, you don't
understand this is well nigh and possible for us. So
I've got a couple of tears here. So if the
only issue for you is finances, you're looking at flight prices, say,
(02:47):
and you're like ridiculous, there's no way, then I really
recommend the good old fashioned road trip. You can look for,
you know, vacation rentals, quaint bread and breakfasts. Those are
some lodging options that aren't going to break the Or
if you and your spouse enjoy camping, that's an even
more affordable option. And you're only a few hours from home,
(03:07):
and this road trip option still gets you away from
those usual routines. But you are exactly right, Michael. There
are families where getting away even overnight, just it's not
going to be possible. So I really then suggest really
fun day dates, maybe unique ideas. If you love the outdoors,
go on a hike, visit a national park, take a
(03:27):
scenic drive. If you guys are more quote indoorsy, then
maybe you just drive to the nearest city and take
in a show, or go to the art museum. If
you're thrill seekers and you miss those days, go to
the amusement park, ride roller coasters for an afternoon. And
if you're struggling for ideas, because I do think we
can get in those ruts as well, we just do
(03:48):
the same thing over and over, then I would suggest
look for some of the books that are out there
that have ideas for unique activities. There's even boxes with
cars that you scratch off like an old lottery ticket
and scratch off and find out spontaneously what you're doing
for the day, and that can be super fun and
just kind of break us out of the mold of
(04:10):
some of those same things we tend to do repeatedly.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
So you mentioned a road trip, and you mentioned some
unique ideas, let's talk about some ideas for staycations, because
that's what a lot of us are ending up having
to do. Can you give us some creative I don't know,
some creative genius when it comes to staycations.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Sure, I think the staycation idea is actually really catching
on because you get a few hours away from your responsibilities,
but you're not having to leave the kids with Grandma overnight.
You get to sleep in your own bed at the
end of the day, So that's a win exhausted parent,
And yet you can think of unique things that still
get you a few hours break. So say that for you,
(04:47):
even staying home might be on the docket. As you mentioned, Michael,
there could be a health issue, there could be nursing,
you could just be in a season of life. We're
even getting out for a date just isn't super realistic.
I suggest could you create a scavenger hunt in your
own house that maybe leads to a coupon for a
future little date night to go get ice cream or
(05:09):
something that's kind of two dates. Right there, you get
the scavenger hunt and then the future date to look
forward to. Some couples who maybe can get out of
the house but not very often, think about learning a
new skill together. Maybe you could take up dance lessons,
or learn a language, and some of those things can
even be done from home. There's now a lot of
virtual art classes, virtual language classes even on apps. And
(05:32):
when couples learn a skill together, that is a super
bonding activity. Enjoying a cooking class online and then eat
the creations, right, that's also kind of two dates in one.
Or join a book club and read together and talk
about what you're reading. If you're the kind of couple
that needs your date though, to at least feel like
a vacation, then when you can grab those couple hours
(05:54):
away for a staycation in your own town, find a
nearby resort that has a day pass, and go lay
in a lounge chair and drink a fun drink with
an umbrella in it. Maybe that's what you need to
do to just be creative and have it still feel
really refreshing.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Talk then to the couple that says, yeah, so give
us some ideas, Dina, about the fact that we just
can't separate from our kids, but we still want that
together feeling a family theme night. What else can can
we do?
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Love the mention of the family theme night, because you're right,
this is where we have to think outside the box.
Some couples can't get breaks from their kids in this season,
and I encourage couples don't get hung up on whether
a date is just the two of you. So you
might have to include your kids in some of these
creative mini getaways. Maybe you pop your sleeping baby in
(06:42):
the stroller, go on a walk around the neighborhood with
some rules. Maybe hey, we're not going to talk about
the kids, We're not going to talk about work. Give
it the parameters that say this is time for us
to just connect and enjoy talking about what are you
learning in God's word lately or what's really exciting you
out the future. You could also build a tent. Kids
(07:03):
love when you build a tent with the blankets and
the cushions and the furniture, you guys could all hang
out under there and have a family sleepover or just
even a movie night under there, and once the kids
fall asleep, you can snuggle up together, and that's at
least a little bit a couple time. And you could
maybe do your devotional book together or hang out in
your little home created campsite. If you've got school age kids,
(07:28):
you might be able to feed them dinner first, and
doesn't mean you can't hang out with them while they eat,
But then once they're in bed, maybe plan a fancier
candle light dinner for just the two of you, so
kids are still in the house and you're still in
the house, but you're getting a little bit of that
romantic time together. Another thing you mentioned the theme dinner.
(07:48):
Love that because one thing kids enjoy is when the
adults in their life are doing things that kind of
are out of context, so to speak, so they love
to see grown ups being silly. You could have a
night that's we're gonna have a super fancy dinner and
involve the kids in the candlelight dinner and everyone dresses up,
but then you do something super casual like family game
(08:08):
night in your dress clothes. Or you could have a
theme dinner, which is not only fun for couples, but
kids get into it too, So, for example, like a
baby theme night, everyone comes to the table in their pajamas.
If you're in the season with preschoolers and toddlers and
you still have sippy cups around the house, everyone drinks
out of them, even the grown ups, And you can
even make the menu have baby stuff in a baby spinach, salad,
(08:31):
baby corn, baby back ribs. The options are almost endless, Michael.
If you can just get a little bit creative and fun,
that's really great for the kids too. But again, it's
the break from the day to day and the usual
routine that helps it stick as a family memory.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Absolutely, And so the focus is on fun and relaxation
and being together and whatever you do, don't make this
an uptight thing, right because sometimes people are thinking that
even if I have to plan it, then that feels
like stressed to me. Just talk to people who are
just a little tight, you know, and uptight with almost
everything that happens. Help them to react.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
Oh, you're speaking new parents language in particular, because in
that season where it feels like just when you've clean
up from the last meal, you've got to prep the
next one, or somebody's always nursing, or there's always a
baby to be fed, it does feel like, oh, one
more thing to plan. But what's exciting about this is
especially when you bring in that element of silliness and
you let yourself be a little spontaneous, or maybe let
(09:29):
yourself be okay with the mess. This might look like
one night we don't clean up after dinner so that
we can play games together or read our book for
the book club we've joined. To let go of some
of that once in a while. That's the key. I'm
all for consistency and routine, but for couples to connect
sometimes it's going to require giving yourself permission to take
(09:51):
a break from having everything be tidy and have all
the ducks in a row, and to say, you know what,
our time to connect is actually more important than whether
there's dishes in the sink right now. So that's an
important element you bring up. And my encouragement to couples is,
even if it's just one evening off, give yourself a break,
or if one or the other parent does it more often,
(10:12):
give that parent the break. So if it's usually dad
who cleans up from dinner because mom cook, you say, Dad,
you're getting a night off from that. We're going to
connect and read our book. We'll deal with the dishes
in the morning. And that's just a way again to
flip the script, come a little bit out of those routines,
and that's what is a blessing for both parties in
the marriage.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
I think this is a beautiful way to honor God.
And follow Jesus's example right, Because while the Bible doesn't
specifically talk about vacations or date nights, it is clear.
Scripture is clear that taking time away from our usual
activities and routines is essential, not just for our physical
and relational health, but also for spiritual renewal. Speak about
(10:51):
that a.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Little bit from the beginning of the Bible. In Genesis,
we see God laying an example of resting after he
created the heavens and earth. So right away out of
the gate, God is showing us as believers that there's
a rhythm to life, and yes, there's tasks to be
done and work to do and kids to raise, but
(11:11):
that we also need to take those breaks to recharge.
And never is that more important and truer than in
a marriage. Couples need that recharge and reconnection and refreshment time.
So we see God resting in Genesis. We see talks
in the Psalms about God refreshing our souls. Solomon writes
and ecclesiastes about the importance of enjoying the work of
(11:32):
your hands, enjoying your toil. So we see this ethic
of work hard, play hard, even in Scripture. And then
what's beautiful is this carries into the New Testament. We
see Jesus invite the disciples to a quiet place. We
see him even go away by himself sometimes to pray,
And in Matthew eleven twenty eight through thirty, we see
him invite us to that rest when he says, come
(11:54):
to me, those who are weary and heavy laden, I'll
give you rest. So God in Christ even they're setting
an example for us that we need to take those
times to recharge, get those breaks. That is actually God honoring.
It's not selfish, and parents shouldn't feel guilty about doing it.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
So what if somebody, a couple is listening to us
and one person is so excited and there's one spouse
that's not maybe as cooperative. What kind of encouragement would
you give the spouse that's raring to go but their
partner is sort of lackadaisical about it.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Yeah, let me talk to both of those folks. So first,
if you're the one that's excited, then I would say,
encapsulate that excitement by actually maybe planning one of these
ideas you've heard today. It might help get your partner
on the bus. If you say, hey, it's already ready,
the reservation's made, or I've gotten out all the blankets
and pillows to build our tent tonight. Go ahead and
take that excitement and move it into action. If you're
(12:50):
the more reluctant partner, here is what I would say.
This idea of marriage getaways, even if you can't go
on vacation, is going to really offer unsped, beakable benefits
to your relationship in the long haul. So while short
term it might sound like, oh, one more thing to do,
it might sound a little cumbersome. Let me just tell you,
these kids are going to grow up and move on,
(13:11):
and what's left is this marriage and so cultivating that
showing your kids that your marriage is a priority is
going to bring you such blessings into the future that
it is really worth that little bit of planning and
effort on the front end.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Yeah, and then it can help us to avoid that
relational drift that might occur without are healthy togetherness.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
That's important one hundred percent. There's couples who the kids
move out and they become an empty nest and think, wait,
I don't even really know this person anymore, or we're
kind of just like pals or roommates, and we don't
want that to happen, and these kind of things can
help mitigate and prevent those exact drift issues.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
So how can we learn more adena about what we've
discussed today?
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Help us out absolutely well. A lot of these ideas
that I've shared today are from an article I wrote
on the Focus on the Family website. I just encourage
families to check that out Focus on the Family dot
Com and I even practiced, so I can tell you
how to find it real easy. If you go in
the search bar and just type Can't get Away, my
article will come right up. But also on the homepage
(14:13):
Focus on the Family dot Com if you go to
that marriage tab, we have a plethora of resources for
you in whatever season of your couple relationship you're in,
and I'd encourage couples to take advantage of those Focus on.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
The Family dot Com. Focus on the Family dot Com Dnathea,
thank you so much for sharing with us today and
giving us such wonderful tips to keep our marriage tight
and to keep ourselves together.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
Thank you my pleasure, thanks for having me, and.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
Thank you for listening. Won't you join me again? I'm
your host, Michael Leachin, I am praying for you and
praying that the rest of your day is wonderful.
Welcome to Starcares, a weekly program that delves into the
issues that impact you and your family. This program is
a public affairs feature of this radio station. Now here's
your host, Michael Leach.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
There are several hectic phases in parenthood, spanning everything from
the bleary eyed and newborn stage to the frenetic years
of chauffeuring kids some multiple sports, music lessons, and other activities.
Parents crave togetherness, but day nights they're elusive. In these seasons,
the idea of vacationing is a couple can seem like
it borders on absurdity. So how can couples prioritize their
(00:36):
relationship during these seasons with crazy schedules or tight finances
are concerned? Let's talk about it. My guest today is
Dina Thayer, an author and speaker with focus on the family.
She's here to help us out. Dina, thank you for
joining me and welcome to the show.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Thanks for having me, Michael and looking forward to the conversation.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
So describe the why of couple getaways.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Thanks for asking that, because I think when we have
a strong why, we're much more able to execute the
what and the how. Let me just share with couples.
Why this is so essential. When you spend time as
a couple away from your day to day responsibilities, this
can do all kinds of positive things for you. It
can bring fresh perspective to any situations you're facing, It
(01:19):
might bring you discernment on a topic you two are
praying about, or it could even just give you a
more cheerful outlook as you go back to tackling all
those day to day responsibilities. Research also shows that intentional
couple time improves mental health. And I would say if
you're an expectant family, your expectant parents, this is particularly important.
(01:40):
Try to capitalize on those last few weeks as a
family of two. So those new parents also who maybe
like you mentioned bleary eyed so true new parents also
benefit from this. This gives them a break from the
challenges of life with a newborn. But at any season,
that break from the day to day rhythm is just essential.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
So while all of this may seem obvious, there are
families that think this is completely not practical. This isn't
even possible in the season that we're in. I mean,
it could be somebody that has a nursing infinite home
and not ready to leave for an extended time, or
maybe one of the other out of the couple has
a health issue and travel is not recommended, or your
(02:19):
job just doesn't allow for this paid vacation time. Talk
to those people that are saying, Dina, we want it,
we just can't get it.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
You're exactly right. I appreciated your word choice at the
beginning there about absurdity borders on absurdity. I think some
couples are hearing something like this and saying, you don't
understand this is well nigh and possible for us. So
I've got a couple of tears here. So if the
only issue for you is finances, you're looking at flight prices, say,
(02:47):
and you're like ridiculous, there's no way, then I really
recommend the good old fashioned road trip. You can look for,
you know, vacation rentals, quaint bread and breakfasts. Those are
some lodging options that aren't going to break the Or
if you and your spouse enjoy camping, that's an even
more affordable option. And you're only a few hours from home,
(03:07):
and this road trip option still gets you away from
those usual routines. But you are exactly right, Michael. There
are families where getting away even overnight, just it's not
going to be possible. So I really then suggest really
fun day dates, maybe unique ideas. If you love the outdoors,
go on a hike, visit a national park, take a
(03:27):
scenic drive. If you guys are more quote indoorsy, then
maybe you just drive to the nearest city and take
in a show, or go to the art museum. If
you're thrill seekers and you miss those days, go to
the amusement park, ride roller coasters for an afternoon. And
if you're struggling for ideas, because I do think we
can get in those ruts as well, we just do
(03:48):
the same thing over and over, then I would suggest
look for some of the books that are out there
that have ideas for unique activities. There's even boxes with
cars that you scratch off like an old lottery ticket
and scratch off and find out spontaneously what you're doing
for the day, and that can be super fun and
just kind of break us out of the mold of
(04:10):
some of those same things we tend to do repeatedly.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
So you mentioned a road trip, and you mentioned some
unique ideas, let's talk about some ideas for staycations, because
that's what a lot of us are ending up having
to do. Can you give us some creative I don't know,
some creative genius when it comes to staycations.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Sure, I think the staycation idea is actually really catching
on because you get a few hours away from your responsibilities,
but you're not having to leave the kids with Grandma overnight.
You get to sleep in your own bed at the
end of the day, So that's a win exhausted parent,
And yet you can think of unique things that still
get you a few hours break. So say that for you,
(04:47):
even staying home might be on the docket. As you mentioned, Michael,
there could be a health issue, there could be nursing,
you could just be in a season of life. We're
even getting out for a date just isn't super realistic.
I suggest could you create a scavenger hunt in your
own house that maybe leads to a coupon for a
future little date night to go get ice cream or
(05:09):
something that's kind of two dates. Right there, you get
the scavenger hunt and then the future date to look
forward to. Some couples who maybe can get out of
the house but not very often, think about learning a
new skill together. Maybe you could take up dance lessons,
or learn a language, and some of those things can
even be done from home. There's now a lot of
virtual art classes, virtual language classes even on apps. And
(05:32):
when couples learn a skill together, that is a super
bonding activity. Enjoying a cooking class online and then eat
the creations, right, that's also kind of two dates in one.
Or join a book club and read together and talk
about what you're reading. If you're the kind of couple
that needs your date though, to at least feel like
a vacation, then when you can grab those couple hours
(05:54):
away for a staycation in your own town, find a
nearby resort that has a day pass, and go lay
in a lounge chair and drink a fun drink with
an umbrella in it. Maybe that's what you need to
do to just be creative and have it still feel
really refreshing.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Talk then to the couple that says, yeah, so give
us some ideas, Dina, about the fact that we just
can't separate from our kids, but we still want that
together feeling a family theme night. What else can can
we do?
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Love the mention of the family theme night, because you're right,
this is where we have to think outside the box.
Some couples can't get breaks from their kids in this season,
and I encourage couples don't get hung up on whether
a date is just the two of you. So you
might have to include your kids in some of these
creative mini getaways. Maybe you pop your sleeping baby in
(06:42):
the stroller, go on a walk around the neighborhood with
some rules. Maybe hey, we're not going to talk about
the kids, We're not going to talk about work. Give
it the parameters that say this is time for us
to just connect and enjoy talking about what are you
learning in God's word lately or what's really exciting you
out the future. You could also build a tent. Kids
(07:03):
love when you build a tent with the blankets and
the cushions and the furniture, you guys could all hang
out under there and have a family sleepover or just
even a movie night under there, and once the kids
fall asleep, you can snuggle up together, and that's at
least a little bit a couple time. And you could
maybe do your devotional book together or hang out in
your little home created campsite. If you've got school age kids,
(07:28):
you might be able to feed them dinner first, and
doesn't mean you can't hang out with them while they eat,
But then once they're in bed, maybe plan a fancier
candle light dinner for just the two of you, so
kids are still in the house and you're still in
the house, but you're getting a little bit of that
romantic time together. Another thing you mentioned the theme dinner.
(07:48):
Love that because one thing kids enjoy is when the
adults in their life are doing things that kind of
are out of context, so to speak, so they love
to see grown ups being silly. You could have a
night that's we're gonna have a super fancy dinner and
involve the kids in the candlelight dinner and everyone dresses up,
but then you do something super casual like family game
(08:08):
night in your dress clothes. Or you could have a
theme dinner, which is not only fun for couples, but
kids get into it too, So, for example, like a
baby theme night, everyone comes to the table in their pajamas.
If you're in the season with preschoolers and toddlers and
you still have sippy cups around the house, everyone drinks
out of them, even the grown ups, And you can
even make the menu have baby stuff in a baby spinach, salad,
(08:31):
baby corn, baby back ribs. The options are almost endless, Michael.
If you can just get a little bit creative and fun,
that's really great for the kids too. But again, it's
the break from the day to day and the usual
routine that helps it stick as a family memory.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Absolutely, And so the focus is on fun and relaxation
and being together and whatever you do, don't make this
an uptight thing, right because sometimes people are thinking that
even if I have to plan it, then that feels
like stressed to me. Just talk to people who are
just a little tight, you know, and uptight with almost
everything that happens. Help them to react.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
Oh, you're speaking new parents language in particular, because in
that season where it feels like just when you've clean
up from the last meal, you've got to prep the
next one, or somebody's always nursing, or there's always a
baby to be fed, it does feel like, oh, one
more thing to plan. But what's exciting about this is
especially when you bring in that element of silliness and
you let yourself be a little spontaneous, or maybe let
(09:29):
yourself be okay with the mess. This might look like
one night we don't clean up after dinner so that
we can play games together or read our book for
the book club we've joined. To let go of some
of that once in a while. That's the key. I'm
all for consistency and routine, but for couples to connect
sometimes it's going to require giving yourself permission to take
(09:51):
a break from having everything be tidy and have all
the ducks in a row, and to say, you know what,
our time to connect is actually more important than whether
there's dishes in the sink right now. So that's an
important element you bring up. And my encouragement to couples is,
even if it's just one evening off, give yourself a break,
or if one or the other parent does it more often,
(10:12):
give that parent the break. So if it's usually dad
who cleans up from dinner because mom cook, you say, Dad,
you're getting a night off from that. We're going to
connect and read our book. We'll deal with the dishes
in the morning. And that's just a way again to
flip the script, come a little bit out of those routines,
and that's what is a blessing for both parties in
the marriage.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
I think this is a beautiful way to honor God.
And follow Jesus's example right, Because while the Bible doesn't
specifically talk about vacations or date nights, it is clear.
Scripture is clear that taking time away from our usual
activities and routines is essential, not just for our physical
and relational health, but also for spiritual renewal. Speak about
(10:51):
that a.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Little bit from the beginning of the Bible. In Genesis,
we see God laying an example of resting after he
created the heavens and earth. So right away out of
the gate, God is showing us as believers that there's
a rhythm to life, and yes, there's tasks to be
done and work to do and kids to raise, but
(11:11):
that we also need to take those breaks to recharge.
And never is that more important and truer than in
a marriage. Couples need that recharge and reconnection and refreshment time.
So we see God resting in Genesis. We see talks
in the Psalms about God refreshing our souls. Solomon writes
and ecclesiastes about the importance of enjoying the work of
(11:32):
your hands, enjoying your toil. So we see this ethic
of work hard, play hard, even in Scripture. And then
what's beautiful is this carries into the New Testament. We
see Jesus invite the disciples to a quiet place. We
see him even go away by himself sometimes to pray,
And in Matthew eleven twenty eight through thirty, we see
him invite us to that rest when he says, come
(11:54):
to me, those who are weary and heavy laden, I'll
give you rest. So God in Christ even they're setting
an example for us that we need to take those
times to recharge, get those breaks. That is actually God honoring.
It's not selfish, and parents shouldn't feel guilty about doing it.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
So what if somebody, a couple is listening to us
and one person is so excited and there's one spouse
that's not maybe as cooperative. What kind of encouragement would
you give the spouse that's raring to go but their
partner is sort of lackadaisical about it.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Yeah, let me talk to both of those folks. So first,
if you're the one that's excited, then I would say,
encapsulate that excitement by actually maybe planning one of these
ideas you've heard today. It might help get your partner
on the bus. If you say, hey, it's already ready,
the reservation's made, or I've gotten out all the blankets
and pillows to build our tent tonight. Go ahead and
take that excitement and move it into action. If you're
(12:50):
the more reluctant partner, here is what I would say.
This idea of marriage getaways, even if you can't go
on vacation, is going to really offer unsped, beakable benefits
to your relationship in the long haul. So while short
term it might sound like, oh, one more thing to do,
it might sound a little cumbersome. Let me just tell you,
these kids are going to grow up and move on,
(13:11):
and what's left is this marriage and so cultivating that
showing your kids that your marriage is a priority is
going to bring you such blessings into the future that
it is really worth that little bit of planning and
effort on the front end.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Yeah, and then it can help us to avoid that
relational drift that might occur without are healthy togetherness.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
That's important one hundred percent. There's couples who the kids
move out and they become an empty nest and think, wait,
I don't even really know this person anymore, or we're
kind of just like pals or roommates, and we don't
want that to happen, and these kind of things can
help mitigate and prevent those exact drift issues.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
So how can we learn more adena about what we've
discussed today?
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Help us out absolutely well. A lot of these ideas
that I've shared today are from an article I wrote
on the Focus on the Family website. I just encourage
families to check that out Focus on the Family dot
Com and I even practiced, so I can tell you
how to find it real easy. If you go in
the search bar and just type Can't get Away, my
article will come right up. But also on the homepage
(14:13):
Focus on the Family dot Com if you go to
that marriage tab, we have a plethora of resources for
you in whatever season of your couple relationship you're in,
and I'd encourage couples to take advantage of those Focus on.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
The Family dot Com. Focus on the Family dot Com Dnathea,
thank you so much for sharing with us today and
giving us such wonderful tips to keep our marriage tight
and to keep ourselves together.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
Thank you my pleasure, thanks for having me, and.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
Thank you for listening. Won't you join me again? I'm
your host, Michael Leachin, I am praying for you and
praying that the rest of your day is wonderful.
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