JANUARY 14, 2010

A DATE FOR ALMOST NOTHING

Scripture Reading--Proverbs 5:18

"Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth."

Most married couples enjoyed going on dates before they were married. Time and money seemed to be of no concern whatsoever. Then they got married. Now time and money are two reasons special outings together are a thing of the past. Once my wife and I tried something that cost us almost nothing but a couple of hours. Here's what we did:

`` We put on comfortable shoes and went to a mall so we could walk together.

` In a clothing store, we each picked a shirt for the other person. The person put the shirt on

and modeled it.

` In a card shop, we split up, and each picked a "mushy" card. We exchanged cards, read

them, put them back, and left the store.

` We walked through the food court and tried all the free samples. We turned around and

went through the food court again, taking more of the free samples.

` We found a photo booth and had hilarious portraits taken just for a few dollars.

` We took Gospel tracts and shared them with several people we say sitting in the mall.

` Each time we saw a man wearing a ball hat backwards, we paused to give each other a kiss.

About two hours later, we left the mall and went home. During our time, we hardly spent any money. We exercised together, laughed a lot, witnessed to others, and even added a romantic touch. While returning home, we remembered a basic principle about marriage relationships. A little time and money have a wonderful way of providing one of the greatest ingredients of a strong marriage relationship--togetherness. You don't need a week-long cruise or a $200 dinner outing to spend time together. A little creativity works fine, and you'll love it.

HUSBAND'S ACTION POINT: Now, Sir Hubby, get with it and plan the next date with your sweetie!

--Tom Palmer--

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN " 1 " YEAR: Genesis cc.43-46