Coffin Corner

It’s the first day of the A-to-Z April Challenge. Today’s post is brought to you by the letter “A” – and the topic: Top Ten things to Always practice in your marriage:

1. Kiss goodnight. Pucker up and plant a wet one. Don’t let anything stand in the way of this daily expression of love before you move into slumber land.
2. Be honest about your failures. No one is perfect. In fact, we all mess up A LOT. When you make a mistake or misstep, confess the truth and ask forgiveness. Then, be willing to forgive when you feel hurt.
3. Put your spouse above any other human. Your marriage comes first—before your kids, parents, siblings, work, girlfriends or poker buddies. Pay attention to how you treat your spouse compared to others. If something is out of whack, refer back to #2.
4. Treat him with respect. One of his greatest needs is to be respected by you. Examine your thoughts. Are they respectful? If not, those feelings will come out and bite him {and you} in the backside. Don’t speak poorly of him to anyone. It WILL affect your marriage. And not in a good way.
5. Treat her with love. It’s one of her greatest needs—to feel and be aware of your love for her. Tell her, but most of all show her that you love her. This is different for every woman, so if you’re not sure what this means, ask her how you can do a better job of communicating your love.
6. Reserve a little one-on-one time every day. Even if it’s just 5-10 minutes, take time to connect. Right before you go to bed, after you wake up, during dinner or after little ones go to bed. Just do it!
7. Seek to learn something about your spouse. It may begin to feel like you know each other inside and out, but we are always growing. Make the effort to be a student of your spouse.
8. Give the benefit of the doubt. He or she did not wake up this morning with the intention to hurt you. Assume the best whenever possible, even when you feel hurt.
9. Pursue deeper intimacy. Be emotionally and physically vulnerable with each other. Share your hurts and fears. Express your desires. Tell each other your dreams. Make every effort to draw closer to each other, especially in difficult times.
10. Express your appreciation. Live with a heart of gratitude for every little blessing and then TELL your spouse what you appreciate about him or her.

Is there anything else you would add to this list? 

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Post tags: AtoZ Challenge, Love, Marriage, Respect, Trust