This is what our nights look like when the house finally gets quiet. It's playful, spicy, fun, and it is ours. I am sharing this because I know there are marriages out there that are still standing, but slowly drifting into routine. You are still committed, still showing up, but something feels missing. The softness is gone. The fun is gone. The flirting has faded. I know because we were almost there in year 1. But we realized there's s a difference between loving your spouse and staying in love with your spouse. Loving is the feeling, but staying in love is the commitment. It is the commitment to show up, to nurture the relationship, to create closeness, and to choose each other in the middle of ordinary moments. For us, it looks like this. It looks like doing skincare together before bed, laughing, touching, and simply being close. After 16 years of together and 9 children, we have learned that connection does not just happen. You have to be intentional about it. Marriage is ministry, and it requires tending to. We choose each other daily. We make time for each other. We laugh together, we hold space for each other, and we stay close even in the smallest moments. Staying in love takes effort, but it is the sweetest work we will ever do. If you are reading this and your marriage feels distant, I pray you remember that intimacy does not start with something big. It starts with one small moment of choosing each other again. One moment can shift everything. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church…” Ephesians 5:25 “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 In Jesus’ name, amen. marriedlife marriedcouple marriagegoals couples marriage