December is here which means that there are precisely 24 more nights of sleep until Christmas! That also means that the next 24 days will be filled with activities and lengthy goals to meet each day. While I love this time of year, it can feel as exhausting as living in a revolving door. This special season has important spiritual significance, and yet I can quickly lose sight on Him and my most important relationships.
As I celebrate that the Messiah has come, and prepare my heart for His second coming, I want to intentional with what activities I say, “yes” to this time of year.
This year Advent “officially” begins on Sunday, December 2nd and ends on Monday, December 24th. Which is why, as we’re about to enter the trenches of these next few weeks, I don’t want to neglect my two most important relationships: the one with my Savior and the one with my husband.
While there are many ideas on how to incorporate an Advent calendar into your family, I desired one that is Scripture-based and intended to strengthen my marriage. Which is why, a few years ago, I created my own Marriage Advent Calendar.
I love this Christmas tradition so much, and want to share it with you (again) today!
My heart behind this was to create something obtainable. I can’t tell you how many great ideas I have read about on the internet, but have never made them happen because of lack of time. So most of these activities will fit naturally into your schedule, but others might need to be a little pre-planned. You can use the prompts provided as they are, or you can use them as a springboard to find different Scriptures and activities that are more personal toward you and your husband. The beauty about this calendar is that you don’t have to buy anything to display it. If you’re a craft person, you can quickly make a cute poster or bulletin board with homemade library pockets, but if that stresses you out, write the daily verses and activities out with dry erase markers on your bathroom mirror or send them to your husband in a text message each morning.
So, without further ado… here is your 2018 Marriage Advent Calendar:
- Read: Genesis 24:67 ~ Activity: Share the top three things we love about each other.
- Read: 1 John 3:16-19 ~ Activity: Make a list of people we know who are in need and how we can be generous towards them. Conclude with praying for those people by name.
- Read: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 ~ Activity: Name something I can make easier for you or how I can help lighten your load.
- Read 1 Corinthians 11:11 ~ Activity: Remembering that while, in the Lord, we are never independent of each other, spend some time today independently enjoying hobbies that refresh our hearts.
- Read Proverbs 21:9 ~ Activity: Wife says, “I will help you (NAME A CHORE) and not quarrel about it.”
- Read Mark 10:6-9 ~ Activity: Pray for our marriage.
- Read Psalm 85:10 ~ Activity: One of us will be righteousness and the other, peace.
- Read 1 Corinthians 7:3-4 ~ Activity: Let me fulfill your needs… tonight!
- Read Matthew 1:18-25 ~ Activity: Watch a Faith-based Christmas movie together.
- Read Proverbs 18:22 ~ Activity: Ask each other, “Do you need me to help you with a favor?”
- Read John 15:9-17 ~ Activity: Dance in the living room to our favorite love song.
- Read 1 Timothy 3:8-12 ~ Activity: Pray over your husband, that these qualities of a godly leader will be strengthened in his life.
- Read Proverbs 5:19 ~ Activity: Wife tell your husband, “May my breasts satisfy you… tonight.”
- Read: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ~ Activity: Share which description of love we want to improve on and praise each other where we love well.
- Read Matthew 19:2-9 ~ Activity: Watch a movie together and talk about who has a hard heart and who doesn’t.
- Read Proverbs 12:4 ~ Activity: Husband, share specific ways your wife has been a jewel in your crown.
- Read Ephesians 5:33 ~ Activity: Wife, share specific ways you respect your husband.
- Read Luke 2:4-6 ~ Activity: Discuss the humility it must have taken for Jesus to make his home among us and pray that we would develop humility that points others to Jesus.
- Read Ezekiel 16:8 & Revelation 19:7-8 ~ Activity: Watch your wedding video (or look through wedding photos), and talk about memories from that special day.
- Read Deuteronomy 24:5 ~ Activity: Taking a year off isn’t something we can do, but let’s be intentional with taking at least 24 hours off. Go away to a hotel for the night or pick a date and put it on the calendar for at least an overnight out of the house.
- Read Galatians 5:13 ~ Activity: Let’s serve someone.
- Read Genesis 2:18-21 ~ Activity: Pick something from husband’s “to-do” list and tackle it together.
- Read 2 Corinthians 6:14 ~ Activity: Pray together at your church or a place of spiritual significance.
- Read Song of Solomon 2:3 ~ Activity: Make this one specific by filling in all the intimate details.
- Read 1 Corinthians 11:3 ~ Activity: Pray together for the husband to be the spiritual leader in your home.
I hope that as this Christmas season begins, you will prioritize time with the Lord and with your spouse, using this marriage advent calendar or another Biblical resource.
darby dugger
***December’s Printable Prayer Calendar is attached and should be accessible to all blog subscribers at the bottom of the e-mail! Thank you for being a part of this community!***
[…] Countdown to Christmas: Marriage Style – a bunch of the fantastic couple activities are from her list. So good! […]