date night blessings

Today, I'm linking up with Natalie's Blessing Box.

I need to share this blessing with you in hopes that it may also bless you.  (It's one of those things way too great to hold onto as a secret.)

Justin and I have started "Thursday Questions"...an idea I got from the fabulous Loerke's from Today's Letters.  This fab couple started asking four questions to each other each week in which they coined as "Tuesday Questions".  They've shared their questions on their blog and encouraged other couples to use them.  They have been such an amazing blessing and inspiration to Justin and me.  Now each Thursday, whether it's on a walk, at a restaurant, over dinner at our kitchen table, or just sitting on the couch, we ask each other these four questions....

1. How did you feel loved this past week?
2. What does your upcoming week look like?
3. How would you feel most loved & encouraged in the days ahead?
4. How would you best feel pursued in sex / intimacy this week? 

Seems simple? Maybe it is...but it's exactly what we needed to stir up more intentional communication in our marriage.


This past Thursday, our date night included dinner out (thanks to a gift card from last Christmas).  Next we went to a special light show that is in a mega cavern that runs under our city.  Crazy, huh? It was so neat to drive through this awesome light display.

Justin was excited to be driving underground

We ended our night shopping at Kohl's for our Angel Tree kiddo from church.

What a blessing of a night with my hubby.  Love you babe.

book store entertainment

This Saturday the hubby and I went on a "day date".  We coined the phrase this weekend.  We quickly decided that due to our hectic schedules right now, these fuddy duds weren't going to have too much fun out on a nighttime date.  We had a wonderful lunch and then went to a local book store.  I hadn't taken the time to just browse through a book store without time constraints in quite a while.  I find it so relaxing and fun to browse the aisles.  Section by section, book by book, and even page by page at times.  Justin and I love to go our separate ways, collecting a stack of books and magazines, and then find a comfy chair to sit down next to each other and enjoy the pages in front of us.  Great conversation is sparked and it's a fun date idea that is pretty thrifty.  (If you're budget allows, visit the coffee shop too while you're at it!) Here are some of the books that are now on my "must read" or "must purchase to have around" list:

Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit 

by Francis Chan

(I just read his Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God and it was absolutely life-changing.  I'm sure this book will be nothing short of life-changing as well.  He is such a passionate writer.  The holy spirit is amazingly evident in his words and honesty.)

Eat This Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution 

by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding

(This is amazing.  I couldn't put it down.  Justin finally told me too since I had already decided to purchase it.  So enlightening on what to purchase at the grocery store.  The perfect eating and cooking healthy survival guide)

The Marriage You've Always Wanted 

by Gary Chapman

(Kinda like God was saying "here yah go".  Justin and I have been in such deep conversations lately about our marriage and the foundation we want our relationship to have and actually being intentional on building it that way based on Christ's love in our lives.  There are chapters on just about anything a married couple could have questions about...including that three letter word.  A great book for any place in your marriage relationship walk.)

Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream

by David Platt

(Just seemed so interesting.  This is similar to some things we have discussed lately in Sunday School.  I think there is so much truth to the idea that the worldly view of the "American Dream" has distorted our view of how Jesus calls us to live.  That's a whole other topic for a completely different post.)

Enjoy!