When Phillip and I were engaged and filling out our registry list, we had filled those lists with the basics — plates, cups, pots, and pans.  At wedding showers, we received mixers and bed sheets and unfathomable amounts of bath towels.  But when we opened our presents the day after our wedding, no gift could compare to the unexpected (& unregistered!) gift we had received.  Sometimes its those unexpected gifts that really “get us”.  We received a copy of a devotional called “The Love Dare” and we absolutely LOVE IT and I’d like to share with you about it today for our Married Monday post!

The Love Dare is a year worth of daily devotions to do together as a married couple.  We started our marriage doing these devotions in the mornings while on our Honeymoon (before we headed out to be lazy on the beaches of Punta Cana all day…) but then shortly switched our devotion reading to nighttime right before bed. These devotions are short, easy to read, and sometimes include a short Bible verse to read from.  Some nights there’s a prayer we pray together, conversation starters, and at the beginning of each week there are “dares” (hence the name) or more like challenges that we do each week for and with each other.  Dares include things like “show honor and respect to your spouse that is above your normal routine”…”buy something for your spouse that says “I was thinking about you”…and “pray for the needs of your spouse” and many more “dares”.  The book prefaces itself by saying that “it will be a challenge, the journey will take courage and endurance, but it lays a strong foundation for your marriage” and to “consider it a dare by others who have done it before you”.

Now, just being honest here, Phillip and I don’t read  it every single night.  There are those nights when we’ve been so tired and we simply can’t keep our eyes open, but if we’ve forgotten a couple of days, we’ll go back and read them when we can.  However, I love it when we can actually get through an entire week uninterrupted…it changes things, y’all!

We highly suggest this book for newly married couples, but honestly, I think it can be applied to any married couple in need of restrengthening their relationships foundation and wanting a solid relationship with Jesus in the middle of it.

Like I said, we didn’t register for this book.  In fact, I had no idea it even existed before our wedding day, but I’m so glad we got it as a wedding gift. It has helped so much while building our marriage. Because, let’s face it- although that white Crate&Barrel spoon rest or a KitchenAid Stand Mixer is nice — isn’t going to help our marriage at all…or my awful cooking!

Much love y’all! & Happy Reading! 🙂

XO! -Emma Loo