Valentine’s Day is coming! It’s practically here! Are you counting down the days or are you just hoping to remember once the day is upon you? When Eric and I were newly in love, I’m sure I had Valentine’s Day on my mental radar a bit more than I do now; but, I doubt celebrating it will ever get old. Whether I am thirty-five, fifty-four, or eighty-seven, it will always feel good to be a Valentine. ~smile~
Like other annual celebrations in relationships, we can fall into a rut with how we carry out our Valentine’s Day celebrations.
“Dinner and a movie again?”“What? We always do dinner and a movie. Can’t we do something else – something… special?”
“I thought you loved dinner and a movie!”
When love is new, every milestone is exciting. The first dating one-month celebration, the first Christmas, the first road trip to meet the parents, and the first Valentine’s Day – all of these firsts are meaningful. Your first time on a rollercoaster is bound to get your heart rate up a little; however, after your tenth time on the same ride, the mystery is gone.
So, in an attempt to help you have a rut-free Valentine’s Day, here are a few Valentine’s Day date ideas that blow “dinner and a movie” out of the water. ~smile~
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Face a Fear Together.
A few years ago, I took a “How Adventurous are You?” quiz and scored a two out of thirteen. ~smile~ So, I do not have to look far to find a fear to face. Though I admire (mostly) adventurous people, I generally keep my feet on the ground, and far away from cliffs, at all times. Public speaking, jumping out of an airplane, snake handling – all of these activities would be “fear-facing” activities for me!
Eric, however, is not afraid of public speaking and, as far as I know, he does not have a hang-up about snakes. So, if we were going to face a mutual fear, we could jump out of an airplane together! What do you think, Eric? ~wink~ {Eric’s note: Um, no. ~smile~}
If there is something you both fear, consider facing that fear and putting it behind you this week! Tackling a phobia together is quite the bonding experience for friends or couples! Imagine how good you will feel after you face it! Just be safe and do not try anything foolish like jumping off a bridge with your own makeshift bungee cord.
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Serve Somewhere Together.
One of the biggest cures for selfishness and discontentment is serving others who are in great need. Whether you and your sweetie volunteer at your local food bank or create an outreach event for the community, you can spend your Valentine’s Day sharing God’s love with others who desperately need it. Think about it together and brainstorm some ways you can serve others on V-Day this year!
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Give Valentine’s Gifts to Others.
After you enjoy a few holidays together, you may find that you need very little in the way of gifts. As much as I love giving and receiving gifts, I will be the first to tell you that the clutter in our house can feel overwhelming. The idea of giving someone “stuff” that will serve no purpose and have little, if any, sentimental value does not seem as important as it once did.
So, how about giving a gift to someone else instead of each other? Or, you can give a small gift to each other and spend the rest on gifts for other people. Do you know of a family in need who could use a bag of groceries or some children who would adore their own teddy bear, doll, or other toy? You could also use your time and resources to hand out valentines at your local retirement home. Think of how much your small token could brighten up their worlds. Some of them have no family and get little company. You could be the one to share the gospel with them and to give them some attention they have so desperately craved.
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Plan a Fun Adventure.
A murder mystery dinner, a treasure hunt, a hike to a beautiful destination – there are so many fun activities you can do to show your sweetie how much you care about him or her. Though I cannot speak for all women, I know I appreciate it when Eric thinks outside the box for me and it means a lot when I know he has gone to a lot of trouble to make me happy.
Take a piece of paper and, without being critical of your ideas (i.e., brainstorming), write down the first fifty ideas which come to mind. After that, go through and circle your top ten favorite ideas. From there, see what you can do about making one of them a Valentine’s Day event! ~smile~
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Make This a Memory Lane Valentine’s Day.
Maybe this is your first Valentine’s Day together and maybe you have been together so long you can barely remember your first Valentine’s Day as a couple. If you have been together a while, you may want to make this Valentine’s Day a day of remembrance. You could recreate your first Valentine’s Day together, your first date, or the day you became an official “couple.” You could fill it with your sweetheart’s favorite flowers, candies, and activities. You could take your top five most memorable dates of all time and try to incorporate elements of each into one big date. Regardless of how you do it, it is good to remember special times in your relationship. Keep those memories fresh in your mind so you can be reminded of what you love so much about each other!
Now Go Out and Celebrate!
Hopefully you and your sweetie will make this a Valentine’s week instead of simply celebrating a single day. Valentine’s Day is a good reminder to treat our significant other the way we should treat him or her all year. If you have been taking each other for granted, begin anew this week! It may be time to rethink your priorities! ~smile~
What unique plans to do you have for Valentine’s Day this year?