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Day 1 - Jun 23, 2025

Keeping fun alive in marriage isn’t just about having a good time—it’s a key to keeping your connection strong, your friendship deep, and your love fresh.

Part 1: Fun Is Foundational

One major feature present in every healthy marriage? Fun.

And no, fun doesn’t mean your marriage is free from problems. Every couple faces obstacles—but fun is what gives you strength and closeness to face them together.

Psychologist Howard Markman, from the University of Denver’s Center for Marital and Family Studies, conducted a landmark study in 2008 and found that the more couples invest in fun and friendship, the happier their relationship becomes over time.

When most couples fall in love, it’s usually not because of deep conversations or long-term planning—it starts with fun. You laughed together, explored together, and spent time doing things that made you feel alive.

That’s how love starts—and that’s how it stays strong.

• Without fun, marriage can easily feel like a business arrangement. But with fun, it becomes the adventure God intended.

 

Day 2 - Jun 24, 2025

Part 2: Learn to Make Your Own Fun

Don’t wait for fun to find you—go out and create it!

Dr. Thomas Bradbury, a researcher from the University of California, found that people in happy relationships generate their own fun. These couples don’t rely on entertainment from the outside—they create moments that keep their relationship strong, fresh, and alive.

He also found something fascinating: Cities with Major League Baseball teams have a 28% lower divorce rate than those without. Translation? The more fun your environment, the better your chances of having a strong marriage. But here’s the catch—we don’t all live in big cities with amusement parks or pro sports teams. That means most of us have to get creative.

• And that’s not a bad thing—it’s actually where some of the best memories are made.

Important Truth: Fun doesn’t have to cost money. It just takes intention.

Many couples fall into the trap of thinking fun means big vacations or expensive date nights. But lasting joy often comes from the small, shared moments: laughing during a board game, dancing in the kitchen, or telling inside jokes no one else would understand.

Scripture Insight: Song of Solomon 2:10-11 says, "Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me. See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone." This is an invitation to joy—to adventure—to shared delight. It’s not just poetic, it’s prophetic for marriage. You are meant to experience joy together.

Day 3 - Jun 25, 2025

Part 3: Connect and Cope Through Fun

Having fun together doesn’t just make your marriage enjoyable—it makes it resilient.

Fun is a powerful way couples Connect and Cope with life’s stress. Laughter, play, and shared joy help you manage pressure, reduce conflict, and deepen emotional bonds. In a world filled with screens, deadlines, and distractions, fun gives your relationship fresh air.

Recent research shows that couples today socialize less than couples just five years ago.

• They go out less, eat together less, and engage in fewer shared hobbies. But we are wired for connection—especially with our spouse. When that connection fades, stress can quietly take its place.

So what about you?

• Do you and your spouse go to events or activities together?

• Do you walk, play games, or try new things together?

• Or is watching a screen the only thing you do side-by-side?

Here’s the truth: You need to be intentional about fun.

Mandy and I love the holidays. But we’ve learned that to get the most out of those times, we can’t wait until the last minute. So we plan now. We talk about it. We ask our kids for ideas. That kind of preparation builds anticipation and makes the fun even more meaningful.

The same principle applies to your marriage. You don’t drift into joy—you decide to create it.

Day 4 - Jun 26, 2025

Part 4: Fun Doesn’t Automatically Happen

Fun isn’t something that “just happens.” You have to Plan for it—and Protect it.

Sadly, many couples confuse proximity with connection. Sitting on the couch next to each other while scrolling on your phones might be common, but it’s not "Quality Time".

A few decades ago, there were no cell phones. When two people were together, they were truly together. Today, it takes more effort. Research shows the average person checks their phone 144 times a day—that’s nearly once every 10 minutes during waking hours!

Technology can be a great servant, but a horrible master.

• Ask yourself: Are you in control of your devices—or are they quietly controlling your time and attention?

Scripture Insight: Song of Solomon 1:15 says, "How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes are doves." In biblical times, a dove’s gaze was considered steady and focused. This is the kind of attention God invites us to give our spouse—undistracted, clear, and present.

• If fun matters, you’ll need to fight for it by setting boundaries around your time—and your tech.

Day 5 - Jun 27, 2025

Part 5: Keep Investing in Each Other

There’s a big difference between Spending Time together and Investing Time in each other.

Many couples reach a point of familiarity. You know each other’s rhythms, habits, and opinions. But eventually, this comfort can turn into complacency. That’s when couples unintentionally stop pursuing one another.  Mandy and I constantly tell couples to NEVER stop Pursiung & Protecting your spouses heart.  

You think you already know your spouse—and stop asking questions. Then years go by, and you hear things like:

• "When did you start liking that?"

• "I’ve wanted to do that for a long time. You just never noticed."

These moments reveal a subtle but Dangerous Drift—one that happens when we stop being intentional.

Here’s the truth: Intimacy thrives where curiosity lives. Keep asking questions. Keep exploring your spouse’s heart, dreams, and desires.

Scripture Insight: Song of Solomon 6:3 says, "I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine." This speaks to an intentional, mutual ownership of love. It’s not passive—it’s participatory. It requires attention, effort, and joy.

Did you know one of a man’s deepest relational needs is for his wife to be his Friend?

• He wants a buddy—someone to laugh with, hang out with, and join him in activities.

And one of a woman’s deepest emotional needs is for her husband to Connect.

• She longs to be heard, seen, known, and emotionally engaged.

Here’s the beautiful overlap: Men tend to open up emotionally when they’re having fun. That’s when walls come down and real connection happens.