Happy Valentine’s Day!

Once a year on Valentine’s Day we celebrate love, but should we think more about celebrating love all year long?  Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s great to have a day to focus on those special people in our lives. Most of us will make dinner reservations, buy cards and gifts to express our love and appreciation, but what happens after February 14^th? Do we forget about romance? Is one day a year enough to keep romance alive?

Obviously, the answer is, “No.” So let’s be mindful of keeping romance alive all through the year. Here are 10 ideas to help accomplish this goal.

• Breakfast in bed on a random Saturday. Surprise your loved one on a nonholiday weekend. Or you can make a special breakfast any day of the week. You don’t need a holiday to say, I care about you.
• Back rubs while watching TV or relaxing at home. This simple action involves touch which bonds couples together. And who doesn’t enjoy a back rub?
• Write a card or note and slip it into a purse, pocket, or briefcase with a short expression of love and care. The surprise of finding it makes a statement of love.
• Greet your partner with a kiss and special hug every day. Daily, let them know you care and are glad to be with them.
• Take care of your physical body. Don’t get lazy about your physical appearance and health. Exercise and take care of your body. Your partner wants you around for a lifetime.
• Hold hands when you walk; put your arm around your partner when sitting next to each other. Small gestures of touch communicate love.
• Be spontaneous on occasion. Record a loving voicemail, take a cooking class, bring home flowers for no reason, take a walk in a part…anything out of your routine prompts the reward system in your brain to feel pleasure.
• Turn off all devices, look each other in the eyes and talk together about life and your dreams. Making eye contact for even minutes has been shown to boost feelings of attraction.
• Express your appreciation for big and small things your partner does for you. Don’t take the person for granted.
• Make intimacy a priority. You need to attend to your intimate relationship and not allow the busyness of life to get in the way so carve out time and be intentional.

Romance is important to sustain a relationship over the years. The Song of Solomon is part of the wisdom literature of the Bible and gives us a godly perspective on the love between a man and a woman. It extols the virtue of love. And looking at the marriage profiled in Song of Solomon, we see a model of care, commitment, and delight. The book talks about giving care and attention to your spouse, enjoying your spouse, and securing your love for a lifetime by renewing your vows and honoring your covenant. I’ve given you a few ideas on how to do that! But go ahead and read the Song of Solomon together and see what else comes to mind.