* I received a copy of this book from Moody Publishers in return for my completely honest review. This page may contain affiliate links.*
Do you remember when you were dating the person you were going to marry and what that was like?
For some of us that seems like a lifetime ago, even though it might have only been 11 years like in my case. Do you remember the excitement before you would get to see the man you loved? If you were like me, you watched the clock and couldn’t wait to spend quality time with him. It didn’t matter what you did, as long as you were together. Spending quality time together was important. It was needed. It was necessary.
Then you got married.
Then maybe you had children.
And life got busy. Really busy.
Before long, you and your husband weren’t spending quality time together and if you were able to eek out a “date night”, you talked about finances, the job, or the children. That needs to change.
Now, a new book by author Randy Southern called 52 Uncommon Dates hopes to help couples bring back that adventure and excitement that was present during dating. Dr. Gary Chapman, best known for his Love Language books, writes in the introduction to 52 Uncommon Dates that “Dating is to marriage what breathing is to the body. Couples who continue dating after the wedding are far more likely to have a healthy marriage.”
In his book, Southern offers a year’s worth of weekly dates that are meant to have spouses reconnect in unique ways that begin with prayer and end with a discussion about the date. Some of the dates are plain fun like the Design a Shirt date and some are out of the ordinary like the Cemetary Date. Yes, you read that correctly. A Cemetary Date.
You didn’t think I was going to tell you about that one, did you? I’ll let you read the book and find out all about it. It’s really an interesting concept!
One date in the book that Southern speaks of is the Playground Date. “It may sound silly to go on a date to a playground, but it’s a great place to learn more about each other’s childhoods.”
For me, a playground date takes me back to a date my then fiance, now husband and I had. We went to a playground that my belonged to the school my husband had attended as a child. There was a large map of the United States painted on the asphalt. At that point in our engagement, we knew we would be moving to a new state and my husband did what I thought was the most romantic gesture. He had both of us stand on the state that we were going to live in, held my hands and told me all about the life we were going to live and the beautiful future we were going to have together. Playgrounds can be amazing places. They can bring back good and bad memories, both of which can lead to incredible conversations and connections.
If you have been feeling disconnected from your spouse, chances are the feeling is mutual. Now is a great time to refresh your marriage and bring life back into it!
Enter now to win a copy of 52 Uncommon Dates by Randy Southern!
Or if you want to buy it now, you can get it on Amazon here: 52 Uncommon Dates: A Couple’s Adventure Guide for Praying, Playing, and Staying Together
About the author:
Randy Southern has worked in the publishing industry for more than 20 years as a writer, editor, and ghostwriter of hundreds of books, articles, and marketing documents. A former product developer for Cook Communications and editor for Scripture Press, he resides with his family in Indiana.
