Turnaround At Home – The Love Journal

 Keeping the Love Alive in Your Marriage

The Love Journal is a great way to open up sharing with one another since it is often easier to express feelings and appreciation in writing than it is face to face.

Best Use

Use for a keepsake journal. Dedicate the first page of your journal by writing words of love, encouragement, and blessings.  This is not a place to write negative or critical comments.  Make sure to write the date of when you write your love notes so that you can look back and see the special things that you have written each other over the years. You might also include some of the fun things you have done together.

Advance Preparation

Purchase a journal or notebook that is nice, a little above the school room version, so as to keep it special. Designate a location where you will pass the journal back and forth such as the bathroom sink counter or each other’s pillows. Take turns periodically passing the journal back and forth. You may want to mark your calendar on specific days or once a month that you want to be sure that you take the time to write a love note to your spouse.

Nutritional Value

To keep your love alive and fresh. Use the following as ideas to help craft meaningful love notes:

• I Appreciate You – Share the gratitude you feel for how he or she serves/sacrifices for the family
• I Admire You – Let your spouse know the qualities that you see in him/her such as character, persistence, patience, grace, strength, etc.
• I Affirm You – Tell them when they respond well to different situations or circumstances.
• My Prayer For You – Write out a prayer that you are praying for your spouse.  This can be a great opportunity if you know something specific that will be happening that day that he/she might be worried about.
• Just Because – You can just simply write “I want you to know how much I love you and am so thankful to be married to you!” or you can write out three pages explaining your feelings. It’s up to you because it’s not important how long the note is, but how heart-felt it is.
• Special Occasions – Take some time for a birthday, anniversary or holiday to share a love note in your journal.  Be specific about the occasion and write in a context that will be meaningful to your spouse.