By Ashley, Contributing Writer

Finding quality time with your spouse can be a challenge. If you add children into the mix, it can make it even more challenging. I want to challenge you to find a simple way to spend time with your spouse on a regular basis. Quality time doesn’t necessarily mean having a date night either. Date nights are great and I am all for making going out together a priority, but sometimes you just need something simple you can do together after a long day to feel reconnected with your spouse.

Quality time will look different for many people. For instance, I like sitting on the couch watching a movie or show with my husband, but it is not my idea of the best kind of quality time. I honestly find it can sometimes make me feel even more disconnected. Watching movies or TV is something we still do, but I know there needs to be something else we can do that will help us connect better. So lately, my favorite simple activity to do with my husband is reading together. However, it took some time to find a way to make it enjoyable for both of us.

I have always loved the idea of reading a book with my husband. Early on in our marriage, I would often drop some subtle and not so subtle hints that I wanted to do this. I even gave him a marriage devotional book as a Christmas gift one year. We read through that book and another marriage book that I had been hoping he would read with me. I loved the time we spent doing this, but I could tell that it was not my husbands favorite activity.

After a year or so without reading together, I wondered if maybe he would enjoy reading a fiction book together instead of the other type of books we had read. I kept this to myself and pondered it for a while.

One night, my husband caught me looking at some books on the bookshelf. I pointed to a few books and asked if he had read them. He said yes and proceeded to ask me if I would like for him to read them with me. I couldn’t hold my surprise when I nodded yes. It has now become our nightly ritual to read a couple chapters before bed. We call it our story time and I can’t wait to find more books to read together.

Reading Fiction may not be same as reading a devotional or marriage book but there is something nice about curling up together with a book no matter what kind of book it is. I do love the idea of reading a good Christian book with my husband so we can both grow in our faith together. Maybe someday I will convince my husband to read another devotional or other type of Christian living book with me, but I know those books are not my husbands favorite to read so I am trying to make more time on my own to read those types of books. For now I will enjoy the time we spend together doing something we both enjoy even if it is just reading a fiction book.

Book Suggestions 

If you think reading is something you might want to try with your spouse, why not ask and see if they would do this with you? Like me, it may take some trial and error to find the perfect book but keep searching because it will be worth it. The kind of book you decide to read with your spouse will obviously be based on your mutual interests, but I hope these will give you some ideas. Some of these I have read and some are books I would like to read.

Non-Fiction:

The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts by Gary Chapman

The Love Dare Day By Day: A Year of Devotions for Couple by Stephen Kendrick and Alex Kendrick

Men Are Like Waffles–Women Are Like Spaghetti: Understanding and Delighting in Your Differences by Bill and Pam Farrel

Fiction:

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy by JRR Tolkien

My list of books I want to read myself is much longer than this one as it takes a little more thought into deciding on books that both my husband and I will enjoy.  I also have not been able to spend much time yet making this list, but I hope to keep finding more titles to add.

I would love your input! Do you have any suggestions of books you have read or would like to read that you would add to the list?

More Marriage Resources:

If you want to dive even deeper and discover Biblical resources for marriage, check out the following articles:

• 10 Great Marriage Resources for Forming a Solid Union
• Marriage Builders {Book Reviews and Marriage Resources}
• Sermons and Biblically Based Resources for Husbands
• Biblically Based Resources that Every Wife Should Have in Her Library

And you can check out this awesome Pinterest board from the top Christian marriage bloggers! Discover amazing marriage resources and article by following the board HERE.

Follow Jolene Engle’s board A Biblical Marriage on Pinterest.