Go back to where you first met.

Rekindle how the “first times” felt. What you felt when you first saw your spouse. What you did to get his or her attention. All the tingling down the spine feels.

Visit the Temple.

“A place of love and beauty”, the Temple will remind us of the covenants we made therein. For those who have not entered the Temple yet, it will serve as an inspiration to work for their sealing in the house of the Lord.

Make a list of what you are grateful for about each other.

The hustle and bustle of daily life can sometimes make us forget why we fell in love with our spouses. Making a why-am-I-grateful-for-my-spouse list can help us recall all the good that he or she is and the beauty the world has received because he or she exists.

Make a bucket list as a couple.

May it be a trip you both have been longing to do or a home improvement project you want to accomplish, make a list of the things you want as a couple. With this, both of you can plot a timeline and make goals to achieve them.

Visit widows or widowers and spend time with them.

The month of February can sometimes feel like winter to widows and widowers. It is a great idea to spend time with them so they will not feel alone during the Love Season.

Remember our forebears by learning about their love story.

Valentine’s Day is a good way to do genealogy work. We can research and look back on how our parents, grandparents or great grandparents met. Their love story may be different or similar from ours but it is a way to know them better.

Visit the young “single’” adults in your ward.

Married couples can be a positive influence on the youth and the young single adults. During Valentine’s day, it can make a difference in their lives if couples visit them and share their love and testimony of the importance of marriage.

Play mystery Valentine with your spouse.

Leave Valentine’s Day cards or heart cookies on the doorsteps of people in your community. Express your appreciation to them by leaving notes of gratitude and sincere compliments. The mystery adds to the excitement and leaves them in awe that there are people who appreciate them.

Write Valentine messages to full-time missionaries.

As a couple, express your love and appreciation for the service full-time missionaries are giving. This can be done via snail mail or email. This will boost their morale as they receive encouragement and strength from your letters.

Spend the day gardening.

Love needs nurturing like a garden does. Making a garden or improving one can compare to taking the necessary steps to also tend your marriage relationship. This will also cultivate your love for the environment.

Work out together.

You can go to the gym as a couple or go biking or hiking. Make time to appreciate health and wellness. Doing this together as a couple is becoming popular nowadays. It doesn’t hurt if we get on the bandwagon to couple fitness.

Travel.

This does not always mean going far. Taking a bus ride to the next town and back again is still travel. Make it an opportunity to communicate with each other with a change in scenery every now and then.

Write a letter to each other.

When was the last time you wrote a love letter to your spouse? Get classical in expressing your feelings by writing on a fancy stationery and sealing it with a kiss. As one of the most loved Valentine’s Day dating ideas, you can never go wrong with writing love letters.

Cook together.

The kitchen may be a small space in the house but it can be a place to spend quality time together. Prepare your Valentine’s Day dinner as a couple. From the preparation of the ingredients to plating the dish, there is more than enough time to exchange sweet talks.

Married couples tend to forego dating as an important part of the marriage relationship. In a culture where dating is viewed as only for the young ones, the young once must reconsider dating as not “only a luxury” for married couples. It is a part of the nurturing process to make marriage work. Nurture your marriage. Don’t stop dating!

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Through the years, I have come to realize that one of the reasons why we sometimes miss seeing our other half’s true worth is because we forget to compliment them. As husband and wife, you don’t just complement each other, you need to give compliments too. Here are the top 5 encouraging phrases your sweetheart needs to hear.

“I am proud of you!”

In the 2015 General Conference of the LDS church, Sister Linda K. Burton gave this powerful statement: “When we choose to complete rather than compete, it is so much easier to cheer each other on.” Because of the different roles of men and women, husbands and wives often make different contributions to the home. Don’t forget to acknowledge the efforts of your spouse. You are your other half’s best friend. Make sure that they know how proud you are of them. By doing so, you will also begin to see your spouse’s amazing traits.

“You inspire me.”

If you were asked to identify one inspiring thing about your spouse, what would it be? Do they know how much you appreciate what they do? Because of the responsibilities that come with building a home and a family, stress is inevitable. Take the time to silently observe your spouse. What kind of service does he or she give to others? What qualities do you learn from them? Let your spouse know that you see their simple acts and tell them how much they inspire you.

“You put so much heart in everything you do.”

In Tracy Lyn Cutler’s book “An 8 Cow Woman Deserves An 8 Cow Man,” she indicated that one of the things we need to develop in marriage is Passion. Everyone has a passion for something. For my husband, that would be building something out of nothing. For me, that would be writing. Oh, how easy it would be for me to complain about his weird project, or for him to get irritated by the mess I make while writing. Is the scenario familiar? Despite the mess I make, though, my husband still takes the time to compliment my writing because he knows my passion. Know your spouse better by knowing what sets their spirit on fire, and encourage them with compliments sometimes. It lets them know their efforts don’t go unnoticed.

“You’re beautiful/ handsome!”

Who doesn’t need this phrase? Being praised for our traits is great, but being told we’re beautiful does a lot for our confidence, too. Remember the story of Mahana and Johnny Lingo? Mahana was a village girl who everyone thought was ugly. When she married Johnny Lingo, who traded 8 cows for her hand in marriage, she surprised everyone when she transformed into a beautiful woman. When asked what happened, Johnny Lingo said “she has always been beautiful to me.” There is no doubt Johnny Lingo made sure his wife knew that and it influenced her for the better. Imagine how such encouragement could build and help your other half!.

“I love you.”

Elder Richard G. Scott said once “Do you tell your [spouse] often how much you love [him/her]? It will bring [them] great happiness.” Don’t withhold from your spouse expressions of love, either in words or in deeds.

Indeed, marriage is the most special relationship here on earth and the life after. Therefore, we must do all that we can to strengthen our marriages and our families. It won’t take a lot of money to make your spouse happy. Your daily, sincere expressions of love delivered through compliments can bless your marriage in ways no amount of money could ever do.

The post Strengthen Marriage With These 5 Compliments appeared first on morefaith.ph.