Southern - 52 Uncommon Ways to Unwind Together: A Couples Guide to Relaxing, Refreshing, and De-Stressing

2020 by
GARY D. CHAPMAN AND CHRISTOPHER HUDSON & ASSOCIATES, INC.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Edited by Kevin P. Emmert

Interior and cover design: Julia Ryan / DesignByJulia.com

Cover images: 5 Shutterstock/Qba from Poland; 2 Shutterstock/Roman Siggev; couple in chair Julia Ryan / DesignByJulia.com

Interior images: all chapter spot-illustrations: Shutterstock/Ron and Joe; third strand icon Julia Ryan

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Southern, Randy, author.

Title: 52 uncommon ways to unwind together : a couples guide to relaxing, refreshing, and de-stressing / Randy Southern.

Other titles: Fifty-two uncommon ways to unwind together

Description: Chicago : Moody Publishers, 2020. | Includes index. | Summary: Enjoy these fun dates that help you reinvigorate your relationship. Whether youre going through a difficult season, your relationship has shifted into autopilot, or the everyday stresses of life are wearing you out, its time to boost your relational connection and make fun memories with these strategically designed activities that provide opportunities to enjoy, de-stress, and unwind. -- Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019030936 (print) | LCCN 2019030937 (ebook) | ISBN 9780802419385 (paperback) | ISBN 9780802497970 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Marriage--Religious aspects--Christianity. | Dating (Social customs)--Religious aspects--Christianity. | Stress (Psychology)--Religious aspects--Christianity.

Classification: LCC BV835 .S75 2020 (print) | LCC BV835 (ebook) | DDC 248.8/44--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019030936

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019030937

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L ife together can get busy, stressful, and sometimes just routine. It is not what we intended or wantedit just happens. If we drift in our relationship, we will likely drift apart. We dont want that to happen, so lets put our oars in the water and row together to our intended goal: an intimate, loving, supportive, enjoyable relationship.

In 52 Uncommon Ways to Unwind Together, Randy Southern gives us unique yet practical ways to relax, refresh, and renew our relationships. Why 52? Because there are 52 weeks in the year. However, let me be honest: it is not realistic to think that you will participate in one of these uncommon ways each week. So set yourself a goal: one every other week, or only one each month. At least you will be moving in the right direction.

This is not a book to simply read. It is a book to be experienced. The book provides ideas. You must make choices and take action steps to implement these uncommon ways to unwind and refresh your relationship. What I like about the book is that the suggestions are indeed uncommon. Some of these would never have crossed my mind, but as I read them, I think, Yes, we can do that. Why didnt I think of that?

Your personality, physical limitations, or emotional state may lead you to draw back from a few of the ideas. However, I think you will find most of them very doable. Dont draw back because weve never done that before. Thats the whole point! Doing the same things week after week with no diversion can lead to boredom. Routines are good. They help us get the necessary things done effectively. But, we need to intersperse the routine with the uncommon.

There are three things I really like about Randys approach to unwinding: (1) With each idea there is a quote from Scripture with questions that will lead you into meaningful conversations. (2) Each suggestion incorporates one of the love languages: Words of Affirmation, Gifts, Acts of Service, Quality Time, or Physical Touch. After all, our greatest emotional need is to feel loved. In marriage, nothing is more important than meeting that need. (3) For those who are interested, Randy gives a suggested reading from The Love Languages Devotional Bible, which has helped many couples rediscover the practical application of the Bible to daily life.

My hope is that as you try some of these uncommon ways of unwinding, you will find them so helpful that you will want to share the book with other couples. Marriages either grow or regress. They never stand still. We all need help in relaxing, de-stressing, and refreshing our marriages. In this book, Randy provides the tools to reach this goal.

WORDS OF AFFIRMATION: Actions dont always speak louder than words. If this is your love language, unsolicited compliments mean the world to you. Hearing the words I love you is importanthearing the reasons behind that love sends your spirits skyward.

QUALITY TIME: Nothing says I love you like full, undivided attention. Being there for a person whose love language is Quality Time is critical, but really being therewith the TV off, fork and knife down, and all chores and tasks on standbymakes him or her feel truly special and loved.