1. Cultivate a common interest. 

培养共同的兴趣。

Your spouse should be your best friend, and friends enjoy spending time with one another. If you and your spouse have different hobbies, find something that you both enjoy doing and do it together. You may want to go bike riding, walk together at the end of a long day, play tennis, or learn how to ballroom dance. Shared experiences enrich marriages and deepen friendship.

你的伴侣应该是你最好的朋友，而朋友通常都会喜欢与对方相处。如果你和你的伴侣有不同的兴趣爱好，那么久找到一些你们共同感兴趣的内容，并且一起做。你们或许都想要在傍晚时分一起骑行或散步。或者打网球，学习跳舞等等。分享这样的经历可以丰富你们的婚姻，加深你们的友情。

2. Have a regular date night. 

设定一个固定的约会时间。

If you don’t have a relative nearby who would gladly watch your kids, then consider swapping babysitting with a friend on a regular basis. For example, you would watch their kids on the first Friday of every month and they would watch your kids on the second Saturday of every month.

如果可以帮助你照顾孩子的亲友们不住在你的附近，那么可以考虑和你的朋友们轮换照顾彼此的孩子。例如，你可以每个月的第一个星期五照顾朋友的小孩，而他们可以在每个月的第二个星期六照顾你们的孩子。

With a little imagination, you can also plan some great dates at home … not only while the kids are sleeping, but also while they are enjoying pizza or watching a special movie.

只要花一点点心思，也可以在家里举行约会之夜。不必非要等到孩子们都睡下了，也可以选择他们享受pizza或看电影的时候。

3. Try new adventures together. 

一起尝试新鲜事物。

We only live this life once. Try doing something different to force yourself out of the rut of normal day-to-day living. If you and your spouse would like to do something a little more daring, consider activities such as skydiving, scuba diving, mountain climbing, etc.

我们都只活这一次，试着做一些你的日常生活之外的不同的事。如果你和你的伴侣都想挑战一些需要胆量的活动，那么不妨考虑跳伞，潜水，或爬山等等。

“When my husband, Jim, and I said, ‘I do’ 37 years ago, I never envisioned myself whizzing through the countryside on the back of a motorcycle,” LaRue Launius says. “And Jim never imagined himself thousands of feet up in the air. But God has used these experiences, and countless others, to gradually knit our hearts together as best friends.”

“当我丈夫37年前说我愿意的时候，我从未想过自己可以坐在摩托车上在乡间的小路上风驰电掣”LaRue Launius说到。“同样Jim 也从未想过自己可以飞翔在几千英尺的高空中。但是上帝使用无数这样或那样的经历将我们的心紧紧地连在一起，就像挚友一样。”

4. Write love letters to one another and read them over a romantic dinner.

给对方写情书，并在浪漫晚餐时诵读给对方。

Writing letters is almost a lost art form today. You may want to redeem it by regularly expressing your love to your spouse in a letter. Then read it to your spouse over a romantic dinner.

写信在今天几乎已经成为一种遗失的艺术。你可以定期地为你的伴侣写上一封情书，来寻回这门艺术。然后在浪漫晚餐时诵读出来。

You could purchase special wooden boxes for your love letters. Or, record them in individual journals as a lasting reminder to your legacy of your love for one another.

你可以买一个特制的木盒存放这些情书，或者在你的日记中记录下来作为你们爱情的见证。

5. Go on overnight getaways—without the kids. 

度过一个短期休假—不带孩子。

The possibilities are endless. Many state parks have great campsites and beautiful lodges. Staying at a nearby bed and breakfast can be a real treat. Also, hotels often have special weekend getaway packages.

我们有很多种选择。很过地方的自然公园拥有很棒的露营地和美丽的小木屋。待在附近的小床上，享受早餐。同样，许多宾馆也提供特色周末游的套餐。

6. Set aside regular time to talk with one another—without any distractions. 

特别划出固定的时间与对方畅谈---不被打扰。

Make time to focus on one another and talk about the day’s events. When our children were young, my husband and I tried to visit together for 10-15 minutes before dinner each evening—just the two of us. You and your spouse may want to do this after the kids go to bed. The important thing is to share heart-to-heart and face-to-face.

花时间关注对方，并且一起谈论当天发生的事情。当我们的孩子还很小的时候，我的丈夫和我会在每天晚饭前的10-15分钟分享彼此。或许你和你的伴侣想要在孩子睡觉之后再这样做。但重点是一定要心贴心，面对面。

If the kids are in school, you may want to have lunch together once a week. Put it on the calendar and make definite appointments. I read about a pastor who did this for years. He had a standing invitation for lunch one day a week that could not be broken—lunch with his wife.

如果孩子们已经上学了，你们或许可以每周一起吃午餐。把它写在日历上，作为一个约定。我了解到一位牧师这样做了很多年。他坚持每周有一天一定要和自己的妻子共进午餐，并且不轻易改变。

7. Read a book together and discuss it over coffee at a local coffeehouse or bookstore. 

一起在一家咖啡馆或者书店里读一本书，并讨论。

Take turns choosing the books. If a movie has been made out of the book, read and discuss it together and then watch the movie. Compare the book to the movie.

轮换着选择书籍。如果有一部电影改编自某一本书，那么找到那本书，一起读，并且讨论，然后再看电影。和书比较一下电影的质量。

You could also go through one of  Bible studies as a couple. Although these Bible studies are designed for small groups, you could do one with your spouse. 

你们也可以参加一些圣经学习小组，尽管圣经学习需要较少的人数参与，但是你可以和你的伴侣一起做。

8. Be accountable to one another. 

向对方负责任。

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 tells us, “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion.But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up."

传道书4:9-10告诉我们：两个人总比一个人好，因为二人劳碌同得美好的果效。若是跌倒，这人可以扶起他的同伴；若是孤身跌倒，没有别人扶起他来，这人就有祸了。 

You may want to ask your spouse to keep you accountable in a certain area. For example, I have a habit of over-committing myself and having way too many things on the to-do list. My husband is great about bringing me back to earth and helping me establish a more balanced schedule.

你可以邀请你的另一半在一些特定的领域内对你负责。比如我是一个会过度要求自己的人，总是会计划做很多事情。我的丈夫就会非常擅长把我从失控的状态中拉回到现实，并且帮助我建立更加平衡的日程表。

Being accountable to our spouse requires one-on-one time—whether it’s over coffee in the morning or evaluating a to-do list together in the afternoon.

作为一位督导，需要一次一件事情地做，无论是早晨的咖啡时间，或是下午一起评估待办事项。

9. Pray together. 

一起祷告。

When we regularly pray with our spouse, our souls and hearts are uniquely knit together. Sadly, we’ll forget many of the ways God answers our prayers unless we write them down.

当我们时常与伴侣一起祷告时，我们的灵魂和心也被交织在一起。遗憾的是，如果我们不把这些祷告记录下来，就会经常忘记上帝是如何回应我们的祷告。

You may want to record how God answers your prayers in a notebook. Once or so a year, go on an overnight getaway with your spouse and review it together. Spend some time thanking the Lord for all He has done.

你或许可以把上帝如何回应你的祷告写下来，在你和伴侣去旅行时，每年拿出来回顾一下，你会看到上帝的作为。

10. Tune-up your marriage at a Weekend to Remember marriage getaway. 

改善你的婚姻，加入周末婚恋短假。

Attending a Weekend to Remember will help you get away from the distractions of life and focus on one another.

参加这样的活动，可以帮助你躲开众多的纷扰并专注在对方身上。

“We had a wonderful time,” one wife wrote after attending a recent Weekend to Remember. “Everyone was so welcoming. We didn’t come to this as a couple who was looking to save their marriage. We came as a couple who needed a tune-up. We’re running good and would like to keep it that way.”

“我们享受了一段美妙的时光”。一个刚刚参加过活动的妻子说到。“每个人都很热情，我们来这里不是为了要拯救我们的婚姻。而是为了提升我们的婚姻。我们做的不错，并且希望保持那样！”