What is the silent communication that generally goes on between you and your spouse? What kind of thoughts do you regularly think about your spouse? How do you feel about him/her most of the time? How do you look at him/her? What does your spouse see in your eyes? What are the messages you send to your spouse in the bedroom? Are they positive or negative? Encouraging or discouraging? Accepting or resentful?

Your Valentine's Challenge!

For those of you who are the lower-desire spouse your Valentine's challenge is to send a silent message of love without using words. When was the last time you gave your honey the look that says, "Hey baby, you wanna get lucky!" or "I must be the luckiest woman in the world to have you as my husband!" What can you do to make your day or evening together more passionate? Step outside your comfort zone for a little adventure. How long has it been since you initiated sex? As you let sizzling thoughts of your spouse simmer in your mind all day, it will be easier to let your message of love be heard loud and clear when you have time alone together! Have fun! Be playful! Enjoy each other and the gift of intimacy you have as husband and wife.

For those of you who are the higher-desire spouse your Valentine's challenge is to let your love be heard without any "strings attached." I've heard many spouses say that they hate Valentine's Day because they feel like they really have to "put out!" They feel a lot of pressure, which is a killer of sexual desire. You can take the pressure off by sending your silent message of love and affection without any expectations in return. So, how might you do that? Plan a romantic evening for your spouse with no strings attached! Clear your mind of any sexual expectations, so that there is no psychological pressure for your spouse to perform on Valentine's day. What a gift that might be to your spouse allowing her (or him) to relax and simply enjoy your time together.

We'd love to hear how your Valentine's Day went, especially if you took one of these Valentine's Day challenges! Send us your thoughts at: feedback@strengtheningmarriage.com.

Win a Romantic Getaway to The Anniversary Inn with

One lucky couple will receive a FREE one-night stay at the Anniversary Inn of their choice, in the room of their choice! Enjoy complimentary cheesecake, sparkling cider, and freshly baked breakfast delivered to your door. To enter the drawing, send us your favorite couples photo by Wednesday, February 28th. The winning couple will be drawn and notified in our next newsletter. So grab a digital camera or get a special couples portrait taken for this upcoming Valentine's Day. 

Even if you aren't selected as the winner of this Valentine's giveaway, you can still be a winner by reserving a room at The Anniversary Inn for you and your sweetheart! Next to going on our Couples' Cruises, I'm in love with staying at The Anniversary Inn! Check out all the fun rooms and reserve yours today!  

Perfect Marriage NOT Required!

We want to continue to build a "Strengthening Marriage" showcase of couples to highlight the marital unit as the vital component of the family and society. You don't have to have a perfect marriage to send us a photo, or we'd have NO photos to post! So, send your favorite photo with your first names, and how many years you've been married to: couplesphotos@strengtheningmarriage.com.

We'll post all the new photos before our next newsletter. You can check out the current "Couples Photos" page here.

Valentine's Day is almost here! Learn how to give just the right gift of love to your spouse with this talk on CD "LOVE 101--Learning to Love More Meaningfully." You'll learn how to more effectively fulfill each other's individual needs for love. Make it a date to listen to this seminar together, and see how you can lift your love and happiness in marriage to new heights!

Click here to purchase "LOVE 101" Talk on CD

-- UPCOMING EVENTS --

If you are interested in strengthening marriages and families then this conference is for YOU! Intimacy educator and author, Laura M. Brotherson, will be participating in a panel discussion on the topic of "Employing the Internet to Strengthen Marriages and Families."

For more information and to register visit: http://www.family-outreach.com or http://www.familyoutreach.byu.edu.

Click here to download and listen to Laura's 2005 Family Outreach presentation entitled:
"Strengthening Marriages Intimately."

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This conference on pornography and sexual addiction is designed to offer a variety of approaches for those who struggle with, are spouses of, or minister to those who struggle. Presentations will offer practical, applied, and spiritually based keys to overcoming pornography and sexual addiction. Laura M. Brotherson will be participating in the opening keynote session on the topic of "Hope for Achieving a Healthy Sexual Relationship in Marriage," as well as participating with the panel discussion.

Click here for the schedule and a complete list of the excellent presenters and topics.
Seating is limited at this conference, so be sure to register early to reserve your seat!

For additional information and to register visit: www.AMoreExcellentHope.org

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The Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment (ACME) has an exciting event planned for their annual International Marriage Enrichment Celebration.  Laura Brotherson will present one of three Masters Workshops, "Sexy is a State of Mind--Cultivating Sexual Desire for Your Spouse." This conference will be a great opportunity to strengthen your marriage, and have a special couples getaway too! Come dance with us at the Saturday evening Couples Dance. We'll definitely be there as we celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary! Click here for a printable flyer .

For more information visit:
     Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment (ACME)

Click here for more information on Upcoming Events.

Answer:   I have unfortunately encountered many women who have said they could easily go without sex for the rest of their lives. I could probably have fit into that category myself in the past. These are women who might even have otherwise pretty close and connected marriages. Sex feels like a duty for many women, or is at least a lower priority. Unfortunately I would say that on average most women don't really get into enjoying their sexuality in marriage the way it was intended by God.  ( . . . Click HERE for the rest of this Q&A.)

Click here for the Straight Talk Q&A Archive .

Newsletter Archive

Stay tuned for more intimacy insights in upcoming Strengthening Marriage Newsletters...! Click here to visit the complete e-Newsletter archive. If you missed the last newsletter, you can catch it here:

"Happily Marrieds Needed" -- Marriage Newsltr #23