Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. —Genesis 2:24

Marriage is one of the biggest commitments we can make in our lifetimes. It’s a promise before God and all of your friends and family that you will remain with one person until death parts you. Unfortunately, time changes things.

Between children, friends, family, careers and social commitments, things can get rather complicated. In this age of text messaging, Skype and email, relationships are more distant and less intimate. It is important to keep the fires burning and remain connected to each other.

At some point the children will be gone and retirement will set in. Here are 10 guaranteed activities to make your relationship stronger, without electronics.

1. Find Time to Spend One Hour Together Every Day

You are probably thinking that this is an impossible request. Between both your schedules, time is short. Make the time. Sit together and tell each other about your day. Listen to one other. It is important to learn as much as you can about what makes your significant other happy, sad, frustrated and relaxed.

2. Make a Date Night

Even if you don’t have disposable income, date night can be manageable. Just have a romantic dinner on the terrace or even in the living room by candlelight. If you have kids, make them stay in their rooms, the playroom or the backyard. Find a time, once a week, to have a simple meal together.

3. Surprise, Surprise

Once in a while, surprise your partner. Make a special arrangement to go somewhere new and different or just bring home some flowers or a card. Doing the same old thing over and over again can make a relationship grow stale and monotonous.

4. Take a Walk

Take a stroll around the block, or if you have a park near by, head on out and set down a picnic blanket to talk under the trees. It’s healthy, fun and will give you some time to yourselves.

5. Do Some Role Playing

Go to a restaurant and pretend you don’t know each other and that you’re meeting for the first time. This could be exciting and remind you both of how you fell in love in the first place. Better yet, play this game at the spot you first met! Then reminisce about what drew you to one another.

6. Exercise Together

It can be fun to workout with your spouse, especially if you’ve been together for a while.

Sometimes, we need a little kick in the pants to start getting active, and exercising together allows you to motivate one another. It also lets you to bond over healthy activities––let your partner pick two activities per week and have him or her participate in your activity of choice two days a week, whether that be cycling, jogging around the park, taking a boxing class or dancing lessons. Staying healthy together is an important thing to do that often gets overlooked.

7. Play a Board Game

Sometimes, a good old-fashioned board game will do the trick––sit together and have some fun! Some good clean competition can add a little spark to your daily routine.

8. Read to Each Other

Reading is a lost art. Before television and video games came along, books and storytelling were the main forms of entertainment. Lie down in each other’s arms and read some poetry, your favorite Bible verses or a romantic love story. Sometimes reading about someone else’s romance can cause a small spark to ignite in our own.

9. Write Love Notes

Leaving little love notes for each other around the house or in the car will guarantee to bring a smile to anyone’s face. Let your beloved know that you are thinking about her and let her find it by surprise.

Places to consider are a briefcase, a purse, a wallet, on the steering wheel or even on a pillow. One romantic trick is to write a short love note on the bathroom mirror after a shower. The next time your partner steams up the mirror with a hot bath, the message will re-appear. It’s never too late to remind someone how you feel about them.

10. Play Hooky Together

Take a day off in the middle of the week and do something you don’t normally do. Go to an amusement park or a museum. Visit a botanical garden or a restaurant that you’ve never been to before. If you’re feeling really adventurous, take a Friday off and head out for a romantic road trip or weekend getaway. Keep the relationship fresh and keep doing new things.

Don’t take the one you love for granted. Make an effort to know what they love and what they don’t. Put God between you and make a contest out of pleasing the other. You might be surprised at how strong your relationship can become.